diff --git a/packages/pytest-simcore/src/pytest_simcore/simcore_services.py b/packages/pytest-simcore/src/pytest_simcore/simcore_services.py
index 2a4f6d2ff4dc..d0c62e33010d 100644
--- a/packages/pytest-simcore/src/pytest_simcore/simcore_services.py
+++ b/packages/pytest-simcore/src/pytest_simcore/simcore_services.py
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
     "whoami",
     "sto-worker",
     "sto-worker-cpu-bound",
+    "traefik-configuration-placeholder",
 }
 # TODO: unify healthcheck policies see  https://github.com/ITISFoundation/osparc-simcore/pull/2281
 DEFAULT_SERVICE_HEALTHCHECK_ENTRYPOINT: Final[str] = "/v0/"
diff --git a/services/docker-compose.yml b/services/docker-compose.yml
index 4d3a4d7da584..cb92ec8b43c5 100644
--- a/services/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/services/docker-compose.yml
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ services:
         - traefik.http.services.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_api-server.loadbalancer.healthcheck.path=/
         - traefik.http.services.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_api-server.loadbalancer.healthcheck.interval=2000ms
         - traefik.http.services.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_api-server.loadbalancer.healthcheck.timeout=1000ms
+        # NOTE: keep in sync with fallback router (rule and entrypoint)
         - traefik.http.routers.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_api-server.rule=(Path(`/`) || Path(`/v0`) ||  PathPrefix(`/v0/`) || Path(`/api/v0/openapi.json`))
         - traefik.http.routers.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_api-server.entrypoints=simcore_api
         - traefik.http.routers.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_api-server.priority=3
@@ -628,6 +629,7 @@ services:
         - traefik.http.services.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_static_webserver.loadbalancer.healthcheck.interval=2000ms
         - traefik.http.services.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_static_webserver.loadbalancer.healthcheck.timeout=1000ms
         - traefik.http.middlewares.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_static_webserver_retry.retry.attempts=2
+        # NOTE: keep in sync with fallback router (rule and entrypoint)
         - traefik.http.routers.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_static_webserver.rule=(Path(`/osparc`) || Path(`/s4l`) || Path(`/s4llite`) || Path(`/s4lacad`) || Path(`/s4lengine`) || Path(`/s4ldesktop`) || Path(`/s4ldesktopacad`) || Path(`/tis`) || Path(`/tiplite`) || Path(`/transpiled`) || Path(`/resource`) || PathPrefix(`/osparc/`) || PathPrefix(`/s4l/`) || PathPrefix(`/s4llite/`) || PathPrefix(`/s4lacad/`) || PathPrefix(`/s4lengine/`) || PathPrefix(`/s4ldesktop/`) || PathPrefix(`/s4ldesktopacad/`) || PathPrefix(`/tis/`) || PathPrefix(`/tiplite/`) || PathPrefix(`/transpiled/`) || PathPrefix(`/resource/`))
         - traefik.http.routers.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_static_webserver.service=${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_static_webserver
         - traefik.http.routers.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_static_webserver.entrypoints=http
@@ -871,6 +873,7 @@ services:
         # NOTE: stickyness must remain only for specific endpoints, see https://github.com/ITISFoundation/osparc-simcore/pull/4180
         - traefik.http.middlewares.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_webserver_retry.retry.attempts=2
         - traefik.http.routers.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_webserver.service=${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_webserver
+        # NOTE: keep in sync with fallback router (rule and entrypoint)
         - traefik.http.routers.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_webserver.rule=(Path(`/`) || Path(`/v0`) || Path(`/socket.io/`) || Path(`/static-frontend-data.json`) || PathRegexp(`^/study/(?P<study_uuid>\b[0-9a-f]{8}\b-[0-9a-f]{4}-[0-9a-f]{4}-[0-9a-f]{4}-\b[0-9a-f]{12}\b)`) || Path(`/view`) || Path(`/#/view`) || Path(`/#/error`) || PathPrefix(`/v0/`))
         - traefik.http.routers.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_webserver.entrypoints=http
         - traefik.http.routers.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_webserver.priority=6
@@ -1456,6 +1459,62 @@ services:
       - default
       - interactive_services_subnet # for legacy dynamic services
 
+  # use to define fallback routes for simcore services
+  # if docker healthcheck fails, container's traefik configuration is removed
+  # leading to 404 https://github.com/traefik/traefik/issues/7842
+  #
+  # use fallback routes to return proper 503 (instead of 404)
+  # this service must be running at all times
+  traefik-configuration-placeholder:
+    image: busybox:1.35.0
+    command: sleep infinity
+    networks:
+      - default
+    deploy:
+      labels:
+        # route to internal traefik
