diff --git a/entrypoint.sh b/entrypoint.sh
index e0a39acb..d801326e 100755
--- a/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/entrypoint.sh
@@ -1,10 +1,29 @@
 #!/bin/sh
-# Runs as root so we can fix ownership of a freshly-mounted persistent disk
-# (Render mounts new disks root-owned) before dropping to the non-root app user.
+# Prepares the (possibly root-owned, freshly-mounted) data disk and runs the app
+# as the non-root nanobot user when the platform allows it, falling back to root
+# only when privilege-dropping is not permitted. Logs each decision so a failed
+# start is diagnosable in the platform's logs instead of a silent exit.
+echo "[entrypoint] starting as $(id)"
+
 dir="$HOME/.nanobot"
-mkdir -p "$dir"
-chown -R nanobot:nanobot "$dir"
+mkdir -p "$dir" 2>&1 || echo "[entrypoint] warning: mkdir $dir failed"
+
+if [ "$(id -u)" != "0" ]; then
+    # Already non-root (platform forced a user). Can't chown; just run.
+    echo "[entrypoint] not root — running app as $(id -un 2>/dev/null || id -u)"
+    exec nanobot "$@"
+fi
+
+# Running as root: make the mounted disk writable by the app user.
+chown -R nanobot:nanobot "$dir" 2>&1 || echo "[entrypoint] warning: chown $dir failed"
+
+# Drop to the non-root user if the runtime grants the capability to do so
+# (setpriv needs CAP_SETUID/CAP_SETGID). Otherwise stay root so the app can
+# still write the root-owned disk.
+if setpriv --reuid=nanobot --regid=nanobot --init-groups true 2>/dev/null; then
+    echo "[entrypoint] dropping privileges to nanobot via setpriv"
+    exec setpriv --reuid=nanobot --regid=nanobot --init-groups nanobot "$@"
+fi
 
-# Drop privileges to the non-root user and exec the app as PID 1 so signals
-# (SIGTERM / graceful shutdown) reach it directly.
-exec setpriv --reuid=nanobot --regid=nanobot --init-groups nanobot "$@"
+echo "[entrypoint] setpriv privilege-drop not permitted — running app as root"
+exec nanobot "$@"
diff --git a/render.yaml b/render.yaml
index 996b1e7d..70abbc2d 100644
--- a/render.yaml
+++ b/render.yaml
@@ -8,9 +8,11 @@ services:
     runtime: docker
     dockerfilePath: ./Dockerfile
     dockerContext: .
-    # entrypoint.sh execs `nanobot "$@"`, so this becomes:
-    #   nanobot gateway --config /app/render-config.json
-    dockerCommand: gateway --config /app/render-config.json
+    # Render's Docker Command REPLACES the Dockerfile ENTRYPOINT (it is not
+    # appended to it), so invoke the entrypoint explicitly. The entrypoint
+    # prepares the mounted disk, drops to the non-root user when permitted, then
+    # execs `nanobot gateway --config /app/render-config.json`.
+    dockerCommand: /usr/local/bin/entrypoint.sh gateway --config /app/render-config.json
     plan: starter
     healthCheckPath: /
     envVars: