diff --git a/apps/api/Dockerfile b/apps/api/Dockerfile
index 21bba61..c5291dc 100644
--- a/apps/api/Dockerfile
+++ b/apps/api/Dockerfile
@@ -25,7 +25,10 @@ RUN pnpm install --frozen-lockfile --filter @dorfteich/api... \
 
 FROM node:22.15-alpine
 ARG APP_VERSION=0.0.0-dev
-ENV NODE_ENV=production APP_VERSION=${APP_VERSION}
+# Default the data dirs to the writable, node-owned locations created below, so
+# the image works out of the box even where compose does not set them; compose
+# still mounts named volumes here for persistence (UPLOADS_DIR/PLUGINS_DIR).
+ENV NODE_ENV=production APP_VERSION=${APP_VERSION} UPLOADS_DIR=/data/uploads PLUGINS_DIR=/data/plugins
 WORKDIR /app
 COPY --from=build --chown=node:node /out /app
 # Generate the Prisma client for this image's platform.
diff --git a/apps/api/src/plugins/plugin-watcher.service.ts b/apps/api/src/plugins/plugin-watcher.service.ts
index 1f12ef9..56bdae3 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/plugins/plugin-watcher.service.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/plugins/plugin-watcher.service.ts
@@ -39,12 +39,22 @@ export class PluginWatcherService implements OnModuleInit, OnModuleDestroy {
 
   async onModuleInit(): Promise<void> {
     if (this.config.env.NODE_ENV === 'test') return;
-    await this.storage.ensureServiceDirs();
-    this.watcher = watch(this.storage.dropzoneDir, (_event, filename) => {
-      if (!filename || !filename.endsWith('.zip')) return;
-      this.schedule(filename.toString());
-    });
-    this.logger.info({ dir: this.storage.dropzoneDir }, 'watching plugin dropzone');
+    // The dropzone is an optional convenience over the GUI upload. If its
+    // directory cannot be created or watched (e.g. PLUGINS_DIR is not writable
+    // on this deployment), log and carry on — it must never take down the api.
+    try {
+      await this.storage.ensureServiceDirs();
+      this.watcher = watch(this.storage.dropzoneDir, (_event, filename) => {
+        if (!filename || !filename.endsWith('.zip')) return;
+        this.schedule(filename.toString());
+      });
+      this.logger.info({ dir: this.storage.dropzoneDir }, 'watching plugin dropzone');
+    } catch (error) {
+      this.logger.warn(
+        { err: error, dir: this.storage.dropzoneDir },
+        'plugin dropzone unavailable; drop-to-install disabled (GUI upload still works)',
+      );
+    }
   }
 
   onModuleDestroy(): void {