diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/deploy.yml b/.gitea/workflows/deploy.yml
index c3a15d7d..c532a1a1 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/deploy.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/deploy.yml
@@ -370,12 +370,24 @@ jobs:
 
           scp -o StrictHostKeyChecking=accept-new /tmp/klz-cables.env root@alpha.mintel.me:/home/deploy/sites/klz-cables.com/$ENV_FILE
           scp -o StrictHostKeyChecking=accept-new docker-compose.yml root@alpha.mintel.me:/home/deploy/sites/klz-cables.com/docker-compose.yml
+          scp -r -o StrictHostKeyChecking=accept-new varnish root@alpha.mintel.me:/home/deploy/sites/klz-cables.com/
 
           ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=accept-new root@alpha.mintel.me IMAGE_TAG="$IMAGE_TAG" ENV_FILE="$ENV_FILE" PROJECT_NAME="$PROJECT_NAME" bash << 'EOF'
             set -e
             cd /home/deploy/sites/klz-cables.com
             chmod 600 "$ENV_FILE"
             chown deploy:deploy "$ENV_FILE"
+
+            # Ensure standard directories exist and have correct permissions
+            mkdir -p directus/uploads directus/extensions
+            chown -R deploy:deploy varnish directus
+
+            # Cleanup if Docker created a directory instead of mounting a file
+            if [ -d "varnish/default.vcl" ]; then
+              echo "🧹 Removing directory 'varnish/default.vcl' created by Docker..."
+              rm -rf varnish/default.vcl
+            fi
+
             echo "${{ secrets.REGISTRY_PASS }}" | docker login registry.infra.mintel.me -u "${{ secrets.REGISTRY_USER }}" --password-stdin
             echo "→ Pulling image: $IMAGE_TAG"
             docker compose -p "$PROJECT_NAME" --env-file "$ENV_FILE" pull