diff --git a/lib/postgres.rb b/lib/postgres.rb
index ba7af8b4935947e558d7b709357013c40c0e343e..603d9b8342ec7e3528f239a4f3a827e73f98dddd 100644
--- a/lib/postgres.rb
+++ b/lib/postgres.rb
@@ -10,6 +10,13 @@ class Postgres < SimpleDelegator
 		})
 	end
 
+	# WARNING: this uses up a connection from the pool which never releases
+	# Use it only if you need the same connection for the life of the process
+	def acquire
+		conn = __getobj__.send(:acquire, Fiber.current) until conn
+		conn
+	end
+
 	def query_one(sql, *args, field_names_as: :symbol, default: nil)
 		query_defer(sql, args).then do |rows|
 			rows.field_names_as(field_names_as)&.first || default
diff --git a/sgx_jmp.rb b/sgx_jmp.rb
index 3e2f22d9693ff1e6a9fef50c8aa67b5324f11fd6..df7870ad28bc95918171cafef0723012096cc15e 100644
--- a/sgx_jmp.rb
+++ b/sgx_jmp.rb
@@ -223,17 +223,16 @@ when_ready do
 	DB = Postgres.connect(dbname: "jmp", size: 5)
 	TEL_SELECTIONS = TelSelections.new
 
-	EMPromise.resolve(nil).then do
-		DB.hold do |conn|
-			conn.query("LISTEN low_balance")
-			conn.query("LISTEN possible_renewal")
-			catchup_notify_low_balance(conn)
-			catchup_notify_possible_renewal(conn)
-
-			repo = CustomerRepo.new(sgx_repo: Bwmsgsv2Repo.new)
-			poll_for_notify(conn, repo).sync
-		end
-	end
+	EMPromise.resolve(nil).then {
+		conn = DB.acquire
+		conn.query("LISTEN low_balance")
+		conn.query("LISTEN possible_renewal")
+		catchup_notify_low_balance(conn)
+		catchup_notify_possible_renewal(conn)
+
+		repo = CustomerRepo.new(sgx_repo: Bwmsgsv2Repo.new)
+		poll_for_notify(conn, repo)
+	}.catch(&method(:panic))
 
 	load_plans_to_db!