diff --git a/app/components/ui_switcher.py b/app/components/ui_switcher.py
index 2fb4a02..8526e6b 100644
--- a/app/components/ui_switcher.py
+++ b/app/components/ui_switcher.py
@@ -32,6 +32,13 @@ _DEMO_MODE = os.environ.get("DEMO_MODE", "").lower() in ("1", "true", "yes")
 # Example: PEREGRINE_VUE_URL=http://localhost:8506
 _VUE_URL = os.environ.get("PEREGRINE_VUE_URL", "").strip().rstrip("/")
 
+# When True, a window.location.reload() after setting prgn_ui=vue will be
+# intercepted by Caddy and routed to the Vue SPA. When False (no Caddy in the
+# traffic path — e.g. test instances, direct Docker exposure), reloading just
+# comes back to Streamlit and creates an infinite loop. Only set this in
+# production/staging compose files where Caddy is actually in front.
+_CADDY_PROXY = os.environ.get("PEREGRINE_CADDY_PROXY", "").lower() in ("1", "true", "yes")
+
 _COOKIE_JS = """
 <script>
 (function() {{
@@ -50,14 +57,18 @@ def _set_cookie_js(value: str, navigate: bool = False) -> None:
     port. Without this, reload() just sends the request back to the same
     Streamlit port with no router in between to inspect the cookie.
 
-    When PEREGRINE_VUE_URL is absent (Caddy deployment): navigate=True
+    When PEREGRINE_CADDY_PROXY is set (production/staging): navigate=True
     triggers window.location.reload() so Caddy sees the updated cookie on
     the next HTTP request and routes accordingly.
+
+    When neither is set (test instances, bare Docker): navigate is suppressed
+    entirely — the cookie is written silently, but no reload is attempted.
+    Reloading without a proxy just bounces back to Streamlit and loops.
     """
     # components.html() renders in an iframe — window.parent navigates the host page
     if navigate and value == "vue" and _VUE_URL:
         nav_js = f"window.parent.location.href = '{_VUE_URL}';"
-    elif navigate:
+    elif navigate and _CADDY_PROXY:
         nav_js = "window.parent.location.reload();"
     else:
         nav_js = ""
diff --git a/compose.cloud.yml b/compose.cloud.yml
index 16c442e..7ffa66a 100644
--- a/compose.cloud.yml
+++ b/compose.cloud.yml
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ services:
       - DOCS_DIR=/tmp/cloud-docs
       - STREAMLIT_SERVER_BASE_URL_PATH=peregrine
       - PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1
+      - PEREGRINE_CADDY_PROXY=1
       - DEMO_MODE=false
     depends_on:
       searxng:
diff --git a/compose.test-cfcore.yml b/compose.test-cfcore.yml
index 2768197..278df8f 100644
--- a/compose.test-cfcore.yml
+++ b/compose.test-cfcore.yml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ services:
     ports:
       - "8516:8501"
     volumes:
-      - peregrine-test-data:/devl/job-seeker
+      - /devl/job-seeker:/devl/job-seeker
     environment:
       - STAGING_DB=/devl/job-seeker/staging.db
       - PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1
@@ -29,6 +29,3 @@ services:
     extra_hosts:
       - "host.docker.internal:host-gateway"
     restart: "no"
-
-volumes:
-  peregrine-test-data:
diff --git a/compose.yml b/compose.yml
index 9127e84..8a6957e 100644
--- a/compose.yml
+++ b/compose.yml
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ services:
       - FORGEJO_API_URL=${FORGEJO_API_URL:-}
       - PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1
       - PYTHONLOGGING=WARNING
+      - PEREGRINE_CADDY_PROXY=1
     depends_on:
       searxng:
         condition: service_healthy