diff --git a/core/configs/src/server_config/validators.rs b/core/configs/src/server_config/validators.rs
index 1ce11aa902..6e5b815677 100644
--- a/core/configs/src/server_config/validators.rs
+++ b/core/configs/src/server_config/validators.rs
@@ -26,12 +26,14 @@ use super::COMPONENT;
 use super::cluster::STATE_CHUNK_HEADER_LEN;
 use super::partition::{CONCURRENT_SERVED_SEGMENTS, SEGMENT_SIZE_OVERSHOOT_BYTES};
 use super::server::ServerConfig;
-use crate::ConfigurationError;
 use crate::common::http::HMAC_JWT_ALGORITHMS;
 use crate::common::validators::SEGMENT_MAX_SIZE_BYTES;
+use crate::{ConfigEnvMappings, ConfigurationError};
 use err_trail::ErrContext;
 use iggy_common::{IggyExpiry, MAX_MESSAGE_SIZE_UPPER_BYTES, Validatable};
+use std::ffi::OsStr;
 use std::net::SocketAddr;
+use std::path::Path;
 
 /// compio-ws (tungstenite 0.29) `write_buffer_size` default. Used to
 /// evaluate the `max_write_buffer_size > write_buffer_size` invariant
@@ -407,31 +409,126 @@ impl ServerConfig {
 
     /// The listener the client-facing address is derived from must not bind a
     /// wildcard unless that address is declared outright.
+    ///
+    /// When running inside a container, any client listener binding loopback
+    /// is unreachable from outside that network namespace, which is warned.
     fn validate_client_facing_address(&self) -> Result<(), ConfigurationError> {
-        if self.cluster.enabled || self.node.advertised_address.is_some() {
-            return Ok(());
+        self.validate_client_facing_address_in_env(is_container())?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn validate_client_facing_address_in_env(
+        &self,
+        is_container: bool,
+    ) -> Result<Vec<String>, ConfigurationError> {
+        if self.cluster.enabled {
+            return Ok(Vec::new());
         }
-        // No client-facing listener runs, so no client dials this node and
-        // there is no address to demand.
-        let Some(listener) = self.derived_address_listener() else {
-            return Ok(());
-        };
-        let bind = parse_bind_address(listener.key, listener.address)?;
-        if !bind.ip().to_canonical().is_unspecified() {
-            return Ok(());
+
+        if let Some(listener) = self.derived_address_listener() {
+            let bind = parse_bind_address(listener.key, listener.address)?;
+            if bind.ip().to_canonical().is_unspecified() && self.node.advertised_address.is_none() {
+                eprintln!(
+                    "{COMPONENT} - {} binds the wildcard {bind}, which says which interfaces this node \
+                     accepts on rather than where a client reaches it, so cluster metadata would carry no \
+                     address for this node. Set node.advertised_address to the address clients dial, or \
+                     bind a concrete address.",
+                    listener.key
+                );
+                return Err(ConfigurationError::InvalidConfigurationValue);
+            }
         }
 
-        eprintln!(
-            "{COMPONENT} - {} binds the wildcard {bind}, which says which interfaces this node \
-             accepts on rather than where a client reaches it, so cluster metadata would carry no \
-             address for this node. Set node.advertised_address to the address clients dial, or \
-             bind a concrete address.",
-            listener.key
-        );
-        Err(ConfigurationError::InvalidConfigurationValue)
+        let mut warnings = Vec::new();
+        for listener in self.client_listeners() {
+            if !listener.enabled {
+                continue;
+            }
+            let bind = parse_bind_address(listener.key, listener.address)?;
+            let ip = bind.ip().to_canonical();
+
+            if ip.is_loopback() && is_container {
+                let env_var = ServerConfig::find_by_config_path(listener.key)
+                    .map_or(listener.key, |m| m.env_name);
+                let port = bind.port();
+                let hint = if self.node.advertised_address.is_none() {
+                    format!(
+                        " Set {env_var}=0.0.0.0:{port} together with IGGY_NODE_ADVERTISED_ADDRESS, or bind a concrete address."
