diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index dd95da2b..1bd84acf 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 # API Configuration
 # Copy this file to .env and update with your actual values
 
-# Backend API base URL (Vite proxy uses /api in development)
+# Backend API base URL (Ky prefixUrl). API route paths do NOT include /api — it comes from here.
+# Development: use /api (Vite proxies /api to VITE_API_TARGET)
 #VITE_API_URL=/api
 
-# For production, update to your production API URL
-VITE_API_URL=https://api.seahavenindustries.com
+# Production: absolute URLs MUST include the /api path segment
+VITE_API_URL=https://api.seahavenindustries.com/api
 
 # Development proxy target (used by vite.config.ts)
 #VITE_API_TARGET=http://localhost:5141
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index db722ee4..c5d10b6f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -16,10 +16,17 @@ cp .env.example .env
 
 ### Environment variables
 
-| Variable          | Description                                            | Default                 |
-| ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------- |
-| `VITE_API_URL`    | Backend API base URL (baked into the production build) | `/api`                  |
-| `VITE_API_TARGET` | Dev proxy target for `/api` (Vite only)                | `http://localhost:5141` |
+| Variable          | Description                                     | Default                 |
+| ----------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------- |
+| `VITE_API_URL`    | Ky API prefix (baked into the production build) | `/api`                  |
+| `VITE_API_TARGET` | Dev proxy target for `/api` (Vite only)         | `http://localhost:5141` |
+
+`VITE_API_URL` is the full API base prefix. Route paths in `API_PATHS` do **not** include `/api` — only this variable supplies it.
+
+- **Development:** use `VITE_API_URL=/api`. The Vite dev server proxies `/api` to `VITE_API_TARGET`.
+- **Production:** use an absolute URL that **ends with `/api`** (e.g. `https://api.example.com/api`). Absolute URLs without `/api` will produce broken API requests.
+
+See [`.env.example`](.env.example) and [`.env.production`](.env.production) for reference values.
 
 ## Scripts