diff --git a/internal/ivory/exec.go b/internal/ivory/exec.go
index d5f2288d7b..23bf86de47 100644
--- a/internal/ivory/exec.go
+++ b/internal/ivory/exec.go
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ shift 1
 
 databases=$(psql -d postgres -Xw -Aqt --file=- <<< "${sql_databases}")
 while IFS= read -r database; do
-	PGDATABASE="${database}" psql -d postgres -Xw --file=- <<< "${sql_target}"
+	PGDATABASE="${database}" psql -Xw --file=- <<< "${sql_target}"
 done <<< "${databases}"
 `
 
diff --git a/internal/ivory/exec_database_target_test.go b/internal/ivory/exec_database_target_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..aeab726cce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/ivory/exec_database_target_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,201 @@
+/*
+ Copyright 2026 IvorySQL Contributors.
+ Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+ http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+ Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package ivory
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"reflect"
+	"sort"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// Exercise the actual production Bash loop. The psql command boundary supplies
+// catalog names and records target invocations; it does not emulate a database
+// or claim that SQL, extensions, authentication, or libpq were exercised.
+func TestExecutorDatabaseTargetCommandBoundary(t *testing.T) {
+	bash := os.Getenv("IVORY_TEST_BASH")
+	if bash == "" {
+		var err error
+		bash, err = exec.LookPath("bash")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal("this command-boundary test requires Bash: ", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// A catalog query must retain its explicit maintenance database. Target
+	// queries must use PGDATABASE without an overriding database argument.
+	const boundary = `
+psql() {
+	local arg catalog=false
+	for arg in "$@"; do
+		if [[ "$arg" == -Aqt ]]; then catalog=true; fi
+	done
+	local sql
+	sql=$(< /dev/stdin)
+	if "$catalog"; then
+		[[ "${1-}" == -d && "${2-}" == postgres ]] || return 65
+		[[ "$sql" == *pg_catalog.pg_database* ]] || return 66
+		printf '%s\n' postgres template1 'application db' 'host=127.0.0.1'
+		return
+	fi
+	[[ "$sql" == 'SELECT current_database();' ]] || return 67
+	for arg in "$@"; do
+		case "$arg" in
+			-d|--dbname|--dbname=*)
+				printf 'target query overrides PGDATABASE with argument %s\n' "$arg" >&2
+				return 64 ;;
+		esac
+	done
+	printf '%s\n' "$PGDATABASE"
+}
+`
+	file := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "psql-boundary.bash")
+	if err := os.WriteFile(file, []byte(boundary), 0o600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range []struct {
+		name string
+		vars map[string]string
+	}{
+		{name: "PostGIS and pgAudit directory query", vars: map[string]string{"ON_ERROR_STOP": "on", "QUIET": "on"}},
+	} {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			fn := Executor(func(ctx context.Context, stdin io.Reader, stdout, stderr io.Writer, command ...string) error {
+				if len(command) < 4 || command[0] != "bash" {
+					t.Fatalf("expected production Bash invocation, got %q", command)
+				}
+				// Use the generated production script unchanged. BASH_ENV installs
+				// only the command-boundary fixture before Bash executes it.
+				cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, bash, command[1:]...)
+				env := os.Environ()
+				for i := len(env) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
+					if strings.HasPrefix(strings.ToUpper(env[i]), "BASH_ENV=") {
+						env = append(env[:i], env[i+1:]...)
+					}
+				}
+				cmd.Env = append(env, "BASH_ENV="+filepath.ToSlash(file))
+				// A regular input file also gives Git Bash on Windows a usable
+				// /dev/stdin handle; native Go pipes do not provide one there.
+				input, err := os.CreateTemp(t.TempDir(), "sql-input-")
+				if err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+				defer input.Close()
+				if _, err := io.Copy(input, stdin); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+				if _, err := input.Seek(0, io.SeekStart); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+				cmd.Stdin, cmd.Stdout, cmd.Stderr = input, stdout, stderr
+				return cmd.Run()
+			})
