diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker-image.yml b/.github/workflows/docker-image.yml
index c6a306ee6..2547a647d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docker-image.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker-image.yml
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ on:
       - ".npmrc"
       - ".nvmrc"
       - "next.config.ts"
+      - "railway.app.json"
+      - "railway.worker.json"
       - "worker/python/requirements.txt"
       - "scripts/check-node-engine.cjs"
       - "scripts/guard-next-build.mjs"
diff --git a/docs/deployment-architecture.md b/docs/deployment-architecture.md
index b89cedd76..656ba7241 100644
--- a/docs/deployment-architecture.md
+++ b/docs/deployment-architecture.md
@@ -185,17 +185,24 @@ The app service's build/deploy config is captured in `railway.app.json` at the
 repo root (Railway schema). It is intentionally **not** named `railway.json`
 because a default-named file is auto-loaded by _every_ service in the project and
 would clash with the worker (which needs a different Dockerfile and no
-healthcheck). To activate it, set the app service's config-as-code path to
-`railway.app.json` (dashboard → service → Settings → Config-as-code, or the
-service-settings API). Until wired, the live service settings are the source of
-truth and the file mirrors them:
+healthcheck). The production app service uses `railway.app.json` as its
+config-as-code path (dashboard → service → Settings → Config-as-code, or the
+service-settings API); the worker uses `railway.worker.json`. Keep both paths
+wired: Railway does not auto-discover these service-specific filenames. After
+changing either file, confirm the deployment metadata reports the tracked health
+check and watch patterns rather than relying on dashboard defaults.
 
 ```jsonc
-// railway.app.json (mirrors the live app service)
+// railway.app.json (source of truth for the live app service)
 {
-  "build": { "builder": "DOCKERFILE", "dockerfilePath": "Dockerfile" },
+  "build": {
+    "builder": "DOCKERFILE",
+    "dockerfilePath": "Dockerfile",
+    "watchPatterns": ["/src/**", "/public/**", "/data/**", "..."],
+  },
   "deploy": {
-    "healthcheckPath": "/api/health",
+    "healthcheckPath": "/api/health/ready",
+    "healthcheckTimeout": 60,
     "restartPolicyType": "ON_FAILURE",
     "multiRegionConfig": { "asia-southeast1-eqsg3a": { "numReplicas": 1 } },
   },
@@ -346,9 +353,12 @@ Rules:
   requests. It deliberately does not push to a registry; Railway builds the
   deployable image itself from the tree on deploy, after the standard gates
   (`verify` + `ui-smoke` + the clinical governance preflight where relevant).
-- **Deploy:** `railway up --service app` / `--service worker` (or a connected
-  GitHub source) builds and releases. Railway does a rolling deploy and marks the
-  release `SUCCESS` only after the `/api/health` check passes.
+- **Deploy:** `railway up --service Database` / `--service worker` (or the
+  connected GitHub source) builds and releases. Per-service watch patterns skip
+  docs, tests, and CI-only commits while retaining every runtime, dependency,
+  Docker, and service-config input. Railway does a rolling app deploy and marks
+  the release `SUCCESS` only after `/api/health/ready` passes. The non-HTTP worker
+  is verified through deployment status, logs, and `npm run reindex:health`.
 - **Rollback = redeploy the previous Railway deployment** (`railway redeploy`, or
   the dashboard's per-deployment rollback). Database migrations follow the
   existing rule: committed migrations + `schema.sql` reconciliation only, never
diff --git a/railway.app.json b/railway.app.json
index 1d0253be4..70fabdc0b 100644
--- a/railway.app.json
+++ b/railway.app.json
@@ -2,11 +2,32 @@
   "$schema": "https://railway.com/railway.schema.json",
   "build": {
     "builder": "DOCKERFILE",
-    "dockerfilePath": "Dockerfile"
+    "dockerfilePath": "Dockerfile",
+    "watchPatterns": [
+      "/Dockerfile",
+      "/.dockerignore",
+      "/.npmrc",
+      "/.nvmrc",
+      "/package.json",
+      "/package-lock.json",
+      "/next.config.ts",
+      "/postcss.config.mjs",
+      "/tsconfig.json",
+      "/railway.app.json",
+      "/data/**",
+      "/public/**",
+      "/src/**",
+      "/scripts/check-client-bundle-secrets.mjs",
+      "/scripts/check-node-engine.cjs",
+      "/scripts/guard-next-build.mjs",
+      "/scripts/install-git-hooks.mjs"
+    ]
   },
   "deploy": {
     "healthcheckPath": "/api/health/ready",
+    "healthcheckTimeout": 60,
     "restartPolicyType": "ON_FAILURE",
+    "restartPolicyMaxRetries": 10,
     "multiRegionConfig": {
       "asia-southeast1-eqsg3a": {
         "numReplicas": 1
diff --git a/railway.worker.json b/railway.worker.json
index 41edf20a5..9bf05e65e 100644
--- a/railway.worker.json
+++ b/railway.worker.json
@@ -2,10 +2,31 @@
   "$schema": "https://railway.com/railway.schema.json",
   "build": {
     "builder": "DOCKERFILE",
-    "dockerfilePath": "Dockerfile.worker"
+    "dockerfilePath": "Dockerfile.worker",
+    "watchPatterns": [
+      "/Dockerfile.worker",
+      "/.dockerignore",
+      "/.npmrc",
+      "/.nvmrc",
+      "/package.json",
+      "/package-lock.json",
+      "/tsconfig.json",
+      "/railway.worker.json",
