diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/ci-cd.yml b/.gitea/workflows/ci-cd.yml
index fc11ddf..d4886bd 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/ci-cd.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/ci-cd.yml
@@ -310,19 +310,33 @@ jobs:
           DOCKER_BUILDKIT: 1
           COMPOSE_DOCKER_CLI_BUILD: 1
 
-      - name: Start main services
+      - name: Start infrastructure services (postgres, redis)
+        # --no-recreate: never touch a container that is already running.
+        # Prevents the "container name already in use" conflict when redis/postgres
+        # are healthy from a previous deploy.
         run: |
           docker compose up -d \
             --no-deps \
-            postgres redis api web website koja
+            --no-recreate \
+            postgres redis
 
-      - name: Start admin services
+      - name: Deploy main app services
+        # --force-recreate: always swap in the freshly-built images.
+        # --no-deps: infra is already handled above; don't touch postgres/redis.
+        run: |
+          docker compose up -d \
+            --no-deps \
+            --force-recreate \
+            api web website koja
+
+      - name: Deploy admin services
         run: |
           docker compose \
             -f docker-compose.yml \
             -f docker-compose.admin.yml \
             up -d \
             --no-deps \
+            --force-recreate \
             admin-api admin-web
 
       - name: Wait for main API healthy