diff --git a/scripts/deploy-t480.sh b/scripts/deploy-t480.sh
index 1201c08..258badd 100755
--- a/scripts/deploy-t480.sh
+++ b/scripts/deploy-t480.sh
@@ -111,6 +111,15 @@ fi
 log "docker compose up -d"
 run ssh "$HOST" "cd $REMOTE_DIR && docker compose -f $COMPOSE_FILE up -d"
 
+# In --skip-build mode the image and compose config are unchanged, so
+# `compose up -d` is a no-op and the container keeps running the OLD uvicorn
+# process. The backend is volume-mounted, so its code on disk is already the
+# new version — but Python won't reload it without a restart. Force one.
+if [[ "$SKIP_BUILD" == "1" ]]; then
+    log "docker compose restart agenteval (reload volume-mounted backend code)"
+    run ssh "$HOST" "cd $REMOTE_DIR && docker compose -f $COMPOSE_FILE restart agenteval"
+fi
+
 # ── verify ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 log "waiting for /api/health"
 for i in $(seq 1 30); do
@@ -129,7 +138,14 @@ if [[ "$REMOTE_VERSION" != "$VERSION" ]]; then
     die "version mismatch! local=$VERSION remote=$REMOTE_VERSION (stale image?)"
 fi
 if [[ "$REMOTE_COMMIT" != "$COMMIT" && "$COMMIT" != "no-git" ]]; then
-    die "commit mismatch! local=$COMMIT remote=$REMOTE_COMMIT (image not rebuilt?)"
+    if [[ "$SKIP_BUILD" == "1" ]]; then
+        # /api/health's commit comes from the image build-arg, which --skip-build
+        # doesn't update. The volume-mounted code was rsync'd + the container was
+        # restarted, so the code IS current — only the metadata label lags.
+        warn "commit label still $REMOTE_COMMIT (--skip-build: image not rebuilt; code rsync'd + restarted)"
+    else
+        die "commit mismatch! local=$COMMIT remote=$REMOTE_COMMIT (image not rebuilt?)"
+    fi
 fi
 
 log "deploy OK: version=$VERSION commit=$COMMIT"