diff --git a/terraform/environments/azure/build.tf b/terraform/environments/azure/build.tf
index b921b867e..ad237360f 100644
--- a/terraform/environments/azure/build.tf
+++ b/terraform/environments/azure/build.tf
@@ -20,8 +20,9 @@ module "build" {
   source_path = "${path.root}/../../.." # Root of the project (where Dockerfile is)
   # platform not set — auto-detected from builder host (Container Apps and AKS support arm64 and amd64)
 
-  # Registry login for ACR using admin credentials
-  registry_login_command = "echo '${nonsensitive(azurerm_container_registry.main.admin_password)}' | docker login ${azurerm_container_registry.main.login_server} -u ${azurerm_container_registry.main.admin_username} --password-stdin"
+  # Registry login with the caller's Entra identity (deploy SP in CI, az login
+  # locally); the principal needs AcrPush on the registry.
+  registry_login_command = "az acr login --name ${azurerm_container_registry.main.name}"
 
   # Build options
   skip_docker_build  = false
diff --git a/terraform/environments/azure/compute.tf b/terraform/environments/azure/compute.tf
index 7f2ecd011..042024b58 100644
--- a/terraform/environments/azure/compute.tf
+++ b/terraform/environments/azure/compute.tf
@@ -97,10 +97,9 @@ module "compute_container_apps" {
     },
     var.additional_env_vars
   )
-  # ACR registry credentials for image pull
-  registry_server   = azurerm_container_registry.main.login_server
-  registry_username = azurerm_container_registry.main.admin_username
-  registry_password = azurerm_container_registry.main.admin_password
+  # Image pulls authenticate with the app's managed identity (AcrPull inside the module)
+  registry_server       = azurerm_container_registry.main.login_server
+  container_registry_id = azurerm_container_registry.main.id
 
   # Scheduled tasks (Logic Apps)
   #
diff --git a/terraform/environments/azure/registry.tf b/terraform/environments/azure/registry.tf
index 058f7f155..2eaa2d32d 100644
--- a/terraform/environments/azure/registry.tf
+++ b/terraform/environments/azure/registry.tf
@@ -7,16 +7,14 @@ resource "azurerm_container_registry" "main" {
   resource_group_name = azurerm_resource_group.main.name
   location            = var.location
   sku                 = "Basic"
-  admin_enabled       = true # Enables username/password login for docker push
+  admin_enabled       = false
 
   tags = local.common_tags
 }
 
-# Grant Container Apps managed identity permission to pull images
-resource "azurerm_role_assignment" "acr_pull" {
-  count = var.compute_platform == "container-apps" && length(module.compute_container_apps) > 0 ? 1 : 0
-
-  scope                = azurerm_container_registry.main.id
-  role_definition_name = "AcrPull"
-  principal_id         = module.compute_container_apps[0].managed_identity_principal_id
+# The Container App pulls with its user-assigned identity; the AcrPull grant
+# lives inside the container-apps module so the app can depend on it.
+moved {
+  from = azurerm_role_assignment.acr_pull[0]
+  to   = module.compute_container_apps[0].azurerm_role_assignment.acr_pull
 }
diff --git a/terraform/modules/compute/azure/container-apps/main.tf b/terraform/modules/compute/azure/container-apps/main.tf
index fc85087d8..13fcb65e3 100644
--- a/terraform/modules/compute/azure/container-apps/main.tf
+++ b/terraform/modules/compute/azure/container-apps/main.tf
@@ -85,14 +85,10 @@ resource "azurerm_container_app" "main" {
     identity_ids = [azurerm_user_assigned_identity.container_app.id]
   }
 
-  # Registry authentication
-  dynamic "registry" {
-    for_each = var.registry_server != "" ? [1] : []
-    content {
-      server               = var.registry_server
-      username             = var.registry_username
-      password_secret_name = "registry-password"
-    }
+  # Registry authentication: pull with the user-assigned identity (AcrPull below)
+  registry {
+    server   = var.registry_server
+    identity = azurerm_user_assigned_identity.container_app.id
   }
 
   # Container configuration
@@ -220,19 +216,15 @@ resource "azurerm_container_app" "main" {
     }
   }
 
-  # Registry password secret (for ACR admin auth)
-  dynamic "secret" {
-    for_each = var.registry_server != "" ? [1] : []
-    content {
-      name  = "registry-password"
-      value = var.registry_password
-    }
-  }
-
   tags = merge(var.tags, {
     managed_by   = "terraform"
     architecture = "x86_64"
   })
+
+  # Ordering only, not a propagation wait: the first revision's image pull
+  # needs AcrPull to exist. If RBAC has not propagated yet the revision fails
+  # to provision and the apply errors; re-running the apply recovers.
+  depends_on = [azurerm_role_assignment.acr_pull]
 }
 
 # ==============================================
@@ -254,6 +246,13 @@ locals {
   subscription_resource_id = "/subscriptions/${var.subscription_id}"
 }
 
+# AcrPull: lets the container app's identity pull the image from the registry.
+resource "azurerm_role_assignment" "acr_pull" {
+  scope                = var.container_registry_id
+  role_definition_name = "AcrPull"
+  principal_id         = azurerm_user_assigned_identity.container_app.principal_id
+}
+
 # Cost Management Reader: grants access to Azure Consumption API (reservation
 # recommendations, reservation details) needed for CUDly RI/SP features.
 resource "azurerm_role_assignment" "cost_management_reader" {
diff --git a/terraform/modules/compute/azure/container-apps/variables.tf b/terraform/modules/compute/azure/container-apps/variables.tf
index a28c005e7..f604c27a7 100644
--- a/terraform/modules/compute/azure/container-apps/variables.tf
+++ b/terraform/modules/compute/azure/container-apps/variables.tf
@@ -192,20 +192,11 @@ variable "custom_domains" {
 variable "registry_server" {
   description = "Container registry server URL (e.g. myacr.azurecr.io)"
   type        = string
-  default     = ""
-}
-
-variable "registry_username" {
-  description = "Container registry username (for admin auth)"
-  type        = string
-  default     = ""
 }
 
-variable "registry_password" {
-  description = "Container registry password (for admin auth)"
+variable "container_registry_id" {
+  description = "Container registry ARM resource ID, the scope of the AcrPull grant to the app's managed identity"
   type        = string
-  default     = ""
-  sensitive   = true
 }
 
 variable "tags" {