diff --git a/.github/workflows/_build-charterafrica.yml b/.github/workflows/_build-charterafrica.yml
index 74c99d92a..0d254882f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/_build-charterafrica.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/_build-charterafrica.yml
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ on:
         required: false
       DATABASE_URL:
         required: false
-      PAYLOAD_SECRET_KEY:
+      PAYLOAD_SECRET:
         required: false
       NEXT_PUBLIC_SENTRY_DSN:
         required: false
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ jobs:
       DOCKER_HUB_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.DOCKER_HUB_USERNAME }}
       DOCKER_HUB_ACCESS_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.DOCKER_HUB_ACCESS_TOKEN }}
       DATABASE_URL: ${{ secrets.DATABASE_URL }}
-      PAYLOAD_SECRET_KEY: ${{ secrets.PAYLOAD_SECRET_KEY }}
+      PAYLOAD_SECRET: ${{ secrets.PAYLOAD_SECRET }}
       NEXT_PUBLIC_SENTRY_DSN: ${{ secrets.NEXT_PUBLIC_SENTRY_DSN }}
       SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN }}
       SENTRY_ORG: ${{ secrets.SENTRY_ORG }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/charterafrica-deploy-dev.yml b/.github/workflows/charterafrica-deploy-dev.yml
index e5c20d071..11fc59957 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/charterafrica-deploy-dev.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/charterafrica-deploy-dev.yml
@@ -66,8 +66,8 @@ jobs:
           platforms: linux/arm64
           push: true
           secrets: |
-            "mongo_url=${{ secrets.CHARTERAFRICA_MONGO_URL }}"
-            "payload_secret_key=${{ secrets.CHARTERAFRICA_PAYLOAD_SECRET_KEY }}"
+            "database_url=${{ secrets.CHARTERAFRICA_MONGO_URL }}"
+            "payload_secret=${{ secrets.CHARTERAFRICA_PAYLOAD_SECRET_KEY }}"
             "sentry_auth_token=${{ secrets.SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN }}"
             "sentry_org=${{ secrets.SENTRY_ORG }}"
             "sentry_project=${{ secrets.CHARTERAFRICA_SENTRY_PROJECT }}"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/charterafrica-deploy-prod.yml b/.github/workflows/charterafrica-deploy-prod.yml
index 9a287692e..f2477d59a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/charterafrica-deploy-prod.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/charterafrica-deploy-prod.yml
@@ -91,8 +91,8 @@ jobs:
           platforms: linux/amd64
           push: true
           secrets: |
-            "mongo_url=${{ secrets.CHARTERAFRICA_MONGO_URL }}"
-            "payload_secret_key=${{ secrets.CHARTERAFRICA_PAYLOAD_SECRET_KEY }}"
+            "database_url=${{ secrets.CHARTERAFRICA_MONGO_URL }}"
+            "payload_secret=${{ secrets.CHARTERAFRICA_PAYLOAD_SECRET_KEY }}"
             "sentry_auth_token=${{ secrets.SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN }}"
             "sentry_org=${{ secrets.SENTRY_ORG }}"
             "sentry_project=${{ secrets.CHARTERAFRICA_SENTRY_PROJECT }}"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/charterafrica.yml b/.github/workflows/charterafrica.yml
index 19ecf5e27..70dc620e9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/charterafrica.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/charterafrica.yml
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ jobs:
