diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile b/docker/Dockerfile
index 253a1a67..4febc803 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 FROM node:20-slim
 
+# tini runs as PID 1 and forwards signals to node (which doesn't install its
+# own SIGTERM handler, and as PID 1 would otherwise ignore it) — so
+# `docker stop` terminates in ~1s instead of waiting out the 10s kill grace.
+RUN apt-get update \
+    && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends tini \
+    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
 WORKDIR /usr/app
 
 ENV NODE_ENV=production
@@ -13,18 +20,31 @@ ENV PORT=3000
 # install here. The output is traced against the runner (Ubuntu/glibc), so this
 # runtime image must also be glibc (node:20-slim, NOT alpine/musl) or the traced
 # native binaries won't load.
-COPY .next/standalone ./
+#
+# Files are chowned to the non-root `node` user because entrypoint.sh rewrites
+# the DocSearch placeholders in .next with `sed -i` at runtime — that needs
+# write access under the runtime user.
+COPY --chown=node:node .next/standalone ./
 # standalone does not include static assets or the public dir — copy them in.
-COPY .next/static ./.next/static
-COPY public ./public
+COPY --chown=node:node .next/static ./.next/static
+COPY --chown=node:node public ./public
 
-COPY docker/entrypoint.sh ./entrypoint.sh
+COPY --chown=node:node docker/entrypoint.sh ./entrypoint.sh
 RUN chmod +x ./entrypoint.sh
 
+# Run as the base image's built-in non-root user (UID 1000). Port 3000 is
+# unprivileged, so no extra capability is needed.
+USER node
+
 EXPOSE 3000
 
+# Surfaces crash-loops and dead servers in `docker ps` / compose --wait /
+# Watchtower instead of them sitting silently "Up".
+HEALTHCHECK --interval=30s --timeout=5s --start-period=15s --retries=3 \
+  CMD node -e "fetch('http://127.0.0.1:3000/').then(r => process.exit(r.ok ? 0 : 1)).catch(() => process.exit(1))"
+
 # entrypoint.sh substitutes the APP_NEXT_PUBLIC_DOCSEARCH_* placeholders baked
 # into .next with real values from the container env, then execs the CMD.
-ENTRYPOINT ["/usr/app/entrypoint.sh"]
+ENTRYPOINT ["/usr/bin/tini", "--", "/usr/app/entrypoint.sh"]
 
 CMD ["node", "server.js"]
diff --git a/docker/entrypoint.sh b/docker/entrypoint.sh
index bcb87030..d50ce102 100644
--- a/docker/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/docker/entrypoint.sh
@@ -1,17 +1,47 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-# this script will check for the following NEXT_* environment variables passed via Docker environment (-e) and apply them
-# to the Nextjs.
-# The properties that will be replaced and have to start with APP_ prefix in the .env file
+# Substitutes the APP_NEXT_PUBLIC_DOCSEARCH_* placeholders baked into the
+# client bundle at build time (from the committed .env) with the real values
+# passed via the container environment, then starts the server.
+#
+# NEXT_PUBLIC_* values are compiled into the client bundle, so this rewrite is
+# what lets one image serve any environment's DocSearch credentials.
+
+set -eu
 
-set -ex
 NEXT_PUBLIC_DOCSEARCH_APP_ID=${NEXT_PUBLIC_DOCSEARCH_APP_ID:-"none"}
 NEXT_PUBLIC_DOCSEARCH_API_KEY=${NEXT_PUBLIC_DOCSEARCH_API_KEY:-"none"}
 NEXT_PUBLIC_DOCSEARCH_INDEX_NAME=${NEXT_PUBLIC_DOCSEARCH_INDEX_NAME:-"none"}
 
-find /usr/app/.next \( -type d -name .git -prune \) -o -type f -print0 | xargs -0 sed -i "s#APP_NEXT_PUBLIC_DOCSEARCH_APP_ID#${NEXT_PUBLIC_DOCSEARCH_APP_ID}#g"
-find /usr/app/.next \( -type d -name .git -prune \) -o -type f -print0 | xargs -0 sed -i "s#APP_NEXT_PUBLIC_DOCSEARCH_API_KEY#${NEXT_PUBLIC_DOCSEARCH_API_KEY}#g"
-find /usr/app/.next \( -type d -name .git -prune \) -o -type f -print0 | xargs -0 sed -i "s#APP_NEXT_PUBLIC_DOCSEARCH_INDEX_NAME#${NEXT_PUBLIC_DOCSEARCH_INDEX_NAME}#g"
+# Escape the characters that are special in a sed replacement (\ and &) and
+# our s### delimiter (#), so values containing them substitute literally.
+# CR/LF are stripped first: a one-line s### command cannot carry a raw
+# newline, and no legitimate DocSearch token contains one.
+escape() {
+  printf '%s' "$1" | tr -d '\r\n' | sed -e 's/[\\&#]/\\&/g'
+}
+
+# Rewrite only the files that still contain the placeholder — after the first
+# boot substituted everything, restarts touch nothing. grep exiting 1 on zero
+# matches is fine: xargs -r then runs nothing and the pipeline succeeds.
+substitute() {
+  grep -rlZ "$1" /usr/app/.next | xargs -0 -r sed -i "s#$1#$2#g"
+}
+
+# Each substitution runs independently: one failing value must not stop the
+# remaining placeholders from being applied.
+ok=1
+substitute APP_NEXT_PUBLIC_DOCSEARCH_APP_ID "$(escape "$NEXT_PUBLIC_DOCSEARCH_APP_ID")" || ok=0
+substitute APP_NEXT_PUBLIC_DOCSEARCH_API_KEY "$(escape "$NEXT_PUBLIC_DOCSEARCH_API_KEY")" || ok=0
+substitute APP_NEXT_PUBLIC_DOCSEARCH_INDEX_NAME "$(escape "$NEXT_PUBLIC_DOCSEARCH_INDEX_NAME")" || ok=0
+
+if [ "$ok" = 1 ]; then
+  echo "DocSearch configuration applied"
+else
+  # Serve the docs even if search wiring failed — a docs site with broken
+  # search beats a crash-looping container. The warning makes it visible.
+  echo "WARNING: DocSearch placeholder substitution failed; search may be broken" >&2
+fi
 
-echo "starting Nextjs"
-exec "$@"
\ No newline at end of file
+echo "starting Next.js"
+exec "$@"