diff --git a/panel/lib/DockerManager.php b/panel/lib/DockerManager.php
index e1e4dca..9cd9e8e 100644
--- a/panel/lib/DockerManager.php
+++ b/panel/lib/DockerManager.php
@@ -397,10 +397,15 @@ SH;
         $yaml = $this->generateComposeYaml($appKey, $domain, $params);
         $stack = $this->createStack($accountId, "{$appKey}-{$domain}", $yaml);
 
-        // Write stack and start it
-        $out = $this->composeAction((int)$stack['id'], 'up');
-        novacpx_log('info', "DockerManager: launched {$appKey} for account {$accountId} on {$domain}");
-        return ['stack_id' => $stack['id'], 'dir' => $stack['dir'], 'output' => $out];
+        // Pull images and start stack in background (image pulls can take minutes)
+        $dir    = $stack['dir'];
+        $stackId = (int)$stack['id'];
+        $logFile = escapeshellarg("/tmp/novacpx-stack-{$stackId}.log");
+        $compose = escapeshellarg("{$dir}/docker-compose.yml");
+        shell_exec("nohup sudo docker compose -f {$compose} up -d > {$logFile} 2>&1 &");
+        $this->db->execute("UPDATE docker_compose_stacks SET status='starting' WHERE id=?", [$stackId]);
+        novacpx_log('info', "DockerManager: launching {$appKey} for account {$accountId} on {$domain} (async)");
+        return ['stack_id' => $stackId, 'dir' => $dir, 'output' => 'Launching in background — refresh in a moment to see status'];
     }
 
     private function generateComposeYaml(string $appKey, string $domain, array $p): string {
diff --git a/panel/lib/EmailManager.php b/panel/lib/EmailManager.php
index 432748e..87688b3 100644
--- a/panel/lib/EmailManager.php
+++ b/panel/lib/EmailManager.php
@@ -87,8 +87,8 @@ class EmailManager {
             $user   = strstr($a['email'], '@', true);
             $mailboxes .= "{$a['email']}   {$a['username']}/{$domain}/{$user}/\n";
         }
-        file_put_contents('/etc/postfix/novacpx_mailboxes', $mailboxes);
-        shell_exec('postmap /etc/postfix/novacpx_mailboxes 2>/dev/null');
+        self::writePostfixFile('/etc/postfix/novacpx_mailboxes', $mailboxes);
+        shell_exec('sudo postmap /etc/postfix/novacpx_mailboxes 2>/dev/null');
 
         // Virtual alias map (forwarders)
         $forwarders = $db->fetchAll("SELECT source, destination FROM email_forwarders");
@@ -96,16 +96,23 @@ class EmailManager {
         foreach ($forwarders as $f) {
             $aliases .= "{$f['source']}   {$f['destination']}\n";
         }
-        file_put_contents('/etc/postfix/novacpx_aliases', $aliases);
-        shell_exec('postmap /etc/postfix/novacpx_aliases 2>/dev/null');
+        self::writePostfixFile('/etc/postfix/novacpx_aliases', $aliases);
+        shell_exec('sudo postmap /etc/postfix/novacpx_aliases 2>/dev/null');
 
-        // Virtual domains map
-        $domains = $db->fetchAll("SELECT DISTINCT SUBSTRING_INDEX(email,'@',-1) as domain FROM email_accounts WHERE status='active'");
+        // Virtual domains map — SQLite-compatible (no SUBSTRING_INDEX)
+        $domains = $db->fetchAll("SELECT DISTINCT SUBSTR(email, INSTR(email,'@') + 1) AS domain FROM email_accounts WHERE status='active'");
         $vdomains = '';
         foreach ($domains as $d) { $vdomains .= "{$d['domain']}   novacpx\n"; }
-        file_put_contents('/etc/postfix/novacpx_domains', $vdomains);
-        shell_exec('postmap /etc/postfix/novacpx_domains 2>/dev/null');
-        shell_exec('systemctl reload postfix 2>/dev/null || true');
+        self::writePostfixFile('/etc/postfix/novacpx_domains', $vdomains);
+        shell_exec('sudo postmap /etc/postfix/novacpx_domains 2>/dev/null');
+        shell_exec('sudo systemctl reload postfix 2>/dev/null || true');
+    }
+
+    private static function writePostfixFile(string $path, string $content): void {
+        $tmp = tempnam('/tmp', 'ncpx_pf_');
+        file_put_contents($tmp, $content);
+        shell_exec('sudo tee ' . escapeshellarg($path) . ' > /dev/null < ' . escapeshellarg($tmp));
+        @unlink($tmp);
     }
 
     private static function hashPassword(string $password): string {