diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 3aa37f33..760bb78f 100755
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -44,4 +44,5 @@ front/css/cloud_services.css
 
 docker-compose.yml.ffsb42
 .env.omada.ffsb42
-.venv
\ No newline at end of file
+.venv
+test_mounts/
diff --git a/test-script.sh b/test-script.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index b1f6c904..00000000
--- a/test-script.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-
-LOGFILE="/workspaces/NetAlertX/test-script.log"
-CMD="/usr/bin/python -m pytest -q test/docker_tests/test_container_environment.py -k missing_app_conf_triggers_seed --maxfail=1 -vv"
-
-echo "Running: ${CMD}" | tee "${LOGFILE}"
-${CMD} 2>&1 | tee -a "${LOGFILE}"
diff --git a/test/docker_tests/configurations/docker-compose.missing-caps.yml b/test/docker_tests/configurations/docker-compose.missing-caps.yml
index d40bc46e..57e308e7 100644
--- a/test/docker_tests/configurations/docker-compose.missing-caps.yml
+++ b/test/docker_tests/configurations/docker-compose.missing-caps.yml
@@ -28,6 +28,32 @@ services:
       APP_CONF_OVERRIDE: ${GRAPHQL_PORT:-20212}
       ALWAYS_FRESH_INSTALL: ${ALWAYS_FRESH_INSTALL:-false}
       NETALERTX_DEBUG: ${NETALERTX_DEBUG:-0}
+      # Environment variable: NETALERTX_CHECK_ONLY
+      # 
+      # Purpose: Enables check-only mode for container startup diagnostics and capability testing.
+      # 
+      # When set to 1 (enabled):
+      # - Container runs all startup checks and prints diagnostic information
+      # - Services are NOT started (container exits after checks complete)
+      # - Useful for testing configurations, auditing capabilities, or troubleshooting
+      # 
+      # When set to 0 (disabled):
+      # - Normal operation: container starts all services after passing checks
+      # 
+      # Default: 1 in this compose file (check-only mode for testing)
+      # Production default: 0 (full startup)
+      # 
+      # Automatic behavior:
+      # - May be automatically set by root-entrypoint.sh when privilege drop fails
+      # - Triggers immediate exit path in entrypoint.sh after diagnostic output
+      # 
+      # Usage examples:
+      #   NETALERTX_CHECK_ONLY: 0  # Normal startup with services
+      #   NETALERTX_CHECK_ONLY: 1  # Check-only mode (exits after diagnostics)
+      # 
+      # Troubleshooting:
+      # If container exits immediately after startup checks, verify this variable is set to 0
+      # for production deployments. Check container logs for diagnostic output from startup checks.
       NETALERTX_CHECK_ONLY: ${NETALERTX_CHECK_ONLY:-1}
 
