diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-claude-code.yml b/.github/workflows/build-claude-code.yml
index 405bf75..3f8b8e0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-claude-code.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-claude-code.yml
@@ -77,19 +77,19 @@ jobs:
       matrix:
         include:
           - image-suffix: claude-code
-            verify-command: "bun --version || true && claude --version && mise --version && fish --version && rtk --version && ralphex --version && test -x /usr/local/bin/patch-playwright-mcp && jq -r '.hooks.SessionStart[0].hooks[0].command' /etc/claude-code/managed-settings.json | grep -qx /usr/local/bin/patch-playwright-mcp && printenv AGENT_BROWSER_EXECUTABLE_PATH | grep -qx /usr/bin/chromium"
+            verify-command: "bun --version || true && claude --version && mise --version && fish --version && rtk --version && ralphex --version && test -x /usr/local/bin/patch-playwright-mcp && test -r /etc/claude-code/managed-settings.json && jq -r '.hooks.SessionStart[0].hooks[0].command' /etc/claude-code/managed-settings.json | grep -qx /usr/local/bin/patch-playwright-mcp && printenv AGENT_BROWSER_EXECUTABLE_PATH | grep -qx /usr/bin/chromium"
             runner: ubuntu-24.04
             arch: amd64
           - image-suffix: claude-code
-            verify-command: "bun --version || true && claude --version && mise --version && fish --version && rtk --version && ralphex --version && test -x /usr/local/bin/patch-playwright-mcp && jq -r '.hooks.SessionStart[0].hooks[0].command' /etc/claude-code/managed-settings.json | grep -qx /usr/local/bin/patch-playwright-mcp && printenv AGENT_BROWSER_EXECUTABLE_PATH | grep -qx /usr/bin/chromium"
+            verify-command: "bun --version || true && claude --version && mise --version && fish --version && rtk --version && ralphex --version && test -x /usr/local/bin/patch-playwright-mcp && test -r /etc/claude-code/managed-settings.json && jq -r '.hooks.SessionStart[0].hooks[0].command' /etc/claude-code/managed-settings.json | grep -qx /usr/local/bin/patch-playwright-mcp && printenv AGENT_BROWSER_EXECUTABLE_PATH | grep -qx /usr/bin/chromium"
             runner: ubuntu-24.04-arm
             arch: arm64
           - image-suffix: claude-code-sandbox
-            verify-command: "claude --version && mise --version && fish --version && which iptables && rtk --version && ralphex --version && test -x /usr/local/bin/patch-playwright-mcp && jq -r '.hooks.SessionStart[0].hooks[0].command' /etc/claude-code/managed-settings.json | grep -qx /usr/local/bin/patch-playwright-mcp"
+            verify-command: "claude --version && mise --version && fish --version && which iptables && rtk --version && ralphex --version && test -x /usr/local/bin/patch-playwright-mcp && test -r /etc/claude-code/managed-settings.json && jq -r '.hooks.SessionStart[0].hooks[0].command' /etc/claude-code/managed-settings.json | grep -qx /usr/local/bin/patch-playwright-mcp"
             runner: ubuntu-24.04
             arch: amd64
           - image-suffix: claude-code-sandbox
-            verify-command: "claude --version && mise --version && fish --version && which iptables && rtk --version && ralphex --version && test -x /usr/local/bin/patch-playwright-mcp && jq -r '.hooks.SessionStart[0].hooks[0].command' /etc/claude-code/managed-settings.json | grep -qx /usr/local/bin/patch-playwright-mcp"
+            verify-command: "claude --version && mise --version && fish --version && which iptables && rtk --version && ralphex --version && test -x /usr/local/bin/patch-playwright-mcp && test -r /etc/claude-code/managed-settings.json && jq -r '.hooks.SessionStart[0].hooks[0].command' /etc/claude-code/managed-settings.json | grep -qx /usr/local/bin/patch-playwright-mcp"
             runner: ubuntu-24.04-arm
             arch: arm64
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.runner }}
diff --git a/claude-code/.devcontainer/Dockerfile b/claude-code/.devcontainer/Dockerfile
index 6c588a7..a20d18f 100644
--- a/claude-code/.devcontainer/Dockerfile
+++ b/claude-code/.devcontainer/Dockerfile
@@ -149,8 +149,16 @@ COPY --chmod=0755 patch-playwright-mcp.sh /usr/local/bin/patch-playwright-mcp
 # Image-policy settings at the Linux managed location (highest precedence,
 # outside any volume mount). Wires patch-playwright-mcp as a SessionStart hook
 # so cache dirs created by mid-session plugin auto-updates get patched before
-# the next session reads them. See issue #98.
-COPY --chmod=0644 managed-settings.json /etc/claude-code/managed-settings.json
+# the next session reads them. See issues #98, #101.
+#
+# Pre-create /etc/claude-code as root: BuildKit applies COPY --chmod to any
+# parent directories it auto-creates, which would leave the dir at mode 0644
+# (no execute bit, not traversable). Creating it explicitly avoids that and
+# makes the file readable for the node user at runtime.
+USER root
+RUN mkdir -p /etc/claude-code
+COPY --chown=root:root --chmod=0644 managed-settings.json /etc/claude-code/managed-settings.json
+USER node
 
 # ── Claude Code CLI ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 # Using npm instead of the native installer (curl claude.ai/install.sh | bash).