diff --git a/config/settings/development.py b/config/settings/development.py
index c35364e..b5ca8a5 100644
--- a/config/settings/development.py
+++ b/config/settings/development.py
@@ -4,9 +4,11 @@ DEBUG = True
 
 INTERNAL_IPS = ["127.0.0.1"]
 
-# Use plain static file storage in dev — CompressedManifestStaticFilesStorage
-# (set in base.py) requires collectstatic to have been run and will 404 on
-# every asset otherwise.
+# In dev, drop WhiteNoise from middleware and use plain static file storage.
+# WhiteNoise serves from STATIC_ROOT which is empty without collectstatic,
+# so it intercepts every /static/ request and returns nothing.
+# Django's runserver handles static files natively when DEBUG=True.
+MIDDLEWARE = [m for m in MIDDLEWARE if m != "whitenoise.middleware.WhiteNoiseMiddleware"]
 STATICFILES_STORAGE = "django.contrib.staticfiles.storage.StaticFilesStorage"
 
 try: