diff --git a/deploy/README.md b/deploy/README.md
index b6f1d06..553bdc0 100644
--- a/deploy/README.md
+++ b/deploy/README.md
@@ -29,9 +29,10 @@ BF_FIRMWARE_SIGNING_KEY=        # paste Ed25519 PEM for stable signing key
 BF_MQTT_URL=                     # optional MQTT telemetry export
 ```
 
-In Coolify: create a Docker compose stack from `deploy/docker/docker-compose.yml`,
-inject the env vars, set a domain on the `angie` service. Backups via the admin
-UI (`/admin/backup`) — Coolify's S3 hook can pull these on a schedule.
+In Coolify: create a Docker compose stack pointing at the repo's
+`docker-compose.yml` (repo root), inject the env vars, set a domain on the
+`angie` service. Backups via the admin UI (`/admin/backup`) — Coolify's S3
+hook can pull these on a schedule.
 
 ### bf-client (kiosk Pi)
 
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ proxy auth rules.
 
 ```bash
 cd /opt/betterframe
-docker compose -f deploy/docker/docker-compose.yml up -d --build
+docker compose up -d --build      # from repo root
 ```
 
 Published:
diff --git a/deploy/scripts/setup-pi-kiosk.sh b/deploy/scripts/setup-pi-kiosk.sh
index a8a3e88..1058383 100755
--- a/deploy/scripts/setup-pi-kiosk.sh
+++ b/deploy/scripts/setup-pi-kiosk.sh
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ fi
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 if [ "${INSTALL_SERVER}" = "1" ]; then
   echo "==> Building + starting Docker stack"
-  run_as_user "cd '${REPO_ROOT}' && docker compose -f deploy/docker/docker-compose.yml up -d --build"
+  run_as_user "cd '${REPO_ROOT}' && docker compose up -d --build"
 fi
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/deploy/docker/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
similarity index 85%
rename from deploy/docker/docker-compose.yml
rename to docker-compose.yml
index 4df8a47..5f92c57 100644
--- a/deploy/docker/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
 # BetterFrame stack: server + Angie proxy + Node-RED.
 # Kiosk runs on the Pi natively (not in Docker, needs Wayland/HDMI).
 #
+# Lives at repo root by convention — Docker Compose + Coolify both default
+# to looking here. All paths are repo-root-relative so they resolve
+# identically whether compose is invoked with or without --project-directory.
+#
 # Usage:
-#   docker compose -f deploy/docker/docker-compose.yml up -d --build
+#   docker compose up -d --build      # from repo root
 #
 # Volumes (override per-deployment via env — see Coolify "Environment"):
 #   BF_DATA_VOLUME_NAME       default "betterframe-data"
@@ -21,7 +25,7 @@ version: "3.8"
 services:
   server:
     build:
-      context: ../..
+      context: .
       dockerfile: deploy/docker/Dockerfile.server
     container_name: betterframe-server
     restart: unless-stopped
@@ -41,7 +45,7 @@ services:
       # - BF_MQTT_TOPIC_PREFIX=betterframe
     volumes:
       - betterframe-data:/var/lib/betterframe
-      - ./sec-config.yaml:/app/server/sec-config.yaml:ro
+      - ./deploy/docker/sec-config.yaml:/app/server/sec-config.yaml:ro
     expose:
       - "18080"
       - "18081"
@@ -65,13 +69,13 @@ services:
     ports:
       - "${BF_HOST_PORT:-80}:80"
     volumes:
-      - ../angie/betterframe.docker.conf:/etc/nginx/conf.d/default.conf:ro
+      - ./deploy/angie/betterframe.docker.conf:/etc/nginx/conf.d/default.conf:ro
     networks:
       - betterframe
 
   nodered:
     build:
-      context: ../..
+      context: .
       dockerfile: deploy/docker/Dockerfile.nodered
     container_name: betterframe-nodered
     restart: unless-stopped
@@ -79,7 +83,7 @@ services:
       - TZ=UTC
     volumes:
       - nodered-data:/data
-      - ./nodered-settings.js:/data/settings.js:ro
+      - ./deploy/docker/nodered-settings.js:/data/settings.js:ro
     expose:
       - "1880"
     healthcheck: