diff --git a/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/cmdeploy.py b/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/cmdeploy.py
index 9877dd0e..9888b007 100644
--- a/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/cmdeploy.py
+++ b/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/cmdeploy.py
@@ -109,6 +109,8 @@ def run_cmd(args, out):
 
     cmd = f"{pyinf} --ssh-user root {ssh_host} {deploy_path} -y"
     if ssh_host in ["localhost", "@docker"]:
+        if ssh_host == "@docker":
+            env["CHATMAIL_DOCKER"] = "True"
         cmd = f"{pyinf} @local {deploy_path} -y"
 
     if version.parse(pyinfra.__version__) < version.parse("3"):
diff --git a/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/deployers.py b/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/deployers.py
index 5812aa28..d9a549d9 100644
--- a/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/deployers.py
+++ b/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/deployers.py
@@ -535,12 +535,13 @@ class GithashDeployer(Deployer):
         )
 
 
-def deploy_chatmail(config_path: Path, disable_mail: bool, website_only: bool) -> None:
+def deploy_chatmail(config_path: Path, disable_mail: bool, website_only: bool, docker: bool) -> None:
     """Deploy a chat-mail instance.
 
     :param config_path: path to chatmail.ini
     :param disable_mail: whether to disable postfix & dovecot
     :param website_only: if True, only deploy the website
+    :param docker: whether it is running in a docker container
     """
     config = read_config(config_path)
     check_config(config)
@@ -566,34 +567,35 @@ def deploy_chatmail(config_path: Path, disable_mail: bool, website_only: bool) -
             Out().red(f"Deploy failed: mtail_address {config.mtail_address} is not available (VPN up?).\n")
             exit(1)
 
-    port_services = [
-        (["master", "smtpd"], 25),
-        ("unbound", 53),
-        ("acmetool", 80),
-        (["imap-login", "dovecot"], 143),
-        ("nginx", 443),
-        (["master", "smtpd"], 465),
-        (["master", "smtpd"], 587),
-        (["imap-login", "dovecot"], 993),
-        ("iroh-relay", 3340),
-        ("mtail", 3903),
-        ("stats", 3904),
-        ("nginx", 8443),
-        (["master", "smtpd"], config.postfix_reinject_port),
-        (["master", "smtpd"], config.postfix_reinject_port_incoming),
-        ("filtermail", config.filtermail_smtp_port),
-        ("filtermail", config.filtermail_smtp_port_incoming),
-    ]
-    for service, port in port_services:
-        print(f"Checking if port {port} is available for {service}...")
-        running_service = host.get_fact(Port, port=port)
-        services = [service] if isinstance(service, str) else service
-        if running_service:
-            if running_service not in services:
-                Out().red(
-                    f"Deploy failed: port {port} is occupied by: {running_service}"
-                )
-                exit(1)
+    if not docker:
+        port_services = [
+            (["master", "smtpd"], 25),
+            ("unbound", 53),
+            ("acmetool", 80),
+            (["imap-login", "dovecot"], 143),
+            ("nginx", 443),
+            (["master", "smtpd"], 465),
+            (["master", "smtpd"], 587),
+            (["imap-login", "dovecot"], 993),
+            ("iroh-relay", 3340),
+            ("mtail", 3903),
+            ("stats", 3904),
+            ("nginx", 8443),
+            (["master", "smtpd"], config.postfix_reinject_port),
+            (["master", "smtpd"], config.postfix_reinject_port_incoming),
+            ("filtermail", config.filtermail_smtp_port),
+            ("filtermail", config.filtermail_smtp_port_incoming),
+        ]
+        for service, port in port_services:
+            print(f"Checking if port {port} is available for {service}...")
+            running_service = host.get_fact(Port, port=port)
+            services = [service] if isinstance(service, str) else service
+            if running_service:
+                if running_service not in services:
+                    Out().red(
+                        f"Deploy failed: port {port} is occupied by: {running_service}"
+                    )
+                    exit(1)
 
     tls_domains = [mail_domain, f"mta-sts.{mail_domain}", f"www.{mail_domain}"]
 
diff --git a/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/run.py b/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/run.py
index 0b0fc858..91f96d7d 100644
--- a/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/run.py
+++ b/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/run.py
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ def main():
     )
     disable_mail = bool(os.environ.get("CHATMAIL_DISABLE_MAIL"))
     website_only = bool(os.environ.get("CHATMAIL_WEBSITE_ONLY"))
-
-    deploy_chatmail(config_path, disable_mail, website_only)
+    docker = bool(os.environ.get("CHATMAIL_DOCKER"))
+    deploy_chatmail(config_path, disable_mail, website_only, docker)
 
 
 if pyinfra.is_cli: