diff --git a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/config/eims.config.ts b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/config/eims.config.ts
index c5565cbc1..7091c52ef 100644
--- a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/config/eims.config.ts
+++ b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/config/eims.config.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,14 @@ export interface EimsConfig {
   privateKeyPath: string;
   /** Filesystem path to the INSA-issued certificate bundle; sent as base64 of its exact bytes. */
   certificatePath: string;
+  /**
+   * Inline alternative to `privateKeyPath` — the key file's own bytes, base64-encoded, so a
+   * container that can't be given a host bind mount can still receive it as a plain env var.
+   * Takes precedence over the path when set. Either one must be present when EIMS is enabled.
+   */
+  privateKeyBase64: string;
+  /** Inline alternative to `certificatePath`, same precedence rule. */
+  certificateBase64: string;
   httpTimeoutMs: number;
   /** Re-authenticate this many ms before the access token actually expires. */
   tokenSkewMs: number;
@@ -135,14 +143,14 @@ export interface EimsInvoiceConfig {
   buyerIdNumber: string | null;
 }
 
-const REQUIRED_VARS = [
-  "EIMS_CLIENT_ID",
-  "EIMS_CLIENT_SECRET",
-  "EIMS_API_KEY",
-  "EIMS_TIN",
-  "EIMS_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH",
-  "EIMS_CERTIFICATE_PATH",
-] as const;
+const REQUIRED_VARS = ["EIMS_CLIENT_ID", "EIMS_CLIENT_SECRET", "EIMS_API_KEY", "EIMS_TIN"] as const;
+
+// Key/cert each have two ways in (file path or inline base64) — checked separately from
+// REQUIRED_VARS since it's "at least one of", not "this exact var".
+const REQUIRED_EITHER_OR: Array<[string, string]> = [
+  ["EIMS_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH", "EIMS_PRIVATE_KEY_BASE64"],
+  ["EIMS_CERTIFICATE_PATH", "EIMS_CERTIFICATE_BASE64"],
+];
 
 const positiveInt = (raw: string | undefined, fallback: number, name: string): number => {
   if (raw === undefined || raw === "") return fallback;
@@ -189,6 +197,8 @@ export default registerAs("eims", (): EimsConfig => {
     systemType: process.env.EIMS_SYSTEM_TYPE ?? "",
     privateKeyPath: process.env.EIMS_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH ?? "",
     certificatePath: process.env.EIMS_CERTIFICATE_PATH ?? "",
+    privateKeyBase64: process.env.EIMS_PRIVATE_KEY_BASE64 ?? "",
+    certificateBase64: process.env.EIMS_CERTIFICATE_BASE64 ?? "",
     httpTimeoutMs,
     tokenSkewMs,
     autoSubmit: (process.env.EIMS_AUTO_SUBMIT ?? "false").toLowerCase() === "true",
@@ -245,7 +255,10 @@ export default registerAs("eims", (): EimsConfig => {
 
   if (!enabled) return base;
 
-  const missing = REQUIRED_VARS.filter((name) => !process.env[name]);
+  const missing: string[] = REQUIRED_VARS.filter((name) => !process.env[name]);
+  for (const [pathVar, base64Var] of REQUIRED_EITHER_OR) {
+    if (!process.env[pathVar] && !process.env[base64Var]) missing.push(`${pathVar} or ${base64Var}`);
+  }
   if (missing.length > 0) {
     throw new Error(
       `EIMS integration is enabled (EIMS_ENABLED=true) but the following env vars are missing: ${missing.join(", ")}`,
diff --git a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/eims/eims-credentials.provider.ts b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/eims/eims-credentials.provider.ts
index b68a4a32f..18725df37 100644
--- a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/eims/eims-credentials.provider.ts
+++ b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/eims/eims-credentials.provider.ts
@@ -24,25 +24,31 @@ export class EimsCredentialsProvider {
     return this.config.get<EimsConfig>("eims")!;
   }
 
-  /** RSA private key, parsed once. Throws a config error if the path is missing or unusable. */
+  /**
+   * RSA private key, parsed once. `privateKeyBase64` wins when set (no file I/O at all — for a
+   * container that can't be given a host bind mount); otherwise falls back to `privateKeyPath`.
+   * Throws a config error if neither is usable.
+   */
   getPrivateKey(): KeyObject {
     if (this.privateKey) return this.privateKey;
 
