diff --git a/angular.json b/angular.json
index c2f9e9e..954bdf6 100644
--- a/angular.json
+++ b/angular.json
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
       "sourceRoot": "src",
       "prefix": "app",
       "i18n": {
-        "sourceLocale": "nl",
+        "sourceLocale": { "code": "nl", "subPath": "" },
         "locales": {
           "en": {
             "translation": "src/locale/messages.en.xlf"
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 9ecb25d..8fa0e4e 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 # ponytail: dev-server images (not multi-stage prod builds) — this is a demo.
-# `docker compose up` → app at http://localhost:4200 (LOCALIZED: /nl/ + /en/, the header
-# language switcher works), Swagger at http://localhost:5000/swagger. The web container does a
-# one-time `ng build --localize` then serves both locale bundles statically (with /api proxied);
-# for a fast HMR loop use `npm start` locally instead (nl-only at /).
+# `docker compose up` → app at http://localhost:4200 (LOCALIZED: nl at /, en at /en/, the header
+# language switcher works, and the dev `⚙ state` panel stays visible), Swagger at :5000/swagger.
+# The web container does a one-time `ng build --configuration development --localize` (development
+# config keeps isDevMode()=true so the dev tools render) then serves both locale bundles
+# statically (with /api proxied); for a fast HMR loop use `npm start` locally instead (nl at /).
 services:
   api:
     image: mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/sdk:10.0
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ services:
     # once (`ng build --localize`) then serves them statically via scripts/serve-i18n.mjs
     # (per-locale SPA fallback + /api reverse-proxy → the api container), so the language
     # switcher actually switches. ponytail: `--no-fund --loglevel=error` silences npm 11 noise.
-    command: sh -c "npm ci --no-fund --loglevel=error && npx ng build --localize && node scripts/serve-i18n.mjs"
+    command: sh -c "npm ci --no-fund --loglevel=error && npx ng build --configuration development --localize && node scripts/serve-i18n.mjs"
     environment:
       - PORT=4200
       - API_PROXY_TARGET=http://api:5000
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 9be12b7..f195cae 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
     "gen": "plop",
     "gen:value-object": "plop value-object",
     "gen:form-machine": "plop form-machine",
-    "serve:i18n": "ng build --localize && node scripts/serve-i18n.mjs",
+    "serve:i18n": "ng build --configuration development --localize && node scripts/serve-i18n.mjs",
     "ci": "bash scripts/ci-local.sh",
     "e2e": "playwright test",
     "extract-i18n": "ng extract-i18n --output-path src/locale"
diff --git a/scripts/serve-i18n.mjs b/scripts/serve-i18n.mjs
index f851ca6..8efda0d 100644
--- a/scripts/serve-i18n.mjs
+++ b/scripts/serve-i18n.mjs
@@ -52,25 +52,23 @@ createServer(async (req, res) => {
     return;
   }
   const url = decodeURIComponent(rawUrl.split('?')[0]);
-  // Landing at / has no locale bundle — redirect to Dutch.
-  if (url === '/') {
-    res.writeHead(302, { location: '/nl/' });
-    return res.end();
-  }
   const rel = normalize(url).replace(/^(\.\.[/\\])+/, ''); // no path traversal
-  const locale = url.startsWith('/en/') ? 'en' : 'nl';
+  // nl (source) is served at the ROOT (subPath ''); en lives under /en/.
+  const isEn = url === '/en' || url.startsWith('/en/');
+  const indexPath = isEn ? join(ROOT, 'en', 'index.html') : join(ROOT, 'index.html');
   try {
+    // A real asset (nl at root, en under /en/) — otherwise fall through to the SPA index.
+    if (url === '/' || url === '/en' || url === '/en/') throw new Error('serve index');
     const file = await readFile(join(ROOT, rel));
     send(res, 200, file, MIME[extname(rel)] ?? 'application/octet-stream');
   } catch {
     // SPA fallback to the requested locale's index.html.
     try {
-      const index = await readFile(join(ROOT, locale, 'index.html'));
-      send(res, 200, index, 'text/html');
+      send(res, 200, await readFile(indexPath), 'text/html');
     } catch {
       send(res, 404, 'Not found', 'text/plain');
     }
   }
 }).listen(PORT, () => {
-  console.log(`Serving ${ROOT} at http://localhost:${PORT}/  (→ /nl/, /en/)`);
+  console.log(`Serving ${ROOT} at http://localhost:${PORT}/  (nl at /, en at /en/)`);
 });
diff --git a/src/app/shared/layout/language-switcher/locale-links.spec.ts b/src/app/shared/layout/language-switcher/locale-links.spec.ts
index 903f838..f9480d2 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/layout/language-switcher/locale-links.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/layout/language-switcher/locale-links.spec.ts
@@ -1,27 +1,30 @@
 import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
 import { localeLinks } from './locale-links';
 
