diff --git a/server/src/chat/transport/matrix/new_project.rs b/server/src/chat/transport/matrix/new_project.rs
index 66f373c3..0ac1810c 100644
--- a/server/src/chat/transport/matrix/new_project.rs
+++ b/server/src/chat/transport/matrix/new_project.rs
@@ -441,24 +441,17 @@ async fn handle_adopt_project(
     let container_url = format!("http://127.0.0.1:{port}");
     let container_name = format!("huskies-{name}");
 
-    let mut docker_args: Vec<String> = vec![
-        "run".into(),
-        "-d".into(),
-        "--name".into(),
-        container_name.clone(),
-        "-p".into(),
-        format!("127.0.0.1:{port}:3001"),
-        "-p".into(),
-        format!("127.0.0.1:{ssh_port}:22"),
-        "-e".into(),
-        format!("HUSKIES_SSH_PUBKEY={pubkey}"),
-        "-e".into(),
-        format!("GIT_USER_NAME={git_user_name}"),
-        "-e".into(),
-        format!("GIT_USER_EMAIL={git_user_email}"),
-        "-v".into(),
-        format!("{}:/workspace", host_path.display()),
-    ];
+    let mut docker_args = project_docker_run_args(
+        &container_name,
+        port,
+        ssh_port,
+        &pubkey,
+        &git_user_name,
+        &git_user_email,
+    );
+
+    docker_args.push("-v".into());
+    docker_args.push(format!("{}:/workspace", host_path.display()));
 
     for mount in &ssh_key_mounts {
         docker_args.push("-v".into());
@@ -793,22 +786,14 @@ pub async fn handle_new_project(
 
     // Build the `docker run` argument list.  The token must never appear in any
     // string that is returned to the caller or written to a log.
-    let mut docker_args: Vec<String> = vec![
-        "run".into(),
-        "-d".into(),
-        "--name".into(),
-        container_name.clone(),
-        "-p".into(),
-        format!("127.0.0.1:{port}:3001"),
-        "-p".into(),
-        format!("127.0.0.1:{ssh_port}:22"),
-        "-e".into(),
-        format!("HUSKIES_SSH_PUBKEY={pubkey}"),
-        "-e".into(),
-        format!("GIT_USER_NAME={git_user_name}"),
-        "-e".into(),
-        format!("GIT_USER_EMAIL={git_user_email}"),
-    ];
+    let mut docker_args = project_docker_run_args(
+        &container_name,
+        port,
+        ssh_port,
+        &pubkey,
+        &git_user_name,
+        &git_user_email,
+    );
 
     // HTTPS push token: passed as env vars consumed by the entrypoint credential helper.
     if let Some(token) = git_token {
@@ -922,6 +907,42 @@ pub async fn handle_new_project(
     }
 }
 
+/// Build the base `docker run` argument list for a project container.
+///
+/// Includes `-e HUSKIES_HOST=0.0.0.0` so the server inside the container binds
+/// to all interfaces, making Docker port forwarding reachable from the host.
+/// Without this the server defaults to `127.0.0.1` inside the container —
+/// reachable only from within the container itself, not via `docker -p`.
+fn project_docker_run_args(
+    container_name: &str,
+    port: u16,
+    ssh_port: u16,
+    pubkey: &str,
+    git_user_name: &str,
+    git_user_email: &str,
+) -> Vec<String> {
+    vec![
+        "run".into(),
+        "-d".into(),
+        "--name".into(),
+        container_name.to_string(),
+        "-p".into(),
+        format!("127.0.0.1:{port}:3001"),
+        "-p".into(),
+        format!("127.0.0.1:{ssh_port}:22"),
+        "-e".into(),
+        "HUSKIES_HOST=0.0.0.0".into(),
+        "-e".into(),
+        "HUSKIES_PORT=3001".into(),
+        "-e".into(),
+        format!("HUSKIES_SSH_PUBKEY={pubkey}"),
+        "-e".into(),
+        format!("GIT_USER_NAME={git_user_name}"),
+        "-e".into(),
+        format!("GIT_USER_EMAIL={git_user_email}"),
+    ]
+}
+
 /// Convert a failed `docker run` stderr into an actionable chat message.
 ///
 /// When Docker cannot find the image locally it prints `Unable to find image`.
@@ -1301,6 +1322,32 @@ mod tests {
 
     // ── Missing-image error path ─────────────────────────────────────────────
 
+    #[test]
+    fn project_docker_args_include_huskies_host_env() {
+        let args = project_docker_run_args(
+            "huskies-myapp",
+            3100,
+            2200,
+            "ssh-ed25519 AAAA...",
+            "Test User",
+            "test@example.com",
+        );
+        // Find "-e" followed by "HUSKIES_HOST=0.0.0.0"
+        let pairs: Vec<_> = args.windows(2).collect();
+        assert!(
+            pairs
+                .iter()
+                .any(|w| w[0] == "-e" && w[1] == "HUSKIES_HOST=0.0.0.0"),
+            "expected -e HUSKIES_HOST=0.0.0.0 in docker args, got: {args:?}"
+        );
+        assert!(
+            pairs
+                .iter()
+                .any(|w| w[0] == "-e" && w[1] == "HUSKIES_PORT=3001"),
+            "expected -e HUSKIES_PORT=3001 in docker args, got: {args:?}"
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn interpret_docker_run_error_missing_image_points_at_script() {
         let stderr = "Unable to find image 'huskies-project-rust:latest' locally\n\