diff --git a/backend/.dockerignore b/backend/.dockerignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f2ec8efb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/.dockerignore
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+venv/
+__pycache__/
+*.pyc
+*.pyo
+.env
+uploads/
+temp/
+tests/
+*.md
+*.pdf
+*.txt
+*.png
+*.sh
diff --git a/backend/Dockerfile b/backend/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..04fcc518
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+FROM python:3.12-slim
+
+WORKDIR /app
+
+# Install system deps for bcrypt, pymongo, etc.
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+    gcc \
+    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+# Install Python dependencies first (layer caching)
+COPY requirements.txt .
+RUN pip install --no-cache-dir -r requirements.txt
+
+# Copy application code
+COPY . .
+
+# Create upload/temp directories
+RUN mkdir -p /app/uploads /app/temp
+
+EXPOSE 5137
+
+CMD ["python", "run.py"]
diff --git a/deploy.sh b/deploy.sh
index 3703d31d..39c411e2 100755
--- a/deploy.sh
+++ b/deploy.sh
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ set -e
 
 # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 # Semblance — deploy script
-# Builds frontend locally, rsyncs dist/ + backend to server, manages services.
+# Builds frontend locally, rsyncs dist/ to server, restarts Docker services.
 #
 # Server: optical-dev.oliver.solution  (Ubuntu 24.04, Apache2, Docker)
 # SSH alias: optical-dev  (see ~/.ssh/config)
@@ -12,16 +12,14 @@ set -e
 #   ssh optical-dev
 #   sudo mkdir -p /opt/semblance && sudo chown vadym.samoilenko:vadym.samoilenko /opt/semblance
 #   git clone git@bitbucket.org:zlalani/semblance-dev.git /opt/semblance
-#   cp /opt/semblance/backend/.env.example /opt/semblance/backend/.env && nano /opt/semblance/backend/.env
-#   sudo cp /opt/semblance/semblance.service /etc/systemd/system/
-#   sudo systemctl daemon-reload && sudo systemctl enable semblance.service
+#   cp /opt/semblance/backend/.env.example /opt/semblance/backend/.env
+#   nano /opt/semblance/backend/.env   # fill in real values
+#   cd /opt/semblance && docker compose up -d --build
 # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 SSH_HOST="optical-dev"
 DEPLOY_DIR="/opt/semblance"
 FRONTEND_DEST="/var/www/html/semblance"
-BACKEND_DIR="$DEPLOY_DIR/backend"
-PYTHON_CMD="python3"
 
 echo "======================================"
 echo "Semblance — starting deployment"
@@ -30,18 +28,18 @@ echo "======================================"
 # ── Pre-flight: backend/.env must exist on server ────────────────────────────
 echo ""
 echo "[pre-flight] Checking backend/.env on server..."
-if ! ssh "$SSH_HOST" "test -f $BACKEND_DIR/.env"; then
+if ! ssh "$SSH_HOST" "test -f $DEPLOY_DIR/backend/.env"; then
     echo ""
-    echo "ERROR: $BACKEND_DIR/.env not found on server."
+    echo "ERROR: $DEPLOY_DIR/backend/.env not found on server."
     echo "Run on server:"
-    echo "  cp $BACKEND_DIR/.env.example $BACKEND_DIR/.env"
-    echo "  nano $BACKEND_DIR/.env"
+    echo "  cp $DEPLOY_DIR/backend/.env.example $DEPLOY_DIR/backend/.env"
+    echo "  nano $DEPLOY_DIR/backend/.env"
     exit 1
 fi
 
 for VAR in SECRET_KEY JWT_SECRET_KEY OPENAI_API_KEY GEMINI_API_KEY; do
-    if ! ssh "$SSH_HOST" "grep -q '^${VAR}=.\+' $BACKEND_DIR/.env 2>/dev/null"; then
-        echo "ERROR: $VAR is not set in $BACKEND_DIR/.env on server"
+    if ! ssh "$SSH_HOST" "grep -q '^${VAR}=.\+' $DEPLOY_DIR/backend/.env 2>/dev/null"; then
+        echo "ERROR: $VAR is not set in backend/.env on server"
         exit 1
     fi
 done
@@ -49,12 +47,12 @@ echo "✓ backend/.env present and required vars set"
 
