diff --git a/infrastructure/production/host/config.env.example b/infrastructure/production/host/config.env.example
index a4aa495..8c1d748 100644
--- a/infrastructure/production/host/config.env.example
+++ b/infrastructure/production/host/config.env.example
@@ -51,9 +51,11 @@ STALWART_WEBHOOK_SECRET=""         # REQUIRED — openssl rand -hex 32
 
 # --- Restic backups (host) ------------------------------------------------
 # Storage Box is SSH/SFTP on PORT 23, key auth. STORE RESTIC_PASSWORD OFFLINE.
+# NOTE: the Storage Box drops you in /home, so the repo path needs the /home
+# prefix (an absolute /dezky hits the root-owned chroot parent and fails).
 RESTIC_PASSWORD=""                 # REQUIRED — openssl rand -hex 32 (save offline!)
-BACKUP_PRIMARY_REPO=""             # sftp:<user>@<user>.your-storagebox.de:/dezky
-BACKUP_DR_REPO=""                  # sftp:<user>@<user>.your-storagebox.de:/dezky  (Helsinki box)
-BACKUP_PATHS="/opt/stalwart/data /opt/stalwart/etc /var/lib/rancher/k3s/server/db/snapshots /var/lib/rancher/k3s/storage"
+BACKUP_PRIMARY_REPO=""             # sftp:<user>@<user>.your-storagebox.de:/home/dezky
+BACKUP_DR_REPO=""                  # sftp:<user>@<user>.your-storagebox.de:/home/dezky  (Helsinki box)
+BACKUP_PATHS="/opt/stalwart/data /opt/stalwart/etc /var/lib/rancher/k3s/server/db/snapshots /opt/dezky-backup/dumps"
 BACKUP_RETENTION="--keep-daily 7 --keep-weekly 4 --keep-monthly 6"
 BACKUP_HEALTHCHECK_URL=""          # optional dead-man's-switch base URL
diff --git a/infrastructure/production/host/restic/install.sh b/infrastructure/production/host/restic/install.sh
index 07099c2..d52e75b 100755
--- a/infrastructure/production/host/restic/install.sh
+++ b/infrastructure/production/host/restic/install.sh
@@ -49,16 +49,24 @@ if [[ ! -f "$KEY" ]]; then
     ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -N "" -C "dezky-backup@node1" -f "$KEY" >/dev/null
     ok "Generated backup SSH key."
 fi
-# Single wildcard config covers BOTH Storage Boxes (same domain, port 23, key).
-cat > "$SSH_DIR/config" <<EOF
+# restic runs as root and its ssh subprocess resolves '~' from the passwd db
+# (NOT $HOME), so it reads /root/.ssh/config — the Storage Box block must live
+# there. StrictHostKeyChecking=no is safe: restic encrypts every byte before
+# upload, so the SFTP transport only moves opaque blobs. One wildcard block
+# covers BOTH Storage Boxes (same domain, port 23, key).
+install -d -m 0700 /root/.ssh
+if ! grep -q "your-storagebox.de" /root/.ssh/config 2>/dev/null; then
+    cat >> /root/.ssh/config <<EOF
 Host *.your-storagebox.de
     Port 23
     IdentityFile $KEY
     IdentitiesOnly yes
-    StrictHostKeyChecking accept-new
-    UserKnownHostsFile $SSH_DIR/known_hosts
+    StrictHostKeyChecking no
+    UserKnownHostsFile /dev/null
+    LogLevel ERROR
 EOF
-chmod 0600 "$SSH_DIR/config" "$KEY"
+fi
+chmod 0600 /root/.ssh/config "$KEY"
 chmod 0644 "$KEY.pub"
 
 # ── 3) restic.env (secrets; generated, not in git) ─────────────────────────
@@ -68,8 +76,8 @@ cat > "$BACKUP_HOME/restic.env" <<EOF
 RESTIC_PASSWORD=${RESTIC_PASSWORD}
 BACKUP_PRIMARY_REPO=${BACKUP_PRIMARY_REPO}
 BACKUP_DR_REPO=${BACKUP_DR_REPO:-}
-BACKUP_PATHS=${BACKUP_PATHS}
-BACKUP_RETENTION=${BACKUP_RETENTION}
+BACKUP_PATHS="${BACKUP_PATHS}"
+BACKUP_RETENTION="${BACKUP_RETENTION}"
 BACKUP_HEALTHCHECK_URL=${BACKUP_HEALTHCHECK_URL:-}
 EOF
 chmod 0600 "$BACKUP_HOME/restic.env"