diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 173d283b..cf1ebd49 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -152,7 +152,6 @@ jobs:
   # Validate plano config
   # ──────────────────────────────────────────────
   validate-config:
-    needs: docker-build
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Checkout code
@@ -163,14 +162,8 @@ jobs:
         with:
           python-version: "3.14"
 
-      - name: Download plano image
-        uses: actions/download-artifact@v7
-        with:
-          name: plano-image
-          path: /tmp
-
-      - name: Load plano image
-        run: docker load -i /tmp/plano-image.tar
+      - name: Install planoai
+        run: pip install ./cli
 
       - name: Validate plano config
         run: bash config/validate_plano_config.sh
diff --git a/cli/planoai/docker_cli.py b/cli/planoai/docker_cli.py
index f691cfb4..0e66c781 100644
--- a/cli/planoai/docker_cli.py
+++ b/cli/planoai/docker_cli.py
@@ -40,11 +40,35 @@ def docker_remove_container(container: str) -> str:
     return result.returncode
 
 
+def _prepare_docker_config(plano_config_file: str) -> str:
+    """Copy config to a temp file, replacing localhost with host.docker.internal.
+
+    Configs use localhost for native-first mode, but Docker containers need
+    host.docker.internal to reach services on the host.
+    """
+    import tempfile
+
+    with open(plano_config_file, "r") as f:
+        content = f.read()
+
+    if "localhost" not in content:
+        return plano_config_file
+
+    content = content.replace("localhost", "host.docker.internal")
+    tmp = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(
+        mode="w", suffix=".yaml", prefix="plano_config_", delete=False
+    )
+    tmp.write(content)
+    tmp.close()
+    return tmp.name
+
+
 def docker_start_plano_detached(
     plano_config_file: str,
     env: dict,
     gateway_ports: list[int],
 ) -> str:
+    docker_config = _prepare_docker_config(plano_config_file)
     env_args = [item for key, value in env.items() for item in ["-e", f"{key}={value}"]]
 
     port_mappings = [
@@ -58,7 +82,7 @@ def docker_start_plano_detached(
     port_mappings_args = [item for port in port_mappings for item in ("-p", port)]
 
     volume_mappings = [
-        f"{plano_config_file}:/app/plano_config.yaml:ro",
+        f"{docker_config}:/app/plano_config.yaml:ro",
     ]
     volume_mappings_args = [
         item for volume in volume_mappings for item in ("-v", volume)