diff --git a/hosts/vps/runtime/node-agent/docker-compose.override.yml b/hosts/vps/runtime/node-agent/docker-compose.override.yml
index 025d6c2..58c3f8c 100644
--- a/hosts/vps/runtime/node-agent/docker-compose.override.yml
+++ b/hosts/vps/runtime/node-agent/docker-compose.override.yml
@@ -3,3 +3,8 @@ services:
     environment:
       - NODE_NAME=vps
       - CHECK_INTERVAL=60
+    # host network mode: node-agent on VPS shares the host's network namespace
+    # so that localhost:18180 resolves to the control-plane's exposed port.
+    # Without this, localhost inside the container is the container's own loopback
+    # and the _check_control_plane_health() probe would always fail.
+    network_mode: host