diff --git a/template/.github/workflows/ci.yaml.jinja b/template/.github/workflows/ci.yaml.jinja
index faf227c61..b2edcc2f6 100644
--- a/template/.github/workflows/ci.yaml.jinja
+++ b/template/.github/workflows/ci.yaml.jinja
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ jobs:
           node-version: {% endraw %}{{ node_version }}{% raw %}
 
       - name: Unit test
-        run: pnpm run --dir=frontend test-unit
+        run: pnpm --dir=frontend test-unit
 
       - name: Upload test coverage on failure
         if: ${{ failure() }}
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ jobs:
           skip-installing-ssm-plugin-manager: true
 
       - name: Build frontend
-        run: pnpm run --dir=frontend generate
+        run: pnpm --dir=frontend generate
 
       - name: Upload build artifact
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@{% endraw %}{{ gha_upload_artifact }}{% raw %}
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ jobs:
           node-version: {% endraw %}{{ node_version }}{% raw %}
 
       - name: Test
-        run: pnpm run --dir=frontend test-compiled
+        run: pnpm --dir=frontend test-compiled
 
   e2e-test:
     name: End-to-end Testing
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ jobs:
         run: tar -xvf backend/dist/{% endraw %}{{ repo_name }}{% raw %}/app.tar -C .
 {% endraw %}{% endif %}{% raw %}
       - name: E2E test
-        run: pnpm run --dir=frontend test-e2e
+        run: pnpm --dir=frontend test-e2e
 
 {% endraw %}{% if create_docker_image_tar_artifact %}{% raw %}  package-images:
     name: Package Images
diff --git a/template/README.md.jinja b/template/README.md.jinja
index 1a3d122e0..32c1e21ff 100644
--- a/template/README.md.jinja
+++ b/template/README.md.jinja
@@ -18,25 +18,25 @@ docker compose up
 ## Frontend
 Start the development server on `http://localhost:3000`:
 ```bash
-pnpm run --dir=frontend dev
+pnpm --dir=frontend dev
 ```
 
 Build the application for production:
 
 ```bash
-pnpm run --dir=frontend build
+pnpm --dir=frontend generate
 ```
 
 Locally preview production build:
 ```bash
-pnpm run --dir=frontend preview
-```
+pnpm --dir=frontend preview
+```{% endraw %}{% if has_backend %}{% raw %}
 
 ## Backend
-Start the GraphQL server:
+Start the API server on port 4000:
 ```bash
 uv --directory=backend run uvicorn src.entrypoint:app --reload --host '::' --port 4000
-```
+```{% endraw %}{% endif %}{% raw %}
 
 ## Updating from the template
 This repository uses a copier template. To pull in the latest updates from the template, use the command:
diff --git a/template/frontend/nuxt.config.ts.jinja b/template/frontend/nuxt.config.ts.jinja
index 5d2b75dd9..edb198f36 100644
--- a/template/frontend/nuxt.config.ts.jinja
+++ b/template/frontend/nuxt.config.ts.jinja
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ export default defineNuxtConfig({
       interval: 200, // ms pause between batches – lets the Garbage Collector catch up
     },
     devProxy: {
-      // this is just a proxy used for `pnpm run dev`
+      // this is just a proxy used for `pnpm dev`
       "/api": {
         target: "http://localhost:4000", // backend dev port
         changeOrigin: true, // rewrite Host header
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ export default defineNuxtConfig({
         usePolling: true,
       },{% endraw %}{% if has_backend and not deploy_as_executable %}{% raw %}
       proxy: {
-        // this is just a proxy used for `pnpm run dev`
+        // this is just a proxy used for `pnpm dev`
         "/api": {
           target: "http://localhost:4000", // backend dev port
           changeOrigin: true,
diff --git a/template/frontend/{% if not deploy_as_executable %}Dockerfile{% endif %}.jinja b/template/frontend/{% if not deploy_as_executable %}Dockerfile{% endif %}.jinja
index 895502740..35e19d4cc 100644
--- a/template/frontend/{% if not deploy_as_executable %}Dockerfile{% endif %}.jinja	
+++ b/template/frontend/{% if not deploy_as_executable %}Dockerfile{% endif %}.jinja	
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ RUN pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
 COPY . .
 
 # build the Nuxt app (generates .output folder in Nuxt 3)
-RUN pnpm list && pnpm run generate
+RUN pnpm list && pnpm generate
 
 # ------------ Stage 2: Production ------------
 FROM nginx:{% endraw %}{{ nginx_image_version }}{% raw %}-alpine{% endraw %}{{ alpine_image_version }}{% raw %} AS production
@@ -30,10 +30,11 @@ COPY --from=builder /app/.output/public /usr/share/nginx/html
 
 # set sensible defaults (overridable at `docker run`)
 ENV BACKEND_HOST=host.docker.internal \
-    BACKEND_PORT={% endraw %}{{ backend_deployed_port_number }}{% raw %}
+    BACKEND_PORT={% endraw %}{{ backend_deployed_port_number }}{% raw %} \
+    FRONTEND_PORT={% endraw %}{{ frontend_deployed_port_number }}{% raw %}
 
