diff --git a/apps/python-flask/Dockerfile b/apps/python-flask/Dockerfile
index a5c61dd..443c516 100644
--- a/apps/python-flask/Dockerfile
+++ b/apps/python-flask/Dockerfile
@@ -16,4 +16,5 @@ COPY --from=dependencies /opt/venv /opt/venv
 COPY benchmark_api ./benchmark_api
 USER 10001:10001
 EXPOSE 8080
-ENTRYPOINT ["python", "-m", "benchmark_api.server"]
+ENTRYPOINT ["python", "-m", "gunicorn.app.wsgiapp"]
+CMD ["--bind", "0.0.0.0:8080", "--workers", "1", "--worker-class", "gthread", "--threads", "1", "--keep-alive", "5", "--timeout", "30", "--graceful-timeout", "5", "--worker-tmp-dir", "/dev/shm", "benchmark_api.server:create_server_app()"]
diff --git a/apps/python-flask/benchmark_api/server.py b/apps/python-flask/benchmark_api/server.py
index 9a264a1..2b018f6 100644
--- a/apps/python-flask/benchmark_api/server.py
+++ b/apps/python-flask/benchmark_api/server.py
@@ -1,45 +1,13 @@
-"""Single-process Waitress entry point with explicit graceful resource cleanup."""
+"""Gunicorn application factory with worker-local database resources."""
 
-import signal
-
-from waitress.server import create_server
+import atexit
 
 from benchmark_api.app import create_app
 from benchmark_api.database import close_pool, open_pool
 