       DOCKER_HUB_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.DOCKER_HUB_USERNAME }}
       DOCKER_HUB_ACCESS_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.DOCKER_HUB_ACCESS_TOKEN }}
       DATABASE_URL: ${{ secrets.CHARTERAFRICA_MONGO_URL }}
-      PAYLOAD_SECRET_KEY: ${{ secrets.CHARTERAFRICA_PAYLOAD_SECRET_KEY }}
+      PAYLOAD_SECRET: ${{ secrets.CHARTERAFRICA_PAYLOAD_SECRET_KEY }}
       NEXT_PUBLIC_SENTRY_DSN: ${{ secrets.CHARTERAFRICA_SENTRY_DSN }}
       SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN }}
       SENTRY_ORG: ${{ secrets.SENTRY_ORG }}
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ jobs:
       DOCKER_HUB_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.DOCKER_HUB_USERNAME }}
       DOCKER_HUB_ACCESS_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.DOCKER_HUB_ACCESS_TOKEN }}
       DATABASE_URL: ${{ secrets.CHARTERAFRICA_MONGO_URL }}
-      PAYLOAD_SECRET_KEY: ${{ secrets.CHARTERAFRICA_PAYLOAD_SECRET_KEY }}
+      PAYLOAD_SECRET: ${{ secrets.CHARTERAFRICA_PAYLOAD_SECRET_KEY }}
       NEXT_PUBLIC_SENTRY_DSN: ${{ secrets.CHARTERAFRICA_SENTRY_DSN }}
       SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN }}
       SENTRY_ORG: ${{ secrets.SENTRY_ORG }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr-build.yml b/.github/workflows/pr-build.yml
index 17a2e7ced..66745a3c0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr-build.yml
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ jobs:
       # apps — PR builds need a genuinely reachable database, not a dummy
       # value.
       DATABASE_URL: ${{ secrets.CHARTERAFRICA_MONGO_URL }}
-      PAYLOAD_SECRET_KEY: pr-build-unused
+      PAYLOAD_SECRET: pr-build-unused
       NEXT_PUBLIC_SENTRY_DSN: pr-build-unused
       SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN: pr-build-unused
       SENTRY_ORG: pr-build-unused
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 03856891f..0d9f46ee5 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -204,8 +204,8 @@ COPY apps/charterafrica ./apps/charterafrica/
 # When building Next.js app, Next.js needs to connect to local Payload
 ENV PAYLOAD_PUBLIC_APP_URL=http://localhost:3000
 ENV NEXT_PUBLIC_SEO_DISABLED=${NEXT_PUBLIC_SEO_DISABLED}
-RUN --mount=type=secret,id=mongo_url,env=MONGO_URL \
-  --mount=type=secret,id=payload_secret_key,env=PAYLOAD_SECRET_KEY \
+RUN --mount=type=secret,id=database_url,env=DATABASE_URL \
+  --mount=type=secret,id=payload_secret,env=PAYLOAD_SECRET \
   --mount=type=secret,id=sentry_auth_token,env=SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN \
   --mount=type=secret,id=sentry_org,env=SENTRY_ORG \
   --mount=type=secret,id=sentry_project,env=SENTRY_PROJECT \
diff --git a/apps/charterafrica/.env.template b/apps/charterafrica/.env.template
index 11a27cb9a..45729a21f 100644
--- a/apps/charterafrica/.env.template
+++ b/apps/charterafrica/.env.template
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ DATABASE_URL
 PAYLOAD_CORS
 PAYLOAD_CSRF
 PAYLOAD_PUBLIC_APP_URL
-PAYLOAD_SECRET_KEY
+PAYLOAD_SECRET
 
 
 S3_ACCESS_KEY_ID=
diff --git a/apps/charterafrica/README.md b/apps/charterafrica/README.md
index 7afec94b6..71d3510ff 100644
--- a/apps/charterafrica/README.md
+++ b/apps/charterafrica/README.md
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ This is the official code for https://charter.africa site
 First create `.env.local` file in the root directory of the project.
