diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index e37bd64..1717082 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Changed
+
+- **Container-name network defaults** - `SEARXNG_HOST`, `LIBRARY_DESK_HOST`, and `CORE_API_HOST` now default to docker container names on the docker-dataplane network (`http://searxng:8080`, `http://library-desk:8089`, `http://core-api:8083`) instead of host `localhost` ports, ahead of the loopback port rebinding; this also fixes `CORE_API_HOST` pointing at port 8090 (the Scheduler's host port) rather than Core-API's 8083. `scripts/test_housekeeper.sh` now reaches Core-API via `localhost:8083` instead of the LAN IP. Local development against host-published ports still works via `.env` overrides
+
 ## [2.4.0] - 2026-07-14
 
 ### Removed
diff --git a/scripts/test_housekeeper.sh b/scripts/test_housekeeper.sh
index 1efcb4c..38bb739 100755
--- a/scripts/test_housekeeper.sh
+++ b/scripts/test_housekeeper.sh
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # Verifies room groups are controlled by checking actual state changes
 
 API_URL="http://localhost:8777/v1/chat/completions"
-CORE_API="http://192.168.86.149:8083"
+CORE_API="http://localhost:8083"
 RESULTS_FILE="/tmp/housekeeper_test_results.txt"
 
 GREEN='\033[0;32m'
diff --git a/src/core/config.py b/src/core/config.py
index 3ce16e6..cfd0a40 100644
--- a/src/core/config.py
+++ b/src/core/config.py
@@ -110,8 +110,8 @@ class Config(BaseSettings):
 
     # SearXNG Configuration
     SEARXNG_HOST: HttpUrl = Field(
-        default="http://localhost:8087",
-        description="SearXNG server URL"
+        default="http://searxng:8080",
+        description="SearXNG server URL (container name; internal port 8080)"
     )
     SEARXNG_TIMEOUT: int = Field(
         default=30,
@@ -138,8 +138,8 @@ class Config(BaseSettings):
         description="Total time budget for a librarian delegation in seconds"
     )
     LIBRARY_DESK_HOST: HttpUrl = Field(
-        default="http://localhost:8089",
-        description="Library-Desk API URL"
+        default="http://library-desk:8089",
+        description="Library-Desk API URL (container name; internal port 8089)"
     )
     LIBRARY_DESK_API_KEY: str = Field(
         default="",
@@ -152,8 +152,8 @@ class Config(BaseSettings):
 
     # Core-API Configuration (The Housekeeper backend)
     CORE_API_HOST: HttpUrl = Field(
-        default="http://localhost:8090",
-        description="Core-API URL for Home Assistant integration"
+        default="http://core-api:8083",
+        description="Core-API URL for Home Assistant integration (container name; internal port 8083)"
     )
     CORE_API_KEY: str = Field(
         default="",