diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 23a9cbbd..b1398621 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ Note on Docker file permissions (PUID/PGID)
   - `PGID=1000`
 - Without this, creating events, uploads, thumbnails, or logs can fail with "Permission denied".
 
-**ARM64 (aarch64) systems:** Pre-built images include native `linux/arm64`, no platform flags or emulation needed. If you're on an older image tag that's still amd64-only, see [docker-compose.mac.override.yml](docker-compose.mac.override.yml) for a transitional fallback.
+**ARM64 (aarch64) systems:** Pre-built images include native `linux/arm64`, no platform flags or emulation needed. If you're on an older image tag that's still amd64-only, see [docker-compose.amd64.override.yml](docker-compose.amd64.override.yml) for a transitional fallback.
 
 ## 🔄 Release Channels
 
diff --git a/docker-compose.amd64.override.yml b/docker-compose.amd64.override.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bda75227
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker-compose.amd64.override.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+# Force linux/amd64 for the PicPeak backend and frontend images.
+#
+# When you need this:
+#   You're on an ARM64 host (Apple Silicon Mac, Raspberry Pi, AWS Graviton,
+#   Ampere, etc.) AND the image tag you're pulling does NOT yet have a
+#   linux/arm64 variant — for example, an older :latest or a pre-multi-arch
+#   :stable still cached locally.
+#
+# When you do NOT need this:
+#   Once you're on a release whose backend/frontend manifests include both
+#   linux/amd64 and linux/arm64, Docker selects the native arm64 image
+#   automatically. Drop this override.
+#
+# Usage:
+#
+#   docker compose \
+#     -f docker-compose.production.yml \
+#     -f docker-compose.amd64.override.yml \
+#     up -d
+#
+# Performance note: forcing amd64 on an ARM64 Linux host invokes qemu-user
+# emulation, which is significantly slower (especially for the backend's
+# Node.js workloads). Apple Silicon uses Rosetta 2, which is faster but still
+# slower than native arm64. Prefer pulling a multi-arch tag whenever possible.
+#
+# postgres + redis are intentionally omitted — their upstream images are
+# already multi-arch and pull natively on every supported architecture.
+
+services:
+  backend:
+    platform: linux/amd64
+  frontend:
+    platform: linux/amd64
diff --git a/docker-compose.mac.override.yml b/docker-compose.mac.override.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 0da0013b..00000000
--- a/docker-compose.mac.override.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,27 +0,0 @@
-# Apple Silicon (ARM64) fallback override.
-#
-# This file is ONLY needed for Mac users who are pulling an image tag that was
-# published before multi-arch CI was rolled out (e.g. an old :latest or a
-# pre-multi-arch :stable still in your local cache).
-#
-# Once you're on a release whose backend/frontend manifests include linux/arm64,
-# you do NOT need this file — Docker selects the native arm64 image automatically.
-#
-# Usage (Mac Studio / Apple Silicon only):
-#
-#   docker compose \
-#     -f docker-compose.production.yml \
-#     -f docker-compose.mac.override.yml \
-#     up -d
-#
-# Linux users: do NOT load this file. Forcing platform: linux/amd64 on Linux
-# ARM64 hosts (Raspberry Pi, AWS Graviton, etc.) would push you into emulation.
-#
-# postgres + redis are omitted — their upstream images are already multi-arch
-# and run natively on Apple Silicon without any platform flag.
-
-services:
-  backend:
-    platform: linux/amd64
-  frontend:
-    platform: linux/amd64