 
 ```bash
-cp env.template .env.local
+cp .env.template .env.local
 ```
 
 and modify the `.env.local` file according to your needs.
diff --git a/apps/charterafrica/server.ts b/apps/charterafrica/server.ts
index cf70c8c6a..6d24da462 100644
--- a/apps/charterafrica/server.ts
+++ b/apps/charterafrica/server.ts
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ const start = async (): Promise<void> => {
             },
           }
         : undefined),
-      secret: process.env.PAYLOAD_SECRET_KEY,
+      secret: process.env.PAYLOAD_SECRET,
       express: server,
       onInit: (initPayload) => {
         initPayload.logger.info(
diff --git a/apps/charterafrica/turbo.json b/apps/charterafrica/turbo.json
index ff28aee9d..b26b5313f 100644
--- a/apps/charterafrica/turbo.json
+++ b/apps/charterafrica/turbo.json
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
         "PAYLOAD_PUBLIC_APP_URL",
         "PAYLOAD_PUBLIC_DEFAULT_LOCALE",
         "PAYLOAD_PUBLIC_LOCALES",
-        "PAYLOAD_SECRET_KEY",
+        "PAYLOAD_SECRET",
         "PROJECT_ROOT",
         "RESOURCES_SECRET_TOKEN",
         "S3_ACCESS_KEY_ID",
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
         "PAYLOAD_PUBLIC_APP_URL",
         "PAYLOAD_PUBLIC_DEFAULT_LOCALE",
         "PAYLOAD_PUBLIC_LOCALES",
-        "PAYLOAD_SECRET_KEY",
+        "PAYLOAD_SECRET",
         "PORT",
         "PUBLIC_CHARTERAFRICA_SENTRY_DSN",
         "RESOURCES_SECRET_TOKEN",
diff --git a/docker-bake.hcl b/docker-bake.hcl
index f33ff5fa7..eb726f8b0 100644
--- a/docker-bake.hcl
+++ b/docker-bake.hcl
@@ -198,20 +198,17 @@ target "_payload-app-runner" {
 }
 
 target "charterafrica" {
-  inherits   = ["_app-runner"]
+  inherits   = ["_payload-app-runner"]
   dockerfile = "docker/apps/charterafrica/Dockerfile"
   tags       = ["${REGISTRY}charterafrica:${TAG}"]
   args = {
     NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL = "${NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL}"
     SENTRY_ENVIRONMENT  = "${SENTRY_ENVIRONMENT}"
   }
-  # sentry_auth_token/org/project are inherited from _app. database_url,
-  # payload_secret_key, and next_public_sentry_dsn are charterafrica-specific
-  # — it reads PAYLOAD_SECRET_KEY (not PAYLOAD_SECRET like _payload-app-runner
-  # provides), so this declares its own secret list rather than inheriting it.
+  # sentry_auth_token/org/project are inherited from _app.
+  # database_url and payload_secret are inherited from _payload-app-runner.
+  # next_public_sentry_dsn is charterafrica-specific
   secret = [
-    "type=env,id=database_url,env=DATABASE_URL",
-    "type=env,id=payload_secret_key,env=PAYLOAD_SECRET_KEY",
     "type=env,id=next_public_sentry_dsn,env=NEXT_PUBLIC_SENTRY_DSN",
   ]
 }
diff --git a/docker/apps/charterafrica/Dockerfile b/docker/apps/charterafrica/Dockerfile
index 000ed095d..2e7f8b5ff 100644
--- a/docker/apps/charterafrica/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/apps/charterafrica/Dockerfile
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ ENV PAYLOAD_PUBLIC_APP_URL=http://localhost:3000
 # it stays unlogged without needing a GitHub Variable migration — it's
 # stored as a GitHub Secret today even though DSNs aren't actually sensitive.
 RUN --mount=type=secret,id=database_url,env=DATABASE_URL \
-  --mount=type=secret,id=payload_secret_key,env=PAYLOAD_SECRET_KEY \
+  --mount=type=secret,id=payload_secret,env=PAYLOAD_SECRET \
   --mount=type=secret,id=next_public_sentry_dsn,env=NEXT_PUBLIC_SENTRY_DSN \
   --mount=type=secret,id=sentry_auth_token,env=SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN \
   --mount=type=secret,id=sentry_org,env=SENTRY_ORG \