 # ── Step 1: Pull latest code on server ───────────────────────────────────────
 echo ""
-echo "[1/7] Pulling latest code on server..."
+echo "[1/5] Pulling latest code on server..."
 ssh "$SSH_HOST" "cd $DEPLOY_DIR && git pull"
 
 # ── Step 2: Build frontend locally ───────────────────────────────────────────
 echo ""
-echo "[2/7] Building frontend locally..."
+echo "[2/5] Building frontend locally..."
 cp .env.production .env
 npm install --silent
 npm run build
@@ -62,48 +60,15 @@ echo "✓ Frontend built (dist/)"
 
 # ── Step 3: Deploy frontend to server ────────────────────────────────────────
 echo ""
-echo "[3/7] Deploying frontend to server..."
-ssh "$SSH_HOST" "sudo mkdir -p $FRONTEND_DEST && sudo chown vadym.samoilenko:www-data $FRONTEND_DEST && sudo chmod 755 $FRONTEND_DEST"
+echo "[3/5] Deploying frontend to server..."
+ssh "$SSH_HOST" "sudo mkdir -p $FRONTEND_DEST"
 rsync -az --delete dist/ "$SSH_HOST:$FRONTEND_DEST/"
 ssh "$SSH_HOST" "sudo chown -R www-data:www-data $FRONTEND_DEST"
 echo "✓ Frontend deployed to $FRONTEND_DEST"
 
-# ── Step 4: Set up Python virtual environment on server ──────────────────────
+# ── Step 4: Ensure Apache proxy config for semblance ─────────────────────────
 echo ""
-echo "[4/7] Setting up Python virtual environment..."
-ssh "$SSH_HOST" "
-    cd $BACKEND_DIR
-    if [ ! -d venv ]; then
-        echo 'Creating new virtual environment...'
-        $PYTHON_CMD -m venv venv
-    fi
-    source venv/bin/activate
-    pip install -r requirements.txt --quiet
-    echo '✓ Python dependencies installed'
-"
-
-# ── Step 5: Ensure MongoDB is running in Docker ───────────────────────────────
-echo ""
-echo "[5/7] Ensuring MongoDB is running..."
-ssh "$SSH_HOST" "
-    if ! docker ps --format '{{.Names}}' | grep -q '^semblance-mongo\$'; then
-        echo 'Starting MongoDB container...'
-        docker run -d \
-            --name semblance-mongo \
-            --restart unless-stopped \
-            -p 127.0.0.1:27017:27017 \
-            -v semblance-mongo-data:/data/db \
-            mongo:7
-        sleep 3
-        echo '✓ MongoDB started'
-    else
-        echo '✓ MongoDB already running'
-    fi
-"
-
-# ── Step 6: Ensure Apache proxy config for semblance ─────────────────────────
-echo ""
-echo "[6/7] Ensuring Apache proxy config..."
+echo "[4/5] Ensuring Apache proxy config..."
 ssh "$SSH_HOST" "
     CONF='/etc/apache2/sites-enabled/optical-dev.oliver.solutions.conf'
 
@@ -111,31 +76,22 @@ ssh "$SSH_HOST" "
         echo '✓ Apache semblance config already present'
     else
         echo 'Adding semblance blocks to Apache config...'
-
-        # Insert before the closing </VirtualHost> tag
         sudo sed -i 's|</VirtualHost>|    # ----------------------------------------------------------------\n    # Semblance — Quart/Hypercorn backend at :5137\n    # ----------------------------------------------------------------\n\n    # WebSocket (Socket.IO)\n    RewriteCond %{HTTP:Upgrade} websocket [NC]\n    RewriteCond %{HTTP:Connection} upgrade [NC]\n    RewriteRule ^/semblance_back/socket.io/(.*) ws://127.0.0.1:5137/socket.io/\$1 [P,L]\n\n    # REST API\n    ProxyPass /semblance_back/api/ http://127.0.0.1:5137/api/\n    ProxyPassReverse /semblance_back/api/ http://127.0.0.1:5137/api/\n\n    # Socket.IO HTTP polling fallback\n    ProxyPass /semblance_back/socket.io/ http://127.0.0.1:5137/socket.io/\n    ProxyPassReverse /semblance_back/socket.io/ http://127.0.0.1:5137/socket.io/\n\n    # Semblance SPA — served at /semblance/\n    Alias /semblance $FRONTEND_DEST\n    <Directory $FRONTEND_DEST>\n        Options -Indexes +FollowSymLinks\n        AllowOverride None\n        Require all granted\n        RewriteEngine On\n        RewriteBase /semblance/\n        RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f\n        RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d\n        RewriteRule ^ index.html [L]\n    </Directory>\n\n</VirtualHost>|' \"\$CONF\"
-
         sudo apache2ctl configtest && sudo systemctl reload apache2
         echo '✓ Apache config updated and reloaded'
     fi
 "
 
