diff --git a/scripts/apricot-run.sh b/scripts/apricot-run.sh
index 3c887c9c..c8d61891 100755
--- a/scripts/apricot-run.sh
+++ b/scripts/apricot-run.sh
@@ -200,6 +200,12 @@ DOCKER_BUILDKIT=1 docker build \\
     --file "\${SCRATCH}/tools/docker/Dockerfile.mc-ai" \\
     "\${SCRATCH}"
 
+# Pre-create the bind-mount target as the host user. Without this, dockerd
+# (running as root) auto-creates /work/.local + /work/.local/out as root
+# when it materialises the bind mount, leaving lilith-unwritable directories
+# behind that break `git worktree remove` at cleanup time.
+mkdir -p "\${SCRATCH}/.local/out"
+
 # Trap → docker kill any container we started, so an OOM-killed or
 # externally-stopped launcher doesn't leave the daemon-owned container
 # running past the systemd unit's lifetime.