diff --git a/app/Jobs/ApplicationDeploymentJob.php b/app/Jobs/ApplicationDeploymentJob.php
index 971c1d806..f9c181a1c 100644
--- a/app/Jobs/ApplicationDeploymentJob.php
+++ b/app/Jobs/ApplicationDeploymentJob.php
@@ -2322,8 +2322,8 @@ private function generate_compose_file()
             $this->application->parseHealthcheckFromDockerfile($this->saved_outputs->get('dockerfile_from_repo'));
         }
         $custom_network_aliases = [];
-        if (is_array($this->application->custom_network_aliases) && count($this->application->custom_network_aliases) > 0) {
-            $custom_network_aliases = $this->application->custom_network_aliases;
+        if (is_array($this->application->custom_network_aliases_array) && count($this->application->custom_network_aliases_array) > 0) {
+            $custom_network_aliases = $this->application->custom_network_aliases_array;
         }
         $docker_compose = [
             'services' => [
diff --git a/app/Models/Application.php b/app/Models/Application.php
index 32459f752..aa04ceea2 100644
--- a/app/Models/Application.php
+++ b/app/Models/Application.php
@@ -120,7 +120,6 @@ class Application extends BaseModel
     protected $appends = ['server_status'];
 
     protected $casts = [
-        'custom_network_aliases' => 'array',
         'http_basic_auth_password' => 'encrypted',
     ];
 
@@ -253,6 +252,30 @@ public function customNetworkAliases(): Attribute
                     return null;
                 }
 
+                if (is_string($value) && $this->isJson($value)) {
+                    $decoded = json_decode($value, true);
+
+                    // Return as comma-separated string, not array
+                    return is_array($decoded) ? implode(',', $decoded) : $value;
+                }
+
+                return $value;
+            }
+        );
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get custom_network_aliases as an array
+     */
+    public function customNetworkAliasesArray(): Attribute
+    {
+        return Attribute::make(
+            get: function () {
+                $value = $this->getRawOriginal('custom_network_aliases');
+                if (is_null($value)) {
+                    return null;
+                }
+
                 if (is_string($value) && $this->isJson($value)) {
                     return json_decode($value, true);
                 }
@@ -957,7 +980,7 @@ public function isLogDrainEnabled()
 
