diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/docker-build.yml b/.gitea/workflows/docker-build.yml
index d33a127..ac9ec8c 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/docker-build.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/docker-build.yml
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ on:
       - 'Cargo.toml'
       - 'Cargo.lock'
       - 'build_wasm.sh'
+      # The engine embeds CHANGELOG.md (What's-new card) — changelog cuts
+      # must redeploy the web so the card content stays fresh.
+      - 'CHANGELOG.md'
       - 'solitaire_server/Dockerfile'
       - '.gitea/workflows/docker-build.yml'
 
diff --git a/solitaire_server/Dockerfile b/solitaire_server/Dockerfile
index 53640d5..e32f03d 100644
--- a/solitaire_server/Dockerfile
+++ b/solitaire_server/Dockerfile
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ RUN cargo fetch --locked
 # src/) because solitaire_engine embeds theme/audio/font assets at compile
 # time from its own assets/ and the workspace assets/.
 COPY build_wasm.sh ./
+# whats_new_plugin embeds the changelog at compile time
+# (include_str!("../../CHANGELOG.md")) — omit it and the engine build
+# fails inside this stage while full-checkout builds stay green.
+COPY CHANGELOG.md ./
 COPY solitaire_core   ./solitaire_core
 COPY solitaire_sync   ./solitaire_sync
 COPY solitaire_data   ./solitaire_data