diff --git a/server/src/tavolo/deadlines.py b/server/src/tavolo/deadlines.py
index 4d238a8..356e236 100644
--- a/server/src/tavolo/deadlines.py
+++ b/server/src/tavolo/deadlines.py
@@ -214,14 +214,20 @@ async def _fire_hand_end(store: GameStore, state: GameState, entry: Dict[str, An
 # --- consumer lifecycle -------------------------------------------------------
 
 
-def ensure_consumer(store: GameStore) -> None:
-    """Start the deadline consumer on the running loop if not yet running.
+def ensure_consumer(
+    store: GameStore, loop: Optional[asyncio.AbstractEventLoop] = None
+) -> None:
+    """Start the deadline consumer on the given (or running) loop if not
+    yet running.
 
     Called lazily whenever a deadline is enqueued (the ASGI test transport
     never fires the lifespan hooks, so the mixin's ``setup`` alone is not
-    enough) and on application startup.
+    enough) and on application startup. The explicit ``loop`` matters at
+    startup: under RSGI granian calls ``setup`` before the loop runs, so
+    ``asyncio.get_running_loop()`` would fail there.
     """
-    loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
+    if loop is None:
+        loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
     for old in list(_consumers):
         if old.is_closed():
             _consumers.pop(old, None)
@@ -284,7 +290,7 @@ class DeadlineSchedulerMixin(KayaMixin):
         pass
 
     def setup(self, loop: asyncio.AbstractEventLoop) -> None:
-        ensure_consumer(self._store)
+        ensure_consumer(self._store, loop)
 
     def shutdown(self, loop: asyncio.AbstractEventLoop) -> None:
         stop_consumer(loop)