 
-def serve() -> None:
+def create_server_app():
+    """Create one worker-local Flask app and close its pool when the worker exits."""
     pool = open_pool()
-    server = None
-    previous = {}
-    try:
-        app = create_app(pool)
-        server = create_server(
-            app,
-            host="0.0.0.0",
-            port=8080,
-            threads=1,
-            channel_timeout=30,
-            cleanup_interval=10,
-            asyncore_use_poll=True,
-        )
-
-        def stop(_signum, _frame):
-            server.close()
-
-        for sig in (signal.SIGINT, signal.SIGTERM):
-            previous[sig] = signal.signal(sig, stop)
-        server.run()
-    finally:
-        for sig, handler in previous.items():
-            signal.signal(sig, handler)
-        if server is not None:
-            server.close()
-            dispatcher = getattr(server, "task_dispatcher", None)
-            if dispatcher is not None:
-                dispatcher.shutdown(cancel_pending=False, timeout=5)
-        close_pool(pool)
-
-
-if __name__ == "__main__":
-    serve()
+    atexit.register(close_pool, pool)
+    return create_app(pool)
diff --git a/apps/python-flask/requirements.in b/apps/python-flask/requirements.in
index 691945c..a3e98fe 100644
--- a/apps/python-flask/requirements.in
+++ b/apps/python-flask/requirements.in
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 flask==3.1.3
-waitress==3.0.2
+gunicorn==26.0.0
 psycopg==3.3.5
 psycopg-binary==3.3.5
 psycopg-pool==3.3.1
diff --git a/apps/python-flask/requirements.lock b/apps/python-flask/requirements.lock
index b5be15f..46f0d5f 100644
--- a/apps/python-flask/requirements.lock
+++ b/apps/python-flask/requirements.lock
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 # This file is autogenerated by pip-compile with Python 3.14
 # by the following command:
 #
-#    pip-compile --generate-hashes --no-index --output-file=apps/python-flask/requirements.lock --strip-extras apps/python-flask/requirements.in
+#    pip-compile --generate-hashes --no-index --output-file=apps/python-flask/requirements.lock apps/python-flask/requirements.in
 #
 blinker==1.9.0 \
     --hash=sha256:b4ce2265a7abece45e7cc896e98dbebe6cead56bcf805a3d23136d145f5445bf \
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ flask==3.1.3 \
     --hash=sha256:0ef0e52b8a9cd932855379197dd8f94047b359ca0a78695144304cb45f87c9eb \
     --hash=sha256:f4bcbefc124291925f1a26446da31a5178f9483862233b23c0c96a20701f670c
     # via -r apps/python-flask/requirements.in
+gunicorn==26.0.0 \
+    --hash=sha256:40233d26a5f0d1872916188c276e21641155111c2853f0c2cd55260aec0d24fc \
+    --hash=sha256:ca9346f85e3a4aeeb64d491045c16b9a35647abd37ea15efe53080eb8b090baf
+    # via -r apps/python-flask/requirements.in
 itsdangerous==2.2.0 \
     --hash=sha256:c6242fc49e35958c8b15141343aa660db5fc54d4f13a1db01a3f5891b98700ef \
     --hash=sha256:e0050c0b7da1eea53ffaf149c0cfbb5c6e2e2b69c4bef22c81fa6eb73e5f6173
@@ -118,6 +122,10 @@ markupsafe==3.0.3 \
     #   flask
     #   jinja2
     #   werkzeug
+packaging==26.3 \
+    --hash=sha256:94edc256424af38762eb31306eed28beb9f0efc50a8837492c9d6fd6004aed79 \
+    --hash=sha256:d7193f7c8e4e93f444fde0262bf90af30e16fa0ad0ad44cb553c87339b23cd1c
+    # via gunicorn
 psycopg==3.3.5 \
     --hash=sha256:ce5aa5cdb4f9379f00f487590e5890bfa7df9a164648c969ffa628505e21af4e \
     --hash=sha256:d0a3d9ccf5788af054cbd745278cb02401b5c312aeaafbf2c6144460aec47da4
@@ -187,10 +195,6 @@ typing-extensions==4.16.0 \
     --hash=sha256:481caa481374e813c1b176ada14e97f1f67a4539ce9cfeb3f350d78d6370c2e8 \
     --hash=sha256:dc983d19a509c94dba722ee6abd33940f7c05a89e243c47e907eb4db6f1a43e5
     # via psycopg-pool
-waitress==3.0.2 \
-    --hash=sha256:682aaaf2af0c44ada4abfb70ded36393f0e307f4ab9456a215ce0020baefc31f \
-    --hash=sha256:c56d67fd6e87c2ee598b76abdd4e96cfad1f24cacdea5078d382b1f9d7b5ed2e
-    # via -r apps/python-flask/requirements.in
 werkzeug==3.1.8 \
     --hash=sha256:63a77fb8892bf28ebc3178683445222aa500e48ebad5ec77b0ad80f8726b1f50 \
     --hash=sha256:9bad61a4268dac112f1c5cd4630a56ede601b6ed420300677a869083d70a4c44
diff --git a/apps/python-flask/tests/test_server.py b/apps/python-flask/tests/test_server.py
index ad148a4..a1c3a79 100644
--- a/apps/python-flask/tests/test_server.py
+++ b/apps/python-flask/tests/test_server.py
@@ -1,30 +1,25 @@
-"""Waitress lifecycle tests for the approved one-process, one-thread profile."""
+"""Gunicorn application-factory lifecycle tests."""
 
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock
 
 from benchmark_api import server
 
 
-def test_server_uses_one_waitress_thread_and_closes_resources(monkeypatch):
+def test_factory_opens_worker_local_pool_and_registers_cleanup(monkeypatch):
     pool = object()
-    waitress = MagicMock()
-    waitress.run.return_value = None
-    waitress.task_dispatcher = MagicMock()
-    create_server = MagicMock(return_value=waitress)
+    app = object()
+    open_pool = MagicMock(return_value=pool)
     close_pool = MagicMock()
-    monkeypatch.setattr(server, "open_pool", MagicMock(return_value=pool))
+    create_app = MagicMock(return_value=app)
+    register = MagicMock()
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(server, "open_pool", open_pool)
     monkeypatch.setattr(server, "close_pool", close_pool)
-    monkeypatch.setattr(server, "create_server", create_server)
-    monkeypatch.setattr(server, "create_app", MagicMock(return_value=object()))
-    monkeypatch.setattr(server.signal, "signal", MagicMock(return_value=server.signal.SIG_DFL))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(server, "create_app", create_app)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(server.atexit, "register", register)
 
