diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index cbd30ce..cf998de 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -27,7 +27,10 @@ Runtime configuration is loaded by systemd from:
 /etc/org-backend/org-backend.env
 ```
 
-Create that file once on the server from `misc/org-backend.env.example` and
-fill in the production values. The Gitea deploy step installs an updated
-example file to `/etc/org-backend/org-backend.env.example`, but it does not
-overwrite the real env file.
+Create that file once on the server with the production values required by the
+app. The Gitea deploy step verifies that it exists, but it does not create or
+overwrite it.
+
+The live systemd unit at `/etc/systemd/system/org-backend.service` is managed
+as a symlink to `misc/org-backend.service`, so the project copy is the source of
+truth.
diff --git a/misc/org-backend.env.example b/misc/org-backend.env.example
deleted file mode 100644
index 430b560..0000000
--- a/misc/org-backend.env.example
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-# Copy this file to /etc/org-backend/org-backend.env on the server and fill in
-# production values. This file is safe to commit only with placeholder values.
-
-SERVER_PORT=9010
-
-SPRING_DATASOURCE_URL=jdbc:postgresql://127.0.0.1:5432/org_web
-SPRING_DATASOURCE_USERNAME=zaine
-SPRING_DATASOURCE_PASSWORD=shakkal123
-SPRING_DATASOURCE_DRIVER_CLASS_NAME=org.postgresql.Driver
-SPRING_JPA_SHOW_SQL=false
-
-CALIBRE_DB_PATH=/home/zaine/master-folder/projects/calibre/library/metadata.db
-
-JWT_SECRET=change-me-to-a-long-random-secret-at-least-32-characters
-JWT_EXPIRATION_MS=86400000
-
-ZONE_BUILD_DIR=/home/zaine/master-folder/org_files/org_web
-ZONE_BUILD_LOG=/home/zaine/master-folder/org_files/org_web/org-web-build.log
-ORGROAM_BUILD_DIR=/home/zaine/master-folder/org_files/org_roam
-ORGROAM_BUILD_LOG=/home/zaine/master-folder/org_files/org_roam/orgroam-build.log
-EMACS_RUN_DIR=/home/zaine
-EMACS_RUN_LOG=/home/zaine/logs/emacs.log
-COMBINED_RUN_LOG=/home/zaine/logs/combined.log
diff --git a/scripts/deploy-systemd.sh b/scripts/deploy-systemd.sh
index bb52c43..374a9a8 100755
--- a/scripts/deploy-systemd.sh
+++ b/scripts/deploy-systemd.sh
@@ -5,14 +5,12 @@ APP_HOME="${APP_HOME:-/home/zaine/master-folder/projects/java_projects/org_backe
 SERVICE_NAME="${SERVICE_NAME:-org-backend.service}"
 SYSTEMCTL_TIMEOUT="${SYSTEMCTL_TIMEOUT:-120}"
 ENV_FILE="${ENV_FILE:-/etc/org-backend/org-backend.env}"
-ENV_EXAMPLE_FILE="${ENV_EXAMPLE_FILE:-/etc/org-backend/org-backend.env.example}"
 
 SOURCE_DIR="$(pwd)"
 SOURCE_JAR="${SOURCE_DIR}/target/org-backend.jar"
 APP_TARGET_DIR="${APP_HOME}/target"
 APP_JAR="${APP_TARGET_DIR}/org-backend.jar"
 SOURCE_SERVICE="${SOURCE_DIR}/misc/${SERVICE_NAME}"
-SOURCE_ENV_EXAMPLE="${SOURCE_DIR}/misc/org-backend.env.example"
 SYSTEMD_SERVICE="/etc/systemd/system/${SERVICE_NAME}"
 
 run_sudo() {
@@ -33,11 +31,6 @@ if [[ ! -f "${SOURCE_SERVICE}" ]]; then
   exit 1
 fi
 
-if [[ ! -f "${SOURCE_ENV_EXAMPLE}" ]]; then
-  echo "Missing env example file: ${SOURCE_ENV_EXAMPLE}" >&2
-  exit 1
-fi
-
 mkdir -p "${APP_TARGET_DIR}"
 
 if [[ "$(realpath "${SOURCE_JAR}")" != "$(realpath -m "${APP_JAR}")" ]]; then
@@ -50,18 +43,15 @@ fi
 echo "Checking sudo access"
 run_sudo true
 
-echo "Installing env example to ${ENV_EXAMPLE_FILE}"
-run_sudo install -d -m 0755 "$(dirname "${ENV_FILE}")"
-run_sudo install -m 0640 "${SOURCE_ENV_EXAMPLE}" "${ENV_EXAMPLE_FILE}"
-
 echo "Checking runtime env file at ${ENV_FILE}"
 if ! run_sudo test -f "${ENV_FILE}"; then
-  echo "Missing ${ENV_FILE}. Create it from ${ENV_EXAMPLE_FILE} and fill in the production values." >&2
+  echo "Missing ${ENV_FILE}. Create it on the server with the production values required by the app." >&2
   exit 1
 fi
 
-echo "Installing systemd unit to ${SYSTEMD_SERVICE}"
-run_sudo install -m 0644 "${SOURCE_SERVICE}" "${SYSTEMD_SERVICE}"
+echo "Linking project systemd unit to ${SYSTEMD_SERVICE}"
+run_sudo rm -f "${SYSTEMD_SERVICE}"
+run_sudo ln -s "${SOURCE_SERVICE}" "${SYSTEMD_SERVICE}"
 
 echo "Reloading systemd"
 run_sudo systemctl daemon-reload