diff --git a/visual-regression/DOCKER.md b/visual-regression/DOCKER.md
index 91a37be..5891cde 100644
--- a/visual-regression/DOCKER.md
+++ b/visual-regression/DOCKER.md
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@ You can use Docker Desktop if you have a license. If you don’t, use Colima or
 
 #### Option 2: Colima (Open Source Docker Alternative)
 
+[Colima](https://colima.dev/) ("Containers in Lima") runs the Docker daemon
+inside a lightweight Linux VM on macOS, so the standard `docker` CLI works
+without Docker Desktop — and without Docker Desktop's commercial license. It is
+the recommended free option on Mac.
+
 1. Install the Docker CLI using [Homebrew](https://brew.sh/):
    ```bash
    brew install docker
@@ -38,12 +43,20 @@ You can use Docker Desktop if you have a license. If you don’t, use Colima or
    ```bash
    colima start
    ```
+   If the visual-regression run is heavy, give the VM more headroom (the
+   setting persists): `colima start --cpu 4 --memory 8`.
 4. Test Docker with Colima:
    ```bash
    docker ps
    ```
    It should run without errors.
 
+> **Colima does not start automatically.** The VM is stopped after a reboot (or
+> after `colima stop`), so `docker` — and therefore `pnpm test:visual --ci` —
+> will fail until you bring it back up. Whenever you see _"Cannot connect to the
+> Docker daemon"_ or _"colima is not running"_, run `colima start` (check state
+> any time with `colima status`). See [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting).
+
 #### Option 3: Podman (Docker Alternative)
 
 1. Install [Podman](https://podman.io/):
@@ -142,6 +155,23 @@ After installing a container runtime, you must build the Visual Regression Test
 
 ---
 
+## Troubleshooting
+
+**`docker` commands (or `pnpm test:visual --ci`) fail with "Cannot connect to
+the Docker daemon".** Your container runtime is installed but not running. Start
+it for this session:
+
+| Runtime        | Start command          | Check status    |
+| -------------- | ---------------------- | --------------- |
+| Colima         | `colima start`         | `colima status` |
+| Podman         | `podman machine start` | `podman ps`     |
+| Docker Desktop | launch the Docker app  | `docker ps`     |
+
+This is the most common reason a `--ci` run fails before any test executes —
+the runtime simply isn't up (e.g. after a reboot). None of these auto-start.
+
+---
+
 ## References
 
 - **Docker Desktop**: [docker.com/products/docker-desktop](https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop)
diff --git a/visual-regression/README.md b/visual-regression/README.md
index b50930d..6763ca4 100644
--- a/visual-regression/README.md
+++ b/visual-regression/README.md
@@ -51,8 +51,12 @@ To run the tests in a Docker container with the `ci` runtime environment, use `-
 pnpm test:visual --ci
 ```
 
-NOTE: For this to work, you must have Docker installed and have built the
-Visual Regression Docker Image. See [DOCKER.md](./DOCKER.md) for more info.
+NOTE: For this to work you need a container runtime **installed and running**
+(Docker Desktop, or [Colima](https://colima.dev/) via `colima start`, or Podman)
+and the Visual Regression Docker Image built. On a fresh shell or after a reboot
+the runtime is usually stopped — if `docker` can't reach the daemon, start it
+first. See [DOCKER.md](./DOCKER.md), including its
+[Troubleshooting](./DOCKER.md#troubleshooting) section.
 
 ### Comparison Mode (Default)