-# ── Step 7: Install / restart backend service ────────────────────────────────
+# ── Step 5: Rebuild and restart Docker services ───────────────────────────────
 echo ""
-echo "[7/7] Restarting backend service..."
+echo "[5/5] Rebuilding and restarting Docker services..."
 ssh "$SSH_HOST" "
-    # Install or update service file
-    sudo cp $DEPLOY_DIR/semblance.service /etc/systemd/system/semblance.service
-    sudo systemctl daemon-reload
-    sudo systemctl enable semblance.service
-
-    # Ensure upload/temp dirs exist with correct ownership
-    sudo mkdir -p $BACKEND_DIR/uploads $BACKEND_DIR/temp
-    sudo chown -R www-data:www-data $BACKEND_DIR/uploads $BACKEND_DIR/temp
-
-    sudo systemctl restart semblance.service
-    sleep 2
-    systemctl status semblance.service --no-pager || true
+    cd $DEPLOY_DIR
+    docker compose pull mongo 2>/dev/null || true
+    docker compose up -d --build
+    echo ''
+    echo 'Container status:'
+    docker compose ps
 "
 
 echo ""
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..656f3bda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+services:
+  mongo:
+    image: mongo:7
+    restart: unless-stopped
+    ports:
+      - "127.0.0.1:27017:27017"
+    volumes:
+      - mongo-data:/data/db
+    healthcheck:
+      test: ["CMD", "mongosh", "--eval", "db.adminCommand('ping')"]
+      interval: 10s
+      timeout: 5s
+      retries: 5
+
+  backend:
+    build: ./backend
+    restart: unless-stopped
+    ports:
+      - "127.0.0.1:5137:5137"
+    env_file:
+      - ./backend/.env
+    environment:
+      MONGO_URI: mongodb://mongo:27017/semblance_db
+    volumes:
+      - ./backend/uploads:/app/uploads
+      - ./backend/temp:/app/temp
+    depends_on:
+      mongo:
+        condition: service_healthy
+
+volumes:
+  mongo-data:
diff --git a/semblance.service b/semblance.service
deleted file mode 100755
index dd1249e2..00000000
--- a/semblance.service
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,42 +0,0 @@
-[Unit]
-Description=Semblance back end service
-After=network.target
-
-[Service]
-Type=exec
-User=www-data
-Group=www-data
-WorkingDirectory=/opt/semblance/backend
-EnvironmentFile=/opt/semblance/backend/.env
-Environment=PATH=/opt/semblance/backend/venv/bin
-ExecStart=/opt/semblance/backend/venv/bin/python /opt/semblance/backend/run.py
-Restart=always
-RestartSec=5
-
-# Output to journal
-StandardOutput=journal
-StandardError=journal
-SyslogIdentifier=semblance
-
-# Security settings (adjusted for file uploads)
-NoNewPrivileges=yes
-ProtectSystem=false
-ProtectHome=yes
-
-# Allow access to temp directories
-PrivateTmp=no
-
-# Writable directories for uploads and temp files
-ReadWritePaths=/opt/semblance/backend/uploads
-ReadWritePaths=/opt/semblance/backend/temp
-ReadWritePaths=/tmp
-ReadWritePaths=/var/tmp
-
-# Create necessary directories
-ExecStartPre=/bin/mkdir -p /opt/semblance/backend/uploads
-ExecStartPre=/bin/mkdir -p /opt/semblance/backend/temp
-ExecStartPre=/bin/chown -R www-data:www-data /opt/semblance/backend/uploads
-ExecStartPre=/bin/chown -R www-data:www-data /opt/semblance/backend/temp
-
-[Install]
-WantedBy=multi-user.target