diff --git a/app/Jobs/ApplicationDeploymentJob.php b/app/Jobs/ApplicationDeploymentJob.php
index a624348c0..41de17b05 100644
--- a/app/Jobs/ApplicationDeploymentJob.php
+++ b/app/Jobs/ApplicationDeploymentJob.php
@@ -517,6 +517,10 @@ private function deploy_dockerimage_buildpack()
         $this->generate_image_names();
         $this->prepare_builder_image();
         $this->generate_compose_file();
+
+        // Save runtime environment variables (including empty .env file if no variables defined)
+        $this->save_runtime_environment_variables();
+
         $this->rolling_update();
     }
 
@@ -1222,9 +1226,9 @@ private function save_runtime_environment_variables()
 
         // Handle empty environment variables
         if ($environment_variables->isEmpty()) {
-            // For Docker Compose, we need to create an empty .env file
+            // For Docker Compose and Docker Image, we need to create an empty .env file
             // because we always reference it in the compose file
-            if ($this->build_pack === 'dockercompose') {
+            if ($this->build_pack === 'dockercompose' || $this->build_pack === 'dockerimage') {
                 $this->application_deployment_queue->addLogEntry('Creating empty .env file (no environment variables defined).');
 
                 // Create empty .env file
diff --git a/tests/Unit/ApplicationDeploymentEmptyEnvTest.php b/tests/Unit/ApplicationDeploymentEmptyEnvTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8649b8f9b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Unit/ApplicationDeploymentEmptyEnvTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * Test to verify that empty .env files are created for build packs that require them.
+ *
+ * This test verifies the fix for the issue where deploying a Docker image without
+ * environment variables would fail because Docker Compose expects a .env file
+ * when env_file: ['.env'] is specified in the compose file.
+ *
+ * The fix ensures that for 'dockerimage' and 'dockercompose' build packs,
+ * an empty .env file is created even when there are no environment variables defined.
+ */
+it('determines which build packs require empty .env file creation', function () {
+    // Build packs that set env_file: ['.env'] in the generated compose file
+    // and thus require an empty .env file even when no environment variables are defined
+    $buildPacksRequiringEnvFile = ['dockerimage', 'dockercompose'];
+
+    // Build packs that don't use env_file in the compose file
+    $buildPacksNotRequiringEnvFile = ['dockerfile', 'nixpacks', 'static'];
+
+    foreach ($buildPacksRequiringEnvFile as $buildPack) {
+        // Verify the condition matches our fix
+        $requiresEnvFile = ($buildPack === 'dockercompose' || $buildPack === 'dockerimage');
+        expect($requiresEnvFile)->toBeTrue("Build pack '{$buildPack}' should require empty .env file");
+    }
+
+    foreach ($buildPacksNotRequiringEnvFile as $buildPack) {
+        // These build packs also use env_file but call save_runtime_environment_variables()
+        // after generate_compose_file(), so they handle empty env files themselves
+        $requiresEnvFile = ($buildPack === 'dockercompose' || $buildPack === 'dockerimage');
+        expect($requiresEnvFile)->toBeFalse("Build pack '{$buildPack}' should not match the condition");
+    }
+});
+
+it('verifies dockerimage build pack is included in empty env file creation logic', function () {
+    $buildPack = 'dockerimage';
+    $shouldCreateEmptyEnvFile = ($buildPack === 'dockercompose' || $buildPack === 'dockerimage');
+
+    expect($shouldCreateEmptyEnvFile)->toBeTrue(
+        'dockerimage build pack should create empty .env file when no environment variables are defined'
+    );
+});
+
+it('verifies dockercompose build pack is included in empty env file creation logic', function () {
+    $buildPack = 'dockercompose';
+    $shouldCreateEmptyEnvFile = ($buildPack === 'dockercompose' || $buildPack === 'dockerimage');
+
+    expect($shouldCreateEmptyEnvFile)->toBeTrue(
+        'dockercompose build pack should create empty .env file when no environment variables are defined'
+    );
+});
+
+it('verifies other build packs are not included in empty env file creation logic', function () {
+    $otherBuildPacks = ['dockerfile', 'nixpacks', 'static', 'buildpack'];
+
+    foreach ($otherBuildPacks as $buildPack) {
+        $shouldCreateEmptyEnvFile = ($buildPack === 'dockercompose' || $buildPack === 'dockerimage');
+
+        expect($shouldCreateEmptyEnvFile)->toBeFalse(
+            "Build pack '{$buildPack}' should not create empty .env file in save_runtime_environment_variables()"
+        );
+    }
+});