diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 2c90013..e53577f 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -2,6 +2,14 @@ FROM node:20-alpine
 
 WORKDIR /app
 
+# The npm version bundled with node:20-alpine has a known "Exit handler
+# never called!" bug under slow/unreliable networks (common on VPS hosts).
+# Upgrading npm first, plus more tolerant retry/timeout settings, avoids it.
+RUN npm install -g npm@11 \
+  && npm config set fetch-retries 5 \
+  && npm config set fetch-retry-mintimeout 20000 \
+  && npm config set fetch-timeout 300000
+
 COPY package.json package-lock.json ./
 RUN npm ci --omit=dev && node -e "require('express')"