diff --git a/eng/pipelines/pr-validation-pipeline.yml b/eng/pipelines/pr-validation-pipeline.yml
index 47e68cf3..100af715 100644
--- a/eng/pipelines/pr-validation-pipeline.yml
+++ b/eng/pipelines/pr-validation-pipeline.yml
@@ -559,7 +559,23 @@ jobs:
           fi
           sleep 2
         done
+
+        # One last probe: the loop sleeps after its final attempt, so SQL can
+        # become reachable in that window and would otherwise be missed.
+        if docker exec sqlserver \
+          /opt/mssql-tools18/bin/sqlcmd \
+          -S localhost -U SA -P "$DB_PASSWORD" \
+          -C -Q "SELECT 1"; then
+          echo "[sql] SQL Server is ready."
+          return 0
+        fi
+
+        # sqlcmd only reports that the client could not connect. When the
+        # container itself exited (bad password policy, EULA, OOM, port clash)
+        # the reason is in the container's own log, so surface it here.
         echo "[sql] SQL Server did not become ready in time." >&2
+        echo "[sql] ---- docker logs sqlserver (last 200 lines) ----" >&2
+        docker logs --tail 200 sqlserver >&2 || true
         return 1
       }
 
@@ -768,6 +784,7 @@ jobs:
       
       # Wait for SQL Server to be ready
       echo "Waiting for SQL Server to start..."
+      sql_ready=false
       for i in {1..60}; do
         if docker exec sqlserver-$(distroName) \
           /opt/mssql-tools18/bin/sqlcmd \
@@ -776,11 +793,28 @@ jobs:
           -P "$(DB_PASSWORD)" \
           -C -Q "SELECT 1" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
           echo "SQL Server is ready!"
+          sql_ready=true
           break
         fi
         echo "Waiting... ($i/60)"
         sleep 2
       done
+      if [ "$sql_ready" != true ]; then
+        # the loop sleeps after its final attempt, so probe once more
+        if docker exec sqlserver-$(distroName) \
+          /opt/mssql-tools18/bin/sqlcmd \
+          -S localhost \
+          -U SA \
+          -P "$(DB_PASSWORD)" \
+          -C -Q "SELECT 1" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+          echo "SQL Server is ready!"
+        else
+          echo "SQL Server did not become ready after 60 attempts"
+          echo "---- docker logs sqlserver-$(distroName) (last 200 lines) ----"
+          docker logs --tail 200 sqlserver-$(distroName) || true
+          exit 1
+        fi
+      fi
       
       # Create test database
       docker exec sqlserver-$(distroName) \
@@ -1097,6 +1131,7 @@ jobs:
       
       # Wait for SQL Server to be ready
       echo "Waiting for SQL Server to start..."
+      sql_ready=false
       for i in {1..60}; do
         if docker exec sqlserver-$(distroName)-$(archName) \
           /opt/mssql-tools18/bin/sqlcmd \
@@ -1105,11 +1140,28 @@ jobs:
           -P "$(DB_PASSWORD)" \
           -C -Q "SELECT 1" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
           echo "SQL Server is ready!"
+          sql_ready=true
           break
         fi
         echo "Waiting... ($i/60)"
         sleep 2
       done
+      if [ "$sql_ready" != true ]; then
+        # the loop sleeps after its final attempt, so probe once more
+        if docker exec sqlserver-$(distroName)-$(archName) \
+          /opt/mssql-tools18/bin/sqlcmd \
+          -S localhost \
+          -U SA \
+          -P "$(DB_PASSWORD)" \
+          -C -Q "SELECT 1" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+          echo "SQL Server is ready!"
+        else
+          echo "SQL Server did not become ready after 60 attempts"
+          echo "---- docker logs sqlserver-$(distroName)-$(archName) (last 200 lines) ----"
+          docker logs --tail 200 sqlserver-$(distroName)-$(archName) || true
+          exit 1
+        fi
+      fi
       
       # Create test database
       docker exec sqlserver-$(distroName)-$(archName) \
@@ -1327,6 +1379,7 @@ jobs:
       
       # Wait for SQL Server to be ready
       echo "Waiting for SQL Server to start..."
+      sql_ready=false
       for i in {1..60}; do
         if docker exec sqlserver-rhel9 \
           /opt/mssql-tools18/bin/sqlcmd \
@@ -1335,11 +1388,28 @@ jobs:
           -P "$(DB_PASSWORD)" \
           -C -Q "SELECT 1" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
           echo "SQL Server is ready!"
+          sql_ready=true
           break
         fi
         echo "Waiting... ($i/60)"
         sleep 2
       done
+      if [ "$sql_ready" != true ]; then
+        # the loop sleeps after its final attempt, so probe once more
+        if docker exec sqlserver-rhel9 \
+          /opt/mssql-tools18/bin/sqlcmd \
+          -S localhost \
+          -U SA \
+          -P "$(DB_PASSWORD)" \
+          -C -Q "SELECT 1" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+          echo "SQL Server is ready!"
+        else
+          echo "SQL Server did not become ready after 60 attempts"
+          echo "---- docker logs sqlserver-rhel9 (last 200 lines) ----"
+          docker logs --tail 200 sqlserver-rhel9 || true
+          exit 1
+        fi
+      fi
       