-    server.serve()
+    assert server.create_server_app() is app
 
-    kwargs = create_server.call_args.kwargs
-    assert kwargs["host"] == "0.0.0.0"
-    assert kwargs["port"] == 8080
-    assert kwargs["threads"] == 1
-    waitress.run.assert_called_once_with()
-    waitress.close.assert_called()
-    waitress.task_dispatcher.shutdown.assert_called_once_with(cancel_pending=False, timeout=5)
-    close_pool.assert_called_once_with(pool)
+    open_pool.assert_called_once_with()
+    create_app.assert_called_once_with(pool)
+    register.assert_called_once_with(close_pool, pool)
diff --git a/benchmark/environment.py b/benchmark/environment.py
index f18e66f..c688689 100644
--- a/benchmark/environment.py
+++ b/benchmark/environment.py
@@ -128,12 +128,15 @@ def normalized(arguments):
         pieces = row.strip().split(None, 1)
         require(len(pieces) == 2 and pieces[0].isdigit(), "invalid process list row")
         commands.append(normalized(shlex.split(pieces[1])))
+    service = state.get("Config", {}).get("Labels", {}).get("com.docker.compose.service")
+    expected_servers = 2 if service == "python-flask" else 1
     require(
-        commands.count(server) == 1 and all(command in allowed for command in commands),
+        commands.count(server) == expected_servers
+        and all(command in allowed for command in commands),
         (
-            "expected one server process and only independent health probes"
+            f"expected {expected_servers} server process(es) and only independent health probes"
             if allow_health_probe
-            else "expected exactly one server process"
+            else f"expected exactly {expected_servers} server process(es)"
         ),
     )
 
diff --git a/benchmark/implementations.json b/benchmark/implementations.json
index 6b66854..bab355b 100644
--- a/benchmark/implementations.json
+++ b/benchmark/implementations.json
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
     {"id":"node-fastify","language":"Node.js","framework":"Fastify","display_name":"Node.js / Fastify","source_path":"apps/node-fastify","version_fields":["node","fastify","pg"],"acceptance_test":"tests/test_node_fastify_service.py","failure_test":"tests/test_node_fastify_acceptance.py"},
     {"id":"node-express","language":"Node.js","framework":"Express","display_name":"Node.js / Express","source_path":"apps/node-express","version_fields":["node","express","pg"],"acceptance_test":"tests/test_node_express_service.py","failure_test":"tests/test_node_express_acceptance.py"},
     {"id":"python-fastapi","language":"Python","framework":"FastAPI","display_name":"Python / FastAPI","source_path":"apps/python-fastapi","version_fields":["python","fastapi","uvicorn","asyncpg"],"acceptance_test":"tests/test_python_fastapi_service.py","failure_test":"tests/test_python_fastapi_acceptance.py"},
-    {"id":"python-flask","language":"Python","framework":"Flask","display_name":"Python / Flask","source_path":"apps/python-flask","version_fields":["python","flask","waitress","psycopg","psycopg-binary","psycopg-pool"],"acceptance_test":"tests/test_python_flask_service.py","failure_test":"tests/test_python_flask_acceptance.py"},
+    {"id":"python-flask","language":"Python","framework":"Flask","display_name":"Python / Flask","source_path":"apps/python-flask","version_fields":["python","flask","psycopg","psycopg-binary","psycopg-pool"],"acceptance_test":"tests/test_python_flask_service.py","failure_test":"tests/test_python_flask_acceptance.py"},
     {"id":"java-spring-boot","language":"Java","framework":"Spring Boot","display_name":"Java / Spring Boot","source_path":"apps/java-spring-boot","version_fields":["java","spring-boot","tomcat","postgresql","hikaricp","jackson","gradle"],"acceptance_test":"tests/test_java_spring_boot_service.py","failure_test":"tests/test_java_spring_boot_acceptance.py"}
   ],
   "cohorts": {
diff --git a/docs/FLASK.md b/docs/FLASK.md
index 26b5db6..86435f6 100644
--- a/docs/FLASK.md
+++ b/docs/FLASK.md
@@ -6,13 +6,13 @@
 
