diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c3439c2..fc223cb 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -76,8 +76,8 @@ also needs **Project: Read** there.
 
 ## Every 30 minutes, on a server
 
-Copy the repo to the server, create `ctf_status.env` there (it is gitignored, so it
-does not travel with the code), then:
+Copy the repo to the server, create `ctf_status.env` or `.env` there (both are gitignored, so they
+do not travel with the code), then:
 
 ```sh
 ./install-timer.sh
diff --git a/install-timer.sh b/install-timer.sh
index e14db94..c310bde 100755
--- a/install-timer.sh
+++ b/install-timer.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env sh
 # Install the 30-minute HedgeDoc refresh as systemd *user* units.
-# Run it as the user that owns ctf_status.env, on the machine that should do the
+# Run it as the user that owns ctf_status.env / .env, on the machine that should do the
 # polling. Re-running it is safe; it just overwrites the units.
 set -eu
 
@@ -8,13 +8,19 @@ dir=$(CDPATH= cd -- "$(dirname -- "$0")" && pwd -P)
 units="${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/systemd/user"
 
 [ -x "$dir/ctf_status.py" ] || { echo "no executable ctf_status.py in $dir" >&2; exit 1; }
-[ -f "$dir/ctf_status.env" ] || {
-    echo "no $dir/ctf_status.env — copy ctf_status.env.example to it first" >&2; exit 1; }
-grep -q '^HEDGEDOC_NOTE=..*' "$dir/ctf_status.env" || {
-    echo "set HEDGEDOC_NOTE=<note url> in $dir/ctf_status.env first" >&2; exit 1; }
-grep -q '^CHALLS_REPO_URL=..*' "$dir/ctf_status.env" || {
-    echo "set CHALLS_REPO_URL=<deployment repo url> in $dir/ctf_status.env first" >&2; exit 1; }
-chmod 600 "$dir/ctf_status.env"
+# ctf_status.py reads ctf_status.env and .env; either (or both) will do
+set --
+for f in "$dir/ctf_status.env" "$dir/.env"; do
+    if [ -f "$f" ]; then set -- "$@" "$f"; fi
+done
+[ $# -gt 0 ] || {
+    echo "no ctf_status.env or .env in $dir — copy ctf_status.env.example to one first" >&2
+    exit 1; }
+# the timer runs --update --challs, which need these two
+for key in HEDGEDOC_NOTE CHALLS_REPO_URL; do
+    grep -qi "^$key=..*" "$@" || { echo "set $key=... in $* first" >&2; exit 1; }
+done
+chmod 600 "$@"
 
 mkdir -p "$units"
 for u in ctf-status.service ctf-status.timer; do