     mem_limit: 2048m
diff --git a/test/docker_tests/configurations/mount-tests/docker-compose.mount-test.cap_chown_missing.yml b/test/docker_tests/configurations/mount-tests/docker-compose.mount-test.cap_chown_missing.yml
index 9d488bdc..597a9131 100644
--- a/test/docker_tests/configurations/mount-tests/docker-compose.mount-test.cap_chown_missing.yml
+++ b/test/docker_tests/configurations/mount-tests/docker-compose.mount-test.cap_chown_missing.yml
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ services:
     cap_add:
       - SETUID
       - SETGID
+      - NET_RAW
+      - NET_ADMIN
     # Intentionally drop CHOWN to prove failure path while leaving defaults intact
     environment:
       LISTEN_ADDR: 0.0.0.0
diff --git a/test/docker_tests/configurations/mount-tests/docker-compose.mount-test.db_ramdisk.yml b/test/docker_tests/configurations/mount-tests/docker-compose.mount-test.db_ramdisk.yml
index f1c4b365..6803c6e5 100644
--- a/test/docker_tests/configurations/mount-tests/docker-compose.mount-test.db_ramdisk.yml
+++ b/test/docker_tests/configurations/mount-tests/docker-compose.mount-test.db_ramdisk.yml
@@ -31,11 +31,11 @@ services:
         target: /data/config
         read_only: false
     tmpfs:
-      - "/data/db:mode=1700,rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,async,noatime,nodiratime"
-      - "/tmp/api:mode=1700,rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,async,noatime,nodiratime"
-      - "/tmp/log:mode=1700,rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,async,noatime,nodiratime"
-      - "/tmp/run:mode=1700,rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,async,noatime,nodiratime"
-      - "/tmp/nginx/active-config:mode=1700,rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,async,noatime,nodiratime"
+      - "/data/db:mode=1700,uid=0,gid=0,rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,async,noatime,nodiratime"
+      - "/tmp/api:mode=1700,uid=0,gid=0,rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,async,noatime,nodiratime"
+      - "/tmp/log:mode=1700,uid=0,gid=0,rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,async,noatime,nodiratime"
+      - "/tmp/run:mode=1700,uid=0,gid=0,rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,async,noatime,nodiratime"
+      - "/tmp/nginx/active-config:mode=1700,uid=0,gid=0,rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,async,noatime,nodiratime"
 volumes:
   netalertx_config:
   netalertx_db:
diff --git a/test/docker_tests/configurations/mount-tests/docker-compose.mount-test.db_unwritable.yml b/test/docker_tests/configurations/mount-tests/docker-compose.mount-test.db_unwritable.yml
index 931f7043..c43c705b 100644
--- a/test/docker_tests/configurations/mount-tests/docker-compose.mount-test.db_unwritable.yml
+++ b/test/docker_tests/configurations/mount-tests/docker-compose.mount-test.db_unwritable.yml
@@ -35,10 +35,10 @@ services:
         target: /data/config
         read_only: false
     tmpfs:
-      - "/tmp/api:mode=1700,rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,async,noatime,nodiratime"
-      - "/tmp/log:mode=1700,rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,async,noatime,nodiratime"
-      - "/tmp/run:mode=1700,rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,async,noatime,nodiratime"
-      - "/tmp/nginx/active-config:mode=1700,rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,async,noatime,nodiratime"
+      - "/tmp/api:mode=1700,uid=0,gid=0,rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,async,noatime,nodiratime"
+      - "/tmp/log:mode=1700,uid=0,gid=0,rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,async,noatime,nodiratime"
+      - "/tmp/run:mode=1700,uid=0,gid=0,rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,async,noatime,nodiratime"
+      - "/tmp/nginx/active-config:mode=1700,uid=0,gid=0,rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,async,noatime,nodiratime"
 volumes:
   netalertx_config:
   test_netalertx_db:
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/docker_tests/configurations/mount-tests/docker-compose.mount-test.log_mounted.yml b/test/docker_tests/configurations/mount-tests/docker-compose.mount-test.log_mounted.yml
index 447fb4e8..eb0786e5 100644
--- a/test/docker_tests/configurations/mount-tests/docker-compose.mount-test.log_mounted.yml
+++ b/test/docker_tests/configurations/mount-tests/docker-compose.mount-test.log_mounted.yml
@@ -39,9 +39,9 @@ services:
         target: /tmp/log
         read_only: false
     tmpfs:
-      - "/tmp/api:mode=1700,rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,async,noatime,nodiratime"
-      - "/tmp/run:mode=1700,rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,async,noatime,nodiratime"
-      - "/tmp/nginx/active-config:mode=1700,rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,async,noatime,nodiratime"
+      - "/tmp/api:mode=1700,uid=20211,gid=20211,rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,async,noatime,nodiratime"
+      - "/tmp/run:mode=1700,uid=20211,gid=20211,rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,async,noatime,nodiratime"
+      - "/tmp/nginx/active-config:mode=1700,uid=20211,gid=20211,rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,async,noatime,nodiratime"
 volumes:
   netalertx_config:
   netalertx_db:
diff --git a/test/docker_tests/conftest.py b/test/docker_tests/conftest.py
index 14fce16c..2643016b 100644
--- a/test/docker_tests/conftest.py
+++ b/test/docker_tests/conftest.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import os
 import pathlib
 import subprocess
+import shutil
 
 import pytest
 
@@ -13,8 +14,48 @@ def _announce(request: pytest.FixtureRequest, message: str) -> None:
         print(message)
 
