diff --git a/app/Livewire/Project/Shared/EnvironmentVariable/All.php b/app/Livewire/Project/Shared/EnvironmentVariable/All.php
index 35e585c82..57952ddb3 100644
--- a/app/Livewire/Project/Shared/EnvironmentVariable/All.php
+++ b/app/Livewire/Project/Shared/EnvironmentVariable/All.php
@@ -3,10 +3,13 @@
 namespace App\Livewire\Project\Shared\EnvironmentVariable;
 
 use App\Models\EnvironmentVariable;
+use App\Traits\EnvironmentVariableProtection;
 use Livewire\Component;
 
 class All extends Component
 {
+    use EnvironmentVariableProtection;
+
     public $resource;
 
     public string $resourceClass;
@@ -138,17 +141,57 @@ class All extends Component
     private function handleBulkSubmit()
     {
         $variables = parseEnvFormatToArray($this->variables);
+        $changesMade = false;
+        $errorOccurred = false;
 
-        $this->deleteRemovedVariables(false, $variables);
-        $this->updateOrCreateVariables(false, $variables);
+        // Try to delete removed variables
+        $deletedCount = $this->deleteRemovedVariables(false, $variables);
+        if ($deletedCount > 0) {
+            $changesMade = true;
+        } elseif ($deletedCount === 0 && $this->resource->environment_variables()->whereNotIn('key', array_keys($variables))->exists()) {
+            // If we tried to delete but couldn't (due to Docker Compose), mark as error
+            $errorOccurred = true;
+        }
+
+        // Update or create variables
+        $updatedCount = $this->updateOrCreateVariables(false, $variables);
+        if ($updatedCount > 0) {
+            $changesMade = true;
+        }
 
         if ($this->showPreview) {
             $previewVariables = parseEnvFormatToArray($this->variablesPreview);
-            $this->deleteRemovedVariables(true, $previewVariables);
-            $this->updateOrCreateVariables(true, $previewVariables);
+
+            // Try to delete removed preview variables
+            $deletedPreviewCount = $this->deleteRemovedVariables(true, $previewVariables);
+            if ($deletedPreviewCount > 0) {
+                $changesMade = true;
+            } elseif ($deletedPreviewCount === 0 && $this->resource->environment_variables_preview()->whereNotIn('key', array_keys($previewVariables))->exists()) {
+                // If we tried to delete but couldn't (due to Docker Compose), mark as error
+                $errorOccurred = true;
+            }
+
+            // Update or create preview variables
+            $updatedPreviewCount = $this->updateOrCreateVariables(true, $previewVariables);
+            if ($updatedPreviewCount > 0) {
+                $changesMade = true;
+            }
         }
 
-        $this->dispatch('success', 'Environment variables updated.');
+        // Debug information
+        \Log::info('Environment variables update status', [
+            'deletedCount' => $deletedCount,
+            'updatedCount' => $updatedCount,
+            'deletedPreviewCount' => $deletedPreviewCount ?? 0,
+            'updatedPreviewCount' => $updatedPreviewCount ?? 0,
+            'changesMade' => $changesMade,
+            'errorOccurred' => $errorOccurred,
+        ]);
+
+        // Only show success message if changes were actually made and no errors occurred
+        if ($changesMade && ! $errorOccurred) {
+            $this->dispatch('success', 'Environment variables updated.');
+        }
     }
 
     private function handleSingleSubmit($data)
@@ -184,11 +227,46 @@ class All extends Component
     private function deleteRemovedVariables($isPreview, $variables)
     {
         $method = $isPreview ? 'environment_variables_preview' : 'environment_variables';
+
+        // Get all environment variables that will be deleted
+        $variablesToDelete = $this->resource->$method()->whereNotIn('key', array_keys($variables))->get();
+
+        // If there are no variables to delete, return 0
+        if ($variablesToDelete->isEmpty()) {
+            return 0;
+        }
+
+        // Check for system variables that shouldn't be deleted
+        foreach ($variablesToDelete as $envVar) {
+            if ($this->isProtectedEnvironmentVariable($envVar->key)) {
+                $this->dispatch('error', "Cannot delete system environment variable '{$envVar->key}'.");
+
+                return 0;
+            }
+        }
+
+        // Check if any of these variables are used in Docker Compose
+        if ($this->resource->type() === 'service' || $this->resource->build_pack === 'dockercompose') {
+            foreach ($variablesToDelete as $envVar) {
+                [$isUsed, $reason] = $this->isEnvironmentVariableUsedInDockerCompose($envVar->key, $this->resource->docker_compose);
+
+                if ($isUsed) {
+                    $this->dispatch('error', "Cannot delete environment variable '{$envVar->key}' <br><br>Please remove it from the Docker Compose file first.");
+
+                    return 0;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        // If we get here, no variables are used in Docker Compose, so we can delete them
         $this->resource->$method()->whereNotIn('key', array_keys($variables))->delete();
+
+        return $variablesToDelete->count();
     }
 
     private function updateOrCreateVariables($isPreview, $variables)
     {
+        $count = 0;
         foreach ($variables as $key => $value) {
             if (str($key)->startsWith('SERVICE_FQDN') || str($key)->startsWith('SERVICE_URL')) {
                 continue;
@@ -198,8 +276,12 @@ class All extends Component
 
             if ($found) {
                 if (! $found->is_shown_once && ! $found->is_multiline) {
-                    $found->value = $value;
-                    $found->save();
+                    // Only count as a change if the value actually changed
+                    if ($found->value !== $value) {
+                        $found->value = $value;
+                        $found->save();
+                        $count++;
+                    }
                 }
             } else {
                 $environment = new EnvironmentVariable;
@@ -212,8 +294,11 @@ class All extends Component
                 $environment->resourceable_type = $this->resource->getMorphClass();
 
