diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a012352..3ad602d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ This project is intentionally conservative by design:
 - [Screenshots](#screenshots)
 - [Quick start](#quick-start)
 - [Self-hosted deployment](#self-hosted-deployment-docker-compose)
+- [Self-hosted deployment (no Docker)](#self-hosted-deployment-no-docker)
 - [Development (API)](#development-api-python)
 
 ## What it does
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ What it does not do:
 - `ui/`: web UI
 - `api/`: API service (Python)
 - `docker-compose.yml`: local stack and self-hosted deployment
-- `nginx/`: reverse proxy / TLS termination for local HTTPS
+- `nginx/`: optional reverse proxy / TLS termination (used by Docker Compose)
 
 ## Quick start
 
@@ -63,6 +64,7 @@ docker compose up --build
 
 Open `https://localhost` for the UI (HTTP redirects to HTTPS).
 In the default Compose configuration, only `nginx` is published to the host. The API, Postgres, and wallet-rpc services are reachable only inside the Docker network.
+If you prefer not to run `nginx`, you can publish `ui` and `api` ports directly instead (you will also need to serve `qr/` at `/qr/` on your site URL).
 
 ## Self-hosted deployment (Docker Compose)
 
@@ -127,6 +129,130 @@ To enable donations:
 
 The UI uses the same flag (via Compose), so `/donate` stays unavailable unless donations are explicitly enabled.
 
+## Self-hosted deployment (no Docker)
+
+This section describes running the services directly on a host (or VMs) without Docker.
+
+You will run:
+- Postgres (external service)
+- API (`gunicorn` / `uvicorn`)
+- Reconciler worker (a separate process)
+- UI (Next.js)
+- A reverse proxy is optional, but strongly recommended for TLS, serving `/qr/`, and providing a single origin for UI + API.
+
+### 1. Install prerequisites
+
+- Postgres 16+
+- Python 3.12+
+- Node.js 20+ (for the UI)
+- A Monero daemon endpoint (`MONERO_DAEMON_URL`) and at least one `monero-wallet-rpc` instance reachable by the API
+
+### 2. Configure environment variables
+
+Start from `.env.example` and adjust for your host. For non-Docker deployments you will typically set:
+- `DATABASE_URL=postgresql://...@127.0.0.1:5432/...`
+- `QR_STORAGE_DIR` to a persistent directory on disk (for example `/var/lib/xmrcheckout/qr`)
+- `SITE_URL` to your public URL (for example `https://example.com`)
+- `API_BASE_URL` for the UI:
+  - If using a reverse proxy that routes `/api/` to the API on the same origin, set `API_BASE_URL=https://example.com`
+  - If not using a reverse proxy, set `API_BASE_URL=http://127.0.0.1:8000` (see the notes in step 6)
+
+If you need a new `API_KEY_ENCRYPTION_KEY` value:
+
+```
+python -c 'from cryptography.fernet import Fernet; print(Fernet.generate_key().decode())'
+```
+
+### 3. Create the Postgres database
+
+Create a database and user matching your `DATABASE_URL`. On first startup, the API will create tables automatically.
+
+### 4. Run the API
+
+```
+python -m venv api/.venv
+api/.venv/bin/pip install -r api/requirements.txt
+
+# Export env vars (or use your process manager to load them)
+set -a
+source .env
+set +a
+
+api/.venv/bin/gunicorn app.main:app -k uvicorn.workers.UvicornWorker -b 127.0.0.1:8000 -w "${GUNICORN_WORKERS:-2}" --chdir api
+```
+
+### 5. Run the reconciler worker
+
+Run this as a separate long-running process (same environment variables as the API):
+
+```
+set -a
+source .env
+set +a
+
+api/.venv/bin/python -m app.reconciler
+```
+
+### 6. Build and run the UI
+
+```
+cd ui
+npm ci
+
+# Optional but recommended to keep these explicit in non-Docker deployments
+export API_BASE_URL="${API_BASE_URL:-http://127.0.0.1:8000}"
+export NEXT_PUBLIC_SITE_URL="${SITE_URL:-http://127.0.0.1:3000}"
+export NEXT_PUBLIC_DONATIONS_ENABLED="${DONATIONS_ENABLED:-false}"
+
+npm run build
+npm run start -- -p 3000 -H 127.0.0.1
+```
+
+Notes:
+- The UI makes some in-browser requests to `/api/...` on the same origin. In production, prefer a reverse proxy that serves the UI and forwards `/api/` to the API.
+- The QR PNGs are written to `QR_STORAGE_DIR` and must be reachable at `https://<your-site>/qr/<invoice_id>.png`.
+
+### Optional: reverse proxy (Nginx)
+
+Nginx is optional. Any reverse proxy that can:
+- route `/api/` to the API,
+- route `/` to the UI,
+- and serve the QR directory at `/qr/`
+
+is fine.
+
+Example (adjust `server_name`, TLS, and paths to match your host):
+
+```
+server {
+  listen 443 ssl;
+  server_name example.com;
+
+  # ssl_certificate ...;
+  # ssl_certificate_key ...;
+
+  location /api/ {
+    proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8000/api/;
+    proxy_set_header Host $host;
+    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
+    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
+  }
+
+  location /qr/ {
+    alias /var/lib/xmrcheckout/qr/;
+    add_header Cache-Control "public, max-age=31536000, immutable";
+    try_files $uri =404;
+  }
+
+  location / {
+    proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000/;
+    proxy_set_header Host $host;
+    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
+    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
+  }
+}
+```
+
 ## Development (API, Python)
 
 1. Set environment variables (see `api/.env.example`):
@@ -147,7 +273,8 @@ pip install -r api/requirements.txt
 3. Start the API:
 
 ```
-uvicorn api.app.main:app --reload
+cd api
+uvicorn app.main:app --reload
 ```
 
 The API listens on `http://127.0.0.1:8000`.