diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0c94691..085514c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -256,10 +256,8 @@ To enable OIDC authentication:
    - Record every board mutation with actor, action, before/after labels, success/failure
 
 9. **Deployment**
-   - Dockerfile for app
-   - Kubernetes manifests (bjw-s/app-template style)
-   - ExternalSecret placeholders for all secrets
-   - Internal-only ingress
+    - Dockerfile for containerized deployment (Debian bookworm-slim)
+    - Production database migrations run automatically on container startup
 
 ### Intentionally Not Included in Phase 1
 
@@ -337,9 +335,9 @@ npm run db:push
 
 ## Deployment
 
-The app uses the bjw-s/app-template Helm chart. See `home-ops/kubernetes/apps/base/llm/dispatch/` for manifests.
+Dispatch ships with a Dockerfile for containerized deployment. Orchestration manifests (Kubernetes, Docker Compose, etc.) are not included — deploy using whatever platform fits your infrastructure. Example Kubernetes manifests using the bjw-s/app-template Helm chart are available in optional example repos.
 
-Required secrets (via ExternalSecret):
+Required secrets:
 - `DATABASE_URL` - PostgreSQL connection string (canonical)
 - `GITHUB_TOKEN` - GitHub authentication
 - `DISPATCH_AGENT_TOKEN` - Agent API bearer token
diff --git a/docs/openclaw-agent-mc-workflow.md b/docs/openclaw-agent-mc-workflow.md
index b5d4da1..6c542fb 100644
--- a/docs/openclaw-agent-mc-workflow.md
+++ b/docs/openclaw-agent-mc-workflow.md
@@ -105,17 +105,7 @@ All Dispatch interactions are best-effort from the heartbeat's perspective:
 
 ## Pre-Cutover Validation
 
-Before the OpenClaw agent stops grooming GitHub Projects and fully adopts Dispatch, run the [smoke checklist](./smoke-checklist.md):
-
-```bash
-# Against local dev instance
-node scripts/smoke-checklist.mjs http://localhost:3000
-
-# Against staging/prod
-node/scripts/smoke-checklist.mjs https://mc.example.com
-```
-
-All 11 checks in the smoke checklist must pass (or be explicitly skipped with justification) before proceeding with cutover.
+Before the OpenClaw agent stops grooming GitHub Projects and fully adopts Dispatch, run the [smoke checklist](./smoke-checklist.md). The checklist documents 14 verification steps covering health, sync, repos, issues, board UI, projects UI, agent runs, queue, claim/unclaim lifecycle, audit trail, log errors, and failure resilience. All checks must pass (or be explicitly skipped with documented reason) before trusting Dispatch for assignment decisions.
 
 ## API Reference Summary