diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 443ac490..281d3a01 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -17,7 +17,10 @@ services:
       CLINICAL_ASSISTANT_MCP_URL: http://mcp:8000/mcp
       REDIS_URL: redis://ped-ai-redis:6379
       LOKI_URL: http://monitoring-loki:3100
-      LITELLM_API_BASE: http://litellm:4000
+      # LITELLM_API_BASE is deliberately NOT set here. Compose env wins over
+      # OpenBao, so hardcoding the internal URL silently overrode the vault's
+      # https://llm.danvics.com and the intended config never took effect.
+      # Set it here only to pin ped-ai to the internal gateway on purpose.
       TTS_PROVIDER: litellm
       LITELLM_TTS_MODEL: local-kokoro-tts
       LITELLM_TTS_VOICE: sherpa/kokoro:am_adam
diff --git a/public/css/styles.css b/public/css/styles.css
index b9b73a8b..3873a5ad 100644
--- a/public/css/styles.css
+++ b/public/css/styles.css
@@ -1273,6 +1273,15 @@ textarea.full-input{resize:vertical;}
 body.assistant-workspace .announcement-banner { display:none; }
 body.assistant-workspace .app-body { min-height:100vh; }
 body.assistant-workspace #assistant-tab.active { width:100%; }
+/* The hidden attribute must actually hide.
+   The browser's own rule is [hidden]{display:none}, but that lives in the user
+   agent stylesheet, so ANY author rule setting display beats it — .btn-sm sets
+   display:inline-flex, so `<button hidden class="btn-sm">` stayed on screen.
+   That is why "Retry loading settings" was always visible even though the
+   settings had loaded fine. Previous fixes bolted style="display:none" onto
+   individual elements; this fixes every one of them at once. */
+[hidden] { display: none !important; }
+
 /* iOS: taps on controls must not trigger double-tap zoom */
 button, a, .btn-sm, .btn-generate, .btn-send, .tab-btn, input, textarea, select, label { touch-action: manipulation; }