       # Create test database
       docker exec sqlserver-rhel9 \
@@ -1554,6 +1624,7 @@ jobs:
       
       # Wait for SQL Server to be ready
       echo "Waiting for SQL Server to start..."
+      sql_ready=false
       for i in {1..60}; do
         if docker exec sqlserver-rhel9-arm64 \
           /opt/mssql-tools18/bin/sqlcmd \
@@ -1562,11 +1633,28 @@ jobs:
           -P "$(DB_PASSWORD)" \
           -C -Q "SELECT 1" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
           echo "SQL Server is ready!"
+          sql_ready=true
           break
         fi
         echo "Waiting... ($i/60)"
         sleep 2
       done
+      if [ "$sql_ready" != true ]; then
+        # the loop sleeps after its final attempt, so probe once more
+        if docker exec sqlserver-rhel9-arm64 \
+          /opt/mssql-tools18/bin/sqlcmd \
+          -S localhost \
+          -U SA \
+          -P "$(DB_PASSWORD)" \
+          -C -Q "SELECT 1" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+          echo "SQL Server is ready!"
+        else
+          echo "SQL Server did not become ready after 60 attempts"
+          echo "---- docker logs sqlserver-rhel9-arm64 (last 200 lines) ----"
+          docker logs --tail 200 sqlserver-rhel9-arm64 || true
+          exit 1
+        fi
+      fi
       
       # Create test database
       docker exec sqlserver-rhel9-arm64 \
@@ -1785,6 +1873,7 @@ jobs:
       
       # Wait for SQL Server to be ready
       echo "Waiting for SQL Server to start..."
+      sql_ready=false
       for i in {1..60}; do
         if docker exec sqlserver-alpine \
           /opt/mssql-tools18/bin/sqlcmd \
@@ -1793,11 +1882,28 @@ jobs:
           -P "$(DB_PASSWORD)" \
           -C -Q "SELECT 1" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
           echo "SQL Server is ready!"
+          sql_ready=true
           break
         fi
         echo "Waiting... ($i/60)"
         sleep 2
       done
+      if [ "$sql_ready" != true ]; then
+        # the loop sleeps after its final attempt, so probe once more
+        if docker exec sqlserver-alpine \
+          /opt/mssql-tools18/bin/sqlcmd \
+          -S localhost \
+          -U SA \
+          -P "$(DB_PASSWORD)" \
+          -C -Q "SELECT 1" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+          echo "SQL Server is ready!"
+        else
+          echo "SQL Server did not become ready after 60 attempts"
+          echo "---- docker logs sqlserver-alpine (last 200 lines) ----"
+          docker logs --tail 200 sqlserver-alpine || true
+          exit 1
+        fi
+      fi
       
       # Create test database
       docker exec sqlserver-alpine \
@@ -2041,6 +2147,7 @@ jobs:
       
       # Wait for SQL Server to be ready
       echo "Waiting for SQL Server to start..."
+      sql_ready=false
       for i in {1..60}; do
         if docker exec sqlserver-alpine-arm64 \
           /opt/mssql-tools18/bin/sqlcmd \
@@ -2049,11 +2156,28 @@ jobs:
           -P "$(DB_PASSWORD)" \
           -C -Q "SELECT 1" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
           echo "SQL Server is ready!"
+          sql_ready=true
           break
         fi
         echo "Waiting... ($i/60)"
         sleep 2
       done
+      if [ "$sql_ready" != true ]; then
+        # the loop sleeps after its final attempt, so probe once more
+        if docker exec sqlserver-alpine-arm64 \
+          /opt/mssql-tools18/bin/sqlcmd \
+          -S localhost \
+          -U SA \
+          -P "$(DB_PASSWORD)" \
+          -C -Q "SELECT 1" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+          echo "SQL Server is ready!"
+        else
+          echo "SQL Server did not become ready after 60 attempts"
+          echo "---- docker logs sqlserver-alpine-arm64 (last 200 lines) ----"
+          docker logs --tail 200 sqlserver-alpine-arm64 || true
+          exit 1
+        fi
+      fi
       
       # Create test database
       docker exec sqlserver-alpine-arm64 \
@@ -2510,15 +2634,33 @@ jobs:
         -d mcr.microsoft.com/mssql/server:2022-latest
 
       # Wait until SQL Server is ready
+      sql_ready=false
       for i in {1..30}; do
-        docker exec sqlserver \
+        if docker exec sqlserver \
           /opt/mssql-tools18/bin/sqlcmd \
           -S localhost \
           -U SA \
           -P "$(DB_PASSWORD)" \
-          -C -Q "SELECT 1" && break
+          -C -Q "SELECT 1"; then
+          sql_ready=true
+          break
+        fi
         sleep 2
       done
+      if [ "$sql_ready" != true ]; then
+        # the loop sleeps after its final attempt, so probe once more
+        if ! docker exec sqlserver \
+          /opt/mssql-tools18/bin/sqlcmd \
+          -S localhost \
+          -U SA \
+          -P "$(DB_PASSWORD)" \
+          -C -Q "SELECT 1"; then
+          echo "SQL Server did not become ready after 30 attempts"
+          echo "---- docker logs sqlserver (last 200 lines) ----"
+          docker logs --tail 200 sqlserver || true
+          exit 1
+        fi
+      fi
     displayName: 'Start SQL Server container'
     env:
       DB_PASSWORD: $(DB_PASSWORD)