diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index b4755fd..c6c9b79 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -100,6 +100,10 @@ MICROSITE_API_BASE_URL=http://localhost:3001/api
 # Dev fallback: open published HTML via CloudFront URL of index.html key directly.
 # Seed bundled microsite templates: npm run seed:global-microsite-v2-templates
 # Or one template: npm run seed:eventify-template / npm run seed:eventre-template
+# Dev: read template.json + template.html from disk instead of MongoDB/S3 (by template slug).
+# MICROSITE_V2_READ_FROM_LOCAL=true
+# Optional override for the templates folder (default: backend/microsite-v2-templates)
+# MICROSITE_V2_TEMPLATES_DIR=/path/to/microsite-v2-templates
 #
 # Published-site target: s3 (default) | ec2. When ec2, rendered index.html +
 # config.json are uploaded via SFTP to {REMOTE_ROOT}/{subdomain}/ on the EC2 box.
diff --git a/src/controllers/staticMicrosite.controller.js b/src/controllers/staticMicrosite.controller.js
index 174b965..1650acd 100644
--- a/src/controllers/staticMicrosite.controller.js
+++ b/src/controllers/staticMicrosite.controller.js
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ const {
   uploadTemplateFile,
   uploadTemplateAsset,
   templateAssetsBaseUrl,
-  getS3ObjectBuffer,
   templateKey,
   cloudfrontUrlForKey,
   replaceSlugInS3Key,
@@ -201,14 +200,11 @@ const getTemplate = async (request, h) => {
     return h.response(error('FORBIDDEN', access.message)).code(access.status);
   }
 
-  let schema = template.schema;
-  if (!schema && template.schemaS3Key) {
-    try {
-      const buf = await getS3ObjectBuffer(template.schemaS3Key);
-      schema = JSON.parse(buf.toString('utf8'));
-    } catch {
-      schema = null;
-    }
+  let schema;
+  try {
+    schema = await loadTemplateSchema(template);
+  } catch {
+    schema = template.schema || null;
   }
 
   return h.response(success({ ...template, schema }));
diff --git a/src/utils/localMicrositeV2Templates.js b/src/utils/localMicrositeV2Templates.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5d41380
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/localMicrositeV2Templates.js
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+const fs = require('fs');
+const path = require('path');
+const { parseTemplateSchema } = require('./templateSchema');
+
+const BACKEND_ROOT = path.join(__dirname, '..', '..');
+
+function isLocalMicrositeV2TemplatesEnabled() {
+  const v = String(process.env.MICROSITE_V2_READ_FROM_LOCAL || '').trim().toLowerCase();
+  return v === '1' || v === 'true' || v === 'yes';
+}
+
+function getTemplatesRoot() {
+  const custom = String(process.env.MICROSITE_V2_TEMPLATES_DIR || '').trim();
+  if (custom) return path.resolve(custom);
+  return path.join(BACKEND_ROOT, 'microsite-v2-templates');
+}
+
+function resolveTemplateDir(slug) {
+  const normalized = String(slug || '').trim().toLowerCase();
+  if (!normalized) return null;
+  const dir = path.join(getTemplatesRoot(), normalized);
+  if (!fs.existsSync(dir)) return null;
+  return dir;
+}
+
+function readLocalTemplateSchema(slug) {
+  const dir = resolveTemplateDir(slug);
+  if (!dir) return null;
+  const jsonPath = path.join(dir, 'template.json');
+  if (!fs.existsSync(jsonPath)) return null;
+  return parseTemplateSchema(fs.readFileSync(jsonPath));
+}
+
+function readLocalTemplateHtml(slug) {
+  const dir = resolveTemplateDir(slug);
+  if (!dir) return null;
+  const htmlPath = path.join(dir, 'template.html');
+  if (!fs.existsSync(htmlPath)) return null;
+  return fs.readFileSync(htmlPath, 'utf8');
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  isLocalMicrositeV2TemplatesEnabled,
+  getTemplatesRoot,
+  readLocalTemplateSchema,
+  readLocalTemplateHtml,
+};
diff --git a/src/utils/publishStaticMicrosite.js b/src/utils/publishStaticMicrosite.js
index d6fc46f..74d0999 100644
--- a/src/utils/publishStaticMicrosite.js
+++ b/src/utils/publishStaticMicrosite.js
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ const { uploadSiteToEc2 } = require('./ec2MicrositePublish');
 const { mergeConfigWithDefaults } = require('./templateSchema');
 const { renderHandlebarsTemplate, buildRenderContext } = require('./handlebarsRender');
 const { resolveConfigAssetUrls } = require('./micrositeConfigAssets');
+const {
+  isLocalMicrositeV2TemplatesEnabled,
+  readLocalTemplateSchema,
+  readLocalTemplateHtml,
+} = require('./localMicrositeV2Templates');
 
 function preparePublishedConfig(schema, userConfig, assetsBaseUrl) {
   const merged = mergeConfigWithDefaults(schema, userConfig);
@@ -14,6 +19,10 @@ function preparePublishedConfig(schema, userConfig, assetsBaseUrl) {
 }
 
 async function loadTemplateHtml(template) {
+  if (isLocalMicrositeV2TemplatesEnabled() && template.slug) {
+    const local = readLocalTemplateHtml(template.slug);
+    if (local) return local;
+  }
   if (!template.htmlS3Key) {
     throw new Error('Template HTML is not uploaded yet');
   }
@@ -22,6 +31,10 @@ async function loadTemplateHtml(template) {
 }
 
 async function loadTemplateSchema(template) {
+  if (isLocalMicrositeV2TemplatesEnabled() && template.slug) {
+    const local = readLocalTemplateSchema(template.slug);
+    if (local) return local;
+  }
   if (template.schema) return template.schema;
   if (!template.schemaS3Key) {
     throw new Error('Template schema is not available');