diff --git a/api/scripts/deploy-dev.sh b/api/scripts/deploy-dev.sh
index 416d90ed63..08fcb8a492 100755
--- a/api/scripts/deploy-dev.sh
+++ b/api/scripts/deploy-dev.sh
@@ -45,7 +45,13 @@ eval "$rsync_command"
 exit_code=$?
 
 # Run unraid-api restart on remote host
-ssh root@"${server_name}" "unraid-api restart"
+dev=${DEV:-true}
+
+if [ "$dev" = true ]; then
+  ssh root@"${server_name}" "INTROSPECTION=true unraid-api restart"
+else
+  ssh root@"${server_name}" "unraid-api restart"
+fi
 
 # Play built-in sound based on the operating system
 if [[ "$OSTYPE" == "darwin"* ]]; then
diff --git a/api/src/unraid-api/graph/graph.module.ts b/api/src/unraid-api/graph/graph.module.ts
index 6f87b27835..6c63d28d59 100644
--- a/api/src/unraid-api/graph/graph.module.ts
+++ b/api/src/unraid-api/graph/graph.module.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+import type { ApolloDriverConfig } from '@nestjs/apollo';
+import { ApolloDriver } from '@nestjs/apollo';
+import { Module } from '@nestjs/common';
+import { GraphQLModule } from '@nestjs/graphql';
+
+import { NoUnusedVariablesRule, print } from 'graphql';
 import {
     DateTimeResolver,
     JSONResolver,
@@ -5,21 +11,19 @@ import {
     URLResolver,
     UUIDResolver,
 } from 'graphql-scalars';
-import { GraphQLLong } from '@app/graphql/resolvers/graphql-type-long';
-import { ApolloServerPluginLandingPageLocalDefault } from '@apollo/server/plugin/landingPage/default';
-import { ApolloDriver, type ApolloDriverConfig } from '@nestjs/apollo';
-import { Module } from '@nestjs/common';
-import { GraphQLModule } from '@nestjs/graphql';
-import { ResolversModule } from './resolvers/resolvers.module';
+
 import { GRAPHQL_INTROSPECTION } from '@app/environment';
+import { GraphQLLong } from '@app/graphql/resolvers/graphql-type-long';
 import { typeDefs } from '@app/graphql/schema/index';
-import { NoUnusedVariablesRule, print } from 'graphql';
+import { idPrefixPlugin } from '@app/unraid-api/graph/id-prefix-plugin';
+
+import { ConnectResolver } from './connect/connect.resolver';
+import { ConnectService } from './connect/connect.service';
 import { NetworkResolver } from './network/network.resolver';
+import { ResolversModule } from './resolvers/resolvers.module';
+import { sandboxPlugin } from './sandbox-plugin';
 import { ServicesResolver } from './services/services.resolver';
 import { SharesResolver } from './shares/shares.resolver';
-import { ConnectResolver } from './connect/connect.resolver';
-import { ConnectService } from './connect/connect.service';
-import { idPrefixPlugin } from '@app/unraid-api/graph/id-prefix-plugin';
 
 @Module({
     imports: [
@@ -33,9 +37,7 @@ import { idPrefixPlugin } from '@app/unraid-api/graph/id-prefix-plugin';
                 extra,
             }),
             playground: false,
-            plugins: GRAPHQL_INTROSPECTION
-                ? [ApolloServerPluginLandingPageLocalDefault(), idPrefixPlugin]
-                : [idPrefixPlugin],
+            plugins: GRAPHQL_INTROSPECTION ? [sandboxPlugin, idPrefixPlugin] : [idPrefixPlugin],
             subscriptions: {
                 'graphql-ws': {
                     path: '/graphql',
@@ -55,12 +57,6 @@ import { idPrefixPlugin } from '@app/unraid-api/graph/id-prefix-plugin';
             // schema: schema
         }),
     ],
-    providers: [
-        NetworkResolver,
-        ServicesResolver,
-        SharesResolver,
-        ConnectResolver,
-        ConnectService,
-    ],
+    providers: [NetworkResolver, ServicesResolver, SharesResolver, ConnectResolver, ConnectService],
 })
 export class GraphModule {}
diff --git a/api/src/unraid-api/graph/sandbox-plugin.ts b/api/src/unraid-api/graph/sandbox-plugin.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7b2817554d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/src/unraid-api/graph/sandbox-plugin.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+import { HttpException, HttpStatus } from '@nestjs/common';
+
+import type { ApolloServerPlugin, GraphQLServerContext, GraphQLServerListener } from '@apollo/server';
+
+/** The initial query displayed in the Apollo sandbox */
+const initialDocument = `query ExampleQuery {
+    notifications {
+      id
+      overview {
+        unread {
+          info
+          warning
+          alert
+          total
+        }
+        archive {
+          info
+          warning
+          alert
+          total
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }`;
+
+/** helper for raising precondition failure errors during an http request. */
+const preconditionFailed = (preconditionName: string) => {
+    throw new HttpException(`Precondition failed: ${preconditionName} `, HttpStatus.PRECONDITION_FAILED);
+};
+
+/**
+ * Renders the sandbox page for the GraphQL server with Apollo Server landing page configuration.
+ * 
+ * @param service - The GraphQL server context object
+ * @returns Promise that resolves to an Apollo `LandingPage`, or throws a precondition failed error
+ * @throws {Error} When downstream plugin components from apollo are unavailable. This should never happen.
+ * 
+ * @remarks
+ * This function configures and renders the Apollo Server landing page with:
+ * - Disabled footer
+ * - Enabled cookies
+ * - Initial document state
+ * - Shared headers containing CSRF token
+ */
+async function renderSandboxPage(service: GraphQLServerContext) {
+    const { getters } = await import('@app/store');
+    const { ApolloServerPluginLandingPageLocalDefault } = await import(
+        '@apollo/server/plugin/landingPage/default'
+    );
+    const plugin = ApolloServerPluginLandingPageLocalDefault({
+        footer: false,
+        includeCookies: true,
+        document: initialDocument,
+        embed: {
+            initialState: {
+                sharedHeaders: {
+                    'x-csrf-token': getters.emhttp().var.csrfToken,
+                },
+            },
+        },
+    });
+    if (!plugin.serverWillStart) return preconditionFailed('serverWillStart');
+    const serverListener = await plugin.serverWillStart(service);
+
+    if (!serverListener) return preconditionFailed('serverListener');
+    if (!serverListener.renderLandingPage) return preconditionFailed('renderLandingPage');
+    return serverListener.renderLandingPage();
+}
+
+/**
+ * Apollo plugin to render the GraphQL Sandbox page on-demand based on current server state.
+ * 
+ * Usually, the `ApolloServerPluginLandingPageLocalDefault` plugin configures its
+ * parameters once, during server startup. This plugin defers the configuration
+ * and rendering to request-time instead of server startup.
+ */
+export const sandboxPlugin: ApolloServerPlugin = {
+    serverWillStart: async (service) =>
+        ({
+            renderLandingPage: () => renderSandboxPage(service),
+        }) satisfies GraphQLServerListener,
+};