diff --git a/scripts/ci-deploy.sh b/scripts/ci-deploy.sh
index b82c7e59..a89b2305 100644
--- a/scripts/ci-deploy.sh
+++ b/scripts/ci-deploy.sh
@@ -193,5 +193,6 @@ while IFS= read -r tag; do
     if [ -n "$tagged_image" ] && [ "$tagged_image" != "$previous_image" ]; then docker image rm "$tag" || true; fi
   fi
 done < <(docker image ls --format '{{.Repository}}:{{.Tag}}' epicnext-cms)
-docker builder prune -af --filter "until=72h" --max-used-space=4g || true
-docker image prune -f --filter "until=168h" || true
+# Reclaim build cache, unreferenced images and long-stopped containers. Never
+# volumes; retention boundaries are enforced inside docker-prune.sh.
+bash "$deploy_dir/scripts/docker-prune.sh" || true
diff --git a/scripts/docker-prune.sh b/scripts/docker-prune.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..18dc66f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/docker-prune.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Reclaim Docker's unused cache so host storage stays bounded.
+#
+# Safe scopes only, by design:
+#   - BuildKit cache older than 72h, hard-capped at 4 GB (Debian /pnpm store is
+#     shared across builds; everything newer than that speeds up rebuilds).
+#   - Images referenced by NO running/stopped container and older than 7 days
+#     (covers stale epicnext-cms sha tags, old mariadb/byparr pulls, etc.).
+#   - Containers stopped for more than 24h.
+#
+# Volumes are NEVER pruned here: mariadb-turbo-data is a database. This script
+# is idempotent and exits 0 when Docker is unavailable.
+set -Eeuo pipefail
+DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && pwd)"
+LOG_DIR="${LOG_DIR:-$DIR/logs}"
+mkdir -p "$LOG_DIR"
+LOG_FILE="$LOG_DIR/docker-prune.log"
+now() { date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S'; }
+
+command -v docker >/dev/null 2>&1 || {
+  printf '[%s] docker CLI unavailable; nothing to prune\n' "$(now)" >>"$LOG_FILE"
+  exit 0
+}
+
+printf '\n[%s] === docker prune start ===\n' "$(now)" >>"$LOG_FILE"
+docker system df >>"$LOG_FILE" 2>&1 || true
+
+docker builder prune -af --filter "until=72h" --max-used-space=4g >>"$LOG_FILE" 2>&1 || true
+docker image prune -af --filter "until=168h" >>"$LOG_FILE" 2>&1 || true
+docker container prune -f --filter "until=24h" >>"$LOG_FILE" 2>&1 || true
+
+printf '\n[%s] === docker prune complete ===\n' "$(now)" >>"$LOG_FILE"
+docker system df >>"$LOG_FILE" 2>&1 || true
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/docker-update.sh b/scripts/docker-update.sh
index 2e13b38c..d58a609b 100755
--- a/scripts/docker-update.sh
+++ b/scripts/docker-update.sh
@@ -150,3 +150,7 @@ done
 printf '%s\n' "${kept[@]}" "${pending[@]}" > "$history.tmp"
 mv "$history.tmp" "$history"
 log "Keeping the two latest releases; in-use images and persistent volumes are preserved."
+# Reclaim build cache + unreferenced images + long-stopped containers only;
+# the scoped retention is enforced inside docker-prune.sh (never volumes).
+bash "$DIR/scripts/docker-prune.sh" >>"$LOG_FILE" 2>&1 || log "Docker prune reported an error (see $LOG_FILE)"
+log "Pruned unused Docker cache."