+                    )
+                } else {
+                    format!(" Set {env_var} or bind a concrete address.")
+                };
+                let msg = format!(
+                    "{COMPONENT} - {} binds the loopback address {bind} inside a container; the \
+                     server will not be reachable from outside this network namespace.{hint}",
+                    listener.key
+                );
+                eprintln!("{msg}");
+                warnings.push(msg);
+            }
+        }
+
+        Ok(warnings)
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(any(target_os = "linux", test))]
+const CONTAINER_CGROUP_MARKERS: &[&str] = &[
+    "/docker/",
+    "/docker-",
+    "/libpod-",
+    "/podman/",
+    "/kubepods/",
+    "/kubepods-",
+    "/containerd/",
+    "/lxc/",
+];
+
+/// Returns true when the process is executing inside a container.
+fn is_container() -> bool {
+    is_container_indicators(
+        Path::new("/.dockerenv"),
+        Path::new("/run/.containerenv"),
+        std::env::var_os("container").as_deref(),
+        std::env::var_os("KUBERNETES_SERVICE_HOST").as_deref(),
+        "/proc/self/cgroup",
+    )
+}
+
+fn is_container_indicators(
+    dockerenv_path: &Path,
+    containerenv_path: &Path,
+    container_env: Option<&OsStr>,
+    k8s_env: Option<&OsStr>,
+    cgroup_path: &str,
+) -> bool {
+    if dockerenv_path.exists() || containerenv_path.exists() {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    if container_env.is_some() || k8s_env.is_some() {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+    {
+        if let Ok(cgroup) = std::fs::read_to_string(cgroup_path)
+            && cgroup.lines().any(|line| {
+                CONTAINER_CGROUP_MARKERS
+                    .iter()
+                    .any(|marker| line.contains(marker))
+            })
+        {
+            return true;
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[cfg(not(target_os = "linux"))]
+    let _ = cgroup_path;
+
+    false
+}
+
 /// A listener's bind address, which is a literal IP and a port and nothing
 /// else. `context` names the config key so the operator reads back the one
 /// they wrote.
@@ -534,6 +631,164 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(config.validate().is_ok());
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn given_loopback_bind_in_container_when_validating_should_warn_and_pass() {
+        let config = config_with_override(
+            "[tcp]\naddress = \"127.0.0.1:8090\"\n[cluster]\nenabled = false\n",
+        );
+        let warnings = config
+            .validate_client_facing_address_in_env(true)
+            .expect("validation should pass");
+        assert_eq!(warnings.len(), 4);
+        for warning in &warnings {
+            assert!(warning.contains("outside this network namespace"));
+            assert!(warning.contains("together with IGGY_NODE_ADVERTISED_ADDRESS"));
+        }
+        assert!(warnings[0].contains("IGGY_TCP_ADDRESS=0.0.0.0:8090"));
+        assert!(warnings[1].contains("IGGY_WEBSOCKET_ADDRESS=0.0.0.0:8092"));
+        assert!(warnings[2].contains("IGGY_QUIC_ADDRESS=0.0.0.0:8080"));
+        assert!(warnings[3].contains("IGGY_HTTP_ADDRESS=0.0.0.0:3000"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn given_loopback_bind_outside_container_when_validating_should_pass_without_warning() {
+        let config = config_with_override(
+            "[tcp]\naddress = \"127.0.0.1:8090\"\n[cluster]\nenabled = false\n",
+        );
+        let warnings = config
+            .validate_client_facing_address_in_env(false)
+            .expect("validation should pass");
+        assert!(
+            warnings.is_empty(),
+            "loopback outside container must not produce a warning"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn given_loopback_bind_in_container_with_advertised_address_when_validating_should_warn_and_pass()
+     {
+        let config = config_with_override(
+            "[tcp]\naddress = \"0.0.0.0:8090\"\n[cluster]\nenabled = false\n\
+             [node]\nadvertised_address = \"broker-1.example.com\"\n",
+        );
+        let warnings = config
+            .validate_client_facing_address_in_env(true)
+            .expect("validation should pass");
+        assert_eq!(warnings.len(), 3);
+        for warning in &warnings {
+            assert!(warning.contains("outside this network namespace"));
+            assert!(!warning.contains("0.0.0.0"));
+            assert!(!warning.contains("together with IGGY_NODE_ADVERTISED_ADDRESS"));
