diff --git a/app/Jobs/ApplicationDeploymentJob.php b/app/Jobs/ApplicationDeploymentJob.php
index 9afcbe371..6f0fa2e4b 100644
--- a/app/Jobs/ApplicationDeploymentJob.php
+++ b/app/Jobs/ApplicationDeploymentJob.php
@@ -1361,7 +1361,6 @@ class ApplicationDeploymentJob implements ShouldBeEncrypted, ShouldQueue
             }
         }
         $this->application_deployment_queue->addLogEntry("Preparing container with helper image: $helperImage.");
-        $this->application_deployment_queue->addLogEntry("Starting graceful shutdown container: {$this->deployment_uuid}");
         $this->graceful_shutdown_container($this->deployment_uuid);
         $this->execute_remote_command(
             [
@@ -1710,6 +1709,11 @@ class ApplicationDeploymentJob implements ShouldBeEncrypted, ShouldQueue
             ]);
             $this->application->parseHealthcheckFromDockerfile($this->saved_outputs->get('dockerfile_from_repo'));
         }
+        $network_aliases = [];
+        if (is_array($this->application->network_aliases) && count($this->application->network_aliases) > 0) {
+            $network_aliases = $this->application->network_aliases;
+        }
+        ray($network_aliases);
         $docker_compose = [
             'services' => [
                 $this->container_name => [
@@ -1721,7 +1725,7 @@ class ApplicationDeploymentJob implements ShouldBeEncrypted, ShouldQueue
                         $this->destination->network => [
                             'aliases' => array_merge(
                                 [$this->container_name],
-                                $this->application->network_aliases ? explode(',', $this->application->network_aliases) : []
+                                $network_aliases
                             ),
                         ],
                     ],
diff --git a/app/Models/Application.php b/app/Models/Application.php
index d2c2d97a7..fe7181451 100644
--- a/app/Models/Application.php
+++ b/app/Models/Application.php
@@ -118,6 +118,66 @@ class Application extends BaseModel
 
     protected $casts = ['network_aliases' => 'array'];
 
+    public function networkAliases(): Attribute
+    {
+        return Attribute::make(
+            set: function ($value) {
+                if (is_null($value) || $value === '') {
+                    return null;
+                }
+
+                // If it's already a JSON string, decode it
+                if (is_string($value) && $this->isJson($value)) {
+                    $value = json_decode($value, true);
+                }
+
+                // If it's a string but not JSON, treat it as a comma-separated list
+                if (is_string($value) && ! is_array($value)) {
+                    $value = explode(',', $value);
+                }
+
+                $value = collect($value)
+                    ->map(function ($alias) {
+                        if (is_string($alias)) {
+                            return str_replace(' ', '-', trim($alias));
+                        }
+
+                        return null;
+                    })
+                    ->filter()
+                    ->unique() // Remove duplicate values
+                    ->values()
+                    ->toArray();
+
+                return empty($value) ? null : json_encode($value);
+            },
+            get: function ($value) {
+                if (is_null($value)) {
+                    return null;
+                }
+
+                if (is_string($value) && $this->isJson($value)) {
+                    return json_decode($value, true);
+                }
+
+                return is_array($value) ? $value : [];
+            }
+        );
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Check if a string is a valid JSON
+     */
+    private function isJson($string)
+    {
+        if (! is_string($string)) {
+            return false;
+        }
+        json_decode($string);
+
+        return json_last_error() === JSON_ERROR_NONE;
+    }
+
     protected static function booted()
     {
         static::addGlobalScope('withRelations', function ($builder) {