diff --git a/claude-agents-ui-Dockerfile b/claude-agents-ui-Dockerfile
index c2b53b1..9002f79 100644
--- a/claude-agents-ui-Dockerfile
+++ b/claude-agents-ui-Dockerfile
@@ -1,55 +1,64 @@
+# ============================================================================
+# Claude Code Agents UI - Dockerfile
+# Combines Ngxba/claude-code-agents-ui frontend with Claude Code CLI runtime
+# ============================================================================
+
+# --- Build Stage ---
 FROM node:20-alpine AS builder
 
 WORKDIR /app
 
 # Install build dependencies
-RUN apk add --no-cache git bun
+RUN apk add --no-cache git
 
 # Clone the Claude Code Agents UI repository
-RUN git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Ngxba/claude-code-agents-ui.git . || true
+RUN git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Ngxba/claude-code-agents-ui.git .
 
-# Install dependencies using bun or npm
+# Install dependencies (prefer bun if lockfile present, fallback to npm)
 RUN if [ -f bun.lockb ]; then \
-    bun install --frozen-lockfile; \
-  else \
-    npm install; \
-  fi
+        npm install -g bun && bun install --frozen-lockfile; \
+    else \
+        npm install; \
+    fi
 
 # Build the Nuxt application
-RUN npm run build || bun run build
+RUN npm run build 2>/dev/null || npx nuxt build
 
-# Production stage
+# --- Production Stage ---
 FROM node:20-alpine
 
 WORKDIR /app
 
-# Install runtime dependencies including Claude Code and utilities
+# Install runtime dependencies
 RUN apk add --no-cache \
-    python3 py3-pip \
-    git git-lfs \
-    curl wget \
-    bash zsh \
-    vim nano \
+    python3 \
+    py3-pip \
+    git \
+    curl \
+    wget \
+    bash \
+    vim \
+    nano \
     build-base \
     openssh-client \
     ca-certificates \
-    tini
+    tini \
+    jq
 
 # Install Claude Code CLI
 RUN npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
 
 # Install Python tools for agent execution
-RUN pip3 install --no-cache-dir \
+RUN pip3 install --no-cache-dir --break-system-packages \
     requests \
     python-dotenv \
     pydantic \
     fastapi \
     uvicorn
 
-# Copy built application from builder
+# Copy built Nuxt application from builder
 COPY --from=builder /app/.output /app/.output
 COPY --from=builder /app/package.json /app/package.json
-COPY --from=builder /app/node_modules /app/node_modules
 
 # Create non-root user for security
 RUN addgroup -g 1000 claude && \
@@ -57,36 +66,76 @@ RUN addgroup -g 1000 claude && \
 
 # Create necessary directories
 RUN mkdir -p /workspace /root/.claude && \
-    chown -R claude:claude /workspace /root/.claude
+    chown -R claude:claude /workspace && \
+    chown -R root:root /root/.claude
 
-# Set permissions
+# Set app ownership
 RUN chown -R claude:claude /app
 
-# Create entrypoint script that starts both services
-RUN cat > /entrypoint.sh << 'EOF'
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Entrypoint: bootstraps Claude auth then starts the UI
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Auth strategy (in priority order):
+#   1. If ANTHROPIC_API_KEY is set → write a minimal credentials file so the
+#      Claude Code CLI recognises the key without needing an interactive login.
+#   2. If a credentials file was volume-mounted at /root/.claude/.credentials.json
+#      already (e.g. from a docker volume) → use it as-is.
+#   3. Fall through to the UI which will surface an auth error to the user.
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+RUN cat > /entrypoint.sh << 'ENTRYPOINT_EOF'
 #!/bin/sh
 set -e
 
-# Start Claude Code in the background if specified
-if [ "$RUN_CLAUDE_CODE" = "true" ]; then
-  echo "Starting Claude Code daemon..."
-  claude serve &
-  CLAUDE_PID=$!
+CLAUDE_DIR="${CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR:-/root/.claude}"
+CREDS_FILE="${CLAUDE_DIR}/.credentials.json"
+
+echo "[entrypoint] Claude config dir: ${CLAUDE_DIR}"
+mkdir -p "${CLAUDE_DIR}"
+
+# --- Bootstrap auth from ANTHROPIC_API_KEY ---
+if [ -n "${ANTHROPIC_API_KEY}" ]; then
+    if [ ! -f "${CREDS_FILE}" ]; then
+        echo "[entrypoint] Writing credentials from ANTHROPIC_API_KEY..."
+        # Claude Code CLI accepts a credentials file with an apiKey field as
+        # an alternative to OAuth.  This is the non-interactive equivalent of
+        # running `claude auth login` with an API key.
+        cat > "${CREDS_FILE}" << CREDS_EOF
+{
+  "claudeAiOauth": null,
+  "apiKey": "${ANTHROPIC_API_KEY}"
+}
+CREDS_EOF
+        chmod 600 "${CREDS_FILE}"
+        echo "[entrypoint] Credentials written successfully."
+    else
+        echo "[entrypoint] Credentials file already exists, skipping write."
+    fi
+else
+    echo "[entrypoint] WARNING: ANTHROPIC_API_KEY not set."
+    echo "[entrypoint]   Set it in your .env file or via 'docker run -e ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=...'."
+    echo "[entrypoint]   The UI will load but Claude Code execution will fail without auth."
 fi
 
-# Start the Nuxt application
-echo "Starting Claude Code Agents UI..."
+# --- Verify Claude CLI can see the key ---
+if claude auth status 2>/dev/null | grep -q "Logged in\|api key"; then
+    echo "[entrypoint] Claude CLI auth: OK"
+else
+    echo "[entrypoint] Claude CLI auth: not authenticated (will use ANTHROPIC_API_KEY at runtime)"
+fi
+
+# --- Start the Nuxt application ---
+echo "[entrypoint] Starting Claude Code Agents UI on port 3000..."
 exec node /app/.output/server/index.mjs
-EOF
+ENTRYPOINT_EOF
 
 RUN chmod +x /entrypoint.sh
 
 # Health check
-HEALTHCHECK --interval=30s --timeout=10s --start-period=40s --retries=3 \
-    CMD curl -f http://localhost:3000/api/health || exit 1
+HEALTHCHECK --interval=30s --timeout=10s --start-period=60s --retries=3 \
+    CMD curl -f http://localhost:3000 || exit 1
 
 EXPOSE 3000
 
-# Use tini to handle signals properly
+# Use tini for proper signal handling
 ENTRYPOINT ["/sbin/tini", "--"]
 CMD ["/entrypoint.sh"]