diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 551426e..576ec34 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -173,8 +173,16 @@ pirats/
 
 ### Frontend Development
 
-Run the backend (`pirats --reload`) and the Vite dev server side by side; Vite proxies `/api` to port 8000:
+Start the backend and Vite dev server together from the repository root. Pressing Ctrl-C stops both:
+
+```bash
+./dev.sh
+```
+
+To run only the frontend, start the backend separately on port 8000, then run:
 
 ```bash
 cd frontend && npm install && npm run dev
 ```
+
+Vite proxies `/api` to the backend on port 8000.
diff --git a/dev.sh b/dev.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..d4271f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dev.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+ROOT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+PIDS=()
+
+cleanup() {
+    local status=$?
+    trap - EXIT INT TERM
+
+    if ((${#PIDS[@]})); then
+        kill "${PIDS[@]}" 2>/dev/null || true
+        wait "${PIDS[@]}" 2>/dev/null || true
+    fi
+
+    exit "$status"
+}
+
+trap cleanup EXIT
+trap 'exit 130' INT
+trap 'exit 143' TERM
+
+cd "$ROOT_DIR"
+
+echo "Starting backend at http://localhost:8000"
+"$ROOT_DIR/.venv/bin/uvicorn" pirats.main:app --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000 --reload &
+PIDS+=("$!")
+
+echo "Starting frontend at http://localhost:5173"
+(
+    cd "$ROOT_DIR/frontend"
+    exec ./node_modules/.bin/vite
+) &
+PIDS+=("$!")
+
+echo "Press Ctrl-C to stop both servers."
+wait
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/changelog.js b/frontend/src/lib/changelog.js
index b95a240..83cde4a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/changelog.js
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/changelog.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 //   - Add a CHANGELOG entry only when a commit changes something players can
 //     see. Skip refactors, tests, and tooling. Keep wording player-facing.
 
-export const VERSION = 21;
+export const VERSION = 22;
 
 // Newest first. Each entry: { version, date: 'YYYY-MM-DD', changes: [string, ...] }.
 export const CHANGELOG = [