diff --git a/internal/build/jobspec.go b/internal/build/jobspec.go
index fe7044f..22c16fd 100644
--- a/internal/build/jobspec.go
+++ b/internal/build/jobspec.go
@@ -211,9 +211,16 @@ func BuildJob(p JobParams) (*batchv1.Job, error) {
 			"--context=" + contextPath,
 			"--destination=" + p.ImageRef,
 			// The internal registry is in-cluster only and may serve plain HTTP;
-			// it is never a public ingress (spec §17).
+			// it is never a public ingress (spec §17). Both directions need the
+			// insecure flags: --insecure/--skip-tls-verify cover the PUSH, while
+			// the pull side needs its own pair — a Dockerfile's `FROM
+			// registry.felis.svc:5000/...` otherwise fails with "server gave
+			// HTTP response to HTTPS client", breaking every build based on a
+			// platform image (the canonical modpack shape).
 			"--insecure",
 			"--skip-tls-verify",
+			"--insecure-pull",
+			"--skip-tls-verify-pull",
 		},
 		VolumeMounts:    kanikoMounts,
 		Resources:       corev1.ResourceRequirements{Limits: limits, Requests: buildRequests(limits)},
diff --git a/internal/build/jobspec_test.go b/internal/build/jobspec_test.go
index 5ad6d8e..f0bb97a 100644
--- a/internal/build/jobspec_test.go
+++ b/internal/build/jobspec_test.go
@@ -177,6 +177,15 @@ func TestBuildJobKanikoPushesAndTrivyGates(t *testing.T) {
 	if !hasArg(kaniko.Args, "--destination="+p.ImageRef) {
 		t.Errorf("kaniko must push to %q, args=%v", p.ImageRef, kaniko.Args)
 	}
+	// The pull direction needs its own flags: --insecure/--skip-tls-verify only
+	// cover the push, and without the pull pair a Dockerfile's `FROM` fails
+	// against the plain-HTTP registry ("server gave HTTP response to HTTPS
+	// client") — the live failure this guards.
+	for _, flag := range []string{"--insecure-pull", "--skip-tls-verify-pull"} {
+		if !hasArg(kaniko.Args, flag) {
+			t.Errorf("kaniko args = %v, want %s so base-image pulls use plain HTTP", kaniko.Args, flag)
+		}
+	}
 
 	if len(job.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers) != 1 {
 		t.Fatalf("expected exactly one (trivy) main container")