diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 9df6e8e..bbb9b42 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -115,11 +115,11 @@ RUN mkdir -p certs public data
 RUN bun run build:css && bun run vendor \
     && test -s ./public/assets/tailwind.css && test -d ./public/vendor/fontawesome
 
-# Compile a standalone production binary (sharp is external — kept in node_modules)
-RUN BUN_TARGET="bun-linux-x64" \
-    && if [ "${TARGETARCH}" = "arm64" ]; then BUN_TARGET="bun-linux-arm64"; fi \
-    && bun build --production --external sharp src/index.ts \
-       --compile --target "$BUN_TARGET" --outfile overlord-server
+# NOTE: We intentionally do NOT use `bun build --compile` here.
+# The compiled standalone binary runs from a virtual bunfs filesystem that
+# cannot reliably load native modules like `sharp` from /app/node_modules,
+# even when marked --external. Running the TS entrypoint directly with bun
+# keeps normal Node-style module resolution and lets sharp load correctly.
 
 # Expose the default port
 EXPOSE 5173
@@ -132,5 +132,5 @@ ENV NODE_ENV=production
 ENV OVERLORD_ROOT=/app
 ENV NODE_PATH=/app/node_modules
 
-# Run the compiled production binary
-CMD ["./overlord-server"]
+# Run the server directly with bun (no standalone-binary compile step)
+CMD ["bun", "run", "src/index.ts"]
diff --git a/Overlord-Server/src/thumbnails.ts b/Overlord-Server/src/thumbnails.ts
index a4c106c..0b94a80 100644
--- a/Overlord-Server/src/thumbnails.ts
+++ b/Overlord-Server/src/thumbnails.ts
@@ -8,28 +8,9 @@ async function getSharp(): Promise<typeof import("sharp") extends { default: inf
   try {
     _sharp = (await import("sharp")).default as any;
     return _sharp!;
-  } catch (bareErr) {
-    try {
-      const fs = await import("node:fs");
-      const path = await import("node:path");
-      const url = await import("node:url");
-      const root = process.env.OVERLORD_ROOT || process.cwd();
-      const sharpDir = path.join(root, "node_modules", "sharp");
-      const pkgJsonPath = path.join(sharpDir, "package.json");
-      const pkg = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(pkgJsonPath, "utf8"));
-      const entryRel: string =
-        (pkg.exports && (pkg.exports["."]?.require ?? pkg.exports["."]?.default ?? pkg.exports["."])) ||
-        pkg.main ||
-        "lib/index.js";
-      const entryAbs = path.resolve(sharpDir, typeof entryRel === "string" ? entryRel : "lib/index.js");
-      const entryUrl = url.pathToFileURL(entryAbs).href;
-      const mod: any = await import(entryUrl);
-      _sharp = (mod && (mod.default ?? mod)) as any;
-      return _sharp!;
-    } catch (err) {
-      console.error("[thumbnails] Failed to load sharp module. Thumbnails will be unavailable.", err);
-      throw err;
-    }
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.error("[thumbnails] Failed to load sharp module. Thumbnails will be unavailable.", err);
+    throw err;
   }
 }