diff --git a/8.1/rootfs/etc/php81/php-fpm.conf b/8.1/rootfs/etc/php81/php-fpm.conf
index 713c963..54008d5 100644
--- a/8.1/rootfs/etc/php81/php-fpm.conf
+++ b/8.1/rootfs/etc/php81/php-fpm.conf
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+; Source: https://www.php.net/manual/en/install.fpm.configuration.php
 [global]
 emergency_restart_threshold = 10
 emergency_restart_interval = 1m
@@ -5,18 +6,21 @@ process_control_timeout = 10
 error_log = /proc/self/fd/2
 
 [www]
-user = root
-group = root
+; Run as unprivileged user (override via PHP_FPM_USER/PHP_FPM_GROUP env if needed)
+user = nobody
+group = nobody
 listen = [::]:9000
 chdir = /app
 
 access.log = /proc/self/fd/1
 
 pm = dynamic
-pm.max_children = 500
-pm.start_servers = 60
-pm.min_spare_servers = 25
-pm.max_spare_servers = 100
+; Conservative defaults — tune for your workload
+; Rule of thumb: (available_memory / ~40MB_per_worker)
+pm.max_children = 20
+pm.start_servers = 4
+pm.min_spare_servers = 2
+pm.max_spare_servers = 10
 pm.max_requests = 1000
 
 listen.backlog = -1
diff --git a/8.2/rootfs/etc/php82/php-fpm.conf b/8.2/rootfs/etc/php82/php-fpm.conf
index 713c963..54008d5 100644
--- a/8.2/rootfs/etc/php82/php-fpm.conf
+++ b/8.2/rootfs/etc/php82/php-fpm.conf
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+; Source: https://www.php.net/manual/en/install.fpm.configuration.php
 [global]
 emergency_restart_threshold = 10
 emergency_restart_interval = 1m
@@ -5,18 +6,21 @@ process_control_timeout = 10
 error_log = /proc/self/fd/2
 
 [www]
-user = root
-group = root
+; Run as unprivileged user (override via PHP_FPM_USER/PHP_FPM_GROUP env if needed)
+user = nobody
+group = nobody
 listen = [::]:9000
 chdir = /app
 
 access.log = /proc/self/fd/1
 
 pm = dynamic
-pm.max_children = 500
-pm.start_servers = 60
-pm.min_spare_servers = 25
-pm.max_spare_servers = 100
+; Conservative defaults — tune for your workload
+; Rule of thumb: (available_memory / ~40MB_per_worker)
+pm.max_children = 20
+pm.start_servers = 4
+pm.min_spare_servers = 2
+pm.max_spare_servers = 10
 pm.max_requests = 1000
 
 listen.backlog = -1
diff --git a/8.3/rootfs/etc/php83/php-fpm.conf b/8.3/rootfs/etc/php83/php-fpm.conf
index 713c963..54008d5 100644
--- a/8.3/rootfs/etc/php83/php-fpm.conf
+++ b/8.3/rootfs/etc/php83/php-fpm.conf
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+; Source: https://www.php.net/manual/en/install.fpm.configuration.php
 [global]
 emergency_restart_threshold = 10
 emergency_restart_interval = 1m
@@ -5,18 +6,21 @@ process_control_timeout = 10
 error_log = /proc/self/fd/2
 
 [www]
-user = root
-group = root
+; Run as unprivileged user (override via PHP_FPM_USER/PHP_FPM_GROUP env if needed)
+user = nobody
+group = nobody
 listen = [::]:9000
 chdir = /app
 
 access.log = /proc/self/fd/1
 
 pm = dynamic
-pm.max_children = 500
-pm.start_servers = 60
-pm.min_spare_servers = 25
-pm.max_spare_servers = 100
+; Conservative defaults — tune for your workload
+; Rule of thumb: (available_memory / ~40MB_per_worker)
+pm.max_children = 20
+pm.start_servers = 4
+pm.min_spare_servers = 2
+pm.max_spare_servers = 10
 pm.max_requests = 1000
 
 listen.backlog = -1