diff --git a/deploy/envparse.py b/deploy/envparse.py
index 06e1946..c238063 100644
--- a/deploy/envparse.py
+++ b/deploy/envparse.py
@@ -156,9 +156,6 @@ def collapse_depends_on(text):
         if not parse_ok or not services:
             # Re-emit whatever we consumed as-is (best effort: fall back to
             # original slice) rather than risk mangling an unfamiliar shape.
-            # Rebuild by re-scanning is avoided here; instead just continue
-            # emitting the raw lines we already stepped over.
-            # (This branch is rare: only hit on unexpected compose output.)
             pass
 
         for svc in services:
@@ -166,6 +163,36 @@ def collapse_depends_on(text):
 
     return '\n'.join(out)
 
+# ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# 2026-08-26 FIX — top-level `name:` property rejected by Swarm:
+#
+#   `docker compose config` (Compose Spec output) emits a top-level
+#   `name: <project>` key as the first line of the rendered document, e.g.:
+#     name: immich
+#     services:
+#       ...
+#
+#   This is valid Compose Spec but `docker stack deploy` (Swarm mode) uses
+#   a stricter schema that does NOT allow a top-level `name` property, and
+#   rejects the whole document with: "(root) Additional property name is
+#   not allowed". Single-file stacks (no extras) never hit this because
+#   they skip `docker compose config` and go straight through envsubst on
+#   the raw source YAML, which never had a top-level `name:` to begin with.
+#
+#   Fix: drop ONLY the top-level `name:` line (column 0, i.e. no leading
+#   whitespace) at the START of the document. Nested `name:` fields under
+#   networks/volumes/secrets (e.g. `name: postgresql_db-backend`, always
+#   indented) are legitimate and must NOT be touched.
+# ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+_TOP_NAME_RE = re.compile(r'^name:\s*\S+\s*$')
+
+def strip_top_level_name(text):
+    lines = text.split('\n')
+    if lines and _TOP_NAME_RE.match(lines[0]):
+        lines = lines[1:]
+    return '\n'.join(lines)
+
 mode = sys.argv[1]
 if mode == 'export':
     for k, v in parse_env(sys.argv[2]):
@@ -183,4 +210,5 @@ elif mode == 'strip':
     t = sys.stdin.read()
     t = re.sub(r'[ \t]*env_file:[ \t]*\n([ \t]+-[^\n]*\n)+', '', t)
     t = collapse_depends_on(t)
+    t = strip_top_level_name(t)
     sys.stdout.write(t)