 
+def _clean_test_mounts(project_root: pathlib.Path) -> None:
+    """Clean up the test_mounts directory, handling root-owned files via Docker."""
+    mounts_dir = project_root / "test_mounts"
+    if not mounts_dir.exists():
+        return
+
+    # Try python removal first (faster)
+    try:
+        shutil.rmtree(mounts_dir)
+    except PermissionError:
+        # Fallback to docker for root-owned files
+        # We mount the parent directory to delete the directory itself
+        cmd = [
+            "docker", "run", "--rm",
+            "-v", f"{project_root}:/work",
+            "alpine:3.22",
+            "rm", "-rf", "/work/test_mounts"
+        ]
+        subprocess.run(
+            cmd,
+            stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+            stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+            check=False
+        )
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="session")
+def cleanup_artifacts(request: pytest.FixtureRequest) -> None:
+    """Ensure test artifacts are cleaned up before and after the session."""
+    project_root = pathlib.Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2]
+
+    _announce(request, "[docker-tests] Cleaning up previous test artifacts...")
+    _clean_test_mounts(project_root)
+
+    yield
+
+    _announce(request, "[docker-tests] Cleaning up test artifacts...")
+    _clean_test_mounts(project_root)
+
+
 @pytest.fixture(scope="session", autouse=True)
-def build_netalertx_test_image(request: pytest.FixtureRequest) -> None:
+def build_netalertx_test_image(request: pytest.FixtureRequest, cleanup_artifacts: None) -> None:
     """Build the docker test image before running any docker-based tests."""
 
     image = os.environ.get("NETALERTX_TEST_IMAGE", "netalertx-test")
diff --git a/test/docker_tests/test_container_environment.py b/test/docker_tests/test_container_environment.py
index b61f7451..15e6f057 100644
--- a/test/docker_tests/test_container_environment.py
+++ b/test/docker_tests/test_container_environment.py
@@ -87,10 +87,11 @@ def _docker_visible_tmp_root() -> pathlib.Path:
 
     Pytest's default tmp_path lives under /tmp inside the devcontainer, which may
     not be visible to the Docker daemon that evaluates bind mount source paths.
-    We use /tmp/pytest-docker-mounts instead of the repo.
+    We use a directory under the repo root which is guaranteed to be shared.
     """
 
-    root = pathlib.Path("/tmp/pytest-docker-mounts")
+    # Use a directory inside the workspace to ensure visibility to Docker daemon
+    root = _repo_root() / "test_mounts"
     root.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
     try:
         root.chmod(0o777)
@@ -1259,6 +1260,8 @@ def test_mount_analysis_ram_disk_performance(tmp_path: pathlib.Path) -> None:
         f"{VOLUME_MAP['app_db']}:uid=20211,gid=20211,mode=755",
         "--tmpfs",
         f"{VOLUME_MAP['app_config']}:uid=20211,gid=20211,mode=755",
+        "--tmpfs",
+        "/tmp/nginx:uid=20211,gid=20211,mode=755",
     ]
     result = _run_container(
         "ram-disk-mount", volumes=volumes, extra_args=extra_args, user="20211:20211"
@@ -1314,6 +1317,8 @@ def test_mount_analysis_dataloss_risk(tmp_path: pathlib.Path) -> None:
         f"{VOLUME_MAP['app_db']}:uid=20211,gid=20211,mode=755",
         "--tmpfs",
         f"{VOLUME_MAP['app_config']}:uid=20211,gid=20211,mode=755",
+        "--tmpfs",
+        "/tmp/nginx:uid=20211,gid=20211,mode=755",
     ]
     result = _run_container(
         "dataloss-risk", volumes=volumes, extra_args=extra_args, user="20211:20211"
@@ -1354,16 +1359,16 @@ def test_restrictive_permissions_handling(tmp_path: pathlib.Path) -> None:
     """
     paths = _setup_mount_tree(tmp_path, "restrictive_perms")
 
-    # Helper to chown without userns host (workaround for potential devcontainer hang)
-    def _chown_root_safe(host_path: pathlib.Path) -> None:
+    # Helper to chown/chmod without userns host (workaround for potential devcontainer hang)
+    def _setup_restrictive_dir(host_path: pathlib.Path) -> None:
         cmd = [
             "docker", "run", "--rm",
             # "--userns", "host", # Removed to avoid hang
             "--user", "0:0",
-            "--entrypoint", "/bin/chown",
+            "--entrypoint", "/bin/sh",
             "-v", f"{host_path}:/mnt",
             IMAGE,
-            "-R", "0:0", "/mnt",
+            "-c", "chown -R 0:0 /mnt && chmod 755 /mnt",
         ]
         subprocess.run(
             cmd,
@@ -1375,8 +1380,7 @@ def test_restrictive_permissions_handling(tmp_path: pathlib.Path) -> None:
 
     # Set up a restrictive directory (root owned, 755)
     target_dir = paths["app_db"]
-    _chown_root_safe(target_dir)
-    target_dir.chmod(0o755)
+    _setup_restrictive_dir(target_dir)
 
