diff --git a/web/.storybook/main.ts b/web/.storybook/main.ts
index 0188226..ba9ee25 100644
--- a/web/.storybook/main.ts
+++ b/web/.storybook/main.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,30 @@
 // Copyright 2026 certctl LLC. All rights reserved.
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: BUSL-1.1
 //
-// Phase 8 TEST-H3 closure — Storybook 8 configuration with the Vite
-// builder. Reuses the existing Vite config from web/vite.config.ts
-// (including the Phase 4 manualChunks, the Phase 0 fontsource imports,
-// the test-block exclusions) so stories render against the same
-// build pipeline production uses.
+// Phase 8 TEST-H3 closure — Storybook configuration scaffold.
+//
+// DEPS NOT INSTALLED IN PACKAGE.JSON. The first attempt added
+// `@storybook/react-vite ^8.6.0` + `@storybook/addon-a11y ^8.6.0`
+// + `storybook ^8.6.0` to package.json, but Storybook 8's peerDeps
+// cap Vite at v6 — the certctl project ships Vite 8 (Phase 4
+// manualChunks rewrite). CI fail confirmed the peer-conflict via
+// `npm ci`. Hotfix #9 removed the deps to unblock CI.
+//
+// To install:
+//   cd web && npm install --save-dev storybook@^9.0.0 \
+//     @storybook/react-vite@^9.0.0 @storybook/addon-a11y@^9.0.0
+//   # Storybook 9 supports Vite 7+8 — verified against storybook.js.org
+//   # docs before installing.
+//
+// Once installed, this main.ts + preview.ts work as-is. The 8
+// committed *.stories.tsx files import @storybook/react types and
+// will typecheck cleanly. tsconfig.json excludes them today so
+// `npm run build` stays green in the meantime.
+//
+// Reuses the existing Vite config from web/vite.config.ts
+// (including the Phase 4 manualChunks, the Phase 0 fontsource
+// imports, the test-block exclusions) so stories render against
+// the same build pipeline production uses.
 //
 // Addon scope:
 //   • @storybook/addon-a11y — runs axe-core on every story render +
diff --git a/web/package.json b/web/package.json
index 96e320e..2856b35 100644
--- a/web/package.json
+++ b/web/package.json
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@
     "test:watch": "vitest",
     "e2e": "playwright test",
     "e2e:install": "playwright install --with-deps chromium",
-    "storybook": "storybook dev -p 6006",
-    "storybook:build": "storybook build",
     "generate": "orval --config ./orval.config.ts"
   },
   "dependencies": {
@@ -35,8 +33,6 @@
   "devDependencies": {
     "@axe-core/react": "^4.11.3",
     "@playwright/test": "^1.49.0",
-    "@storybook/addon-a11y": "^8.6.0",
-    "@storybook/react-vite": "^8.6.0",
     "@testing-library/jest-dom": "^6.9.1",
     "@testing-library/react": "^16.3.2",
     "@types/jest-axe": "^3.5.9",
@@ -48,7 +44,6 @@
     "jsdom": "^29.0.0",
     "orval": "^7.0.0",
     "postcss": "^8.5.8",
-    "storybook": "^8.6.0",
     "tailwindcss": "^3.4.19",
     "typescript": "^5.9.3",
     "vite": "^8.0.10",