diff --git a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/main.ts b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/main.ts
index 20c21b984..9efc7fa21 100644
--- a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/main.ts
+++ b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/main.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import "reflect-metadata";
 import * as dotenv from "dotenv";
 dotenv.config();
 import { NestFactory } from "@nestjs/core";
-import { json, urlencoded } from "express";
+import type { NestExpressApplication } from "@nestjs/platform-express";
 import { DocumentBuilder, SwaggerModule } from "@nestjs/swagger";
 import {
   HttpExceptionFilter,
@@ -21,10 +21,16 @@ import { AppModule } from "./app.module";
 const JSON_BODY_LIMIT = '20mb';
 
 async function bootstrap() {
-  const app = await NestFactory.create(AppModule);
+  const app = await NestFactory.create<NestExpressApplication>(AppModule);
 
-  app.use(json({ limit: JSON_BODY_LIMIT }));
-  app.use(urlencoded({ limit: JSON_BODY_LIMIT, extended: true }));
+  // Nest's own body-parser API, NOT `app.use(json(...))` from express: express
+  // is not a declared dependency of this app (it arrives under
+  // @nestjs/platform-express), so importing it directly resolved only through
+  // pnpm's hoisted dev store and died as MODULE_NOT_FOUND in the production
+  // image, where `pnpm deploy --prod` installs declared dependencies only.
+  // This also RECONFIGURES the default parsers rather than racing them.
+  app.useBodyParser('json', { limit: JSON_BODY_LIMIT });
+  app.useBodyParser('urlencoded', { limit: JSON_BODY_LIMIT, extended: true });
 
   // Dev CORS: reflect any localhost origin and allow credentials so the
   // freight portal (5173), passenger portal (5174), backoffices (5183/5184)