diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/deploy-dev.yml b/.gitea/workflows/deploy-dev.yml
index 144e7c2..ac2f68b 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/deploy-dev.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/deploy-dev.yml
@@ -235,18 +235,20 @@ jobs:
             docker network create nas-dashboard_internal
           fi
 
-          # Deploy with compose (without --build since we already built the image)
-          # Network connection during compose can transiently fail on Docker 24;
-          # we catch it and connect networks manually below.
-          docker compose -f docker-compose.dev.yml -p nas-dashboard-dev up -d --pull never || true
+          # Create compose override that strips networks (Docker 24 compose
+          # fails to create the container when it can't connect networks).
+          # We connect networks manually after container creation.
+          cat > /tmp/docker-compose.ci-override.yml << YAMLEOF
+services:
+  dashboard-dev:
+    networks: []
+networks: {}
+YAMLEOF
 
-          # Verify the container exists before proceeding
-          if ! docker inspect nas-dashboard-dev >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-            echo "❌ Container was not created by compose"
-            exit 1
-          fi
+          # Deploy without networks in compose
+          docker compose -f docker-compose.dev.yml -f /tmp/docker-compose.ci-override.yml -p nas-dashboard-dev up -d --pull never
 
-          # Manually connect to networks (idempotent, handles compose failure)
+          # Manually connect to networks after container is created
           docker network connect nas-dashboard_internal nas-dashboard-dev 2>/dev/null || true
           docker network connect gitea_gitea nas-dashboard-dev 2>/dev/null || true