diff --git a/infra/README.md b/infra/README.md
index 26d4e91..e4d14d1 100644
--- a/infra/README.md
+++ b/infra/README.md
@@ -172,6 +172,18 @@ All ports are overridable via `.env` if the host machine has conflicts.
 ### Operational tips
 
 - **Persistence** — state lives in named Docker volumes (`apf-portal-postgres-data`, `apf-portal-redis-data`). Survives `docker compose down`. Use `docker compose -f dev.compose.yml down -v` to wipe (also wipes the audit-roles bootstrap, which re-runs on the next fresh boot).
+- **Profiles must match on `down` as on `up`** — `docker compose down` only acts on services whose profile is currently active. If you brought the stack up with `--profile dbtools --profile observability`, those same flags are required on `down` to also stop pgweb and Jaeger; otherwise they keep running until the next reboot. Two pragmatic patterns:
+
+  ```bash
+  # Either pass the same flags on each command:
+  docker compose -f dev.compose.yml --profile dbtools --profile observability down -v
+
+  # Or set COMPOSE_PROFILES once (e.g. in your shell or in infra/local/.env)
+  # so every `up` / `down` / `ps` sees the right scope:
+  export COMPOSE_PROFILES=dbtools,observability
+  docker compose -f dev.compose.yml down -v
+  ```
+
 - **Bootstrap re-run** — the SQL in `local/init/postgres/` only runs on a **fresh** Postgres data volume. To replay after editing the file, `down -v` (loses all dev data) or run the SQL manually with `docker compose exec postgres psql -U portal -d portal_dev -f /docker-entrypoint-initdb.d/01-init.sql`.
 - **Logs** — `docker compose -f dev.compose.yml logs -f <service>` to follow a single service. `otel-collector` is the loudest — its `debug` exporter prints every span / metric / log it receives.
 - **Image upgrades** — same policy as the runner image (deliberate, not via `:latest`). Renovate's docker-compose manager will surface bumps automatically once the dashboard rule allows them.