diff --git a/src/app/api/admin/events/route.ts b/src/app/api/admin/events/route.ts
index 1c699a6..5a8371e 100644
--- a/src/app/api/admin/events/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/admin/events/route.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { NextRequest, NextResponse } from 'next/server';
 import { verifyEventStaff, isValidGoogleDriveUrl, isWebPImage } from '@/lib/auth-server';
-import { imagekit } from '@/lib/imagekit';
+import { getImageKit } from '@/lib/imagekit';
 import { formFile, formText, isUuid, jsonText, readFormLimited, readJsonObject } from '@/lib/security';
 
 export const runtime = 'nodejs';
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ export async function POST(req: NextRequest) {
 
     // 5. Upload poster to ImageKit
     const cleanFileName = posterFile.name.replace(/[^a-zA-Z0-9.-]/g, '_');
-    const uploadRes = await imagekit.upload({
+    const uploadRes = await getImageKit().upload({
       file: buffer,
       fileName: `event_${Date.now()}_${cleanFileName}`,
       folder: '/innovision/events',
@@ -389,7 +389,7 @@ export async function PATCH(req: NextRequest) {
       }
 
       const cleanFileName = newPosterFile.name.replace(/[^a-zA-Z0-9.-]/g, '_');
-      const uploadRes = await imagekit.upload({
+      const uploadRes = await getImageKit().upload({
         file: buffer,
         fileName: `event_${Date.now()}_${cleanFileName}`,
         folder: '/innovision/events',
diff --git a/src/app/api/admin/gallery/route.ts b/src/app/api/admin/gallery/route.ts
index 3917654..0572e12 100644
--- a/src/app/api/admin/gallery/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/admin/gallery/route.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { NextRequest, NextResponse } from 'next/server';
 import { verifyEventStaff, isWebPImage } from '@/lib/auth-server';
-import { imagekit } from '@/lib/imagekit';
+import { getImageKit } from '@/lib/imagekit';
 import { formFile, formText, isImageKitPathInFolder, isUuid, readFormLimited, readJsonObject } from '@/lib/security';
 
 export const runtime = 'nodejs';
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ export async function POST(req: NextRequest) {
 
     // 5. Upload image to ImageKit
     const cleanFileName = imageFile.name.replace(/[^a-zA-Z0-9.-]/g, '_');
-    const uploadRes = await imagekit.upload({
+    const uploadRes = await getImageKit().upload({
       file: buffer,
       fileName: `gallery_${Date.now()}_${cleanFileName}`,
       folder: '/innovision/gallery',
@@ -242,9 +242,9 @@ export async function DELETE(req: NextRequest) {
       try {
         // file_id comes from a database row, so confirm it really is a gallery image before using the ImageKit
         // private key to delete it (never registration proofs or event posters).
-        const details = await imagekit.getFileDetails(item.file_id);
+        const details = await getImageKit().getFileDetails(item.file_id);
         if (isImageKitPathInFolder(details.filePath, '/innovision/gallery')) {
-          await imagekit.deleteFile(item.file_id);
+          await getImageKit().deleteFile(item.file_id);
         } else {
           console.warn('Refusing to delete ImageKit file outside the gallery folder:', item.file_id, details.filePath);
         }
diff --git a/src/lib/imagekit.ts b/src/lib/imagekit.ts
index 87e47a0..8a55652 100644
--- a/src/lib/imagekit.ts
+++ b/src/lib/imagekit.ts
@@ -2,10 +2,21 @@
 // (see src/lib/payment-proofs.ts).
 import ImageKit from 'imagekit';
 
-const privateKey = process.env.IMAGEKIT_PRIVATE_KEY || '';
+let client: ImageKit | null = null;
 
-export const imagekit = new ImageKit({
-  publicKey: process.env.IMAGEKIT_PUBLIC_KEY || process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_IMAGEKIT_PUBLIC_KEY || '',
-  privateKey,
-  urlEndpoint: process.env.IMAGEKIT_URL_ENDPOINT || process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_IMAGEKIT_URL_ENDPOINT || '',
-});
+// Created on first use rather than at import time: `next build` imports route modules while collecting page data,
+// and the ImageKit constructor throws when keys are missing (as they are in CI).
+export function getImageKit(): ImageKit {
+  if (client) return client;
+
+  const publicKey = process.env.IMAGEKIT_PUBLIC_KEY || process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_IMAGEKIT_PUBLIC_KEY || '';
+  const privateKey = process.env.IMAGEKIT_PRIVATE_KEY || '';
+  const urlEndpoint = process.env.IMAGEKIT_URL_ENDPOINT || process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_IMAGEKIT_URL_ENDPOINT || '';
+
+  if (!publicKey || !privateKey || !urlEndpoint) {
+    throw new Error('ImageKit configuration is missing.');
+  }
+
+  client = new ImageKit({ publicKey, privateKey, urlEndpoint });
+  return client;
+}