diff --git a/.changeset/tender-dragons-teach.md b/.changeset/tender-dragons-teach.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dac89fca54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/tender-dragons-teach.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@directus/api': patch
+---
+
+Fixed `"DB_CLIENT" Environment Variable is missing.` appearing during `directus init`
diff --git a/api/src/database/index.ts b/api/src/database/index.ts
index 3ce8039458..cc0b1b771d 100644
--- a/api/src/database/index.ts
+++ b/api/src/database/index.ts
@@ -191,12 +191,12 @@ export function getDatabase(): Knex {
 	return database;
 }
 
-export function getSchemaInspector(): SchemaInspector {
+export function getSchemaInspector(database?: Knex): SchemaInspector {
 	if (inspector) {
 		return inspector;
 	}
 
-	const database = getDatabase();
+	database ??= getDatabase();
 
 	inspector = createInspector(database);
 
diff --git a/api/src/database/migrations/20240806A-permissions-policies.ts b/api/src/database/migrations/20240806A-permissions-policies.ts
index 79a37ecb47..ffeaf5650c 100644
--- a/api/src/database/migrations/20240806A-permissions-policies.ts
+++ b/api/src/database/migrations/20240806A-permissions-policies.ts
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ export async function up(knex: Knex) {
 	});
 
 	try {
-		const inspector = await getSchemaInspector();
+		const inspector = await getSchemaInspector(knex);
 		const foreignKeys = await inspector.foreignKeys('directus_permissions');
 
 		const foreignConstraint =