diff --git a/src/server/features/projects/repositories/ProjectRepository.ts b/src/server/features/projects/repositories/ProjectRepository.ts
index f8078c5..faed5c0 100644
--- a/src/server/features/projects/repositories/ProjectRepository.ts
+++ b/src/server/features/projects/repositories/ProjectRepository.ts
@@ -54,6 +54,21 @@ async function createProject(
   return id;
 }
 
+async function tryCreateDefaultProject(organizationId: string) {
+  const id = crypto.randomUUID();
+  const inserted = await db
+    .insert(projects)
+    .values({
+      id,
+      organizationId,
+      name: "Default",
+      domain: null,
+    })
+    .onConflictDoNothing()
+    .returning({ id: projects.id });
+  return inserted.length > 0 ? id : null;
+}
+
 async function deleteProject(projectId: string, organizationId: string) {
   const project = await getProjectForOrganization(projectId, organizationId);
   if (!project) {
@@ -76,5 +91,6 @@ export const ProjectRepository = {
   getProjectForOrganization,
   getProjectById,
   createProject,
+  tryCreateDefaultProject,
   deleteProject,
 } as const;
diff --git a/src/server/features/projects/services/projects.test.ts b/src/server/features/projects/services/projects.test.ts
index 2145261..75301b4 100644
--- a/src/server/features/projects/services/projects.test.ts
+++ b/src/server/features/projects/services/projects.test.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
   getProjectById: vi.fn(),
   getProjectForOrganization: vi.fn(),
   listProjects: vi.fn(),
+  tryCreateDefaultProject: vi.fn(),
 }));
 
 vi.mock("@/server/features/projects/repositories/ProjectRepository", () => ({
@@ -26,30 +27,24 @@ describe("project service", () => {
     for (const mock of Object.values(mocks)) mock.mockReset();
   });
 
-  it("recovers from the default project unique constraint race", async () => {
+  it("recovers from the default project creation race", async () => {
     mocks.getDefaultProjectForOrganization
       .mockResolvedValueOnce(null)
       .mockResolvedValueOnce(defaultProject);
-    mocks.createProject.mockRejectedValue(
-      new Error("UNIQUE constraint failed: projects.organization_id"),
-    );
+    mocks.tryCreateDefaultProject.mockResolvedValue(null);
     const { getOrCreateDefaultProject } = await import("./projects");
 
     await expect(getOrCreateDefaultProject("org_1")).resolves.toEqual(
       defaultProject,
     );
-    expect(mocks.createProject).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-      "org_1",
-      "Default",
-      undefined,
-    );
+    expect(mocks.tryCreateDefaultProject).toHaveBeenCalledWith("org_1");
     expect(mocks.getDefaultProjectForOrganization).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
   });
 
   it("does not swallow unrelated default project create failures", async () => {
     const error = new Error("D1 unavailable");
     mocks.getDefaultProjectForOrganization.mockResolvedValue(null);
-    mocks.createProject.mockRejectedValue(error);
+    mocks.tryCreateDefaultProject.mockRejectedValue(error);
     const { getOrCreateDefaultProject } = await import("./projects");
 
     await expect(getOrCreateDefaultProject("org_1")).rejects.toBe(error);
diff --git a/src/server/features/projects/services/projects.ts b/src/server/features/projects/services/projects.ts
index 027b8b1..8a293f0 100644
--- a/src/server/features/projects/services/projects.ts
+++ b/src/server/features/projects/services/projects.ts
@@ -51,41 +51,23 @@ export async function getOrCreateDefaultProject(organizationId: string) {
     return mapProject(existing);
   }
 
-  try {
-    const id = await ProjectRepository.createProject(
-      organizationId,
-      "Default",
-      undefined,
-    );
-
+  const id = await ProjectRepository.tryCreateDefaultProject(organizationId);
+  if (id) {
     return {
       id,
       name: "Default",
       domain: null,
       createdAt: new Date().toISOString(),
     };
-  } catch (error) {
-    if (!isDefaultProjectUniqueConstraintError(error)) {
-      throw error;
-    }
-
-    const createdProject =
-      await ProjectRepository.getDefaultProjectForOrganization(organizationId);
-    if (createdProject) {
-      return mapProject(createdProject);
-    }
-
-    throw error;
   }
-}
 
-function isDefaultProjectUniqueConstraintError(error: unknown) {
-  if (!(error instanceof Error)) return false;
-  const message = error.message.toLowerCase();
-  return (
-    message.includes("unique constraint failed") &&
-    message.includes("projects.organization_id")
-  );
+  const createdProject =
+    await ProjectRepository.getDefaultProjectForOrganization(organizationId);
+  if (createdProject) {
+    return mapProject(createdProject);
+  }
+
+  throw new AppError("INTERNAL_ERROR");
 }
 
 export async function getProject(projectId: string) {