diff --git a/backend/app/services/system_email_service.py b/backend/app/services/system_email_service.py
index a0f3573d..445beac2 100644
--- a/backend/app/services/system_email_service.py
+++ b/backend/app/services/system_email_service.py
@@ -156,4 +156,9 @@ def run_background_email_job(job, *args, **kwargs) -> None:
     """Bridge Starlette background tasks to async email jobs."""
     result = job(*args, **kwargs)
     if inspect.isawaitable(result):
-        fire_and_forget(result)
+        try:
+            asyncio.get_running_loop()
+        except RuntimeError:
+            asyncio.run(result)
+        else:
+            fire_and_forget(result)
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_password_reset_and_notifications.py b/backend/tests/test_password_reset_and_notifications.py
index 56998c79..6806572a 100644
--- a/backend/tests/test_password_reset_and_notifications.py
+++ b/backend/tests/test_password_reset_and_notifications.py
@@ -320,6 +320,17 @@ def sendmail(self, from_address: str, to_addresses: list[str], message: str):
     assert captured["to"] == ["alice@example.com"]
 
 
+def test_run_background_email_job_executes_awaitable_without_running_loop():
+    captured = {"value": None}
+
+    async def fake_job(value: str):
+        captured["value"] = value
+
+    system_email_service.run_background_email_job(fake_job, "sent")
+
+    assert captured["value"] == "sent"
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_reset_password_updates_user(monkeypatch):
     user = make_user(password_hash=auth_api.hash_password("old-password"))
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 05320f3b..494fb768 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ services:
         CLAWITH_PIP_TRUSTED_HOST: ${CLAWITH_PIP_TRUSTED_HOST:-}
     restart: unless-stopped
     command: ["/bin/bash", "/app/entrypoint.sh"]
+    env_file:
+      - ./.env
     environment:
       DATABASE_URL: postgresql+asyncpg://clawith:clawith@postgres:5432/clawith
       REDIS_URL: redis://redis:6379/0