Try out this build!

docker/Dockerfile

@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ RUN bun install --frozen-lockfile
 ENV NEXT_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=1
 ENV NODE_ENV=production
 RUN cd apps/next && bun run build:docker
+RUN bun scripts/copy-next-runtime-deps.mjs
 
 # Runner stage
 FROM docker.io/library/node:22-alpine AS runner
@@ -54,7 +55,6 @@ RUN addgroup --system --gid 1001 nodejs && \
 
 # Copy built application
 COPY --from=builder --chown=nextjs:nodejs /app/apps/next/.next/standalone ./
-COPY --from=builder --chown=nextjs:nodejs /app/node_modules/ws ./node_modules/ws
 COPY --from=builder --chown=nextjs:nodejs /app/apps/next/.next/static ./apps/next/.next/static
 COPY --from=builder --chown=nextjs:nodejs /app/apps/next/public ./apps/next/public
 

scripts/copy-next-runtime-deps.mjs

@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+import { existsSync, mkdirSync, readFileSync, rmSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { cp } from 'node:fs/promises';
+import path from 'node:path';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
+
+const rootDir = path.resolve(
+  path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)),
+  '..',
+);
+const rootNodeModules = path.join(rootDir, 'node_modules');
+const standaloneNodeModules = path.join(
+  rootDir,
+  'apps/next/.next/standalone/node_modules',
+);
+
+const seedPackages = [
+  '@payloadcms/db-postgres',
+  '@payloadcms/graphql',
+  '@payloadcms/next',
+  '@payloadcms/richtext-lexical',
+  '@payloadcms/ui',
+  'payload',
+];
+
+const packageJsonPathFor = (packageName, startDir) => {
+  let current = startDir;
+
+  while (true) {
+    const candidate = path.join(
+      current,
+      'node_modules',
+      packageName,
+      'package.json',
+    );
+
+    if (existsSync(candidate)) {
+      return candidate;
+    }
+
+    const parent = path.dirname(current);
+
+    if (parent === current) {
+      return null;
+    }
+
+    current = parent;
+  }
+};
+
+const targetDirFor = (packageName) =>
+  path.join(standaloneNodeModules, ...packageName.split('/'));
+
+const copyPackage = async (packageName, startDir, seen) => {
+  if (seen.has(packageName)) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  seen.add(packageName);
+
+  const packageJsonPath = packageJsonPathFor(packageName, startDir);
+
+  if (!packageJsonPath) {
+    throw new Error(`Unable to resolve runtime package "${packageName}"`);
+  }
+
+  const packageDir = path.dirname(packageJsonPath);
+  const packageJson = JSON.parse(readFileSync(packageJsonPath, 'utf8'));
+  const targetDir = targetDirFor(packageName);
+
+  rmSync(targetDir, { force: true, recursive: true });
+  mkdirSync(path.dirname(targetDir), { recursive: true });
+  await cp(packageDir, targetDir, {
+    dereference: false,
+    errorOnExist: false,
+    force: true,
+    recursive: true,
+  });
+
+  const dependencies = {
+    ...packageJson.dependencies,
+  };
+  const optionalDependencies = {
+    ...packageJson.optionalDependencies,
+  };
+
+  for (const dependencyName of [
+    ...Object.keys(dependencies).sort(),
+    ...Object.keys(optionalDependencies).sort(),
+  ]) {
+    if (dependencyName.startsWith('@types/')) {
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    try {
+      await copyPackage(dependencyName, packageDir, seen);
+    } catch (error) {
+      if (dependencyName in optionalDependencies) {
+        continue;
+      }
+
+      throw error;
+    }
+  }
+};
+
+mkdirSync(standaloneNodeModules, { recursive: true });
+
+const seen = new Set();
+
+for (const packageName of seedPackages) {
+  await copyPackage(packageName, rootDir, seen);
+}
+
+console.log(
+  `Copied ${seen.size} Payload runtime packages into Next standalone output.`,
+);