diff --git a/templates/openui-cloud/next.config.ts b/templates/openui-cloud/next.config.ts
index 9cb6e36da..14926dae1 100644
--- a/templates/openui-cloud/next.config.ts
+++ b/templates/openui-cloud/next.config.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@ import type { NextConfig } from "next";
 
 const nextConfig: NextConfig = {
   allowedDevOrigins: ["127.0.0.1"],
-  output: "standalone",
+  // Next 16.3 + Vercel's adapter skips next-server.js.nft.json when standalone
+  // is on; Vercel ignores standalone anyway. Keep it for Docker / self-host.
+  ...(process.env.VERCEL ? {} : { output: "standalone" as const }),
   turbopack: {
     root: process.cwd(),
   },
diff --git a/templates/openui-cloud/overlays/vercel-eve/next.config.ts b/templates/openui-cloud/overlays/vercel-eve/next.config.ts
index 2cc572da2..fa93fb811 100644
--- a/templates/openui-cloud/overlays/vercel-eve/next.config.ts
+++ b/templates/openui-cloud/overlays/vercel-eve/next.config.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@ import type { NextConfig } from "next";
 
 const nextConfig: NextConfig = {
   allowedDevOrigins: ["127.0.0.1"],
-  output: "standalone",
+  // Next 16.3 + Vercel's adapter skips next-server.js.nft.json when standalone
+  // is on; Vercel ignores standalone anyway. Keep it for Docker / self-host.
+  ...(process.env.VERCEL ? {} : { output: "standalone" as const }),
   turbopack: {
     root: process.cwd(),
   },