diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 79880306..17391bb8 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -5,6 +5,11 @@
 #
 # Pass --build-arg VITE_BUILD_HASH=$(git rev-parse --short HEAD) to stamp the build.
 # A .env in the build context is picked up by scripts/build.sh for branding config.
+#
+# Self-hosted deployments can override branding/feature settings by passing
+# VITE_* build args below (e.g. VITE_EMAIL_NOTIFICATION_SERVER). Unset args keep
+# the value from the tracked .env (scripts/build.sh sources it and restores the
+# exported environment), so local overrides never clobber upstream defaults.
 
 # https://pnpm.io/docker#example-3-build-on-cicd
 FROM node:24-slim AS builder
@@ -17,9 +22,20 @@ ENV NODE_OPTIONS=--max_old_space_size=16384
 COPY package.json pnpm-lock.yaml pnpm-workspace.yaml ./
 RUN pnpm i --frozen-lockfile
 COPY . .
+
 ARG VITE_BUILD_HASH
-RUN pnpm run build
-RUN pnpm run build:server
+ARG VITE_PLATFORM_URL
+ARG VITE_PLATFORM_NAME
+ARG VITE_PLATFORM_DESCRIPTION
+ARG VITE_PLATFORM_ACCENT
+ARG VITE_PLATFORM_SECONDARY
+ARG VITE_DEFAULT_PUBKEYS
+ARG VITE_PLATFORM_LOGO
+ARG VITE_PLATFORM_RELAYS
+ARG VITE_EMAIL_NOTIFICATION_SERVER
+
+RUN bash -c 'for v in VITE_BUILD_HASH VITE_PLATFORM_URL VITE_PLATFORM_NAME VITE_PLATFORM_DESCRIPTION VITE_PLATFORM_ACCENT VITE_PLATFORM_SECONDARY VITE_DEFAULT_PUBKEYS VITE_PLATFORM_LOGO VITE_PLATFORM_RELAYS VITE_EMAIL_NOTIFICATION_SERVER; do if [ -n "${!v}" ]; then export "$v=${!v}"; fi; done; pnpm run build'
+RUN bash -c 'for v in VITE_BUILD_HASH VITE_PLATFORM_URL VITE_PLATFORM_NAME VITE_PLATFORM_DESCRIPTION VITE_PLATFORM_ACCENT VITE_PLATFORM_SECONDARY VITE_DEFAULT_PUBKEYS VITE_PLATFORM_LOGO VITE_PLATFORM_RELAYS VITE_EMAIL_NOTIFICATION_SERVER; do if [ -n "${!v}" ]; then export "$v=${!v}"; fi; done; pnpm run build:server'
 
 FROM node:24-slim AS production
 ENV NODE_ENV=production