+        - traefik.enable=true
+        - io.simcore.zone=${TRAEFIK_SIMCORE_ZONE}
+
+        ### Fallback for api-server
+        - traefik.http.routers.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_api-server_fallback.rule=(Path(`/`) || Path(`/v0`) ||  PathPrefix(`/v0/`) || Path(`/api/v0/openapi.json`))
+        - traefik.http.routers.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_api-server_fallback.service=${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_api-server_fallback
+        - traefik.http.routers.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_api-server_fallback.entrypoints=simcore_api
+        - traefik.http.routers.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_api-server_fallback.priority=1
+        # always fail and return 503 via unhealthy loadbalancer healthcheck
+        - traefik.http.services.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_api-server_fallback.loadbalancer.server.port=0 # port is required (otherwise traefik service is not created)
+        - traefik.http.services.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_api-server_fallback.loadbalancer.healthcheck.path=/some/invalid/path/to/generate/a/503
+        - traefik.http.services.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_api-server_fallback.loadbalancer.healthcheck.interval=10s
+        - traefik.http.services.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_api-server_fallback.loadbalancer.healthcheck.timeout=1ms
+
+        ### Fallback for webserver
+        - traefik.http.routers.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_webserver_fallback.service=${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_webserver_fallback
+        - traefik.http.routers.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_webserver_fallback.rule=(Path(`/`) || Path(`/v0`) || Path(`/socket.io/`) || Path(`/static-frontend-data.json`) || PathRegexp(`^/study/(?P<study_uuid>\b[0-9a-f]{8}\b-[0-9a-f]{4}-[0-9a-f]{4}-[0-9a-f]{4}-\b[0-9a-f]{12}\b)`) || Path(`/view`) || Path(`/#/view`) || Path(`/#/error`) || PathPrefix(`/v0/`))
+        - traefik.http.routers.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_webserver_fallback.entrypoints=http
+        - traefik.http.routers.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_webserver_fallback.priority=1
+        # always fail and return 503 via unhealthy loadbalancer healthcheck
+        - traefik.http.services.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_webserver_fallback.loadbalancer.server.port=0
+        - traefik.http.services.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_webserver_fallback.loadbalancer.healthcheck.path=/v0/
+        - traefik.http.services.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_webserver_fallback.loadbalancer.healthcheck.interval=10s
+        - traefik.http.services.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_webserver_fallback.loadbalancer.healthcheck.timeout=1ms
+
+        ### Fallback for static-webserver
+        - traefik.http.routers.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_static_webserver_fallback.rule=(Path(`/osparc`) || Path(`/s4l`) || Path(`/s4llite`) || Path(`/s4lacad`) || Path(`/s4lengine`) || Path(`/s4ldesktop`) || Path(`/s4ldesktopacad`) || Path(`/tis`) || Path(`/tiplite`) || Path(`/transpiled`) || Path(`/resource`) || PathPrefix(`/osparc/`) || PathPrefix(`/s4l/`) || PathPrefix(`/s4llite/`) || PathPrefix(`/s4lacad/`) || PathPrefix(`/s4lengine/`) || PathPrefix(`/s4ldesktop/`) || PathPrefix(`/s4ldesktopacad/`) || PathPrefix(`/tis/`) || PathPrefix(`/tiplite/`) || PathPrefix(`/transpiled/`) || PathPrefix(`/resource/`))
+        - traefik.http.routers.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_static_webserver_fallback.service=${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_static_webserver_fallback
+        - traefik.http.routers.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_static_webserver_fallback.entrypoints=http
+        - traefik.http.routers.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_static_webserver_fallback.priority=1
+        # always fail and return 503 via unhealthy loadbalancer healthcheck
+        - traefik.http.services.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_static_webserver_fallback.loadbalancer.server.port=0
+        - traefik.http.services.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_static_webserver_fallback.loadbalancer.healthcheck.path=/some/invalid/path/to/generate/a/503
+        - traefik.http.services.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_static_webserver_fallback.loadbalancer.healthcheck.interval=10s
+        - traefik.http.services.${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_static_webserver_fallback.loadbalancer.healthcheck.timeout=1ms
+    healthcheck:
+      test: command -v sleep
+      interval: 10s
+      timeout: 1s
+      start_period: 1s
+      retries: 3
+
 volumes:
   postgres_data:
     name: ${SWARM_STACK_NAME}_postgres_data