 # Using port 80 caused problems running K8s on windows hosts, so using a higher port number
 EXPOSE {% endraw %}{{ frontend_deployed_port_number }}{% raw %}
 
 # Nginx in foreground
-CMD ["sh", "-c", "envsubst '$BACKEND_HOST $BACKEND_PORT' < /etc/nginx/conf.d/default.conf.template > /etc/nginx/conf.d/default.conf && exec nginx -g 'daemon off;'"]{% endraw %}
+CMD ["sh", "-c", "envsubst '$BACKEND_HOST $BACKEND_PORT $FRONTEND_PORT' < /etc/nginx/conf.d/default.conf.template > /etc/nginx/conf.d/default.conf && exec nginx -g 'daemon off;'"]{% endraw %}
diff --git a/template/frontend/{% if not deploy_as_executable %}default.conf.template{% endif %}.jinja b/template/frontend/{% if not deploy_as_executable %}default.conf.template{% endif %}.jinja
index 2182360a5..097429d0d 100644
--- a/template/frontend/{% if not deploy_as_executable %}default.conf.template{% endif %}.jinja	
+++ b/template/frontend/{% if not deploy_as_executable %}default.conf.template{% endif %}.jinja	
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {% raw %}server {
-    listen {% endraw %}{{ frontend_deployed_port_number }}{% raw %};
+    listen ${FRONTEND_PORT};
     server_name _;
 
     root /usr/share/nginx/html;
diff --git a/template/{% if has_backend %}backend{% endif %}/{% if not deploy_as_executable %}Dockerfile{% endif %}.jinja b/template/{% if has_backend %}backend{% endif %}/{% if not deploy_as_executable %}Dockerfile{% endif %}.jinja
index 20825e377..69f280543 100644
--- a/template/{% if has_backend %}backend{% endif %}/{% if not deploy_as_executable %}Dockerfile{% endif %}.jinja	
+++ b/template/{% if has_backend %}backend{% endif %}/{% if not deploy_as_executable %}Dockerfile{% endif %}.jinja	
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {% raw %}FROM python:{% endraw %}{{ python_version }}{% raw %}-slim-{% endraw %}{{ debian_release_name }}{% raw %}
 
 # docker build -t my-graphql-backend .
-# docker run -p {% endraw %}{{ backend_deployed_port_number }}{% raw %}:4000 my-graphql-backend
+# docker run -p {% endraw %}{{ backend_deployed_port_number }}{% raw %}:{% endraw %}{{ backend_deployed_port_number }}{% raw %} my-graphql-backend
 
 # tell uv to treat /usr/local as the project env
 ENV UV_PROJECT_ENVIRONMENT=/usr/local
@@ -21,7 +21,11 @@ COPY . .
 
 RUN uv pip list --format=columns --verbose
 
-EXPOSE 4000
+# set sensible defaults (overridable at `docker run`)
+ENV API_PORT={% endraw %}{{ backend_deployed_port_number }}{% raw %}
+
+# When deployed with network-mode=host on Rancher Desktop on Windows (for WSL-compatibility), there's no actual port mapping, so we need to have it running on the deployed port within the container itself
+EXPOSE {% endraw %}{{ backend_deployed_port_number }}{% raw %}
 
 # By default, run the entrypoint to serve the GraphQL app
-CMD ["python", "src/entrypoint.py", "--host", "0.0.0.0", "--port", "4000"]{% endraw %}
+CMD ["sh", "-c", "python src/entrypoint.py --host 0.0.0.0 --port $API_PORT"]{% endraw %}
diff --git a/template/{% if not deploy_as_executable %}docker-compose.yaml{% endif %}.jinja b/template/{% if not deploy_as_executable %}docker-compose.yaml{% endif %}.jinja
index 167ab61d8..f658cc570 100644
--- a/template/{% if not deploy_as_executable %}docker-compose.yaml{% endif %}.jinja	
+++ b/template/{% if not deploy_as_executable %}docker-compose.yaml{% endif %}.jinja	
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@
       dockerfile: Dockerfile
     container_name: {% endraw %}{{ repo_name }}{% raw %}-backend
     ports:
-      - "{% endraw %}{{ backend_deployed_port_number }}{% raw %}:4000"
+      - "{% endraw %}{{ backend_deployed_port_number }}{% raw %}:{% endraw %}{{ backend_deployed_port_number }}{% raw %}"
+    environment:
+      API_PORT: {% endraw %}{{ backend_deployed_port_number }}{% raw %}
     restart: unless-stopped
     network_mode: host
 {% endraw %}{% endif %}{% raw %}
@@ -21,6 +23,7 @@
     environment:
       BACKEND_HOST: host.docker.internal
       BACKEND_PORT: {% endraw %}{{ backend_deployed_port_number }}{% raw %}
+      FRONTEND_PORT: {% endraw %}{{ frontend_deployed_port_number }}{% raw %}
     restart: unless-stopped
     extra_hosts:
       - "host.docker.internal:host-gateway"{% endraw %}