diff --git a/stacks/skaldsong/compose.yaml b/stacks/skaldsong/compose.yaml
index c822388..116c129 100644
--- a/stacks/skaldsong/compose.yaml
+++ b/stacks/skaldsong/compose.yaml
@@ -80,9 +80,15 @@ services:
 
       # Persistent state paths inside the container. The db/ parent
       # dir is the bind-mount target (not the file itself) so SQLite
-      # can write its WAL + SHM siblings.
-      SKALDSONG_DB_PATH: /app/state/db/skaldsong-ui.db
-      SKALDSONG_RUNS_DIR: /app/state/runs
+      # can write its WAL + SHM siblings. Names MUST match what the
+      # app actually reads (per skaldsong's Dockerfile ENV defaults):
+      # SKALDSONG_HOST_SQLITE_PATH + SKALDSONG_HOST_RUNS_ROOT. Earlier
+      # this block used SKALDSONG_DB_PATH / SKALDSONG_RUNS_DIR — those
+      # names are orthogonal to what the app reads, so the app fell
+      # back to Dockerfile defaults pointing at /app/data/... which
+      # is NOT bind-mounted → state wiped on every recreate.
+      SKALDSONG_HOST_SQLITE_PATH: /app/state/db/skaldsong-ui.db
+      SKALDSONG_HOST_RUNS_ROOT: /app/state/runs
     volumes:
       # db/ and runs/ are separate bind-mounts so runs/ can later move to
       # a bigger volume without touching DB state.