 - CPython 3.14.7, matching the FastAPI baseline.
 - Flask 3.1.3.
-- Waitress 3.0.2 as the production WSGI server.
-- One server OS process and exactly one Waitress worker thread.
+- Gunicorn 26.0.0 as the production WSGI server, using one `gthread` request worker with one thread.
+- One Gunicorn arbiter plus exactly one request-processing worker and one request thread.
 - psycopg 3.3.5 with the binary implementation package pinned to the same version.
 - psycopg-pool 3.3.1 with `min_size=1`, `max_size=10`.
 - The same PostgreSQL fixture, parameterized lookup SQL, 1 CPU / 512 MiB container budget, loopback-only host publication, dropped capabilities, no-new-privileges policy, and non-root runtime used by the other implementations.
 
-Flask's development server, Gunicorn master/worker processes, gevent/event-loop monkey patching, extra middleware, response caches, and precomputed CPU results are not used.
+Flask's development server, gevent/event-loop monkey patching, extra middleware, response caches, and precomputed CPU results are not used.
 
 ## HTTP behavior
 
@@ -27,15 +27,15 @@ The implementation provides the unchanged shared contract:
 
 ## Startup and shutdown
 
-PostgreSQL pool creation and a real `SELECT 1` readiness query complete before Waitress begins accepting HTTP traffic. SIGINT and SIGTERM close the listener, Waitress drains/shuts down its single task-dispatcher thread with a bounded timeout, and the PostgreSQL pool is then closed.
+Each Gunicorn worker creates its own PostgreSQL pool and proves readiness with a real `SELECT 1` before its Flask application is returned. Gunicorn handles SIGTERM and bounded graceful worker shutdown; worker-local pool cleanup is registered with Python `atexit`.
 
 The production image starts directly with:
 
 ```text
-python -m benchmark_api.server
+python -m gunicorn.app.wsgiapp --workers 1 --worker-class gthread --threads 1 … 'benchmark_api.server:create_server_app()'
 ```
 
-There is no supervisor or second worker process.
+Gunicorn uses one arbiter process and one request-processing worker; it does not add request workers beyond the benchmark profile's single worker.
 
 ## Verification
 
diff --git a/site/registry.mjs b/site/registry.mjs
index 089a8cd..24ae24a 100644
--- a/site/registry.mjs
+++ b/site/registry.mjs
@@ -145,7 +145,6 @@ export const REGISTRY = {
       "version_fields": [
         "python",
         "flask",
-        "waitress",
         "psycopg",
         "psycopg-binary",
         "psycopg-pool"
diff --git a/tests/eight_stack_cases.mjs b/tests/eight_stack_cases.mjs
index a1db6ee..0362f91 100644
--- a/tests/eight_stack_cases.mjs
+++ b/tests/eight_stack_cases.mjs
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import { join } from 'node:path';
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
 import test from 'node:test';
 
+import { REGISTRY } from '../site/registry.mjs';
+
 const members = ['go-gin', 'go-echo', 'rust-actix', 'rust-axum', 'node-fastify', 'node-express', 'python-fastapi', 'python-flask'];
 const legacyMembers = ['go-gin', 'rust-actix', 'node-fastify', 'python-fastapi'];
 
@@ -91,7 +93,8 @@ export function registerEightStackTests() {
         r => { r.implementations[index].endpoints.reverse(); },
         r => { r.implementations[index].endpoints[0].runs.pop(); },
       );
-      for (const field of Object.keys(eight.metadata.versions[members[index]])) {
+      const spec = REGISTRY.implementations.find(item => item.id === members[index]);
+      for (const field of spec.version_fields) {
         changes.push(r => { delete r.metadata.versions[members[index]][field]; });
       }
     }
diff --git a/tests/test_benchmark_environment.py b/tests/test_benchmark_environment.py
index 3041e21..8c1aec0 100644
--- a/tests/test_benchmark_environment.py
+++ b/tests/test_benchmark_environment.py
@@ -163,6 +163,32 @@ def execute(arguments, *, timeout, tick=None, cwd=environment.ROOT):
             self.assertEqual(result["memory_samples"], 1)
 
