diff --git a/backend/docker-compose.yml b/backend/docker-compose.yml
index bace5b6..6404c89 100644
--- a/backend/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/backend/docker-compose.yml
@@ -14,4 +14,8 @@ services:
 networks:
   openclaw:
     name: openclaw-agents
-    driver: bridge
+    # The network is also used by agent containers spawned via the Docker SDK
+    # (backend/app/services/orchestrator.py), so we treat it as externally
+    # owned — Compose attaches to it but doesn't create or destroy it.
+    # Either start-mac-compose.sh or start-mac.sh creates it if missing.
+    external: true
diff --git a/backend/pyproject.toml b/backend/pyproject.toml
index fff4fb6..2531b95 100644
--- a/backend/pyproject.toml
+++ b/backend/pyproject.toml
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ dependencies = [
     "email-validator>=2.0.0",
     "bcrypt>=4.1.0",
     "slowapi>=0.1.9",
+    "anthropic>=0.40.0",
 ]
 
 [project.optional-dependencies]
diff --git a/start-mac-compose.sh b/start-mac-compose.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..9097a8a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/start-mac-compose.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,150 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+# Mac (Apple Silicon) — Compose-mode start.
+# Runs the platform INSIDE Docker on the openclaw-agents bridge network so
+# task dispatch to agent containers actually works. start-mac.sh runs the
+# platform natively (faster --reload iteration) but can't dispatch on Mac
+# because Docker Desktop blocks the host from reaching container bridge IPs.
+# Use this script for full end-to-end (hire → subscribe → dispatch → review).
+
+ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
+BACKEND="$ROOT/backend"
+FRONTEND="$ROOT/app"
+
+RED='\033[0;31m'
+GREEN='\033[0;32m'
+YELLOW='\033[1;33m'
+CYAN='\033[0;36m'
+NC='\033[0m'
+
+log()  { echo -e "${GREEN}[✓]${NC} $1"; }
+warn() { echo -e "${YELLOW}[!]${NC} $1"; }
+err()  { echo -e "${RED}[✗]${NC} $1"; }
+info() { echo -e "${CYAN}[→]${NC} $1"; }
+
+cleanup() {
+    echo ""
+    warn "Shutting down..."
+    [ -n "${FRONTEND_PID:-}" ] && kill "$FRONTEND_PID" 2>/dev/null && log "Frontend stopped"
+    (cd "$BACKEND" && docker compose down) >/dev/null 2>&1 && log "Platform container stopped"
+    exit 0
+}
+trap cleanup SIGINT SIGTERM
+
+echo ""
+echo -e "${CYAN}═══════════════════════════════════════════════${NC}"
+echo -e "${CYAN}   AgentOS — Start (Compose mode)${NC}"
+echo -e "${CYAN}═══════════════════════════════════════════════${NC}"
+echo ""
+
+# ─── Preflight ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+if ! command -v docker &>/dev/null; then
+    err "Docker not found. Install Docker Desktop: https://docker.com/products/docker-desktop"
+    exit 1
+fi
+if ! docker info &>/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    err "Docker daemon not running. Start Docker Desktop first."
+    exit 1
+fi
+log "Docker is running"
+
+if [ ! -f "$BACKEND/.env" ]; then
+    err "Missing backend/.env — copy backend/.env.example and fill in your keys"
+    exit 1
+fi
+log "Backend .env found"
+
+if ! command -v node &>/dev/null; then
+    err "Node.js not found. Install Node 18+: https://nodejs.org"
+    exit 1
+fi
+log "Node found: $(node --version)"
+
+# ─── Docker network ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# The compose file marks this as external, so we have to create it first
+# if it doesn't already exist. Same network used by spawned agent
+# containers, so it's the shared fabric.
+if ! docker network inspect openclaw-agents &>/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    docker network create openclaw-agents >/dev/null
+    log "Created Docker network: openclaw-agents"
+else
+    log "Docker network exists: openclaw-agents"
+fi
+
+# ─── Agent runtime image ────────────────────────────────────────────
+# Must exist before any agent is hired. Rebuilt every start so changes
+# under backend/agent-runtime/ (skills, entrypoint, etc.) land.
+info "Building agent container image..."
+docker build -t openclaw/agent:latest "$BACKEND/agent-runtime/" -q
+log "Agent image built: openclaw/agent:latest"
+
+# ─── Platform (Compose) ─────────────────────────────────────────────
+# docker-compose.yml places the platform on the openclaw-agents bridge
+# network, mounts the Docker socket, and publishes :8000 to the host.
+# --build picks up any changes to backend/app/ since the last start.
+info "Building and starting platform via Compose..."
+cd "$BACKEND"
+docker compose up -d --build
+log "Platform container starting"
+
+info "Waiting for platform /health..."
+for i in {1..30}; do
+    if curl -sf http://localhost:8000/health >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        log "Platform is up"
+        break
+    fi
+    if [ "$i" -eq 30 ]; then
+        err "Platform failed to become healthy after 30s. Last logs:"
+        docker compose logs platform | tail -50
+        exit 1
+    fi
+    sleep 1
+done
+
+# ─── Frontend (native) ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+# Stays native — it just needs to reach :8000, which is published.
+info "Installing frontend dependencies..."
+cd "$FRONTEND"
+if command -v bun &>/dev/null; then
+    bun install --silent 2>/dev/null || bun install
+    log "Frontend dependencies installed (bun)"
+    info "Starting frontend on http://localhost:5173 ..."
+    bun run dev &
+elif command -v npm &>/dev/null; then
+    npm install --silent 2>/dev/null || npm install
+    log "Frontend dependencies installed (npm)"
+    info "Starting frontend on http://localhost:5173 ..."
+    npm run dev &
+else
+    err "Neither bun nor npm found. Install one of them."
+    exit 1
+fi
+FRONTEND_PID=$!
+
+for i in {1..20}; do
+    if curl -sf http://localhost:5173 >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        log "Frontend is up"
+        break
+    fi
+    if [ "$i" -eq 20 ]; then
+        warn "Frontend still starting..."
+    fi
+    sleep 1
+done
+
+# ─── Ready ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+echo ""
+echo -e "${GREEN}═══════════════════════════════════════════════${NC}"
+echo -e "${GREEN}   AgentOS is running (Compose mode)${NC}"
+echo -e "${GREEN}═══════════════════════════════════════════════${NC}"
+echo ""
+echo -e "  Frontend:       ${CYAN}http://localhost:5173${NC}"
+echo -e "  Backend API:    ${CYAN}http://localhost:8000${NC}"
+echo -e "  API docs:       ${CYAN}http://localhost:8000/docs${NC}"
+echo -e "  Platform logs:  ${CYAN}cd backend && docker compose logs -f platform${NC}"
+echo ""
+echo -e "  Press ${YELLOW}Ctrl+C${NC} to stop everything"
+echo ""
+
+wait