diff --git a/api/catalog/api/views/health_views.py b/api/catalog/api/views/health_views.py
index 314199a52..e83d2959d 100644
--- a/api/catalog/api/views/health_views.py
+++ b/api/catalog/api/views/health_views.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from django.conf import settings
+from django.db import connection
 from rest_framework import status
 from rest_framework.exceptions import APIException
 from rest_framework.request import Request
@@ -21,19 +22,33 @@ class HealthCheck(APIView):
 
     swagger_schema = None
 
-    def _check_es(self) -> Response | None:
-        """Check ES cluster health and raise an exception if ES is not healthy."""
+    @staticmethod
+    def _check_db() -> None:
+        """
+        Check that the database is available.
 
+        Returns nothing if everything is OK, throws error otherwise.
+        """
+        connection.ensure_connection()
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _check_es() -> None:
+        """
+        Check Elasticsearch cluster health.
+
+        Raises an exception if ES is not healthy.
+        """
         es_health = settings.ES.cluster.health(timeout="5s")
 
         if es_health["timed_out"]:
             raise ElasticsearchHealthcheckException("es_timed_out")
 
-        if (status := es_health["status"]) != "green":
-            raise ElasticsearchHealthcheckException(f"es_status_{status}")
+        if (es_status := es_health["status"]) != "green":
+            raise ElasticsearchHealthcheckException(f"es_status_{es_status}")
 
     def get(self, request: Request):
         if "check_es" in request.query_params:
             self._check_es()
+        self._check_db()
 
         return Response({"status": "200 OK"}, status=200)
diff --git a/api/test/unit/views/health_views_test.py b/api/test/unit/views/health_views_test.py
index 2ddf3b3d5..b2de4a81f 100644
--- a/api/test/unit/views/health_views_test.py
+++ b/api/test/unit/views/health_views_test.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+from unittest import mock
+
 import pook
 import pytest
 
@@ -16,11 +18,21 @@ def mock_health_response(status="green", timed_out=False):
     )
 
 
+@pytest.mark.django_db
 def test_health_check_plain(api_client):
     res = api_client.get("/healthcheck/")
     assert res.status_code == 200
 
 
+def test_health_check_calls__check_db(api_client):
+    with mock.patch(
+        "catalog.api.views.health_views.HealthCheck._check_db"
+    ) as mock_check_db:
+        res = api_client.get("/healthcheck/")
+        assert res.status_code == 200
+        mock_check_db.assert_called_once()
+
+
 def test_health_check_es_timed_out(api_client):
     mock_health_response(timed_out=True)
     pook.on()
@@ -42,6 +54,7 @@ def test_health_check_es_status_bad(status, api_client):
     assert res.json()["detail"] == f"es_status_{status}"
 
 
+@pytest.mark.django_db
 def test_health_check_es_all_good(api_client):
     mock_health_response(status="green")
     pook.on()