diff --git a/docker-compose.dev.yml b/docker-compose.dev.yml
index 9b07269..1da156d 100644
--- a/docker-compose.dev.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.dev.yml
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ services:
       - ./apps/api/src:/app/apps/api/src
     environment:
       NODE_ENV: development
+      # Local-dev only: skip OIDC and authenticate as Dev User id 1. Guarded by
+      # NODE_ENV !== 'production' (and the production image bakes NODE_ENV=production),
+      # so this can never activate in a shipped image. Required by the e2e harness.
+      DEV_AUTH_BYPASS: "true"
 
   mariadb:
     ports: