diff --git a/docs/superpowers/specs/2026-03-21-docker-deployment-design.md b/docs/superpowers/specs/2026-03-21-docker-deployment-design.md
index 7067d74..bd8c8b9 100644
--- a/docs/superpowers/specs/2026-03-21-docker-deployment-design.md
+++ b/docs/superpowers/specs/2026-03-21-docker-deployment-design.md
@@ -27,10 +27,11 @@ Deploy BudgetApp to a home server running Nginx Proxy Manager (NPM) and an exist
 ```
 
 - `budgetapp-web` exposes **port 3100** to host — NPM points here
-- `budgetapp-web` nginx proxies `/api/` → `http://budgetapp-api:8080` over internal Docker network
+- `budgetapp-web` nginx proxies `/api/` → `http://budgetapp-api:8080/` over internal Docker network. Note: the `/api/` prefix is stripped before forwarding (both `location` and `proxy_pass` end with `/`), so the backend must not expect `/api/` in its routes.
 - `budgetapp-api` exposes **port 8080** (optional, for direct access/debugging)
 - Both containers share a Docker bridge network named `budgetapp`
 - API connects to the existing MySQL at `seth.local`
+- `budgetapp-web` has `depends_on: budgetapp-api` (`condition: service_started`) — nginx will retry failed upstream connections, so waiting for the process to start is sufficient without requiring a full health-check gate
 
 ## Files to Create
 
@@ -41,13 +42,34 @@ Deploy BudgetApp to a home server running Nginx Proxy Manager (NPM) and an exist
 | `docker-compose.yml` | Wires containers, network, port mappings, env vars |
 | `nginx.web.conf` | nginx config — serves static files, proxies `/api/` to API container |
 | `.env` | Gitignored secrets file — DB connection string |
+| `.dockerignore` | Excludes `node_modules/`, `dist/`, `bin/`, `obj/`, `docs/` from build context |
 
 ## Files to Modify
 
 | File | Change |
 |------|--------|
-| `appsettings.json` | Connection string already cleared; env var override `ConnectionStrings__MainDatabase` used at runtime |
-| `.gitignore` | Add `.env` entry (already present) |
+| `appsettings.json` | Connection string already cleared; env var override used at runtime |
+| `BudgetApp.Api/Program.cs` | Remove or guard `UseHttpsRedirection()` — see below |
+| `BudgetApp.Web/src/backend/ApiConnector.ts` | Change hardcoded `https://localhost:7244/api/Transactions` to relative path `/api/Transactions` |
+
+## Required Application Code Changes
+
+### 1. `ApiConnector.ts` — Relative API URL
+
+Currently `ApiConnector.ts` hardcodes `https://localhost:7244/api/Transactions`. In Docker this would be baked into the Vite bundle and the browser would try to call `localhost:7244` instead of going through nginx. Change to a relative path `/api/Transactions` so all API calls go through nginx's proxy.
+
+Any future frontend calls to other endpoints (e.g. `UploadController` at `api/Upload/csv`) must also use relative paths following the same pattern.
+
+### 2. `Program.cs` — Disable HTTPS Redirection in Production
+
+`app.UseHttpsRedirection()` is currently active unconditionally. Inside Docker, TLS is terminated at NPM — the API container receives plain HTTP on port 8080. With HTTPS redirection active, nginx's proxy call to `http://budgetapp-api:8080` would receive a 307 redirect and fail. Guard or remove the middleware:
+
+```csharp
+if (!app.Environment.IsProduction())
+{
+    app.UseHttpsRedirection();
+}
+```
 
 ## Container Details
 
@@ -56,10 +78,12 @@ Deploy BudgetApp to a home server running Nginx Proxy Manager (NPM) and an exist
 - **Base images:** `mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/sdk:8.0` (build) → `mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/aspnet:8.0` (runtime)
 - **Build context:** Solution root (required — API references sibling projects)
 - **Publish target:** `BudgetApp.Api/BudgetApp.Api.csproj`
-- **Runtime port:** 8080
+- **Runtime port:** 8080 (the `aspnet:8.0` image defaults to port 8080; no `ASPNETCORE_URLS` override required)
+- **Health check:** `GET /ping` (existing endpoint returns `{ok: true}`)
 - **Environment variables:**
   - `ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT=Production`
   - `ConnectionStrings__MainDatabase` — injected from `.env` via docker-compose
+- **Note:** Swagger UI is disabled in Production (gated behind `IsDevelopment()` in `Program.cs`). Access `/swagger` by temporarily setting `ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT=Development` if needed.
 
 ### budgetapp-web
 
@@ -67,27 +91,39 @@ Deploy BudgetApp to a home server running Nginx Proxy Manager (NPM) and an exist
 - **Build context:** `BudgetApp.Web/`
 - **Build output:** `dist/` copied into nginx image
 - **Runtime port:** 80 (mapped to host port 3100)
-- **API routing:** nginx proxies `location /api/` → `http://budgetapp-api:8080/`
+- **API routing:** nginx proxies `location /api/` → `http://budgetapp-api:8080/` (prefix stripped)
 - **SPA routing:** `try_files $uri $uri/ /index.html` for Vue Router
+- **Depends on:** `budgetapp-api`
 
 ## Secrets Management
 
-A `.env` file at the solution root (gitignored) holds the DB connection string:
+A `.env` file at the solution root (gitignored) holds the DB connection string using the exact ASP.NET Core env var key format to avoid any mapping indirection in docker-compose:
 
 ```
-DB_CONNECTION=Server=seth.local;User Id=budget;Password=<password>;Database=budget
+ConnectionStrings__MainDatabase=Server=seth.local;User Id=budget;Password=<password>;Database=budget
 ```
 
-docker-compose passes this as the `ConnectionStrings__MainDatabase` environment variable to the API container. ASP.NET Core's built-in environment variable configuration provider resolves double-underscores as nested keys, so no code changes are required.
+docker-compose passes this directly as the environment variable to the API container. ASP.NET Core's built-in env var configuration provider resolves double-underscores as nested keys automatically.
+
+## docker-compose Environment Block (API service)
+
+```yaml
+environment:
+  ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT: Production
+  ConnectionStrings__MainDatabase: ${ConnectionStrings__MainDatabase}
+```
 
 ## Build & Deploy
 
 ```bash
-# Build and start both containers
+# On the server, in the project directory
 docker-compose up -d --build
 
 # View logs
 docker-compose logs -f
+
+# Restart after code changes
+docker-compose up -d --build
 ```
 
 ## NPM Setup (Manual)
@@ -99,9 +135,7 @@ After containers are running, add one proxy host in Nginx Proxy Manager:
 
 No second proxy host needed — API traffic is routed internally by the web container's nginx.
 
-## What Is NOT Changing
+## Notes
 
-- No changes to application code
-- No changes to EF Core migrations (database already exists)
-- No changes to JWT auth configuration
-- Vue frontend API calls use relative `/api/` paths — no build-time URL baking needed
+- **CORS:** The API has an unconditional `AllowAll` CORS policy. Since all browser traffic reaches the API through nginx's internal proxy, the browser never makes a direct cross-origin request to the API — CORS does not apply to the primary flow. Tightening the CORS policy will have no effect on security in this deployment.
+- **`.env` is already covered by `.gitignore`** — the root `.gitignore` already includes `.env`, so no additional entry is needed.