diff --git a/tools/docker/Dockerfile.mc-ai b/tools/docker/Dockerfile.mc-ai
index 9ffff367..2614d0d7 100644
--- a/tools/docker/Dockerfile.mc-ai
+++ b/tools/docker/Dockerfile.mc-ai
@@ -42,6 +42,11 @@ RUN apt-get update \
 # Rust build.
 WORKDIR /build
 COPY src/simulator ./src/simulator
+# Several mc-* crates `include_str!("../../../../../public/...")` at compile
+# time (mc-comms/config.rs, mc-trade/rules.rs, mc-score/lib.rs, mc-ecology
+# generation.rs, etc.) — the JSON game pack + resources tree must be present
+# during the cargo build, not just at runtime.
+COPY public ./public
 
 # BuildKit cache mounts persist cargo registry + target dir across image
 # rebuilds, so the second build of any SHA reuses everything that didn't