diff --git a/apps/server/package.json b/apps/server/package.json
index 86578e2..3a7adf8 100644
--- a/apps/server/package.json
+++ b/apps/server/package.json
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
     "@prisma/client": "^5.15.0",
     "class-transformer": "^0.5.1",
     "class-validator": "^0.15.1",
+    "express": "^4.22.1",
     "openai": "^4.104.0",
     "reflect-metadata": "^0.2.0",
     "rxjs": "^7.8.0"
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index c09eca0..bc4f4b2 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ importers:
       class-validator:
         specifier: ^0.15.1
         version: 0.15.1
+      express:
+        specifier: ^4.22.1
+        version: 4.22.1
       openai:
         specifier: ^4.104.0
         version: 4.104.0
diff --git a/scripts/verify-production-deploy.mjs b/scripts/verify-production-deploy.mjs
index 3579b9a..bb238d3 100644
--- a/scripts/verify-production-deploy.mjs
+++ b/scripts/verify-production-deploy.mjs
@@ -4,6 +4,13 @@ import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
 
 const root = dirname(fileURLToPath(new URL('../package.json', import.meta.url)));
 
+const requiredRuntimeDependencies = [
+  {
+    packageFile: 'apps/server/package.json',
+    dependencies: ['express'],
+  },
+];
+
 const checks = [
   {
     file: 'Dockerfile.web',
@@ -137,6 +144,24 @@ for (const check of checks) {
   }
 }
 
+for (const check of requiredRuntimeDependencies) {
+  const abs = join(root, check.packageFile);
+  if (!existsSync(abs)) {
+    console.error(`Missing package file: ${check.packageFile}`);
+    failed = true;
+    continue;
+  }
+
+  const pkg = JSON.parse(readFileSync(abs, 'utf8'));
+  const dependencies = pkg.dependencies ?? {};
+  for (const dependency of check.dependencies) {
+    if (!dependencies[dependency]) {
+      console.error(`Missing runtime dependency in ${check.packageFile}: ${dependency}`);
+      failed = true;
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 if (failed) {
   process.exit(1);
 }