-describe('localeLinks', () => {
-  it('preserves the route when already under a locale prefix, marks the active one', () => {
-    const links = localeLinks('/nl/dashboard', 'nl');
+describe('localeLinks (nl at root, en under /en/)', () => {
+  it('an nl route (no prefix) links nl to the bare path, en under /en, marks active', () => {
+    const links = localeLinks('/dashboard', 'nl');
     expect(links.map((l) => [l.locale, l.href, l.active])).toEqual([
-      ['nl', '/nl/dashboard', true],
+      ['nl', '/dashboard', true],
       ['en', '/en/dashboard', false],
     ]);
   });
 
-  it('swaps the prefix and keeps a deep path (en active)', () => {
+  it('an en route strips the /en prefix for the nl target (deep path, en active)', () => {
     const links = localeLinks('/en/beheer/audit', 'en');
-    expect(links.find((l) => l.locale === 'nl')!.href).toBe('/nl/beheer/audit');
+    expect(links.find((l) => l.locale === 'nl')!.href).toBe('/beheer/audit');
     expect(links.find((l) => l.locale === 'en')!.active).toBe(true);
   });
 
-  it('handles an unprefixed dev path (served at /), keeps query + hash', () => {
+  it('keeps query + hash on both targets', () => {
     const links = localeLinks('/registreren', 'nl', '?scenario=slow', '#top');
+    expect(links.find((l) => l.locale === 'nl')!.href).toBe('/registreren?scenario=slow#top');
     expect(links.find((l) => l.locale === 'en')!.href).toBe('/en/registreren?scenario=slow#top');
   });
 
-  it('a bare locale root maps to the sibling root', () => {
-    expect(localeLinks('/nl', 'nl').find((l) => l.locale === 'en')!.href).toBe('/en/');
+  it('the root maps nl → / and en → /en/', () => {
+    const links = localeLinks('/', 'nl');
+    expect(links.find((l) => l.locale === 'nl')!.href).toBe('/');
+    expect(links.find((l) => l.locale === 'en')!.href).toBe('/en/');
   });
 });
diff --git a/src/app/shared/layout/language-switcher/locale-links.ts b/src/app/shared/layout/language-switcher/locale-links.ts
index 1eb68bd..997089f 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/layout/language-switcher/locale-links.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/layout/language-switcher/locale-links.ts
@@ -16,10 +16,11 @@ const LOCALES: readonly { locale: Locale; label: string }[] = [
 ];
 
 /**
- * Build the two language links for the switcher. Compile-time i18n serves each locale as its
- * own bundle under `/<locale>/`, so switching is a full navigation to the sibling bundle at the
- * same route. Strips any leading `/nl` or `/en` from the current path and re-prefixes the target
- * locale, keeping query + hash. Pure — no DOM (the component passes `location.*` in).
+ * Build the two language links for the switcher. Compile-time i18n serves the source locale
+ * (nl) at the ROOT (`subPath: ''`) and en under `/en/`, so switching is a full navigation to the
+ * sibling bundle at the same route. Strips a leading `/en` from the current path, then targets nl
+ * at the bare path and en under `/en`. Keeps query + hash. Pure — no DOM (the component passes
+ * `location.*` in).
  */
 export function localeLinks(
   pathname: string,
@@ -27,11 +28,12 @@ export function localeLinks(
   search = '',
   hash = '',
 ): LocaleLink[] {
-  const rest = pathname.replace(/^\/(nl|en)(?=\/|$)/, '') || '/';
+  const rest = pathname.replace(/^\/en(?=\/|$)/, '') || '/';
+  const href = (locale: Locale) => `${locale === 'en' ? `/en${rest}` : rest}${search}${hash}`;
   return LOCALES.map(({ locale, label }) => ({
     locale,
     label,
-    href: `/${locale}${rest}${search}${hash}`,
+    href: href(locale),
     active: locale === active,
   }));
 }