diff --git a/tools/docker/Dockerfile.mc-ai.dockerignore b/tools/docker/Dockerfile.mc-ai.dockerignore
index 1d6e1ebf..c516df83 100644
--- a/tools/docker/Dockerfile.mc-ai.dockerignore
+++ b/tools/docker/Dockerfile.mc-ai.dockerignore
@@ -1,13 +1,21 @@
 # This .dockerignore is used by Dockerfile.mc-ai when the build context is
 # the project worktree (`docker build -f tools/docker/Dockerfile.mc-ai $SCRATCH`).
-# Keep the context lean — the builder stage only needs src/simulator and the
-# runtime stage only needs the entrypoint script under tools/docker/.
+# Keep the context lean — the builder stage needs src/simulator and the
+# public/ tree (mc-comms/mc-trade/mc-score/mc-ecology include_str! against
+# public/games/age-of-dwarves/data/ + public/resources/ at compile time);
+# the runtime stage only needs the entrypoint script.
 **
 !src/simulator/**
+!public/**
 !tools/docker/mc-ai-entrypoint.sh
 !tools/docker/Dockerfile.mc-ai
 
-# Re-exclude build noise that may live under src/simulator.
+# Re-exclude build noise + heavy media that no Rust crate include_str!s.
 src/simulator/target/**
 **/.local/**
 **/.godot/**
+public/**/sprites/**
+public/**/*.png
+public/**/*.webp
+public/**/*.jpg
+public/**/*.jpeg