diff --git a/server/internal/api/exports.go b/server/internal/api/exports.go
index e3b3027..4eae75b 100644
--- a/server/internal/api/exports.go
+++ b/server/internal/api/exports.go
@@ -432,12 +432,9 @@ func (a *ExportsAPI) runJob(id uint64, db *sql.DB, q string, args []interface{},
 	}
 	rrepo.StartJob(a.meta, id)
 	if fmt == "csv" {
-		w, err := exporter.NewCSVWriter("storage", "export_job_"+strconv.FormatUint(id, 10))
-		if err != nil {
-			a.meta.Exec("UPDATE export_jobs SET status=?, finished_at=? WHERE id= ?", "failed", time.Now(), id)
-			return
+		newBaseWriter := func() (exporter.RowWriter, error) {
+			return exporter.NewCSVWriter("storage", "export_job_"+strconv.FormatUint(id, 10))
 		}
-		w.WriteHeader(cols)
 		const maxRowsPerFile = 300000
 		files := []string{}
 		{
@@ -502,13 +499,7 @@ func (a *ExportsAPI) runJob(id uint64, db *sql.DB, q string, args []interface{},
 						}
 						logging.JSON("INFO", map[string]interface{}{"event": "export_sql_chunk", "job_id": id, "range": rg, "sql": cq, "args": cargs, "final_sql": renderSQL(cq, cargs)})
 						log.Printf("export_sql_chunk job_id=%d range=%s~%s sql=%s args=%v final_sql=%s", id, rg[0], rg[1], cq, cargs, renderSQL(cq, cargs))
-						newWriter := func() (exporter.RowWriter, error) {
-							w2, e := exporter.NewCSVWriter("storage", "export_job_"+strconv.FormatUint(id, 10))
-							if e == nil {
-								_ = w2.WriteHeader(cols)
-							}
-							return w2, e
-						}
+						newWriter := func() (exporter.RowWriter, error) { return newBaseWriter() }
 						transform := func(vals []string) []string { return transformRow(jobDS, fs, vals) }
 						chunkBase := total
 						onProgress := func(totalRows int64) error { rrepo.UpdateProgress(a.meta, id, chunkBase+totalRows); return nil }
@@ -554,13 +545,7 @@ func (a *ExportsAPI) runJob(id uint64, db *sql.DB, q string, args []interface{},
 			batch := chooseBatch(est, fmt)
 			files2 := []string{}
 			cur := rrepo.NewCursor(jobDS, jobMain)
-			newWriter := func() (exporter.RowWriter, error) {
-				w, e := exporter.NewCSVWriter("storage", "export_job_"+strconv.FormatUint(id, 10))
-				if e == nil {
-					_ = w.WriteHeader(cols)
-				}
-				return w, e
-			}
+			newWriter := func() (exporter.RowWriter, error) { return newBaseWriter() }
 			transform := func(vals []string) []string { return transformRow(jobDS, fields, vals) }
 			onProgress := func(totalRows int64) error { rrepo.UpdateProgress(a.meta, id, totalRows); return nil }
 			onRoll := func(path string, size int64, partRows int64) error {
@@ -579,6 +564,12 @@ func (a *ExportsAPI) runJob(id uint64, db *sql.DB, q string, args []interface{},
 			rrepo.MarkCompleted(a.meta, id, count)
 			return
 		}
+		w, err := newBaseWriter()
+		if err != nil {
+			a.meta.Exec("UPDATE export_jobs SET status=?, finished_at=? WHERE id= ?", "failed", time.Now(), id)
+			return
+		}
+		_ = w.WriteHeader(cols)
 		rows, err := db.Query(q, args...)
 		if err != nil {
 			a.meta.Exec("UPDATE export_jobs SET status=?, finished_at=? WHERE id= ?", "failed", time.Now(), id)