diff --git a/server.js b/server.js
index 436bafa..1a15e49 100644
--- a/server.js
+++ b/server.js
@@ -636,8 +636,8 @@ ${detail}`);
       if (verifyMode === 'off') return { ok: true, results: [], skipped: true };
       const results = [];
       for (const svc of services) {
-        const exp = await runOnServer(server, `cd ${deployDir} && docker compose images --quiet ${svc} 2>/dev/null | head -1`);
-        const cid = await runOnServer(server, `cd ${deployDir} && docker compose ps --quiet ${svc} 2>/dev/null | head -1`);
+        const exp = await runOnServer(server, `cd ${deployDir} && ${kvPrefix} docker compose images --quiet ${svc} 2>/dev/null | head -1`);
+        const cid = await runOnServer(server, `cd ${deployDir} && ${kvPrefix} docker compose ps --quiet ${svc} 2>/dev/null | head -1`);
         const expectedSha = (exp.stdout || '').trim();
         const containerId = (cid.stdout || '').trim();
         if (!containerId) {
@@ -647,7 +647,8 @@ ${detail}`);
         const insp = await runOnServer(server, `docker inspect --format '{{.Image}}|{{.State.StartedAt}}' ${containerId}`);
         const [actualSha, startedAtStr] = (insp.stdout || '').trim().split('|');
         const startedAt = new Date(startedAtStr || 0);
-        const imageMatch = !!expectedSha && actualSha === expectedSha;
+        const stripSha = (s) => (s || '').replace(/^sha256:/, '');
+        const imageMatch = !!expectedSha && stripSha(actualSha) === stripSha(expectedSha);
         const freshlyStarted = !isNaN(startedAt) && startedAt >= deployStartTs;
         results.push({
           service: svc, ok: imageMatch && freshlyStarted,
@@ -1162,6 +1163,12 @@ fastify.post('/webhook/forgejo', async (request, reply) => {
 
 // --- Apps ---
 
+// Registry dump — used by kua-mcp-core to discover all apps at startup
+// without relying on a filesystem path that may not resolve inside its container.
+fastify.get('/api/v1/apps/registry', async () => {
+  return registry;
+});
+
 // List all apps
 fastify.get('/api/v1/apps', async () => {
   const results = [];
@@ -1502,9 +1509,11 @@ async function completeSelfRecreate() {
 
 const start = async () => {
   try {
-    // Fail fast if webhook secret is missing in production
+    // WEBHOOK_SECRET is optional — the Forgejo webhook path is now retired in
+    // favour of the admin API (/api/v1/apps/:app/deploy). The handler remains
+    // but returns 503 when the secret is absent, which is safe.
     if (!DEV_MODE && !WEBHOOK_SECRET) {
-      throw new Error('KUA_DEPLOY_WEBHOOK_SECRET must be set in production — refusing to start');
+      fastify.log.warn('KUA_DEPLOY_WEBHOOK_SECRET not set — /webhook/forgejo will return 503. Set the secret to re-enable Forgejo push triggers.');
     }
     await loadRegistry();
     await loadHistory();