-    const path = this.cfg.privateKeyPath;
-    if (!path) throw new EimsConfigException("EIMS_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH is not set");
+    const { privateKeyBase64, privateKeyPath: path } = this.cfg;
+    const source = privateKeyBase64 ? "EIMS_PRIVATE_KEY_BASE64" : `EIMS_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH (${path})`;
+    if (!privateKeyBase64 && !path) throw new EimsConfigException("EIMS_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH is not set");
 
     let key: KeyObject;
     try {
-      key = createPrivateKey(readFileSync(path));
+      const bytes = privateKeyBase64 ? Buffer.from(privateKeyBase64, "base64") : readFileSync(path);
+      key = createPrivateKey(bytes);
     } catch (err) {
-      // The path is operational information, not a secret; the key material never appears.
+      // The source is operational information, not a secret; the key material never appears.
       throw new EimsConfigException(
-        `EIMS private key at ${path} could not be read or parsed: ${(err as Error).message}`,
+        `EIMS private key from ${source} could not be read or parsed: ${(err as Error).message}`,
       );
     }
     if (key.asymmetricKeyType !== "rsa") {
       throw new EimsConfigException(
-        `EIMS private key at ${path} is ${key.asymmetricKeyType ?? "of unknown type"}; EIMS requires RSA`,
+        `EIMS private key from ${source} is ${key.asymmetricKeyType ?? "of unknown type"}; EIMS requires RSA`,
       );
     }
 
@@ -51,11 +57,20 @@ export class EimsCredentialsProvider {
     return key;
   }
 
-  /** Base64 of the certificate file's exact bytes. No parsing, no re-encoding. */
+  /**
+   * Base64 of the certificate file's exact bytes. No parsing, no re-encoding. `certificateBase64`
+   * config wins when set (already base64, used as-is); otherwise read from `certificatePath`.
+   */
   getCertificateBase64(): string {
     if (this.certificateBase64) return this.certificateBase64;
 
-    const path = this.cfg.certificatePath;
+    const { certificateBase64: inline, certificatePath: path } = this.cfg;
+    if (inline) {
+      this.certificateBase64 = inline;
+      this.logger.log(`EIMS certificate bundle loaded from EIMS_CERTIFICATE_BASE64`);
+      return this.certificateBase64;
+    }
+
     if (!path) throw new EimsConfigException("EIMS_CERTIFICATE_PATH is not set");
 
     let bytes: Buffer;
diff --git a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/eims/eims-signer.service.spec.ts b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/eims/eims-signer.service.spec.ts
index 5e408ddf7..d2f190172 100644
--- a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/eims/eims-signer.service.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/eims/eims-signer.service.spec.ts
@@ -97,8 +97,12 @@ describe("EimsSignerService", () => {
 });
 
 describe("EimsCredentialsProvider", () => {
-  const providerFor = (paths: { privateKeyPath?: string; certificatePath?: string }) =>
-    new EimsCredentialsProvider({ get: () => paths } as unknown as ConfigService);
+  const providerFor = (cfg: {
+    privateKeyPath?: string;
+    certificatePath?: string;
+    privateKeyBase64?: string;
+    certificateBase64?: string;
+  }) => new EimsCredentialsProvider({ get: () => cfg } as unknown as ConfigService);
 
   it("fails clearly when the key path is unset", () => {
     expect(() => providerFor({}).getPrivateKey()).toThrow(/EIMS_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH is not set/);
@@ -115,4 +119,22 @@ describe("EimsCredentialsProvider", () => {
     writeFileSync(emptyPath, "");
     expect(() => providerFor({ certificatePath: emptyPath }).getCertificateBase64()).toThrow(/is empty/);
   });
+
+  it("loads the key from inline base64, no file involved", () => {
+    const keyBase64 = readFileSync(keyPath).toString("base64");
+    const key = providerFor({ privateKeyBase64: keyBase64 }).getPrivateKey();
+    expect(key.asymmetricKeyType).toBe("rsa");
+  });
+
+  it("prefers inline base64 over the path when both are set", () => {
+    const keyBase64 = readFileSync(keyPath).toString("base64");
+    // A path that would fail if it were ever actually read.
+    const key = providerFor({ privateKeyBase64: keyBase64, privateKeyPath: join(dir, "nope.key") }).getPrivateKey();
+    expect(key.asymmetricKeyType).toBe("rsa");
+  });
+
+  it("loads the certificate from inline base64 as-is, no re-encoding", () => {
+    const certBase64 = Buffer.from(CERTIFICATE_FIXTURE, "utf8").toString("base64");
+    expect(providerFor({ certificateBase64: certBase64 }).getCertificateBase64()).toBe(certBase64);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/eims/eims-test-fixtures.ts b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/eims/eims-test-fixtures.ts
index 650a834b8..662436d50 100644
--- a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/eims/eims-test-fixtures.ts
+++ b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/eims/eims-test-fixtures.ts
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ export const eimsConfig = (over: Partial<EimsConfig> = {}): EimsConfig => ({
   systemType: EIMS_SYSTEM_TYPE,
   privateKeyPath: "/dev/null",
   certificatePath: "/dev/null",
+  privateKeyBase64: "",
+  certificateBase64: "",
   httpTimeoutMs: 30_000,
   tokenSkewMs: 45_000,
   autoSubmit: false,