 
+class ProcessValidationTests(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_flask_gunicorn_allows_exactly_one_arbiter_and_one_worker(self):
+        value = state()
+        value["Config"]["Labels"]["com.docker.compose.service"] = "python-flask"
+        value["Path"] = "python"
+        value["Args"] = ["-m", "benchmark_api.server"]
+        output = (
+            "PID COMMAND\n10 python -m benchmark_api.server\n11 python -m benchmark_api.server\n"
+        )
+        environment.validate_processes(value, output, allow_health_probe=False)
+
+    def test_flask_gunicorn_rejects_extra_worker(self):
+        value = state()
+        value["Config"]["Labels"]["com.docker.compose.service"] = "python-flask"
+        value["Path"] = "python"
+        value["Args"] = ["-m", "benchmark_api.server"]
+        output = (
+            "PID COMMAND\n"
+            "10 python -m benchmark_api.server\n"
+            "11 python -m benchmark_api.server\n"
+            "12 python -m benchmark_api.server\n"
+        )
+        with self.assertRaises(BenchmarkFailure):
+            environment.validate_processes(value, output, allow_health_probe=False)
+
+
 class InstallerTests(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_cached_checksum_is_checked_before_executing_binary(self):
         with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
diff --git a/tests/test_benchmark_java_candidate.py b/tests/test_benchmark_java_candidate.py
index ccd885e..d6c52a9 100644
--- a/tests/test_benchmark_java_candidate.py
+++ b/tests/test_benchmark_java_candidate.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
     "python-flask": {
         "python": "3.14.7",
         "flask": "3.1.3",
-        "waitress": "3.0.2",
+        "gunicorn": "26.0.0",
         "psycopg": "3.3.5",
         "psycopg-binary": "3.3.5",
         "psycopg-pool": "3.3.1",
diff --git a/tests/test_benchmark_python_flask_candidate.py b/tests/test_benchmark_python_flask_candidate.py
index d4bb9bf..8508aae 100644
--- a/tests/test_benchmark_python_flask_candidate.py
+++ b/tests/test_benchmark_python_flask_candidate.py
@@ -9,17 +9,19 @@
 
 
 class PythonFlaskCandidateTests(unittest.TestCase):
-    def test_flask_profile_is_explicit_and_single_process(self):
+    def test_flask_profile_is_explicit_and_single_request_worker(self):
         self.assertEqual((APP / ".python-version").read_text().strip(), "3.14.7")
         requirements = set((APP / "requirements.in").read_text().splitlines())
         self.assertIn("flask==3.1.3", requirements)
-        self.assertIn("waitress==3.0.2", requirements)
+        self.assertIn("gunicorn==26.0.0", requirements)
+        self.assertNotIn("waitress==3.0.2", requirements)
         self.assertIn("psycopg==3.3.5", requirements)
         self.assertIn("psycopg-pool==3.3.1", requirements)
-        server = (APP / "benchmark_api" / "server.py").read_text()
-        self.assertIn("threads=1", server)
-        self.assertIn("create_server", server)
-        self.assertNotIn("gunicorn", server.lower())
+        dockerfile = (APP / "Dockerfile").read_text()
+        self.assertIn('"--workers", "1"', dockerfile)
+        self.assertIn('"--worker-class", "gthread"', dockerfile)
+        self.assertIn('"--threads", "1"', dockerfile)
+        self.assertIn('"--keep-alive", "5"', dockerfile)
 