                 $environment->save();
+                $count++;
             }
         }
+
+        return $count;
     }
 
     public function refreshEnvs()
diff --git a/app/Livewire/Project/Shared/EnvironmentVariable/Show.php b/app/Livewire/Project/Shared/EnvironmentVariable/Show.php
index f35a38bde..d58151abf 100644
--- a/app/Livewire/Project/Shared/EnvironmentVariable/Show.php
+++ b/app/Livewire/Project/Shared/EnvironmentVariable/Show.php
@@ -4,10 +4,13 @@ namespace App\Livewire\Project\Shared\EnvironmentVariable;
 
 use App\Models\EnvironmentVariable as ModelsEnvironmentVariable;
 use App\Models\SharedEnvironmentVariable;
+use App\Traits\EnvironmentVariableProtection;
 use Livewire\Component;
 
 class Show extends Component
 {
+    use EnvironmentVariableProtection;
+
     public $parameters;
 
     public ModelsEnvironmentVariable|SharedEnvironmentVariable $env;
@@ -175,11 +178,24 @@ class Show extends Component
     public function delete()
     {
         try {
-            if ($this->is_redis_credential) {
-                $this->dispatch('error', 'Cannot delete Redis credentials.');
+            // Check if the variable is protected
+            if ($this->isProtectedEnvironmentVariable($this->env->key)) {
+                $this->dispatch('error', "Cannot delete system environment variable '{$this->env->key}'.");
 
                 return;
             }
+
+            // Check if the variable is used in Docker Compose
+            if ($this->type === 'service' || $this->type === 'application' && $this->env->resource()?->docker_compose) {
+                [$isUsed, $reason] = $this->isEnvironmentVariableUsedInDockerCompose($this->env->key, $this->env->resource()?->docker_compose);
+
+                if ($isUsed) {
+                    $this->dispatch('error', "Cannot delete environment variable '{$this->env->key}' <br><br>Please remove it from the Docker Compose file first.");
+
+                    return;
+                }
+            }
+
             $this->env->delete();
             $this->dispatch('environmentVariableDeleted');
             $this->dispatch('success', 'Environment variable deleted successfully.');
diff --git a/app/Traits/EnvironmentVariableProtection.php b/app/Traits/EnvironmentVariableProtection.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b6b8d2687
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Traits/EnvironmentVariableProtection.php
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace App\Traits;
+
+use Symfony\Component\Yaml\Yaml;
+
+trait EnvironmentVariableProtection
+{
+    /**
+     * Check if an environment variable is protected from deletion
+     *
+     * @param  string  $key  The environment variable key to check
+     * @return bool True if the variable is protected, false otherwise
+     */
+    protected function isProtectedEnvironmentVariable(string $key): bool
+    {
+        return str($key)->startsWith('SERVICE_FQDN') || str($key)->startsWith('SERVICE_URL');
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Check if an environment variable is used in Docker Compose
+     *
+     * @param  string  $key  The environment variable key to check
+     * @param  string|null  $dockerCompose  The Docker Compose YAML content
+     * @return array [bool $isUsed, string $reason] Whether the variable is used and the reason if it is
+     */
+    protected function isEnvironmentVariableUsedInDockerCompose(string $key, ?string $dockerCompose): array
+    {
+        if (empty($dockerCompose)) {
+            return [false, ''];
+        }
+
+        try {
+            $dockerComposeData = Yaml::parse($dockerCompose);
+            $dockerEnvVars = data_get($dockerComposeData, 'services.*.environment');
+
+            foreach ($dockerEnvVars as $serviceEnvs) {
+                if (! is_array($serviceEnvs)) {
+                    continue;
+                }
+
+                // Check for direct variable usage
+                foreach ($serviceEnvs as $env => $value) {
+                    if ($env === $key) {
+                        return [true, "Environment variable '{$key}' is used directly in the Docker Compose file."];
+                    }
+                }
+
+                // Check for variable references in values
+                foreach ($serviceEnvs as $env => $value) {
+                    if (is_string($value) && str_contains($value, '$'.$key)) {
+                        return [true, "Environment variable '{$key}' is referenced in the Docker Compose file."];
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        } catch (\Exception $e) {
+            // If there's an error parsing the Docker Compose file, we'll assume it's not used
+            return [false, ''];
+        }
+
+        return [false, ''];
+    }
+}