+			out, errout, err := fn.ExecInAllDatabases(context.Background(), "SELECT current_database();", tc.vars)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("database target command contract failed: %v; stderr=%s", err, errout)
+			}
+			want := "postgres\ntemplate1\napplication db\nhost=127.0.0.1\n"
+			if out != want {
+				t.Fatalf("target invocations = %q, want %q", out, want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// Capture the production Executor boundary without inventing psql connection
+// output. In particular, pgMonitor supplies a connect meta-command rather than
+// a SELECT of names; the existing special script must remain byte-for-byte.
+func TestExecutorLegacyMonitoringQueryCompatibility(t *testing.T) {
+	const legacyMonitoringScript = `
+sql_target=$(< /dev/stdin)
+sql_databases="$1"
+shift 1
+		
+databases=$(psql -d postgres "$@" -Xw -Aqt --file=- <<< "${sql_databases}")
+while IFS= read -r database; do
+	PGDATABASE="${database}" psql -d postgres "$@" -Xw --file=- <<< "${sql_target}"
+done <<< "${databases}"
+`
+	const catalogQuery = "SET search_path = '';SELECT datname FROM pg_catalog.pg_database" +
+		" WHERE datallowconn AND datname NOT IN ('template0')"
+	for _, tc := range []struct {
+		name         string
+		query        string
+		allDatabases bool
+		vars         map[string]string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:  "pgMonitor connect meta-command",
+			query: `\c postgres`,
+			vars: map[string]string{
+				"database": "postgres", "username": "ccp_monitoring", "verifier": "test-verifier",
+				"ON_ERROR_STOP": "on", "QUIET": "on",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "PgBouncer catalog caller",
+			query:        catalogQuery,
+			allDatabases: true,
+			vars: map[string]string{
+				"namespace": "pgbouncer", "username": "_highgopgbouncer", "verifier": "test-verifier",
+				"ON_ERROR_STOP": "on", "QUIET": "on",
+			},
+		},
+	} {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			sentinel := errors.New("command capture only")
+			calls := 0
+			const sql = "SELECT current_database();"
+			fn := Executor(func(_ context.Context, stdin io.Reader, stdout, stderr io.Writer, command ...string) error {
+				calls++
+				body, err := io.ReadAll(stdin)
+				if err != nil || string(body) != sql {
+					t.Fatalf("SQL input = %q, error = %v", body, err)
+				}
+				want := []string{"bash", "-ceu", "--", legacyMonitoringScript, "-", tc.query}
+				var assignments []string
+				for key, value := range tc.vars {
+					assignments = append(assignments, "--set="+key+"="+value)
+				}
+				sort.Strings(assignments)
+				want = append(want, assignments...)
+				if !reflect.DeepEqual(command, want) {
+					t.Fatalf("legacy command changed:\n got %q\nwant %q", command, want)
+				}
+				_, _ = io.WriteString(stdout, "captured stdout")
+				_, _ = io.WriteString(stderr, "captured stderr")
+				return sentinel
+			})
+			var out, errout string
+			var err error
+			if tc.allDatabases {
+				out, errout, err = fn.ExecInAllDatabases(context.Background(), sql, tc.vars)
+			} else {
+				out, errout, err = fn.ExecInDatabasesFromQuery(context.Background(), tc.query, sql, tc.vars)
+			}
+			if calls != 1 || err != sentinel || out != "captured stdout" || errout != "captured stderr" {
+				t.Fatalf("boundary result: calls=%d stdout=%q stderr=%q err=%v", calls, out, errout, err)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/ivory/exec_test.go b/internal/ivory/exec_test.go
index f5937a16a8..77677f7822 100644
--- a/internal/ivory/exec_test.go
+++ b/internal/ivory/exec_test.go
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ shift 1
 
 databases=$(psql -d postgres -Xw -Aqt --file=- <<< "${sql_databases}")
 while IFS= read -r database; do
-	PGDATABASE="${database}" psql -d postgres -Xw --file=- <<< "${sql_target}"
+	PGDATABASE="${database}" psql -Xw --file=- <<< "${sql_target}"
 done <<< "${databases}"
 `,
 			"-",
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ shift 1
 
 databases=$(psql -d postgres -Xw -Aqt --file=- <<< "${sql_databases}")
 while IFS= read -r database; do
-	PGDATABASE="${database}" psql -d postgres -Xw --file=- <<< "${sql_target}"
+	PGDATABASE="${database}" psql -Xw --file=- <<< "${sql_target}"
 done <<< "${databases}"
 `,
 			"-",