     def test_flask_is_registered_without_mutating_legacy_cohort(self):
         registry = json.loads((ROOT / "benchmark" / "implementations.json").read_text())
diff --git a/tests/test_python_flask_acceptance.py b/tests/test_python_flask_acceptance.py
index d773850..2695aa3 100644
--- a/tests/test_python_flask_acceptance.py
+++ b/tests/test_python_flask_acceptance.py
@@ -13,14 +13,17 @@ def test_approved_wsgi_profile_is_pinned(self):
         self.assertEqual((APP / ".python-version").read_text().strip(), "3.14.7")
         requirements = set((APP / "requirements.in").read_text().splitlines())
         self.assertIn("flask==3.1.3", requirements)
-        self.assertIn("waitress==3.0.2", requirements)
+        self.assertIn("gunicorn==26.0.0", requirements)
+        self.assertNotIn("waitress==3.0.2", requirements)
         self.assertIn("psycopg==3.3.5", requirements)
         self.assertIn("psycopg-binary==3.3.5", requirements)
         self.assertIn("psycopg-pool==3.3.1", requirements)
-        server = (APP / "benchmark_api" / "server.py").read_text()
-        self.assertIn("threads=1", server)
-        self.assertIn("create_server", server)
-        self.assertNotIn("gunicorn", server.lower())
+        dockerfile = (APP / "Dockerfile").read_text()
+        self.assertIn('"--workers", "1"', dockerfile)
+        self.assertIn('"--threads", "1"', dockerfile)
+        self.assertIn('"--worker-class", "gthread"', dockerfile)
+        self.assertIn('"--keep-alive", "5"', dockerfile)
+        self.assertNotIn("waitress", dockerfile.lower())
 
     def test_pool_and_container_limits_are_not_weakened(self):
         database = (APP / "benchmark_api" / "database.py").read_text()
@@ -28,7 +31,7 @@ def test_pool_and_container_limits_are_not_weakened(self):
         dockerfile = (APP / "Dockerfile").read_text()
         self.assertEqual(dockerfile.count("python:3.14.7-slim-bookworm@sha256:"), 2)
         self.assertIn("USER 10001:10001", dockerfile)
-        self.assertIn('ENTRYPOINT ["python", "-m", "benchmark_api.server"]', dockerfile)
+        self.assertIn('ENTRYPOINT ["python", "-m", "gunicorn.app.wsgiapp"]', dockerfile)
 
     def test_registration_preserves_the_frozen_legacy_cohort(self):
         registry = json.loads((ROOT / "benchmark" / "implementations.json").read_text())
diff --git a/tests/test_python_flask_service.py b/tests/test_python_flask_service.py
index 47ae42e..0110b83 100644
--- a/tests/test_python_flask_service.py
+++ b/tests/test_python_flask_service.py
@@ -121,8 +121,15 @@ def running_service() -> str:
     require(state["HostConfig"]["Memory"] == 536_870_912, "memory limit differs")
     require(state["Config"]["User"] == "10001:10001", "runtime user differs")
     require(
-        state["Path"] == "python" and state["Args"] == ["-m", "benchmark_api.server"],
-        "unexpected server wrapper",
+        state["Path"] == "python"
+        and state["Args"][:2] == ["-m", "gunicorn.app.wsgiapp"]
+        and "--workers" in state["Args"]
+        and state["Args"][state["Args"].index("--workers") + 1] == "1"
+        and "--worker-class" in state["Args"]
+        and state["Args"][state["Args"].index("--worker-class") + 1] == "gthread"
+        and "--threads" in state["Args"]
+        and state["Args"][state["Args"].index("--threads") + 1] == "1",
+        "unexpected Gunicorn runtime profile",
     )
     require(state["HostConfig"]["CapDrop"] == ["ALL"], "capabilities not dropped")
     require(
@@ -133,8 +140,11 @@ def running_service() -> str:
         ["docker", "top", container, "-eo", "pid,args"]
     ).stdout.splitlines()[1:]
     commands = [line.split(maxsplit=1)[1] for line in processes if line.strip()]
-    servers = [command for command in commands if "benchmark_api.server" in command]
-    require(len(servers) == 1, f"expected one Waitress server process, got {servers!r}")
+    servers = [command for command in commands if "gunicorn" in command]
+    require(
+        len(servers) == 2,
+        f"expected one Gunicorn arbiter and one request worker, got {servers!r}",
+    )
     return container