diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index dedf3df..31929fd 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ Two backends, selected by `CLAYDE_CLAUDE_BACKEND`:
 - Session resumption: saves `session_id` from JSON output, resumes via `--resume <session_id>`
 - Rate/usage limit detection: text-pattern matching on stdout/stderr
 - No per-token cost tracking (returns `cost_eur=0.0`)
-- Requires: OAuth credentials mounted from host `~/.claude/.credentials.json` (see docker-compose.yml)
+- Requires: a dedicated Claude config dir dir-mounted from the host (`~/clayde-claude` → `/home/clayde/.claude`); use a separate `CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR=~/clayde-claude claude login`. Mount the directory, not the `.credentials.json` file — token refresh renames the file (new inode) and a single-file mount goes stale. See docker-compose.yml / README.
 
 ---
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 34b34e5..2556226 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -131,9 +131,10 @@ Uses the Anthropic Python SDK with a tool-use loop. Pay-per-token.
 
 Runs the Claude Code CLI as a subprocess. Uses your Claude Pro/Max subscription — no per-token cost.
 
-1. On the host machine, log in to the CLI:
+1. On the host machine, create a **dedicated** login for the container in its
+   own config directory (kept separate from your personal `~/.claude`):
    ```bash
-   claude login
+   CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR=~/clayde-claude claude login
    ```
 2. Set in `data/config.env`:
    ```
@@ -141,7 +142,21 @@ Runs the Claude Code CLI as a subprocess. Uses your Claude Pro/Max subscription
    ```
    (`CLAYDE_CLAUDE_API_KEY` is not required for the CLI backend.)
 
-The `docker-compose.yml` mounts `~/.claude/.credentials.json` from the host directly into the container. Token refreshes, logouts, and account switches on the host are immediately reflected.
+The `docker-compose.yml` mounts the `~/clayde-claude` **directory** into the
+container as its Claude config dir. Two things matter here:
+
+- **Mount the directory, not the `.credentials.json` file.** The CLI refreshes
+  its short-lived OAuth token by writing a new file and atomically renaming it
+  into place — which changes the file's inode. A single-file bind mount is
+  pinned to the original inode at container start, so it never sees the new
+  token and the container fails with "authentication expired" until you restart
+  the stack. A directory mount resolves the path live, so refreshes propagate
+  with no restart.
+- **Use a dedicated login, not your personal `~/.claude`.** That directory
+  holds your interactive sessions, projects, and history; sharing it exposes
+  that state to the container. A separate login also gives the container its own
+  OAuth refresh-token lineage, so its token refreshes can't invalidate your
+  host login (refresh tokens are single-use).
 
 ### 5. Start the container
 
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index f94d12f..4aa10eb 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -34,8 +34,15 @@ services:
       - CLAYDE_ENABLED=true
     volumes:
       - ./data:/data
-      # Mount Claude CLI OAuth credentials (required when CLAYDE_CLAUDE_BACKEND=cli)
-      - ~/.claude/.credentials.json:/home/clayde/.claude/.credentials.json
+      # Dedicated Claude config dir for the container (required when
+      # CLAYDE_CLAUDE_BACKEND=cli). Use a SEPARATE login here — see README:
+      #   CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR=~/clayde-claude claude login
+      # Mount the DIRECTORY, not the single .credentials.json file: the CLI
+      # refreshes its short-lived OAuth token via atomic rename (new inode),
+      # which a single-file bind mount pins to the stale inode at start —
+      # causing "authentication expired" until the stack is restarted. A
+      # directory mount resolves the path live, so refreshes are picked up.
+      - ~/clayde-claude:/home/clayde/.claude
       # Pebble skill directories — mount one or more host dirs read-only
       # under /skills/. Subdirectory layout is free; discovery is recursive.
       - ~/skills/personal:/skills/personal:ro