diff --git a/docs/features/editor.mdx b/docs/features/editor.mdx
index 79566715..afa0cfc8 100644
--- a/docs/features/editor.mdx
+++ b/docs/features/editor.mdx
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ The editor card has three tabs:
 | Tab | Purpose |
 |-----|---------|
 | `compose.yaml` | YAML editor with syntax highlighting. Always available. |
-| `.env` | Plaintext editor for the discovered env file. Disabled when the stack has no env file. |
+| `.env` | Environment file editor with syntax highlighting. Disabled when the stack has no env file. |
 | **Files** | Browseable directory tree for the stack folder. See the dedicated [Stack File Explorer](/features/stack-file-explorer) page for permissions, upload caps, and protected-file behavior. |
 
 Above the editor area, the toolbar carries:
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/EditorLayout/EditorView.tsx b/frontend/src/components/EditorLayout/EditorView.tsx
index 45e08ea8..c18a4439 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/EditorLayout/EditorView.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/EditorLayout/EditorView.tsx
@@ -524,7 +524,7 @@ export function EditorView(props: EditorViewProps) {
                                             <Suspense fallback={<div className="w-full h-full" aria-busy="true" />}>
                                                 <Editor
                                                     height="100%"
-                                                    language={activeTab === 'compose' ? 'yaml' : 'plaintext'}
+                                                    language={activeTab === 'compose' ? 'yaml' : 'ini'}
                                                     theme={isDarkMode ? 'vs-dark' : 'vs'}
                                                     value={activeTab === 'compose' ? safeContent : safeEnvContent}
                                                     onMount={(editor) => { monacoEditorRef.current = editor; }}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/EditorLayout/__tests__/EditorView.test.tsx b/frontend/src/components/EditorLayout/__tests__/EditorView.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c1e34141
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/EditorLayout/__tests__/EditorView.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, afterEach } from 'vitest';
+import { render } from '@testing-library/react';
+import type { ReactNode } from 'react';
+import { EditorView } from '../EditorView';
+import type { EditorViewProps } from '../EditorView';
+
+// Capture Monaco language/value props to assert env tab gets 'ini', compose gets 'yaml'.
+let lastLanguage: string | undefined;
+let lastValue: string | undefined;
+vi.mock('@/lib/monacoLoader', () => ({
+  Editor: ({ language, value }: { language?: string; value?: string }) => {
+    lastLanguage = language;
+    lastValue = value;
+    return <div data-testid="monaco-editor" />;
+  },
+}));
+
+// Stub heavy children; this test only asserts the Monaco language prop.
+vi.mock('../editor-view-blocks', () => ({
+  StackIdentityHeader: () => <div>identity-header</div>,
+  ContainersHealth: () => <div>health-pane</div>,
+  StackLogsSection: () => <div>logs-pane</div>,
+}));
+vi.mock('../../StackAnatomyPanel', () => ({
+  default: () => <div>anatomy-pane</div>,
+}));
+vi.mock('../StackOperationBanner', () => ({ StackOperationBanner: () => null }));
+vi.mock('../../ErrorBoundary', () => ({ default: ({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) => <>{children}</> }));
+vi.mock('@/hooks/use-is-mobile', () => ({ useIsMobile: () => false }));
+
+function makeProps(over: Partial<EditorViewProps> = {}): EditorViewProps {
+  return {
+    stackName: 'web',
+    isDarkMode: false,
+    activeNode: null,
+    containers: [],
+    containerStats: {},
+    containerStatsError: null,
+    content: '',
+    envContent: '',
+    envExists: false,
+    envFiles: [],
+    selectedEnvFile: '',
+    isFileLoading: false,
+    backupInfo: { exists: false, timestamp: null },
+    gitSourcePendingMap: {},
+    notifications: [],
+    copiedDigest: null,
+    loadingAction: null,
+    stackMisconfigScanning: false,
+    activeTab: 'compose',
+    isEditing: false,
+    editingCompose: false,
+    logsMode: 'structured',
+    can: () => true,
+    isAdmin: false,
+    trivy: { available: false },
+    copiedDigestTimerRef: { current: null },
+    deployStack: vi.fn(),
+    restartStack: vi.fn(),
+    stopStack: vi.fn(),
+    updateStack: vi.fn(),
+    rollbackStack: vi.fn(),
+    scanStackConfig: vi.fn(),
+    enterEditMode: vi.fn(),
+    requestSave: vi.fn(),
+    requestSaveAndDeploy: vi.fn(),
+    discardChanges: vi.fn(),
+    setContent: vi.fn(),
+    setEnvContent: vi.fn(),
+    changeEnvFile: vi.fn(),
+    openLogViewer: vi.fn(),
+    openBashModal: vi.fn(),
+    serviceAction: vi.fn(),
+    setActiveTab: vi.fn(),
+    setLogsMode: vi.fn(),
+    setEditingCompose: vi.fn(),
+    setGitSourceOpen: vi.fn(),
+    setCopiedDigest: vi.fn(),
+    requestDeleteStack: vi.fn(),
+    onRefreshState: vi.fn(),
+    onDismissRecovery: vi.fn(),
+    panelStartedAt: null,
+    onMobileBack: vi.fn(),
+    onCloseEditor: vi.fn(),
+    hasUnsavedChanges: () => false,
+    ...over,
+  };
+}
+
+describe('EditorView Monaco language prop', () => {
+  afterEach(() => {
+    lastLanguage = undefined;
+    lastValue = undefined;
+  });
+
+  it('passes language="ini" when the env tab is active', () => {
+    render(
+      <EditorView
+        {...makeProps({
+          editingCompose: true,
+          activeTab: 'env',
+          envExists: true,
+          envContent: 'KEY=val\n# a comment',
+        })}
+      />,
+    );
+    expect(lastLanguage).toBe('ini');
+    expect(lastValue).toBe('KEY=val\n# a comment');
+  });
+
+  it('passes language="yaml" when the compose tab is active', () => {
+    render(
+      <EditorView
+        {...makeProps({
+          editingCompose: true,
+          activeTab: 'compose',
+          content: 'services:\n  web:\n    image: nginx',
+        })}
+      />,
+    );
+    expect(lastLanguage).toBe('yaml');
+    expect(lastValue).toBe('services:\n  web:\n    image: nginx');
+  });
+
+  it('does not mount Monaco when the files tab is active', () => {
+    render(
+      <EditorView
+        {...makeProps({
+          editingCompose: true,
+          activeTab: 'files',
+        })}
+      />,
+    );
+    // StackFileExplorer replaces Monaco in the files tab path.
+    expect(lastLanguage).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(lastValue).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+});