diff --git a/.github/workflows/deploy.yml b/.github/workflows/deploy.yml
index 363290d..2f592c3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/deploy.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/deploy.yml
@@ -74,7 +74,6 @@ jobs:
           images: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}/${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }}
           tags: |
             type=raw,value=latest
-            type=sha,format=long
 
       - name: Build and push image
         uses: docker/build-push-action@v7
@@ -119,34 +118,22 @@ jobs:
 
           KUBECONFIG="${KUBECONFIG_PATH}" kubectl cluster-info --request-timeout=15s
 
-      # Overlay that pins the image to this commit, using kubectl's built-in kustomize.
-      - name: Pin image to this commit
-        run: |
-          mkdir -p k8s-deploy
-          cat > k8s-deploy/kustomization.yaml <<EOF
-          apiVersion: kustomize.config.k8s.io/v1beta1
-          kind: Kustomization
-          resources:
-            - ../k8s
-          images:
-            - name: ${REGISTRY}/${IMAGE_NAME}
-              newTag: sha-${GITHUB_SHA}
-          EOF
-          kubectl kustomize k8s-deploy/ | grep 'image:'
-
       - name: Apply manifests
-        run: kubectl apply -k k8s-deploy/
+        run: kubectl apply -k k8s/
+
+      # The spec still says :latest, so force new pods to pull the image just pushed.
+      - name: Restart deployment
+        run: kubectl rollout restart "deployment/${DEPLOYMENT}" -n "${NAMESPACE}"
 
       - name: Wait for rollout
         run: |
           if ! kubectl rollout status "deployment/${DEPLOYMENT}" -n "${NAMESPACE}" --timeout=5m; then
             kubectl get pods -n "${NAMESPACE}" -o wide
             kubectl describe pods -n "${NAMESPACE}" | tail -40
-            kubectl rollout undo "deployment/${DEPLOYMENT}" -n "${NAMESPACE}" || true
             exit 1
           fi
 
       - name: Verify deployment
         run: |
           kubectl get deployments,pods,services,ingress -n "${NAMESPACE}"
-          echo "### Deployed sha-${GITHUB_SHA} to ${NAMESPACE}" >> "${GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY}"
+          echo "### Deployed ${GITHUB_SHA} to ${NAMESPACE}" >> "${GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY}"
diff --git a/k8s/README.md b/k8s/README.md
index 446226d..85e253e 100644
--- a/k8s/README.md
+++ b/k8s/README.md
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@ https://jesseinit.dev (`www.` redirects to the apex). TLS comes from cert-manage
 `.github/workflows/deploy.yml` (run by Gitea Actions) on every push to `master`:
 
 1. **Build site**: `npm ci && npm run build`, and renders the kustomization to catch manifest errors.
-2. **Build and push image**: `tea.jesseinit.dev/jesseinit/personal-site:sha-<commit>` and `:latest`.
-3. **Deploy**: pins `newTag` in `kustomization.yaml` to `sha-<commit>`, runs `kubectl apply -k k8s/`,
-   waits for the rollout, and rolls back automatically if it fails.
+2. **Build and push image**: `tea.jesseinit.dev/jesseinit/personal-site:latest`.
+3. **Deploy**: runs `kubectl apply -k k8s/`, then `kubectl rollout restart` so the pod pulls the new
+   `:latest` (`imagePullPolicy: Always`), and waits for the rollout. There is no automatic rollback.
 
 Pull requests run step 1 only. Old images are cleaned up by the nightly `gitea-package-prune` cronjob.
 
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ Pull requests run step 1 only. Old images are cleaned up by the nightly `gitea-p
 ## Files
 
 - `namespace.yaml`: `personal-site` namespace
-- `deployment.yaml`: 2 replicas, zero-downtime rolling updates, non-root, health checks
+- `deployment.yaml`: 1 replica, zero-downtime rolling updates, non-root, health checks
 - `service.yaml`: ClusterIP on port 80 → container port 3000
 - `ingress.yaml`: nginx ingress + TLS for `jesseinit.dev` / `www.jesseinit.dev`
 - `configmap.yaml`: optional environment variables
@@ -35,8 +35,7 @@ Pull requests run step 1 only. Old images are cleaned up by the nightly `gitea-p
 ```bash
 kubectl --context personal-cluster -n personal-site get pods,ingress,certificate
 kubectl --context personal-cluster -n personal-site logs -l app=jesseinit-portfolio -f
-kubectl --context personal-cluster -n personal-site rollout undo deployment/jesseinit-portfolio
-
 # Deploy by hand (uses :latest)
 kubectl --context personal-cluster apply -k k8s/
+kubectl --context personal-cluster -n personal-site rollout restart deployment/jesseinit-portfolio
 ```
diff --git a/k8s/deployment.yaml b/k8s/deployment.yaml
index 1bd05dc..2eee949 100644
--- a/k8s/deployment.yaml
+++ b/k8s/deployment.yaml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ metadata:
   labels:
     app: jesseinit-portfolio
 spec:
-  replicas: 2
+  replicas: 1
   revisionHistoryLimit: 5
   strategy:
     type: RollingUpdate
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ spec:
       containers:
       - name: portfolio
         image: jesseinit-portfolio:latest
-        imagePullPolicy: IfNotPresent
+        imagePullPolicy: Always
         ports:
         - containerPort: 3000
           name: http
diff --git a/k8s/kustomization.yaml b/k8s/kustomization.yaml
index c978ede..2342a6f 100644
--- a/k8s/kustomization.yaml
+++ b/k8s/kustomization.yaml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ labels:
       app.kubernetes.io/name: personal-site
       app.kubernetes.io/managed-by: kustomize
 
-# CI pins the tag to sha-<commit> via a generated overlay (see deploy.yml).
+# CI deploys :latest and runs `kubectl rollout restart` to pick up the new image.
 images:
   - name: jesseinit-portfolio
     newName: tea.jesseinit.dev/jesseinit/personal-site