diff --git a/app/routes/api.py b/app/routes/api.py
index 4f19264..bba2837 100644
--- a/app/routes/api.py
+++ b/app/routes/api.py
@@ -122,28 +122,31 @@ def ticket_stats():
 
 @socketio.on('connect')
 def on_connect():
-    if current_user.is_authenticated:
+    # current_user can be None when this handler is invoked without a session
+    # context (e.g. during a socketio.start_background_task emit from an
+    # APScheduler job).  The None guard prevents AttributeError in that path.
+    if current_user and current_user.is_authenticated:
         join_room(f'user_{current_user.id}')
         logger.info(f'[SOCKET CONNECT] user_id={current_user.id}')
 
 
 @socketio.on('disconnect')
 def on_disconnect():
-    if current_user.is_authenticated:
+    if current_user and current_user.is_authenticated:
         leave_room(f'user_{current_user.id}')
         logger.info(f'[SOCKET DISCONNECT] user_id={current_user.id}')
 
 
 @socketio.on('join_ticket')
 def on_join_ticket(data):
-    if current_user.is_authenticated:
+    if current_user and current_user.is_authenticated:
         ticket_id = data.get('ticket_id')
         join_room(f'ticket_{ticket_id}')
 
 
 @socketio.on('leave_ticket')
 def on_leave_ticket(data):
-    if current_user.is_authenticated:
+    if current_user and current_user.is_authenticated:
         ticket_id = data.get('ticket_id')
         leave_room(f'ticket_{ticket_id}')