diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index c5af92a..82d8c2a 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -6,3 +6,4 @@
 - After any meaningful change set: **commit and push** to `main` with a clear, complete-sentence message (what changed and why).
 - Never commit secrets: `.env`, `wireguard/wg0.conf`, `config/`, GGUF models, `ansible/.secrets/`.
 - Prefer SSH push (`GIT_SSH_COMMAND` with `~/.ssh/id_ed25519` if needed).
+- Server checkout: `/opt/stack` is the same repo (`git pull` on ser5). Ansible uses `stack_deploy_method: git`.
diff --git a/ansible/group_vars/all.yml b/ansible/group_vars/all.yml
index e18c735..6f1b4e8 100644
--- a/ansible/group_vars/all.yml
+++ b/ansible/group_vars/all.yml
@@ -195,9 +195,17 @@ forgejo_root_url: "http://{{ forgejo_domain }}:{{ forgejo_http_port }}/"
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Stack deployment
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Sync this repo (parent of ansible/) to stack_root on the server.
-# Set false if you manage /opt/stack yourself (git clone, etc.).
-deploy_stack_files: true
+# Deploy stack *code* to the server.
+#   git   — /opt/stack is a clone of Forgejo (preferred; use `git pull` on ser5)
+#   rsync — push from the control machine (laptop) tree
+stack_deploy_method: git
+deploy_stack_files: true   # master switch for code deploy tasks
+
+# Forgejo remote used on the server (same host → prefer loopback SSH port)
+stack_git_repo: "ssh://git@127.0.0.1:2222/tim/stack.git"
+stack_git_branch: main
+# Also accept the LAN URL if someone clones from another machine
+stack_git_repo_lan: "ssh://git@192.168.8.123:2222/tim/stack.git"
 
 # Paths on the control machine (the machine running ansible-playbook)
 # Default: the arr-stack repo that contains this ansible/ directory
diff --git a/ansible/roles/stack/tasks/main.yml b/ansible/roles/stack/tasks/main.yml
index bd02072..21b9e5e 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/stack/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/stack/tasks/main.yml
@@ -47,14 +47,142 @@
   loop: "{{ media_subdirs }}"
   tags: [stack, storage]
 
