diff --git a/order-import.php b/order-import.php
index ab02bc7..61075c3 100644
--- a/order-import.php
+++ b/order-import.php
@@ -200,6 +200,33 @@ function connect_database(array $localEnv): PDO
     ]);
 }
 
+function ensure_required_tables_exist(PDO $pdo): void
+{
+    $required = [
+        'party',
+        'address',
+        'sales_order',
+        'sales_order_line',
+        'payment_method',
+        'shipping_method',
+    ];
+
+    $stmt = $pdo->query(
+        "SELECT table_name
+         FROM information_schema.tables
+         WHERE table_schema = 'public'"
+    );
+    $rows = $stmt->fetchAll(PDO::FETCH_COLUMN);
+    $existing = array_map('strval', $rows ?: []);
+    $missing = array_values(array_diff($required, $existing));
+
+    if ($missing !== []) {
+        throw new RuntimeException(
+            'DB schema not initialized. Missing tables: ' . implode(', ', $missing)
+        );
+    }
+}
+
 function find_or_create_party(PDO $pdo, array $data): int
 {
     $email = trim((string) ($data['EmailKunde'] ?? ''));
@@ -316,6 +343,14 @@ if (!is_array($data)) {
     json_response(400, ['ok' => false, 'error' => 'JSON object expected']);
 }
 
+// n8n can send either a JSON object or a single-item array with the order object.
+if (array_is_list($data)) {
+    if (!isset($data[0]) || !is_array($data[0])) {
+        json_response(400, ['ok' => false, 'error' => 'Array payload must contain one order object']);
+    }
+    $data = $data[0];
+}
+
 $externalRef = trim((string) ($data['BestellungNr'] ?? ''));
 if ($externalRef === '') {
     json_response(422, ['ok' => false, 'error' => 'BestellungNr is required']);
@@ -328,6 +363,7 @@ if (!is_array($lineItems)) {
 
 try {
     $pdo = connect_database($env);
+    ensure_required_tables_exist($pdo);
     $pdo->beginTransaction();
 
     $partyId = find_or_create_party($pdo, $data);