diff --git a/chat-agent/dev/.env.example b/chat-agent/dev/.env.example
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f914770b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chat-agent/dev/.env.example
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# MongoDB connection string. Local dev defaults to
+# mongodb://localhost:27017/chat-agent-dev when unset. For Vercel deployments
+# point this at a MongoDB Atlas cluster (SRV URI).
+DATABASE_URI=mongodb://127.0.0.1/chat-agent-dev
+
+# Secret used to sign Payload tokens. Generate with `openssl rand -hex 32`.
+PAYLOAD_SECRET=YOUR_SECRET_HERE
+
+# Provider keys for the chat agent. Only the providers you actually use need
+# to be set — resolveModel in payload.config.ts will throw a clear error if a
+# selected model references a missing key.
+ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=
+OPENAI_API_KEY=
diff --git a/chat-agent/dev/package.json b/chat-agent/dev/package.json
index 06872384..3549ef7f 100644
--- a/chat-agent/dev/package.json
+++ b/chat-agent/dev/package.json
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
     "@payloadcms/next": "^3.83.0",
     "@payloadcms/richtext-lexical": "^3.83.0",
     "@payloadcms/ui": "^3.83.0",
+    "@vercel/functions": "^3.1.5",
     "ai": "^6.0.164",
     "next": "15.4.11",
     "payload": "^3.83.0",
diff --git a/chat-agent/dev/src/payload.config.ts b/chat-agent/dev/src/payload.config.ts
index da88b2ff..be444fdc 100644
--- a/chat-agent/dev/src/payload.config.ts
+++ b/chat-agent/dev/src/payload.config.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import {
   UnorderedListFeature,
   UploadFeature,
 } from '@payloadcms/richtext-lexical'
+import { attachDatabasePool } from '@vercel/functions'
 import path from 'path'
 import { buildConfig } from 'payload'
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'url'
@@ -321,6 +322,20 @@ export default buildConfig({
   ],
   db: mongooseAdapter({
     url: process.env.DATABASE_URI || 'mongodb://localhost:27017/chat-agent-dev',
+    connectOptions: {
+      // Close sockets quickly so Fluid Compute can drain the pool between
+      // invocations instead of keeping idle Atlas connections open.
+      maxIdleTimeMS: 5_000,
+      maxPoolSize: 10,
+    },
+    // On Vercel Fluid Compute, hand the underlying MongoClient to
+    // @vercel/functions so idle connections are released when the function
+    // suspends. Guarded by VERCEL so local dev/tests aren't affected.
+    afterOpenConnection: (adapter) => {
+      if (process.env.VERCEL) {
+        attachDatabasePool(adapter.connection.getClient())
+      }
+    },
   }),
   editor: lexicalEditor(),
   endpoints: rootEndpoints,
diff --git a/chat-agent/dev/vercel.json b/chat-agent/dev/vercel.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8f65d6c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chat-agent/dev/vercel.json
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://openapi.vercel.sh/vercel.json",
+  "framework": "nextjs",
+  "installCommand": "cd .. && pnpm install --frozen-lockfile",
+  "buildCommand": "pnpm build",
+  "outputDirectory": ".next",
+  "functions": {
+    "src/app/(payload)/api/[...slug]/route.ts": {
+      "maxDuration": 300
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/chat-agent/pnpm-lock.yaml b/chat-agent/pnpm-lock.yaml
index 6cbbf508..a2dbe209 100644
--- a/chat-agent/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/chat-agent/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -108,6 +108,9 @@ importers:
       '@payloadcms/ui':
         specifier: ^3.83.0
         version: 3.83.0(@types/react@19.2.14)(monaco-editor@0.55.1)(next@15.4.11(@opentelemetry/api@1.9.0)(react-dom@19.2.5(react@19.2.5))(react@19.2.5)(sass@1.77.4))(payload@3.83.0(graphql@16.13.2)(typescript@5.9.3))(react-dom@19.2.5(react@19.2.5))(react@19.2.5)(typescript@5.9.3)
+      '@vercel/functions':
+        specifier: ^3.1.5
+        version: 3.4.3
       ai:
         specifier: ^6.0.164
         version: 6.0.164(zod@4.3.6)
@@ -1651,10 +1654,23 @@ packages:
   '@ungap/structured-clone@1.3.0':
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-WmoN8qaIAo7WTYWbAZuG8PYEhn5fkz7dZrqTBZ7dtt//lL2Gwms1IcnQ5yHqjDfX8Ft5j4YzDM23f87zBfDe9g==}
 
+  '@vercel/functions@3.4.3':
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-kA14KIUVgAY6VXbhZ5jjY+s0883cV3cZqIU3WhrSRxuJ9KvxatMjtmzl0K23HK59oOUjYl7HaE/eYMmhmqpZzw==}
+    engines: {node: '>= 20'}
+    peerDependencies:
+      '@aws-sdk/credential-provider-web-identity': '*'
+    peerDependenciesMeta:
+      '@aws-sdk/credential-provider-web-identity':
+        optional: true
+
   '@vercel/oidc@3.1.0':
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-Fw28YZpRnA3cAHHDlkt7xQHiJ0fcL+NRcIqsocZQUSmbzeIKRpwttJjik5ZGanXP+vlA4SbTg+AbA3bP363l+w==}
     engines: {node: '>= 20'}
 
+  '@vercel/oidc@3.2.0':
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-UycprH3T6n3jH0k44NHMa7pnFHGu/N05MjojYr+Mc6I7obkoLIJujSWwin1pCvdy/eOxrI/l3uDLQsmcrOb4ug==}
+    engines: {node: '>= 20'}
+
   '@vitest/expect@4.1.4':
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-iPBpra+VDuXmBFI3FMKHSFXp3Gx5HfmSCE8X67Dn+bwephCnQCaB7qWK2ldHa+8ncN8hJU8VTMcxjPpyMkUjww==}
 
@@ -6253,8 +6269,14 @@ snapshots:
 
   '@ungap/structured-clone@1.3.0': {}
 
+  '@vercel/functions@3.4.3':
+    dependencies:
+      '@vercel/oidc': 3.2.0
+
   '@vercel/oidc@3.1.0': {}
 
+  '@vercel/oidc@3.2.0': {}
+
   '@vitest/expect@4.1.4':
     dependencies:
       '@standard-schema/spec': 1.1.0