diff --git a/backend/admin/router.py b/backend/admin/router.py
index 1dedcc6..450c30a 100644
--- a/backend/admin/router.py
+++ b/backend/admin/router.py
@@ -50,21 +50,15 @@ async def deploy(request: Request):
         f"git reset --hard origin/main && "
         f"docker-compose up -d --build"
     )
-    try:
-        proc = await asyncio.create_subprocess_shell(
-            cmd,
-            stdout=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE,
-            stderr=asyncio.subprocess.STDOUT,
-        )
-        stdout, _ = await asyncio.wait_for(proc.communicate(), timeout=300)
-        output = stdout.decode(errors="replace") if stdout else ""
 
-        if proc.returncode != 0:
-            logger.error(f"Deploy failed (exit {proc.returncode}):\n{output}")
-            raise HTTPException(status_code=500, detail=f"Deploy script failed:\n{output[-500:]}")
+    # Fire and forget — run deploy in background so we can respond before
+    # the container restarts (which would kill this very process).
+    await asyncio.create_subprocess_shell(
+        cmd,
+        stdout=asyncio.subprocess.DEVNULL,
+        stderr=asyncio.subprocess.DEVNULL,
+        start_new_session=True,
+    )
 
-        logger.info(f"Deploy succeeded:\n{output[-300:]}")
-        return {"ok": True, "output": output[-1000:]}
-
-    except asyncio.TimeoutError:
-        raise HTTPException(status_code=504, detail="Deploy timed out after 300 seconds")
+    logger.info("Auto-deploy started in background")
+    return {"ok": True, "message": "Deploy started"}