diff --git a/deploy/novacpx-webserver-switch b/deploy/novacpx-webserver-switch
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..d09363a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deploy/novacpx-webserver-switch
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# NovaCPX — switch customer hosting web server (port 80/443)
+# The panel ALWAYS stays on Apache (ports 8880-8883); only customer-facing ports are switched.
+set -e
+TARGET="${1:-apache}"
+PORTS_CONF="/etc/apache2/ports.conf"
+
+write_ports_apache() {
+    cat > "$PORTS_CONF" << 'EOF'
+# Managed by NovaCPX — do not edit manually
+
+# Panel ports (always active)
+Listen 8880
+Listen 8881
+Listen 8882
+Listen 8883
+
+# Customer hosting ports (Apache handles 80/443)
+Listen 80
+<IfModule ssl_module>
+    Listen 443
+</IfModule>
+EOF
+}
+
+write_ports_panel_only() {
+    cat > "$PORTS_CONF" << 'EOF'
+# Managed by NovaCPX — do not edit manually
+
+# Panel ports (always active)
+Listen 8880
+Listen 8881
+Listen 8882
+Listen 8883
+
+# Customer hosting on 80/443 is handled by nginx
+EOF
+}
+
+case "$TARGET" in
+  nginx)
+    write_ports_panel_only
+    systemctl reload apache2 2>/dev/null || systemctl restart apache2
+    systemctl enable nginx  2>/dev/null || true
+    systemctl start  nginx  2>/dev/null || systemctl restart nginx 2>/dev/null || true
+    echo "switched:nginx"
+    ;;
+  apache)
+    systemctl stop    nginx 2>/dev/null || true
+    systemctl disable nginx 2>/dev/null || true
+    write_ports_apache
+    systemctl reload apache2 2>/dev/null || systemctl restart apache2
+    echo "switched:apache"
+    ;;
+  *)
+    echo "Usage: $0 {apache|nginx}" >&2
+    exit 1
+    ;;
+esac
diff --git a/panel/api/endpoints/system.php b/panel/api/endpoints/system.php
index 928b870..483fd13 100644
--- a/panel/api/endpoints/system.php
+++ b/panel/api/endpoints/system.php
@@ -448,12 +448,13 @@ match ($action) {
             file_put_contents($configFile, $ini);
         }
 
-        // Inline service switching — stop all alternatives, start the chosen one
+        // Inline service switching
+        // NOTE: Apache is NEVER stopped — it always serves the panel on ports 8880-8883.
+        // The web_server switch only controls which server owns ports 80/443 for customer hosting.
         if ($key === 'web_server') {
-            $webSvcs = ['apache2','nginx','lighttpd','caddy'];
-            foreach ($webSvcs as $s) { shell_exec("sudo systemctl stop $s 2>/dev/null; sudo systemctl disable $s 2>/dev/null"); }
-            $startSvc = match($value) { 'nginx' => 'nginx', 'apache' => 'apache2', default => 'apache2' };
-            shell_exec("sudo systemctl enable $startSvc 2>/dev/null && sudo systemctl start $startSvc 2>/dev/null");
+            $target = in_array($value, ['nginx']) ? 'nginx' : 'apache';
+            $out = shell_exec("sudo /usr/local/bin/novacpx-webserver-switch " . escapeshellarg($target) . " 2>&1");
+            novacpx_log('info', "web_server switched to $target: $out");
         } elseif ($key === 'ftp_server') {
             foreach (['proftpd','vsftpd','pure-ftpd'] as $s) { shell_exec("sudo systemctl stop $s 2>/dev/null; sudo systemctl disable $s 2>/dev/null"); }
             $startSvc = match($value) { 'vsftpd' => 'vsftpd', 'pureftpd' => 'pure-ftpd', default => 'proftpd' };
diff --git a/panel/assets/js/admin.js b/panel/assets/js/admin.js
index 3615ecf..00e5d4b 100644
--- a/panel/assets/js/admin.js
+++ b/panel/assets/js/admin.js
@@ -3085,11 +3085,12 @@ async function serverOptions() {
   <div class="card">
     <div class="card-header"><span class="card-title">Web Server</span>${Nova.badge(opts.web_server||'apache','green')}</div>
     <div class="card-body">
-      <p class="text-muted" style="font-size:.85rem;margin-bottom:1rem">Current web server for hosting accounts. Changing requires migration of all vhosts.</p>
+      <p class="text-muted" style="font-size:.85rem;margin-bottom:.5rem">Controls which server handles customer sites on ports 80/443. The panel itself always runs on Apache (ports 8880–8883) regardless of this setting.</p>
+      <p class="text-muted" style="font-size:.85rem;margin-bottom:1rem">Running status — Apache: ${opts.apache_active ? Nova.badge('active','green') : Nova.badge('inactive','red')} &nbsp; Nginx: ${opts.nginx_active ? Nova.badge('active','green') : Nova.badge('inactive','red')}</p>
       <div class="form-group">
-        <label>Active Web Server</label>
+        <label>Customer Hosting Web Server</label>
         <select id="so-web" class="form-control">
-          ${['apache','nginx','openlitespeed','caddy'].map(s=>`<option value="${s}" ${s===(opts.web_server||'apache')?'selected':''}>${s.charAt(0).toUpperCase()+s.slice(1)}</option>`).join('')}
+          ${['apache','nginx'].map(s=>`<option value="${s}" ${s===(opts.web_server||'apache')?'selected':''}>${s.charAt(0).toUpperCase()+s.slice(1)}</option>`).join('')}
         </select>
       </div>
       <button class="btn btn-primary btn-sm" onclick="soSave('web_server','so-web','Web server')">Save & Switch</button>