diff --git a/Dockerfile.backend b/Dockerfile.backend
index 5a9fe54..3328f64 100644
--- a/Dockerfile.backend
+++ b/Dockerfile.backend
@@ -19,8 +19,10 @@ ENV PATH="$VIRTUAL_ENV/bin:$PATH"
 
 # Copy dependency files first for better caching
 COPY backend/pyproject.toml backend/uv.lock* ./
-# Hatchling metadata references ../README.md from backend/pyproject.toml.
-COPY README.md /README.md
+# Hatchling resolves the readme path ../README.md relative to the backend
+# package root (/app). Create a stub so metadata validation succeeds without
+# requiring the file to pass through .dockerignore.
+RUN echo '# plex-playlist' > /README.md
 
 # Install dependencies
 RUN uv sync --frozen