+        }
+        assert!(warnings[0].contains("Set IGGY_WEBSOCKET_ADDRESS or bind a concrete address."));
+        assert!(warnings[1].contains("Set IGGY_QUIC_ADDRESS or bind a concrete address."));
+        assert!(warnings[2].contains("Set IGGY_HTTP_ADDRESS or bind a concrete address."));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn given_dockerenv_file_when_checking_container_should_return_true() {
+        let temp_dir = std::env::temp_dir();
+        let marker = temp_dir.join(format!("test_dockerenv_{}", std::process::id()));
+        std::fs::write(&marker, "").unwrap();
+        let non_existent = temp_dir.join("non_existent_indicator");
+        let result =
+            is_container_indicators(&marker, &non_existent, None, None, "/non/existent/cgroup");
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_file(&marker);
+        assert!(result);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn given_containerenv_file_when_checking_container_should_return_true() {
+        let temp_dir = std::env::temp_dir();
+        let marker = temp_dir.join(format!("test_containerenv_{}", std::process::id()));
+        std::fs::write(&marker, "").unwrap();
+        let non_existent = temp_dir.join("non_existent_indicator");
+        let result =
+            is_container_indicators(&non_existent, &marker, None, None, "/non/existent/cgroup");
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_file(&marker);
+        assert!(result);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn given_container_env_var_when_checking_container_should_return_true() {
+        let non_existent = Path::new("/non/existent/path/to/indicator");
+        assert!(is_container_indicators(
+            non_existent,
+            non_existent,
+            Some(OsStr::new("docker")),
+            None,
+            "/non/existent/cgroup"
+        ));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn given_kubernetes_env_var_when_checking_container_should_return_true() {
+        let non_existent = Path::new("/non/existent/path/to/indicator");
+        assert!(is_container_indicators(
+            non_existent,
+            non_existent,
+            None,
+            Some(OsStr::new("10.0.0.1")),
+            "/non/existent/cgroup"
+        ));
+    }
+
+    #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+    #[test]
+    fn given_cgroup_with_docker_marker_when_checking_container_should_return_true() {
+        let temp_dir = std::env::temp_dir();
+        let cgroup_file = temp_dir.join(format!("test_docker_cgroup_{}", std::process::id()));
+        std::fs::write(
+            &cgroup_file,
+            "0::/system.slice/docker-e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855.scope\n",
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        let non_existent = temp_dir.join("non_existent_indicator");
+        let result = is_container_indicators(
+            &non_existent,
+            &non_existent,
+            None,
+            None,
+            cgroup_file.to_str().unwrap(),
+        );
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_file(&cgroup_file);
+        assert!(result);
+    }
+
+    #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+    #[test]
+    fn given_host_cgroup_without_markers_when_checking_container_should_return_false() {
+        let temp_dir = std::env::temp_dir();
+        let cgroup_file = temp_dir.join(format!("test_host_cgroup_{}", std::process::id()));
+        std::fs::write(
+            &cgroup_file,
+            "0::/user.slice/user-1000.slice/session-1.scope\n",
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        let non_existent = temp_dir.join("non_existent_indicator");
+        let result = is_container_indicators(
+            &non_existent,
+            &non_existent,
+            None,
+            None,
+            cgroup_file.to_str().unwrap(),
+        );
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_file(&cgroup_file);
+        assert!(!result);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn given_missing_container_indicators_when_checking_container_should_return_false() {
+        let non_existent = Path::new("/non/existent/path/to/indicator");
+        assert!(!is_container_indicators(
+            non_existent,
+            non_existent,
+            None,
+            None,
+            "/non/existent/cgroup"
+        ));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn given_wildcard_bind_on_a_disabled_listener_when_validating_should_pass() {
         let config = config_with_override(