     public function isConfigurationChanged(bool $save = false)
     {
-        $newConfigHash = base64_encode($this->fqdn.$this->git_repository.$this->git_branch.$this->git_commit_sha.$this->build_pack.$this->static_image.$this->install_command.$this->build_command.$this->start_command.$this->ports_exposes.$this->ports_mappings.$this->base_directory.$this->publish_directory.$this->dockerfile.$this->dockerfile_location.$this->custom_labels.$this->custom_docker_run_options.$this->dockerfile_target_build.$this->redirect.$this->custom_nginx_configuration.$this->custom_labels.$this->settings->use_build_secrets);
+        $newConfigHash = base64_encode($this->fqdn.$this->git_repository.$this->git_branch.$this->git_commit_sha.$this->build_pack.$this->static_image.$this->install_command.$this->build_command.$this->start_command.$this->ports_exposes.$this->ports_mappings.$this->custom_network_aliases.$this->base_directory.$this->publish_directory.$this->dockerfile.$this->dockerfile_location.$this->custom_labels.$this->custom_docker_run_options.$this->dockerfile_target_build.$this->redirect.$this->custom_nginx_configuration.$this->custom_labels.$this->settings->use_build_secrets);
         if ($this->pull_request_id === 0 || $this->pull_request_id === null) {
             $newConfigHash .= json_encode($this->environment_variables()->get(['value',  'is_multiline', 'is_literal', 'is_buildtime', 'is_runtime'])->sort());
         } else {
diff --git a/bootstrap/helpers/api.php b/bootstrap/helpers/api.php
index 5d0f9a2a7..488653fb1 100644
--- a/bootstrap/helpers/api.php
+++ b/bootstrap/helpers/api.php
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ function sharedDataApplications()
         'start_command' => 'string|nullable',
         'ports_exposes' => 'string|regex:/^(\d+)(,\d+)*$/',
         'ports_mappings' => 'string|regex:/^(\d+:\d+)(,\d+:\d+)*$/|nullable',
+        'custom_network_aliases' => 'string|nullable',
         'base_directory' => 'string|nullable',
         'publish_directory' => 'string|nullable',
         'health_check_enabled' => 'boolean',
diff --git a/tests/Unit/ApplicationConfigurationChangeTest.php b/tests/Unit/ApplicationConfigurationChangeTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a9763ea34
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Unit/ApplicationConfigurationChangeTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+<?php
+
+use App\Models\Application;
+
+/**
+ * Unit test to verify that custom_network_aliases is included in configuration change detection.
+ * These tests verify the hash calculation includes the field by checking the behavior.
+ */
+it('custom_network_aliases affects configuration hash', function () {
+    // Test helper to calculate hash like isConfigurationChanged does
+    $calculateHash = function ($customNetworkAliases) {
+        return md5(base64_encode(
+            'example.com'. // fqdn
+            'https://github.com/example/repo'. // git_repository
+            'main'. // git_branch
+            'abc123'. // git_commit_sha
+            'nixpacks'. // build_pack
+            null. // static_image
+            'npm install'. // install_command
+            'npm run build'. // build_command
+            'npm start'. // start_command
+            '3000'. // ports_exposes
+            null. // ports_mappings
+            $customNetworkAliases. // custom_network_aliases (THIS IS THE KEY LINE)
+            '/'. // base_directory
+            null. // publish_directory
+            null. // dockerfile
+            'Dockerfile'. // dockerfile_location
+            null. // custom_labels
+            null. // custom_docker_run_options
+            null. // dockerfile_target_build
+            null. // redirect
+            null. // custom_nginx_configuration
+            null. // custom_labels (duplicate)
+            false // use_build_secrets
+        ));
+    };
+
+    // Different custom_network_aliases should produce different hashes
+    $hash1 = $calculateHash('api.internal,api.local');
+    $hash2 = $calculateHash('api.internal,api.local,api.staging');
+    $hash3 = $calculateHash(null);
+
+    expect($hash1)->not->toBe($hash2)
+        ->and($hash1)->not->toBe($hash3)
+        ->and($hash2)->not->toBe($hash3);
+});
+
+it('custom_network_aliases is in the configuration hash fields', function () {
+    // This test verifies the field is in the isConfigurationChanged method by reading the source
+    $reflection = new ReflectionClass(Application::class);
+    $method = $reflection->getMethod('isConfigurationChanged');
+    $source = file_get_contents($method->getFileName());
+
+    // Extract the method source
+    $lines = explode("\n", $source);
+    $methodStartLine = $method->getStartLine() - 1;
+    $methodEndLine = $method->getEndLine();
+    $methodSource = implode("\n", array_slice($lines, $methodStartLine, $methodEndLine - $methodStartLine));
+
+    // Verify custom_network_aliases is in the hash calculation
+    expect($methodSource)->toContain('$this->custom_network_aliases')
+        ->and($methodSource)->toContain('ports_mappings');
+});
diff --git a/tests/Unit/ApplicationNetworkAliasesSyncTest.php b/tests/Unit/ApplicationNetworkAliasesSyncTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..552ac854c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Unit/ApplicationNetworkAliasesSyncTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+<?php
+
+use App\Models\Application;
+
+/**
+ * Unit test to verify custom_network_aliases conversion from array to string.
+ *
+ * The issue: Application model's accessor returns an array, but the Livewire
+ * component property is typed as ?string for the text input field.
+ * The conversion happens in mount() after syncFromModel().
+ */
+it('converts array aliases to comma-separated string', function () {
+    // Test that an array is correctly converted to a string
+    $aliases = ['api.internal', 'api.local'];
+    $result = implode(',', $aliases);
+
+    expect($result)->toBe('api.internal,api.local')
+        ->and($result)->toBeString();
+});
+
+it('handles null aliases', function () {
+    // Test that null remains null
+    $aliases = null;
+
+    if (is_array($aliases)) {
+        $result = implode(',', $aliases);
+    } else {
+        $result = $aliases;
+    }
+
+    expect($result)->toBeNull();
+});
+
+it('handles empty array aliases', function () {
+    // Test that empty array becomes empty string
+    $aliases = [];
+    $result = implode(',', $aliases);
+
+    expect($result)->toBe('')
+        ->and($result)->toBeString();
+});
+
+it('handles single alias', function () {
+    // Test that single-element array is converted correctly
+    $aliases = ['api.internal'];
+    $result = implode(',', $aliases);
+
+    expect($result)->toBe('api.internal')
+        ->and($result)->toBeString();
+});