diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
index 7a20c09..98d0d31 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -94,7 +94,14 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build & push image to Gitea Packages
         run: |
           echo "${{ secrets.CI_TOKEN }}" | docker login 10.66.15.22:3000 -u "${{ github.repository_owner }}" --password-stdin
-          docker build -t "$PUSH_IMAGE:${{ steps.tag.outputs.sha }}" -t "$PUSH_IMAGE:latest" .
+          # PUBLIC_* values are inlined at build time (static Astro) — they cannot be supplied at
+          # deploy time. CONTACT_FORM_ENDPOINT is the Formspree URL; set it as a repo Actions
+          # secret. If it is empty the build still succeeds and the contact form degrades to a
+          # mailto draft, so a missing secret is survivable but should be caught in review.
+          docker build \
+            --build-arg PUBLIC_CONTACT_FORM_ENDPOINT="${{ secrets.CONTACT_FORM_ENDPOINT }}" \
+            --build-arg PUBLIC_SITE_URL="https://www.bluecapstrategies.com" \
+            -t "$PUSH_IMAGE:${{ steps.tag.outputs.sha }}" -t "$PUSH_IMAGE:latest" .
           # Registry pushes can time out on a slow blob; docker push is resumable, so retry.
           push_retry() {
             for i in 1 2 3 4 5; do
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 00b0f59..5f20126 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -6,6 +6,14 @@ RUN npm ci
 
 FROM node:22-alpine AS build
 WORKDIR /app
+# Astro is a STATIC build: import.meta.env.PUBLIC_* is inlined into the HTML here, at image build
+# time. A runtime env var on the pod can never reach it (the pod only runs nginx over pre-built
+# files), so anything the browser needs must arrive as a build arg. CI passes these; see
+# .gitea/workflows/ci.yml.
+ARG PUBLIC_CONTACT_FORM_ENDPOINT=""
+ARG PUBLIC_SITE_URL="https://www.bluecapstrategies.com"
+ENV PUBLIC_CONTACT_FORM_ENDPOINT=$PUBLIC_CONTACT_FORM_ENDPOINT \
+    PUBLIC_SITE_URL=$PUBLIC_SITE_URL
 COPY --from=deps /app/node_modules ./node_modules
 COPY . .
 RUN npm run build
diff --git a/k8s/configmap.yaml b/k8s/configmap.yaml
index cd486aa..14b1d61 100644
--- a/k8s/configmap.yaml
+++ b/k8s/configmap.yaml
@@ -1,9 +1,18 @@
+# NOTE: this ConfigMap is NOT consumed by the Deployment, and wiring it up would not help.
+# The site is a STATIC Astro build served by nginx — every PUBLIC_* value is inlined into the HTML
+# when the image is built, so a runtime env var cannot change it. Configure these as build args in
+# .gitea/workflows/ci.yml instead (PUBLIC_CONTACT_FORM_ENDPOINT comes from the CONTACT_FORM_ENDPOINT
+# Actions secret).
+#
+# Kept as documentation of the values the build expects. Do not add envFrom pointing at it — that
+# would imply a runtime knob that does not exist.
 apiVersion: v1
 kind: ConfigMap
 metadata:
   name: bluecap-website-config
   namespace: bluecap-strategies
 data:
+  # Mirrors the build arg default in the Dockerfile.
   PUBLIC_SITE_URL: "https://www.bluecapstrategies.com"
-  # Set to a Formspree, webhook, ntfy, or self-hosted form endpoint before production cutover.
+  # Real value lives in the CONTACT_FORM_ENDPOINT Actions secret, injected at image build.
   PUBLIC_CONTACT_FORM_ENDPOINT: ""
diff --git a/src/pages/contact.astro b/src/pages/contact.astro
index 73f9eab..50f4222 100644
--- a/src/pages/contact.astro
+++ b/src/pages/contact.astro
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ const endpoint = import.meta.env.PUBLIC_CONTACT_FORM_ENDPOINT ?? "";
       </p>
       <form class="contact-form" method="post" action={endpoint || "/thank-you/"} data-contact-form data-endpoint={endpoint}>
         <input type="hidden" name="subject" value="BlueCap Strategies website inquiry" />
+        {/* Formspree treats a filled _gotcha field as spam. Hidden from people, not from bots. */}
+        <input type="text" name="_gotcha" tabindex="-1" autocomplete="off" aria-hidden="true" class="gotcha" />
         <div class="field-grid">
           <label>
             Name *
@@ -59,23 +61,69 @@ const endpoint = import.meta.env.PUBLIC_CONTACT_FORM_ENDPOINT ?? "";
           Message *
           <textarea name="message" required minlength="20"></textarea>
         </label>
-        <button class="button" type="submit">Submit</button>
+        <button class="button" type="submit" data-submit>Submit</button>
+        <p class="form-status" data-form-status role="status" aria-live="polite" hidden></p>
       </form>
     </div>
   </section>
   <script>
     const form = document.querySelector("[data-contact-form]");
-    form?.addEventListener("submit", (event) => {
-      const endpoint = form.getAttribute("data-endpoint");
-      if (endpoint) return;
-      event.preventDefault();
-      if (!(form instanceof HTMLFormElement) || !form.reportValidity()) return;
-      const data = new FormData(form);
-      const subject = encodeURIComponent("BlueCap Strategies website inquiry");
-      const body = encodeURIComponent(
-        `Name: ${data.get("name")}\nOrganization: ${data.get("organization") ?? ""}\nEmail: ${data.get("email")}\nPhone: ${data.get("phone") ?? ""}\n\n${data.get("message")}`,
-      );
-      window.location.href = `mailto:${"info@bluecapstrategies.com"}?subject=${subject}&body=${body}`;
-    });
+
+    if (form instanceof HTMLFormElement) {
+      const status = form.querySelector("[data-form-status]");
+      const submit = form.querySelector("[data-submit]");
+
+      const say = (message: string, isError: boolean) => {
+        if (!(status instanceof HTMLElement)) return;
+        status.textContent = message;
+        status.classList.toggle("is-error", isError);
+        status.hidden = false;
+      };
+
+      form.addEventListener("submit", async (event) => {
+        if (!form.reportValidity()) return;
+        // Read at submit time, not at init, so the attribute stays the single source of truth.
+        const endpoint = form.getAttribute("data-endpoint") ?? "";
+
+        // No endpoint configured (local dev, or a build that never received the build arg):
+        // fall back to opening a mail draft rather than silently posting nowhere.
+        if (!endpoint) {
+          event.preventDefault();
+          const data = new FormData(form);
+          const subject = encodeURIComponent("BlueCap Strategies website inquiry");
+          const body = encodeURIComponent(
+            `Name: ${data.get("name")}\nOrganization: ${data.get("organization") ?? ""}\nEmail: ${data.get("email")}\nPhone: ${data.get("phone") ?? ""}\n\n${data.get("message")}`,
+          );
+          window.location.href = `mailto:${"info@bluecapstrategies.com"}?subject=${subject}&body=${body}`;
+          return;
+        }
+
+        // Post in the background so the visitor lands on our own /thank-you/ page rather than
+        // the form provider's. Native POST would navigate away to Formspree.
+        event.preventDefault();
+        if (submit instanceof HTMLButtonElement) submit.disabled = true;
+        say("Sending…", false);
+
+        try {
+          const response = await fetch(endpoint, {
+            method: "POST",
+            body: new FormData(form),
+            headers: { Accept: "application/json" },
+          });
+
+          if (response.ok) {
+            window.location.href = "/thank-you/";
+            return;
+          }
+          throw new Error(`Form endpoint returned ${response.status}`);
+        } catch {
+          if (submit instanceof HTMLButtonElement) submit.disabled = false;
+          say(
+            "Sorry — that didn't send. Please email info@bluecapstrategies.com or call 804-332-6618.",
+            true,
+          );
+        }
+      });
+    }
   </script>
 </BaseLayout>
diff --git a/src/styles/global.css b/src/styles/global.css
index 6649046..0702fef 100644
--- a/src/styles/global.css
+++ b/src/styles/global.css
@@ -1078,6 +1078,27 @@ textarea:focus {
   font-size: 0.95rem;
 }
 