diff --git a/scripts/jobs-worker.ts b/scripts/jobs-worker.ts
index d92d78ec..1c190fe0 100644
--- a/scripts/jobs-worker.ts
+++ b/scripts/jobs-worker.ts
@@ -232,6 +232,38 @@ async function cleanupOldSessions(): Promise<void> {
 	}
 }
 
+/** Host-side: reclaim Docker's unused cache (build cache, unreferenced images,
+ * stopped containers). Volumes and in-use images are never touched. No-op when
+ * docker or the prune script is unavailable. */
+async function pruneDockerCache(): Promise<void> {
+	const { access } = await import("node:fs/promises");
+	const { resolve } = await import("node:path");
+	const { spawn } = await import("node:child_process");
+	const script = resolve(process.cwd(), "scripts", "docker-prune.sh");
+	try {
+		await access(script);
+	} catch {
+		return;
+	}
+	await new Promise<void>((resolvePromise) => {
+		const child = spawn("bash", [script], { stdio: "ignore" });
+		child.on("error", (err) =>
+			captureWorkerError(
+				err,
+				"Docker prune could not start (is bash on PATH?)",
+			),
+		);
+		child.on("close", (code) => {
+			if (code !== 0)
+				captureWorkerError(
+					new Error(`docker-prune.sh exited ${code}`),
+					"Docker prune failed",
+				);
+			resolvePromise();
+		});
+	});
+}
+
 async function publishScheduledArticles(): Promise<void> {
 	try {
 		const now = new Date();
@@ -305,6 +337,15 @@ async function main() {
 	});
 	logger.info("Scheduled: old data cleanup (daily 04:00)", { module: "jobs" });
 
+	new Cron("0 5 * * *", () => {
+		pruneDockerCache().catch((e) =>
+			captureWorkerError(e, "Docker prune error"),
+		);
+	});
+	logger.info("Scheduled: Docker cache prune (daily 05:00)", {
+		module: "jobs",
+	});
+
 	new Cron("*/5 * * * *", () => {
 		checkOpsHealth().catch((e) => captureWorkerError(e, "Health check error"));
 	});
diff --git a/src/lib/deploy-workflow-contract.test.ts b/src/lib/deploy-workflow-contract.test.ts
index 838f2a17..508f7969 100644
--- a/src/lib/deploy-workflow-contract.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/deploy-workflow-contract.test.ts
@@ -26,10 +26,18 @@ it("preserves production runtime configuration and recent cache", () => {
 	expect(deploy).toContain("/var/www/Gamedata:/var/www/Gamedata");
 	expect(deploy).toContain("/app/storage");
 	expect(deploy).not.toContain("--env-file");
-	expect(deploy).toContain(
+	// The scoped prune lives in docker-prune.sh; deploys invoke it for both CI
+	// and scheduled updates. It reclaims build cache + old unreferenced images
+	// but never touches volumes.
+	expect(deploy).toContain("bash \"$deploy_dir/scripts/docker-prune.sh\"");
+	const prune = readFileSync("scripts/docker-prune.sh", "utf8");
+	expect(prune).toContain(
 		'docker builder prune -af --filter "until=72h" --max-used-space=4g',
 	);
+	expect(prune).toContain('docker image prune -af --filter "until=168h"');
+	expect(prune).toContain('docker container prune -f --filter "until=24h"');
 	expect(deploy).not.toContain("docker volume prune");
+	expect(prune).not.toContain("docker volume prune");
 });
 it("builds the checked out source without fetching a moving remote branch", () => {
 	const dockerfile = readFileSync("Dockerfile", "utf8");
diff --git a/src/lib/docker-update.test.ts b/src/lib/docker-update.test.ts
index 880b36eb..7acb905e 100644
--- a/src/lib/docker-update.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/docker-update.test.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ function simulate(scenario: string) {
 			resolve(root, "scripts/docker-update.sh"),
 			join(dir, "scripts/docker-update.sh"),
 		);
+		copyFileSync(
+			resolve(root, "scripts/docker-prune.sh"),
+			join(dir, "scripts/docker-prune.sh"),
+		);
 		writeFileSync(join(dir, ".env"), "HOTEL_NAME=Test\n");
 		if (scenario.startsWith("saved-"))
 			writeFileSync(
@@ -93,7 +97,7 @@ describe("Docker clone updates", () => {
 		expect(r.calls).toContain(
 			`docker pull registry.test/team/cms:${sha}-migrations`,
 		);
-		expect(r.calls).not.toContain("docker build");
+		expect(r.calls).not.toMatch(/docker build\s/);
 		expect(r.calls).not.toContain("docker compose build");
 		expect(r.calls).toContain("target=/app/.env,readonly");
 	});
@@ -140,7 +144,13 @@ describe("Docker clone updates", () => {
 		);
 		expect(r.calls).toContain("https://example.test/api/health");
 		expect(r.output).toContain(`Verified release ${sha}`);
-		expect(r.calls).not.toContain("prune");
+		// A successful update runs the scoped prune (build cache + unreferenced
+		// images + stopped containers), never a global or volume prune.
+		expect(r.calls).toContain("docker builder prune");
+		expect(r.calls).toContain("docker image prune");
+		expect(r.calls).toContain("docker container prune");
+		expect(r.calls).not.toContain("docker volume prune");
+		expect(r.calls).not.toContain("docker system prune");
 	});
 	it.each([
 		"dirty",