diff --git a/ghost/core/core/boot.js b/ghost/core/core/boot.js
index 16d4a57400b..c4db7c8cc46 100644
--- a/ghost/core/core/boot.js
+++ b/ghost/core/core/boot.js
@@ -127,11 +127,13 @@ async function initCore({ghostServer, config, frontend}) {
     });
     debug('End: Url Service');
 
-    // Gift links service: wires the (knex-backed) repository once the DB is ready.
-    debug('Begin: Gift Links Service');
-    const giftLinksService = require('./server/services/gift-links');
-    giftLinksService.init();
-    debug('End: Gift Links Service');
+    // Gift links: construct the service against the ready DB and inject it into the API controller.
+    debug('Begin: Gift Links');
+    const {GiftLinksService} = require('./server/services/gift-links');
+    const {knex: giftLinksKnex} = require('./server/data/db');
+    const giftLinksEndpoint = require('./server/api/endpoints/gift-links');
+    giftLinksEndpoint.controller = giftLinksEndpoint.createController(new GiftLinksService({knex: giftLinksKnex}));
+    debug('End: Gift Links');
 
     if (ghostServer) {
         // Job Service allows parts of Ghost to run in the background
diff --git a/ghost/core/core/server/api/endpoints/gift-links.ts b/ghost/core/core/server/api/endpoints/gift-links.ts
index 3aa0fdee1a2..7633c0b503a 100644
--- a/ghost/core/core/server/api/endpoints/gift-links.ts
+++ b/ghost/core/core/server/api/endpoints/gift-links.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import {service} from '../../services/gift-links';
+import type {GiftLinksService} from '../../services/gift-links';
 
 // permissions is untyped JS; require, don't import.
 // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-require-imports
@@ -21,59 +21,65 @@ async function assertCanManageGiftLink(frame: Frame): Promise<void> {
 
 const noCacheInvalidation = {cacheInvalidate: false};
 
-const controller = {
-    docName: 'gift_links',
+function createController(service: GiftLinksService) {
+    return {
+        docName: 'gift_links',
 
-    read: {
-        headers: noCacheInvalidation,
-        options: ['id'],
-        validation: {options: {id: {required: true}}},
-        permissions(frame: Frame) {
-            return assertCanManageGiftLink(frame);
+        read: {
+            headers: noCacheInvalidation,
+            options: ['id'],
+            validation: {options: {id: {required: true}}},
+            permissions(frame: Frame) {
+                return assertCanManageGiftLink(frame);
+            },
+            query(frame: Frame) {
+                return service.getPost(frame.options.id);
+            }
         },
-        query(frame: Frame) {
-            return service!.getPost(frame.options.id);
-        }
-    },
 
-    issue: {
-        headers: noCacheInvalidation,
-        statusCode: 200,
-        options: ['id'],
-        validation: {options: {id: {required: true}}},
-        permissions(frame: Frame) {
-            return assertCanManageGiftLink(frame);
+        issue: {
+            headers: noCacheInvalidation,
+            statusCode: 200,
+            options: ['id'],
+            validation: {options: {id: {required: true}}},
+            permissions(frame: Frame) {
+                return assertCanManageGiftLink(frame);
+            },
+            query(frame: Frame) {
+                return service.issue(frame.options.id);
+            }
         },
-        query(frame: Frame) {
-            return service!.issue(frame.options.id);
-        }
-    },
 
-    reissue: {
-        headers: noCacheInvalidation,
-        statusCode: 200,
-        options: ['id'],
-        validation: {options: {id: {required: true}}},
-        permissions(frame: Frame) {
-            return assertCanManageGiftLink(frame);
+        reissue: {
+            headers: noCacheInvalidation,
+            statusCode: 200,
+            options: ['id'],
+            validation: {options: {id: {required: true}}},
+            permissions(frame: Frame) {
+                return assertCanManageGiftLink(frame);
+            },
+            query(frame: Frame) {
+                return service.reissue(frame.options.id);
+            }
         },
-        query(frame: Frame) {
-            return service!.reissue(frame.options.id);
-        }
-    },
 
-    revokeAll: {
-        headers: noCacheInvalidation,
-        statusCode: 200,
-        permissions(frame: Frame) {
-            return permissionsService.canThis(frame.options.context).revokeAll.gift_link();
-        },
-        async query() {
-            const count = await service!.revokeAll();
-            return {count};
+        revokeAll: {
+            headers: noCacheInvalidation,
+            statusCode: 200,
+            permissions(frame: Frame) {
+                return permissionsService.canThis(frame.options.context).revokeAll.gift_link();
+            },
+            async query() {
+                const count = await service.revokeAll();
+                return {count};
+            }
         }
-    }
-};
+    };
+}
 
-// module.exports (not export): the API framework loads controllers via require().
-module.exports = controller;
+// module.exports (not export): boot (the composition root) calls createController with the
+// constructed service and assigns the result to `controller`; the API endpoints index reads it.
+module.exports = {
+    createController,
+    controller: undefined as ReturnType<typeof createController> | undefined
+};
diff --git a/ghost/core/core/server/api/endpoints/index.js b/ghost/core/core/server/api/endpoints/index.js
index 005acd61f31..8a8b8dec099 100644
--- a/ghost/core/core/server/api/endpoints/index.js
+++ b/ghost/core/core/server/api/endpoints/index.js
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ module.exports = {
     },
 
     get giftLinks() {
-        return apiFramework.pipeline(require('./gift-links'), localUtils);
+        return apiFramework.pipeline(require('./gift-links').controller, localUtils);
     },
 
     get giftReminders() {
diff --git a/ghost/core/core/server/services/gift-links/index.ts b/ghost/core/core/server/services/gift-links/index.ts
index fe6fbe31ea3..94a9a7e802c 100644
--- a/ghost/core/core/server/services/gift-links/index.ts
+++ b/ghost/core/core/server/services/gift-links/index.ts
@@ -1,15 +1 @@
-import {GiftLinksService} from './service';
-
-// Set by init() at boot, not at import: knex only exists once the DB has connected.
-export let service: GiftLinksService | undefined;
-
-export function init(): void {
-    if (service) {
-        return;
-    }
-
-    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-require-imports
-    const {knex} = require('../../data/db');
-
-    service = new GiftLinksService({knex});
-}
+export {GiftLinksService} from './service';