+/* Honeypot: kept in the layout but out of sight and out of the tab order. Not display:none —
+   some bots skip hidden fields, which would defeat the point. */
+.gotcha {
+  position: absolute;
+  left: -9999px;
+  width: 1px;
+  height: 1px;
+  overflow: hidden;
+}
+
+.form-status {
+  margin: 0;
+  font-size: 0.95rem;
+  font-weight: 700;
+  color: var(--muted);
+}
+
+.form-status.is-error {
+  color: #b3261e;
+}
+
 .site-footer {
   background: #10293d;
   color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.78);
diff --git a/tests/site.spec.ts b/tests/site.spec.ts
index ff96510..b19edf8 100644
--- a/tests/site.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/site.spec.ts
@@ -123,12 +123,42 @@ test("contact form validates required, invalid, and valid paths", async ({ page
 
   await page.locator('input[name="email"]').fill("test@example.com");
   await page.locator('textarea[name="message"]').fill("This is a valid test inquiry for BlueCap Strategies.");
-  await page.locator("form").evaluate((form) => {
-    form.setAttribute("data-endpoint", "/thank-you/");
-    form.setAttribute("action", "/thank-you/");
-    form.setAttribute("method", "get");
+
+  // Exercise the real submit path: the form POSTs to the configured endpoint in the background
+  // and only then sends the visitor to our own /thank-you/. Mock the endpoint so the test never
+  // touches the live form provider.
+  const endpoint = "https://forms.test.invalid/f/mock";
+  let posted: string | null = null;
+  await page.route(endpoint, async (route) => {
+    posted = route.request().postData();
+    await route.fulfill({ status: 200, contentType: "application/json", body: '{"ok":true}' });
   });
+  await page.locator("form").evaluate((form, url) => {
+    form.setAttribute("data-endpoint", url);
+  }, endpoint);
+
   await submit.click();
-  await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/thank-you\/(?:\?.*)?$/);
+  await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/thank-you\/$/);
   await expect(page.getByRole("heading", { name: "Thank you" })).toBeVisible();
+  expect(posted, "form fields should reach the endpoint").toContain("test@example.com");
+});
+
+test("contact form surfaces an error when the endpoint fails", async ({ page }) => {
+  await page.goto("/contact/");
+  const endpoint = "https://forms.test.invalid/f/mock";
+  await page.route(endpoint, (route) => route.fulfill({ status: 500, body: "nope" }));
+  await page.locator("form").evaluate((form, url) => {
+    form.setAttribute("data-endpoint", url);
+  }, endpoint);
+
+  await page.locator('input[name="name"]').fill("Test User");
+  await page.locator('input[name="email"]').fill("test@example.com");
+  await page.locator('textarea[name="message"]').fill("This is a valid test inquiry for BlueCap Strategies.");
+  await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Submit" }).click();
+
+  // A failed send must not strand the visitor: it stays on the page, says so, and offers the
+  // phone/email fallback rather than silently losing the inquiry.
+  await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/contact\/$/);
+  await expect(page.locator("[data-form-status]")).toContainText("didn't send");
+  await expect(page.getByRole("button", { name: "Submit" })).toBeEnabled();
 });