diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 8711f38..aa9e21e 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -9,13 +9,16 @@ x-image: &image
   # NOT "maven" — that's Apache Maven on Docker Hub and compose will happily
   # pull it, giving every container `mvn-entrypoint.sh` and exit 127.
   image: mavenai:latest
+  # build on EVERY service (same image name ⇒ built once) so `docker compose
+  # build <anyservice>` actually rebuilds. With build on only one service, the
+  # others silently no-op and you deploy a stale binary.
+  build: .
   pull_policy: never   # only ever the locally-built image
   restart: unless-stopped
 
 services:
   mavend:
     <<: *image
-    build: .
     command: ["mavend", "-config", "/opt/maven/config/mavend.json"]
     # the key lives ONLY here. deploy/db_key.env holds MAVEN_DB_KEY=<base64-32B>.
     env_file: [./deploy/db_key.env]