     # Mount ALL volumes to avoid errors during permission checks
     keys = {"data", "app_db", "app_config", "app_log", "app_api", "services_run", "nginx_conf"}
diff --git a/test/docker_tests/test_docker_compose_unit.py b/test/docker_tests/test_docker_compose_unit.py
index cdbb08fc..b664f7bc 100644
--- a/test/docker_tests/test_docker_compose_unit.py
+++ b/test/docker_tests/test_docker_compose_unit.py
@@ -17,12 +17,12 @@ def test_run_docker_compose_returns_output(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
         subprocess.CompletedProcess([], 0, stdout="down-initial\n", stderr=""),
         subprocess.CompletedProcess(["up"], 0, stdout="up-out\n", stderr=""),
         subprocess.CompletedProcess(["logs"], 0, stdout="log-out\n", stderr=""),
-        # ps_proc: cause compose ps parsing to fail (no containers listed)
-        subprocess.CompletedProcess(["ps"], 0, stdout="", stderr="no containers"),
+        # ps_proc: return valid container entries
+        subprocess.CompletedProcess(["ps"], 0, stdout="test-container Running 0\n", stderr=""),
         subprocess.CompletedProcess([], 0, stdout="down-final\n", stderr=""),
     ]
 
-    def fake_run(*args, **kwargs):
+    def fake_run(*_, **__):
         try:
             return cps.pop(0)
         except IndexError:
diff --git a/test/docker_tests/test_mount_diagnostics_pytest.py b/test/docker_tests/test_mount_diagnostics_pytest.py
index ab0e5353..cb0613b9 100644
--- a/test/docker_tests/test_mount_diagnostics_pytest.py
+++ b/test/docker_tests/test_mount_diagnostics_pytest.py
@@ -651,7 +651,7 @@ def test_mount_diagnostic(netalertx_test_image, test_scenario):
 
         # Wait for container to be ready
         import time
-# Container is still running - validate the diagnostics already run at startup
+        # Container is still running - validate the diagnostics already run at startup
         # Give entrypoint scripts a moment to finish outputting to logs
         time.sleep(2)
 
@@ -727,7 +727,7 @@ def test_table_parsing():
 
 
 @pytest.mark.docker
-def test_cap_chown_required_when_caps_dropped(netalertx_test_image):
+def test_cap_chown_required_when_caps_dropped():
     """Ensure startup warns (but runs) when CHOWN capability is removed."""
 
     compose_file = CONFIG_DIR / "mount-tests" / "docker-compose.mount-test.cap_chown_missing.yml"
@@ -747,7 +747,7 @@ def test_cap_chown_required_when_caps_dropped(netalertx_test_image):
     container_name = "netalertx-test-mount-cap_chown_missing"
 
     result = subprocess.run(
-        base_cmd + ["down", "-v"], capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=30, env=compose_env
+        [*base_cmd, "down", "-v"], capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=30, env=compose_env
     )
     print(result.stdout)  # DO NOT REMOVE OR MODIFY - MANDATORY LOGGING FOR DEBUGGING & CI.
     print(result.stderr)  # DO NOT REMOVE OR MODIFY - MANDATORY LOGGING FOR DEBUGGING & CI.
@@ -762,7 +762,7 @@ def test_cap_chown_required_when_caps_dropped(netalertx_test_image):
     print(result.stdout)  # DO NOT REMOVE OR MODIFY - MANDATORY LOGGING FOR DEBUGGING & CI.
     print(result.stderr)  # DO NOT REMOVE OR MODIFY - MANDATORY LOGGING FOR DEBUGGING & CI.
 
-    cmd_up = base_cmd + ["up", "-d"]
+    cmd_up = [*base_cmd, "up", "-d"]
 
     try:
         result_up = subprocess.run(
@@ -806,7 +806,7 @@ def test_cap_chown_required_when_caps_dropped(netalertx_test_image):
 
     finally:
         result = subprocess.run(
-            base_cmd + ["down", "-v"], capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=30, env=compose_env
+            [*base_cmd, "down", "-v"], capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=30, env=compose_env
         )
         print(result.stdout)  # DO NOT REMOVE OR MODIFY - MANDATORY LOGGING FOR DEBUGGING & CI.
         print(result.stderr)  # DO NOT REMOVE OR MODIFY - MANDATORY LOGGING FOR DEBUGGING & CI.