-- name: Deploy stack files from control machine
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Code deploy: git (preferred) or rsync
+# Local-only paths stay untracked: config/, .env, models/*.gguf, wireguard/wg0.conf
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+- name: Ensure git is installed on stack host
+  ansible.builtin.apt:
+    name: git
+    state: present
+  when: deploy_stack_files | bool and stack_deploy_method == "git"
+  tags: [stack, deploy, git]
+
+- name: Ensure stack owner has an SSH key for Forgejo git
+  become: true
+  become_user: "{{ stack_owner }}"
+  ansible.builtin.user:
+    name: "{{ stack_owner }}"
+    generate_ssh_key: true
+    ssh_key_type: ed25519
+    ssh_key_file: "/home/{{ stack_owner }}/.ssh/id_ed25519"
+    ssh_key_comment: "{{ stack_owner }}@{{ inventory_hostname }}-forgejo"
+  when: deploy_stack_files | bool and stack_deploy_method == "git"
+  tags: [stack, deploy, git]
+
+- name: Read stack owner public key
+  ansible.builtin.slurp:
+    src: "/home/{{ stack_owner }}/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub"
+  register: stack_owner_pubkey
+  when: deploy_stack_files | bool and stack_deploy_method == "git"
+  tags: [stack, deploy, git]
+
+- name: Ensure Forgejo knows the stack host deploy key (idempotent via API best-effort)
+  ansible.builtin.shell: |
+    set -e
+    PUB='{{ stack_owner_pubkey.content | b64decode | trim }}'
+    # Create a short-lived admin token, add key if fingerprint not present, drop token
+    TOKEN=$(docker exec -u 1000 forgejo gitea admin user generate-access-token \
+      --username "{{ stack_owner }}" \
+      --token-name "ansible-deploy-$(date +%s)" \
+      --scopes all 2>/dev/null | awk '/Access token was successfully created:/{print $NF}')
+    if [ -z "$TOKEN" ]; then
+      echo "Could not create Forgejo token (is forgejo up?). Continuing — key may already exist."
+      exit 0
+    fi
+    # List keys; add if title missing
+    if curl -fsS -H "Authorization: token $TOKEN" http://127.0.0.1:3002/api/v1/user/keys \
+      | grep -q "ansible-ser5\|{{ inventory_hostname }}-forgejo"; then
+      echo "SSH key already registered"
+    else
+      curl -fsS -X POST http://127.0.0.1:3002/api/v1/user/keys \
+        -H "Authorization: token $TOKEN" \
+        -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+        -d "{\"title\":\"ansible-{{ inventory_hostname }}\",\"key\":\"$PUB\"}" || true
+    fi
+  args:
+    executable: /bin/bash
+  when:
+    - deploy_stack_files | bool
+    - stack_deploy_method == "git"
+  changed_when: false
+  failed_when: false
+  tags: [stack, deploy, git]
+
+- name: Initialize git repo in stack root if missing
+  become: true
+  become_user: "{{ stack_owner }}"
+  ansible.builtin.command: git init -b {{ stack_git_branch }}
+  args:
+    chdir: "{{ stack_root }}"
+    creates: "{{ stack_root }}/.git"
+  when: deploy_stack_files | bool and stack_deploy_method == "git"
+  tags: [stack, deploy, git]
+
+- name: Configure origin remote
+  become: true
+  become_user: "{{ stack_owner }}"
+  ansible.builtin.shell: |
+    set -e
+    cd "{{ stack_root }}"
+    if git remote get-url origin >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+      git remote set-url origin "{{ stack_git_repo }}"
+    else
+      git remote add origin "{{ stack_git_repo }}"
+    fi
+  args:
+    executable: /bin/bash
+  when: deploy_stack_files | bool and stack_deploy_method == "git"
+  changed_when: true
+  tags: [stack, deploy, git]
+
+- name: Mark stack root as safe.directory for git
+  become: true
+  become_user: "{{ stack_owner }}"
+  ansible.builtin.command: git config --global --add safe.directory {{ stack_root }}
+  changed_when: false
+  failed_when: false
+  when: deploy_stack_files | bool and stack_deploy_method == "git"
+  tags: [stack, deploy, git]
+
+- name: Fetch and hard-reset tracked files to origin (keeps untracked secrets)
+  become: true
+  become_user: "{{ stack_owner }}"
+  ansible.builtin.shell: |
+    set -euo pipefail
+    cd "{{ stack_root }}"
+    export GIT_SSH_COMMAND="ssh -i /home/{{ stack_owner }}/.ssh/id_ed25519 -o IdentitiesOnly=yes -o StrictHostKeyChecking=accept-new"
+    git fetch origin "{{ stack_git_branch }}"
+    # Preserve local-only paths; only reset tracked files
+    git checkout -B "{{ stack_git_branch }}" "origin/{{ stack_git_branch }}"
+  args:
+    executable: /bin/bash
+  when: deploy_stack_files | bool and stack_deploy_method == "git"
+  register: stack_git_pull
+  tags: [stack, deploy, git]
+
+- name: Show git HEAD after pull
+  become: true
+  become_user: "{{ stack_owner }}"
+  ansible.builtin.command: git -C {{ stack_root }} log -1 --oneline
+  register: stack_git_head
+  changed_when: false
+  when: deploy_stack_files | bool and stack_deploy_method == "git"
+  tags: [stack, deploy, git]
+
+- name: Report stack git revision
+  ansible.builtin.debug:
+    msg: "stack @ {{ stack_git_head.stdout | default('n/a') }}"
+  when: deploy_stack_files | bool and stack_deploy_method == "git"
+  tags: [stack, deploy, git]
+
+- name: Deploy stack files from control machine (rsync fallback)
   ansible.posix.synchronize:
     src: "{{ stack_src }}/"
     dest: "{{ stack_root }}/"
     delete: false
     recursive: true
-    # Non-root rsync cannot chown/chgrp files Docker created as root
-    # (e.g. searxng). Content sync only; ownership fixed in next task.
     archive: true
     owner: false
     group: false
@@ -72,11 +200,11 @@
       - "--no-owner"
       - "--no-group"
       - "--chmod=Du=rwx,Dgo=rx,Fu=rw,Fgo=r"
-  when: deploy_stack_files | bool
+  when: deploy_stack_files | bool and stack_deploy_method == "rsync"
   become: false
-  tags: [stack, deploy]
+  tags: [stack, deploy, rsync]
 
-- name: Fix ownership after rsync
+- name: Fix ownership of stack tree
   ansible.builtin.file:
     path: "{{ stack_root }}"
     state: directory
@@ -84,7 +212,6 @@
     group: "{{ stack_group }}"
     recurse: true
   when: deploy_stack_files | bool
-  # become: true from play — can reset root-owned files from containers
   tags: [stack, deploy]
 
 - name: Deploy production .env for this host
diff --git a/quickstart.md b/quickstart.md
index ec5cc07..a3dcd71 100644
--- a/quickstart.md
+++ b/quickstart.md
@@ -18,6 +18,19 @@ ansible-playbook site.yml -K          # -K only if sudo still asks once; playboo
 
 What it does: OS updates, tools (incl. Microsoft `edit`), Docker, AMD/Vulkan, UFW (LAN only), `/opt/stack` + `/storage`, `.env`, `arr-stack.service`, and **tim** as local admin (passwordless sudo, docker/video/render/…, owns stack + storage, permissive GPU nodes).
 
+**Code on the server:** `/opt/stack` is a **git clone** of Forgejo `tim/stack` (`stack_deploy_method: git`).  
+Day-to-day updates on ser5:
+
+```bash
+ssh tim@192.168.8.123
+cd /opt/stack
+git pull
+docker compose up -d   # if compose/images changed
+```
+
+Ansible can also refresh code: `ansible-playbook site.yml -K --tags stack,deploy` (runs `git fetch` + checkout).  
+Local-only (not in git): `.env`, `config/`, `models/**/*.gguf`, `wireguard/wg0.conf`.
+
 **Before first full stack start** (on ser5):
 
 ```bash