diff --git a/backend/main.py b/backend/main.py
index 48179aa..3771e7f 100644
--- a/backend/main.py
+++ b/backend/main.py
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 SESSION_COOKIE_NAME = os.getenv("SESSION_COOKIE_NAME", "behaviorai_session")
 SESSION_DURATION_DAYS = int(os.getenv("SESSION_DURATION_DAYS", "7"))
 SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE = os.getenv("SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE", "false").lower() == "true"
+SESSION_COOKIE_SAMESITE = os.getenv("SESSION_COOKIE_SAMESITE", "lax").lower()
 MIN_PASSWORD_LENGTH = int(os.getenv("MIN_PASSWORD_LENGTH", "12"))
 MAX_BCRYPT_BYTES = 72
 
@@ -95,12 +96,17 @@ def set_session_cookie(response: Response, session_id: str, max_age_seconds: int
         value=session_id,
         httponly=True,
         max_age=max_age_seconds,
-        samesite="lax",
+        samesite=SESSION_COOKIE_SAMESITE,
         secure=SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE,
     )
 
 def clear_session_cookie(response: Response) -> None:
-    response.delete_cookie(key=SESSION_COOKIE_NAME)
+    response.delete_cookie(
+        key=SESSION_COOKIE_NAME,
+        httponly=True,
+        samesite=SESSION_COOKIE_SAMESITE,
+        secure=SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE,
+    )
 @app.get("/")
 async def root():
     return {"status": "Backend is running", "api_docs": "/docs"}
diff --git a/docker-compose.yaml b/docker-compose.yaml
index 4b10ac2..73a165e 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yaml
+++ b/docker-compose.yaml
@@ -23,8 +23,11 @@ services:
       dockerfile: Dockerfile.dev
     #survives vm reboots, otherwise port 8000 silently drops
     restart: unless-stopped
+    #loopback only: caddy terminates tls and proxies to this, so the port must
+    #not be reachable from the internet. docker's nat bypasses iptables INPUT,
+    #so binding to 127.0.0.1 is what actually keeps it private.
     ports:
-      - "8000:8000"
+      - "127.0.0.1:8000:8000"
     volumes:
       - ./backend:/app
     env_file: