diff --git a/internal/container/apple.go b/internal/container/apple.go
index 5c9b7cac..8f607038 100644
--- a/internal/container/apple.go
+++ b/internal/container/apple.go
@@ -302,9 +302,9 @@ func (r *AppleRuntime) buildCreateArgs(cfg Config) ([]string, error) {
 		args = append(args, "--volume", mountStr)
 	}
 
-	// Tmpfs mounts (overlays for excluded directories)
+	// --mount (not --tmpfs) so we can set the mode; --tmpfs accepts no options.
 	for _, tm := range cfg.TmpfsMounts {
-		args = append(args, "--tmpfs", tm.Target)
+		args = append(args, "--mount", fmt.Sprintf("type=tmpfs,destination=%s,mode=%o", tm.Target, tmpfsMode))
 	}
 
 	// Image
diff --git a/internal/container/apple_test.go b/internal/container/apple_test.go
index a582cfc1..44b62441 100644
--- a/internal/container/apple_test.go
+++ b/internal/container/apple_test.go
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ func TestBuildCreateArgs(t *testing.T) {
 					{Target: "/workspace/node_modules"},
 				},
 			},
-			want: []string{"create", "--memory", "4096MB", "--dns", "8.8.8.8", "--dns", "8.8.4.4", "--tmpfs", "/workspace/node_modules", "ubuntu:22.04"},
+			want: []string{"create", "--memory", "4096MB", "--dns", "8.8.8.8", "--dns", "8.8.4.4", "--mount", "type=tmpfs,destination=/workspace/node_modules,mode=1777", "ubuntu:22.04"},
 		},
 		{
 			name: "with volume and tmpfs mounts",
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ func TestBuildCreateArgs(t *testing.T) {
 					{Target: "/workspace/.venv"},
 				},
 			},
-			want: []string{"create", "--memory", "4096MB", "--dns", "8.8.8.8", "--dns", "8.8.4.4", "--volume", "/home/user/project:/workspace", "--tmpfs", "/workspace/node_modules", "--tmpfs", "/workspace/.venv", "ubuntu:22.04"},
+			want: []string{"create", "--memory", "4096MB", "--dns", "8.8.8.8", "--dns", "8.8.4.4", "--volume", "/home/user/project:/workspace", "--mount", "type=tmpfs,destination=/workspace/node_modules,mode=1777", "--mount", "type=tmpfs,destination=/workspace/.venv,mode=1777", "ubuntu:22.04"},
 		},
 		{
 			// Apple's container CLI has no --add-host equivalent. ExtraHosts must
diff --git a/internal/container/docker.go b/internal/container/docker.go
index 2a19aa02..110472c5 100644
--- a/internal/container/docker.go
+++ b/internal/container/docker.go
@@ -161,21 +161,12 @@ func (r *DockerRuntime) Ping(ctx context.Context) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// CreateContainer creates a new Docker container.
-func (r *DockerRuntime) CreateContainer(ctx context.Context, cfg Config) (string, error) {
-	// Verify gVisor is still available if we're configured to use it
-	if r.ociRuntime == "runsc" && !r.gvisorAvailable() {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("gVisor was available at startup but is no longer configured - did Docker daemon configuration change? %w", ErrGVisorNotAvailable)
-	}
-
-	// Pull image if not present
-	if err := r.ensureImage(ctx, cfg.Image); err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-
-	// Convert mounts
-	mounts := make([]mount.Mount, 0, len(cfg.Mounts)+len(cfg.TmpfsMounts))
-	for _, m := range cfg.Mounts {
+// buildContainerMounts converts moat's MountConfig and TmpfsMount entries into
+// Docker SDK mount.Mount structs. Tmpfs mounts follow bind mounts so overlays
+// of paths inside a bind take effect.
+func buildContainerMounts(binds []MountConfig, tmpfs []TmpfsMount) []mount.Mount {
+	mounts := make([]mount.Mount, 0, len(binds)+len(tmpfs))
+	for _, m := range binds {
 		mounts = append(mounts, mount.Mount{
 			Type:     mount.TypeBind,
 			Source:   m.Source,
@@ -183,14 +174,34 @@ func (r *DockerRuntime) CreateContainer(ctx context.Context, cfg Config) (string
 			ReadOnly: m.ReadOnly,
 		})
 	}
-	// Tmpfs mounts — overlays for excluded directories.
-	// Appended after bind mounts so tmpfs overlays subdirectories of bind-mounted paths.
-	for _, tm := range cfg.TmpfsMounts {
+	for _, tm := range tmpfs {
+		// "exec" overrides runc's default noexec — excluded paths like
+		// node_modules contain native binaries (turbo, esbuild) that must spawn.
 		mounts = append(mounts, mount.Mount{
 			Type:   mount.TypeTmpfs,
 			Target: tm.Target,
+			TmpfsOptions: &mount.TmpfsOptions{
+				Mode:    tmpfsMode,
+				Options: [][]string{{"exec"}},
+			},
 		})
 	}
+	return mounts
+}
+
+// CreateContainer creates a new Docker container.
+func (r *DockerRuntime) CreateContainer(ctx context.Context, cfg Config) (string, error) {
+	// Verify gVisor is still available if we're configured to use it
+	if r.ociRuntime == "runsc" && !r.gvisorAvailable() {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("gVisor was available at startup but is no longer configured - did Docker daemon configuration change? %w", ErrGVisorNotAvailable)
+	}
+
+	// Pull image if not present
+	if err := r.ensureImage(ctx, cfg.Image); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	mounts := buildContainerMounts(cfg.Mounts, cfg.TmpfsMounts)
 
 	// Default to bridge network if not specified
 	networkMode := container.NetworkMode(cfg.NetworkMode)
@@ -999,16 +1010,7 @@ func (m *dockerSidecarManager) StartSidecar(ctx context.Context, cfg SidecarConf
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("pulling sidecar image: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	// Prepare mounts
-	mounts := make([]mount.Mount, 0, len(cfg.Mounts))
-	for _, mt := range cfg.Mounts {
-		mounts = append(mounts, mount.Mount{
-			Type:     mount.TypeBind,
-			Source:   mt.Source,
-			Target:   mt.Target,
-			ReadOnly: mt.ReadOnly,
-		})
-	}
+	mounts := buildContainerMounts(cfg.Mounts, nil)
 
 	// Create container with labels for orphan cleanup
 	labels := make(map[string]string)
diff --git a/internal/container/docker_test.go b/internal/container/docker_test.go
index 15393940..57d91028 100644
--- a/internal/container/docker_test.go
+++ b/internal/container/docker_test.go
@@ -3,16 +3,75 @@ package container
 import (
 	"context"
 	"os"
+	"reflect"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/mount"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/network"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/client"
 )
 
+func TestBuildContainerMounts_TmpfsWritableAndExec(t *testing.T) {
+	got := buildContainerMounts(nil, []TmpfsMount{{Target: "/workspace/node_modules"}})
+
+	if len(got) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("got %d mounts, want 1", len(got))
+	}
+	if got[0].Type != mount.TypeTmpfs {
+		t.Errorf("Type = %v, want %v", got[0].Type, mount.TypeTmpfs)
+	}
+	if got[0].TmpfsOptions == nil {
+		t.Fatal("TmpfsOptions is nil")
+	}
+	if got[0].TmpfsOptions.Mode != tmpfsMode {
+		t.Errorf("Mode = %o, want %o", got[0].TmpfsOptions.Mode, tmpfsMode)
+	}
+	wantOpts := [][]string{{"exec"}}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(got[0].TmpfsOptions.Options, wantOpts) {
+		t.Errorf("Options = %v, want %v", got[0].TmpfsOptions.Options, wantOpts)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestBuildContainerMounts_BindMounts(t *testing.T) {
+	binds := []MountConfig{
+		{Source: "/host/project", Target: "/workspace", ReadOnly: false},
+		{Source: "/host/secret", Target: "/etc/secret", ReadOnly: true},
+	}
+
+	got := buildContainerMounts(binds, nil)
+
+	want := []mount.Mount{
+		{Type: mount.TypeBind, Source: "/host/project", Target: "/workspace", ReadOnly: false},
+		{Type: mount.TypeBind, Source: "/host/secret", Target: "/etc/secret", ReadOnly: true},
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(got, want) {
+		t.Errorf("buildContainerMounts() = %#v, want %#v", got, want)
+	}
+}
+
+// Tmpfs must follow binds in the output slice so overlays of paths inside a
+// bind take effect on the daemon side.
+func TestBuildContainerMounts_TmpfsAfterBind(t *testing.T) {
+	binds := []MountConfig{{Source: "/host/project", Target: "/workspace"}}
+	tmpfs := []TmpfsMount{{Target: "/workspace/node_modules"}}
+
+	got := buildContainerMounts(binds, tmpfs)
+
+	if len(got) != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("got %d mounts, want 2", len(got))
+	}
+	if got[0].Type != mount.TypeBind {
+		t.Errorf("mounts[0].Type = %v, want bind", got[0].Type)
+	}
+	if got[1].Type != mount.TypeTmpfs {
+		t.Errorf("mounts[1].Type = %v, want tmpfs", got[1].Type)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestConfig_GroupAdd(t *testing.T) {
 	// Verify that GroupAdd field can be set on Config struct
 	// and is properly typed as []string
diff --git a/internal/container/runtime.go b/internal/container/runtime.go
index c0317dc1..9636c52e 100644
--- a/internal/container/runtime.go
+++ b/internal/container/runtime.go
@@ -368,6 +368,11 @@ type TmpfsMount struct {
 	Target string // absolute container path
 }
 
+// tmpfsMode is the permission mode for tmpfs overlays. Sticky world-writable
+// (01777) so non-root container users can write — runc otherwise defaults
+// tmpfs to 0755 owned by root.
+const tmpfsMode = 01777
+
 // ImageInfo contains information about a container image.
 type ImageInfo struct {
 	ID      string    `json:"id"`