diff --git a/internal/domain/component.go b/internal/domain/component.go
index 9c2c216..ccda8f9 100644
--- a/internal/domain/component.go
+++ b/internal/domain/component.go
@@ -88,6 +88,14 @@ func (c ComponentType) NeedsPort() bool {
 	return c == ComponentTypeService || c == ComponentTypeAppAstro || c == ComponentTypeAppReact || c == ComponentTypeAppNextJS
 }
 
+// NeedsDeployment returns true if this component type requires a Kubernetes Deployment.
+// All code components except CLI need a Deployment so CI can use kubectl set image.
+// Workers have no HTTP port but still need a Deployment to run as background processes.
+func (c ComponentType) NeedsDeployment() bool {
+	return c == ComponentTypeService || c == ComponentTypeWorker ||
+		c == ComponentTypeAppAstro || c == ComponentTypeAppReact || c == ComponentTypeAppNextJS
+}
+
 // IsGoComponent returns true if this component type uses Go (and needs go.work entry).
 func (c ComponentType) IsGoComponent() bool {
 	return c == ComponentTypeService || c == ComponentTypeWorker || c == ComponentTypeCLI
diff --git a/internal/domain/credential.go b/internal/domain/credential.go
index 69f1e31..1dbd40f 100644
--- a/internal/domain/credential.go
+++ b/internal/domain/credential.go
@@ -77,4 +77,7 @@ const (
 
 	// Resend (email provider for per-project domain provisioning)
 	CredKeyResendAPIKey = "RESEND_API_KEY"
+
+	// Project-scoped auth secret (unique per project, auto-generated on first code component)
+	CredKeyJWTSecret = "JWT_SECRET"
 )
diff --git a/internal/service/component.go b/internal/service/component.go
index b6d00f6..3c493ca 100644
--- a/internal/service/component.go
+++ b/internal/service/component.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package service
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"crypto/rand"
 	"database/sql"
 	"encoding/base64"
 	"fmt"
@@ -237,7 +238,11 @@ func (s *ComponentService) AddComponent(ctx context.Context, projectID string, r
 		Dependencies: []string{}, // Could be parsed from component.yaml
 	}
 
-	// 13. Create initial K8s deployment for components that need one.
+	// 13. Ensure a JWT_SECRET exists for this project (required by skeleton service startup).
+	// Generated once per project on the first code component; reused for all subsequent components.
+	s.ensureProjectJWTSecret(ctx, projectID)
+
+	// 14. Create initial K8s deployment for components that need one.
 	// This ensures kubectl set image will find the deployment when CI runs.
 	s.createInitialComponentDeployment(ctx, projectID, projectDomain, component)
 
@@ -327,6 +332,58 @@ func (s *ComponentService) prepareMonorepoUpdates(
 	return fileOps, nil
 }
 
+// ensureProjectJWTSecret generates and stores a random JWT_SECRET for the project
+// if one does not already exist. Called on first code component add.
+// The secret is stored as "{projectID}:JWT_SECRET" in the credential store.
+func (s *ComponentService) ensureProjectJWTSecret(ctx context.Context, projectID string) {
+	if s.credentialStore == nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	log := logging.FromContext(ctx).WithService("component")
+
+	key := projectID + ":" + domain.CredKeyJWTSecret
+	existing, err := s.credentialStore.Get(ctx, key)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Warn("failed to check JWT secret existence",
+			logging.FieldProjectID, projectID,
+			logging.FieldError, err,
+		)
+		return
+	}
+	if existing != "" {
+		return // Already provisioned - don't overwrite
+	}
+
+	// Generate a cryptographically random 32-byte secret
+	secret := make([]byte, 32)
+	if _, err := rand.Read(secret); err != nil {
+		log.Warn("failed to generate JWT secret",
+			logging.FieldProjectID, projectID,
+			logging.FieldError, err,
+		)
+		return
+	}
+
+	secretValue := base64.URLEncoding.EncodeToString(secret)
+	if err := s.credentialStore.Set(ctx, domain.Credential{
+		Key:         key,
+		Value:       secretValue,
+		Description: "JWT signing secret for project " + projectID,
+		Category:    "project",
+	}); err != nil {
+		log.Warn("failed to store JWT secret",
+			logging.FieldProjectID, projectID,
+			logging.FieldError, err,
+		)
+		return
+	}
+
+	log.Info("provisioned JWT secret for project",
+		logging.FieldProjectID, projectID,
+	)
+}
+
 // findFirstServiceComponent returns the first service component in a project, or nil.
 func (s *ComponentService) findFirstServiceComponent(ctx context.Context, projectID string) *domain.Component {
 	components, err := s.ListComponents(ctx, projectID)
diff --git a/internal/service/component_deploy.go b/internal/service/component_deploy.go
index b4c7272..305ebb3 100644
--- a/internal/service/component_deploy.go
+++ b/internal/service/component_deploy.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ func (s *ComponentService) createInitialComponentDeployment(
 	component *domain.Component,
 ) {
 	// Skip if no deployer or component doesn't need a deployment
-	if s.deployer == nil || !component.Type.NeedsPort() {
+	if s.deployer == nil || !component.Type.NeedsDeployment() {
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -67,16 +67,18 @@ func (s *ComponentService) createInitialComponentDeployment(
 		return
 	}
 
-	// Add path to project's unified Ingress
-	serviceName := spec.DeploymentName()
-	if err := s.deployer.AddIngressPath(ctx, projectID, projectDomain, basePath, serviceName, component.Port); err != nil {
-		log.Warn("failed to add ingress path for component",
-			logging.FieldProjectID, projectID,
-			"component", component.Name,
-			"path", basePath,
-			logging.FieldError, err,
-		)
-		// Continue anyway - the deployment/service exist and CI will work
+	// Add path to project's unified Ingress (only for components with an HTTP port)
+	if component.Port > 0 && basePath != "" {
+		serviceName := spec.DeploymentName()
+		if err := s.deployer.AddIngressPath(ctx, projectID, projectDomain, basePath, serviceName, component.Port); err != nil {
+			log.Warn("failed to add ingress path for component",
+				logging.FieldProjectID, projectID,
+				"component", component.Name,
+				"path", basePath,
+				logging.FieldError, err,
+			)
+			// Continue anyway - the deployment exists and CI will work
+		}
 	}
 
 	log.Info("created initial component deployment",
@@ -185,6 +187,7 @@ func (s *ComponentService) fetchProjectCredentials(ctx context.Context, projectI
 		domain.CredKeyNotifyAPIKey,
 		domain.CredKeyNotifyHost,
 		domain.CredKeyNotifyFrom,
+		domain.CredKeyJWTSecret,
 	}
 
 	// Global credentials (stored without project prefix, shared across all projects)