+      "/data/**",
+      "/src/**",
+      "/worker/**",
+      "/scripts/check-node-engine.cjs",
+      "/scripts/enable-server-only-stub.mjs",
+      "/scripts/install-git-hooks.mjs",
+      "/scripts/register-server-only.mjs",
+      "/scripts/resolve-tsx-cli.mjs",
+      "/scripts/run-tsx.mjs",
+      "/tests/stubs/server-only.ts"
+    ]
   },
   "deploy": {
     "restartPolicyType": "ON_FAILURE",
+    "restartPolicyMaxRetries": 10,
     "multiRegionConfig": {
       "asia-southeast1-eqsg3a": {
         "numReplicas": 1
diff --git a/scripts/ci-change-scope.mjs b/scripts/ci-change-scope.mjs
index a975b6363..090731171 100644
--- a/scripts/ci-change-scope.mjs
+++ b/scripts/ci-change-scope.mjs
@@ -131,6 +131,8 @@ const containerPatterns = [
   "next.config.ts",
   "package.json",
   "package-lock.json",
+  "railway.app.json",
+  "railway.worker.json",
   "worker/python/requirements.txt",
   /^scripts\/(check-node-engine|guard-next-build)\.(?:cjs|mjs)$/,
 ];
@@ -437,10 +439,14 @@ function selfTest() {
     source_changed: true,
     build_changed: true,
   });
-  assertScope("container", ["Dockerfile.worker", "worker/python/requirements.txt"], {
-    container_changed: true,
-    build_changed: true,
-  });
+  assertScope(
+    "container",
+    ["Dockerfile.worker", "railway.app.json", "railway.worker.json", "worker/python/requirements.txt"],
+    {
+      container_changed: true,
+      build_changed: true,
+    },
+  );
   assertScope("renamed-destination", parseStatusPorcelain("R  src/lib/rag-new.ts\0docs/rag-old.md\0"), {
     source_changed: true,
     rag_eval_changed: true,
diff --git a/tests/railway-config.test.ts b/tests/railway-config.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..db645b29c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/railway-config.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
+
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+
+type RailwayConfig = {
+  build?: {
+    dockerfilePath?: string;
+    watchPatterns?: string[];
+  };
+  deploy?: {
+    healthcheckPath?: string;
+    healthcheckTimeout?: number;
+    restartPolicyType?: string;
+    restartPolicyMaxRetries?: number;
+  };
+};
+
+function readConfig(fileName: string): RailwayConfig {
+  return JSON.parse(readFileSync(new URL(`../${fileName}`, import.meta.url), "utf8")) as RailwayConfig;
+}
+
+function watchPatternMatches(pattern: string, filePath: string) {
+  const normalizedPattern = pattern.replace(/^\/+/, "");
+  const normalizedPath = filePath.replace(/^\/+/, "");
+  if (normalizedPattern.endsWith("/**")) {
+    const prefix = normalizedPattern.slice(0, -3);
+    return normalizedPath === prefix || normalizedPath.startsWith(`${prefix}/`);
+  }
+  return normalizedPath === normalizedPattern;
+}
+
+function triggersDeploy(config: RailwayConfig, filePath: string) {
+  return (config.build?.watchPatterns ?? []).some((pattern) => watchPatternMatches(pattern, filePath));
+}
+
+describe("Railway config as code", () => {
+  const app = readConfig("railway.app.json");
+  const worker = readConfig("railway.worker.json");
+
+  it("uses the deep readiness endpoint for app rolling deploys", () => {
+    expect(app.deploy).toMatchObject({
+      healthcheckPath: "/api/health/ready",
+      healthcheckTimeout: 60,
+      restartPolicyType: "ON_FAILURE",
+      restartPolicyMaxRetries: 10,
+    });
+  });
+
+  it.each([
+    "Dockerfile",
+    ".dockerignore",
+    "package.json",
+    "package-lock.json",
+    "next.config.ts",
+    "tsconfig.json",
+    "railway.app.json",
+    "data/services-snapshot.json",
+    "public/logo.svg",
+    "src/app/page.tsx",
+    "scripts/guard-next-build.mjs",
+  ])("deploys the app for runtime input %s", (filePath) => {
+    expect(triggersDeploy(app, filePath)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it.each([
+    "Dockerfile.worker",
+    ".dockerignore",
+    "package.json",
+    "package-lock.json",
+    "tsconfig.json",
+    "railway.worker.json",
+    "data/services-snapshot.json",
+    "src/lib/rag.ts",
+    "worker/main.ts",
+    "worker/python/requirements.txt",
+    "scripts/enable-server-only-stub.mjs",
+    "scripts/register-server-only.mjs",
+    "scripts/resolve-tsx-cli.mjs",
+    "scripts/run-tsx.mjs",
+    "tests/stubs/server-only.ts",
+  ])("deploys the worker for runtime input %s", (filePath) => {
+    expect(triggersDeploy(worker, filePath)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it.each([
+    ".github/workflows/codex-autofix-review-comments.yml",
+    "AGENTS.md",
+    "README.md",
+    "docs/deployment-architecture.md",
+    "tests/rag-trust.test.ts",
+    "scripts/check-codex-autofix-workflow.mjs",
+  ])("does not deploy either service for non-runtime input %s", (filePath) => {
+    expect(triggersDeploy(app, filePath)).toBe(false);
+    expect(triggersDeploy(worker, filePath)).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("keeps service-specific inputs isolated", () => {
+    expect(triggersDeploy(app, "Dockerfile.worker")).toBe(false);
+    expect(triggersDeploy(app, "worker/main.ts")).toBe(false);
+    expect(triggersDeploy(worker, "Dockerfile")).toBe(false);
+    expect(triggersDeploy(worker, "next.config.ts")).toBe(false);
+    expect(triggersDeploy(worker, "public/logo.svg")).toBe(false);
+  });
+});