diff --git a/.run/npm-dev.run.xml b/.run/npm-dev.run.xml
index 828d585..bb1ac28 100644
--- a/.run/npm-dev.run.xml
+++ b/.run/npm-dev.run.xml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
     <node-interpreter value="project" />
     <envs>
       <env name="HCAPTCHA_SECRET" value="10000000-ffff-ffff-ffff-000000000001" />
+      <env name="USE_LOCAL_GATEWAY" value="true" />
     </envs>
     <method v="2" />
   </configuration>
diff --git a/frontend/app/api/contact/route.ts b/frontend/app/api/contact/route.ts
index 4144b9c..0c4688a 100644
--- a/frontend/app/api/contact/route.ts
+++ b/frontend/app/api/contact/route.ts
@@ -1,54 +1,72 @@
-import {NextRequest, NextResponse} from 'next/server';
+import {NextRequest, NextResponse} from 'next/server'
 
-const HCAPTCHA_SECRET = process.env.HCAPTCHA_SECRET ?? '';
-const SHARED_API_KEY = process.env.SHARED_API_KEY ?? '';
+const HCAPTCHA_SECRET = process.env.HCAPTCHA_SECRET ?? ''
+const SHARED_API_KEY = process.env.SHARED_API_KEY ?? ''
+
+// Detect whether to use localhost or Docker gateway
+const useLocalGatewayEnv = process.env.USE_LOCAL_GATEWAY
+const useLocalGateway = useLocalGatewayEnv?.toLowerCase() === 'true'
+const gatewayHost = useLocalGateway ? 'http://localhost:8080' : 'http://gateway:8080'
 
 export async function POST(req: NextRequest) {
     try {
-        const body = await req.json();
-        const origin = req.headers.get("origin") || "http://localhost:3000";
-        const captchaToken = body.captcha;
+        const body = await req.json()
+        const origin = req.headers.get('origin') || 'http://localhost:3000'
+        const captchaToken = body.captcha
 
         if (!captchaToken) {
-            return NextResponse.json({success: false, error: 'Captcha is required'}, {status: 400});
+            return NextResponse.json(
+                {success: false, error: 'Captcha is required'},
+                {status: 400}
+            )
         }
 
-        // Step 1: Verify hCaptcha token with their API
-        // const verifyResponse = await fetch('https://api.hcaptcha.com/siteverify', {
-        //     method: 'POST',
-        //     headers: {'Content-Type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded'},
-        //     body: new URLSearchParams({
-        //         secret: HCAPTCHA_SECRET,
-        //         response: captchaToken,
-        //     }),
-        // });
-        //
-        // const captchaResult = await verifyResponse.json();
-        //
-        // if (!captchaResult.success) {
-        //     return NextResponse.json({success: false, error: 'Captcha verification failed'}, {status: 403});
-        // }
+        // Step 1: Verify hCaptcha token
+        const verifyResponse = await fetch('https://api.hcaptcha.com/siteverify', {
+            method: 'POST',
+            headers: {'Content-Type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded'},
+            body: new URLSearchParams({
+                secret: HCAPTCHA_SECRET,
+                response: captchaToken,
+            }),
+        })
 
-        // Step 2: Forward valid contact request to Spring Boot backend
-        const backendRes = await fetch('http://localhost:8080/api/contact', {
+        const captchaResult = await verifyResponse.json()
+        console.log('[ContactAPI] hCaptcha result:', captchaResult)
+
+        if (!captchaResult.success) {
+            return NextResponse.json(
+                {success: false, error: 'Captcha verification failed'},
+                {status: 403}
+            )
+        }
+
+        // Step 2: Forward to backend service
+        const backendRes = await fetch(`${gatewayHost}/api/contact`, {
             method: 'POST',
             headers: {
-                "Origin": origin,
+                Origin: origin,
                 'Content-Type': 'application/json',
                 'X-Frontend-Key': SHARED_API_KEY,
             },
             body: JSON.stringify(body),
-        });
+        })
 
-        const backendText = await backendRes.text();
+        const backendText = await backendRes.text()
 
         if (!backendRes.ok) {
-            return NextResponse.json({success: false, error: backendText}, {status: backendRes.status});
+            return NextResponse.json(
+                {success: false, error: backendText},
+                {status: backendRes.status}
+            )
         }
 
-        return NextResponse.json({success: true, message: backendText});
+        return NextResponse.json({success: true, message: backendText})
     } catch (err: any) {
-        console.error('[ContactAPI] error:', err);
-        return NextResponse.json({success: false, error: err.message}, {status: 500});
+        console.error('[ContactAPI] error:', err)
+        return NextResponse.json(
+            {success: false, error: err.message},
+            {status: 500}
+        )
     }
 }