diff --git a/routes/cookbook_helpers.py b/routes/cookbook_helpers.py
index 298a336d6..3af227861 100644
--- a/routes/cookbook_helpers.py
+++ b/routes/cookbook_helpers.py
@@ -359,6 +359,20 @@ def _cached_model_scan_script(model_dirs: list[str] | None = None) -> str:
         "                if os.path.exists(os.path.join(sf, 'model_index.json')): is_diffusion = True",
         "                for f in collect_ggufs(sf): f['rel_path'] = sd + '/' + f['rel_path']; gguf_files.append(f)",
         "        models.append({'repo_id':rid,'size_bytes':sz,'nb_files':nf,'has_incomplete':ic,'path':cache,'is_diffusion':is_diffusion,'is_gguf':bool(gguf_files),'gguf_files':gguf_files})",
+        "def hf_cache_paths():",
+        "    candidates = []",
+        "    def add(p):",
+        "        if not p: return",
+        "        p = os.path.expanduser(p)",
+        "        if p not in candidates: candidates.append(p)",
+        "    add(os.environ.get('HUGGINGFACE_HUB_CACHE'))",
+        "    hf_home = os.environ.get('HF_HOME')",
+        "    if hf_home: add(os.path.join(hf_home, 'hub'))",
+        "    add('~/.cache/huggingface/hub')",
+        "    # Docker images mount ./data/huggingface at /app/.cache/huggingface.",
+        "    # When HOME is /root, expanduser() misses that persisted cache.",
+        "    add('/app/.cache/huggingface/hub')",
+        "    return candidates",
         "def scan_dir(p):",
         "    if not os.path.isdir(p) or not safe_path(p): return",
         "    for d in sorted(os.listdir(p)):",
@@ -422,7 +436,7 @@ def _cached_model_scan_script(model_dirs: list[str] | None = None) -> str:
         "            seen.add(name)",
         "            models.append({'repo_id':name,'size_bytes':size_bytes,'nb_files':1,'has_incomplete':False,'path':'ollama','backend':'ollama','is_ollama':True})",
         "        return",
-        "scan_hf(os.path.expanduser('~/.cache/huggingface/hub'))",
+        "for _hf_cache in hf_cache_paths(): scan_hf(_hf_cache)",
         "scan_ollama()",
         "scan_ollama_api()",
     ]
diff --git a/tests/test_cookbook_helpers.py b/tests/test_cookbook_helpers.py
index 033823e3e..bd05dd8a5 100644
--- a/tests/test_cookbook_helpers.py
+++ b/tests/test_cookbook_helpers.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import json
+import os
 import subprocess
 import sys
 
@@ -557,6 +558,36 @@ def test_cached_model_scan_reports_plain_dir_gguf(tmp_path):
     assert ggufs[3]["quant"] == "BF16"
 
 
+def test_cached_model_scan_uses_huggingface_cache_env(tmp_path):
+    """Docker recreates can leave the persisted HF cache outside HOME.
+    The Serve scanner should honor the cache env path instead of only ~/.cache.
+    """
+    hf_cache = tmp_path / "app-cache" / "hub"
+    model = hf_cache / "models--Qwen--Qwen3.6-35B"
+    (model / "blobs").mkdir(parents=True)
+    (model / "blobs" / "weights.safetensors").write_bytes(b"weights")
+    (model / "snapshots" / "abc").mkdir(parents=True)
+    (model / "snapshots" / "abc" / "config.json").write_text("{}", encoding="utf-8")
+
+    empty_home = tmp_path / "home"
+    empty_home.mkdir()
+    scan_py = tmp_path / "scan_cache_env.py"
+    scan_py.write_text(_cached_model_scan_script(), encoding="utf-8")
+    env = dict(os.environ)
+    env["HOME"] = str(empty_home)
+    env["HUGGINGFACE_HUB_CACHE"] = str(hf_cache)
+    proc = subprocess.run(
+        [sys.executable, str(scan_py)],
+        check=True,
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True,
+        env=env,
+    )
+
+    by_repo = {m["repo_id"]: m for m in json.loads(proc.stdout)}
+    assert by_repo["Qwen/Qwen3.6-35B"]["path"] == str(hf_cache)
+
+
 # ── #1219 / #1459: keep big dependency wheel builds off the home pip cache ──
 
 def test_pip_install_no_cache_injects_flag():