diff --git a/tools/backup.sh b/tools/backup.sh
index 504a4c1..76e7b53 100755
--- a/tools/backup.sh
+++ b/tools/backup.sh
@@ -14,12 +14,17 @@ set -euo pipefail
 
 cd "$(dirname "$0")/.."
 
+# A setting from the environment, else from .env, else the fallback. Tolerates
+# "export NAME=", quotes, spaces and Windows line endings.
 setting() { # name, fallback
   local from_env="${!1:-}"
   if [ -n "$from_env" ]; then echo "$from_env"; return; fi
   if [ -f .env ]; then
     local line
-    line="$(grep -E "^$1=" .env | tail -1 | cut -d= -f2-)"
+    line="$(sed -e 's/\r$//' .env \
+      | grep -E "^[[:space:]]*(export[[:space:]]+)?$1[[:space:]]*=" \
+      | tail -1 | cut -d= -f2- \
+      | sed -e 's/^[[:space:]]*//' -e 's/[[:space:]]*$//' -e 's/^"\(.*\)"$/\1/' -e "s/^'\(.*\)'$/\1/")"
     if [ -n "$line" ]; then echo "$line"; return; fi
   fi
   echo "$2"
@@ -30,6 +35,15 @@ DATA_DIR="$(setting DATA_DIR ./data)"
 KEEP_DAYS="$(setting KEEP_DAYS 14)"
 stamp="$(date +%Y-%m-%d)"
 
+echo "$(date '+%F %T') data: $DATA_DIR → backups: $BACKUP_DIR"
+
+# Checked before anything is written: on an external disk that isn't mounted,
+# the folder is simply missing, and a backup of nothing is worse than none.
+if [ ! -d "$DATA_DIR/uploads" ]; then
+  echo "$(date '+%F %T') FAILED: no $DATA_DIR/uploads — is the disk mounted, and is DATA_DIR set in .env?" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR/db"
 
 # --- the database -----------------------------------------------------------
@@ -62,9 +76,5 @@ find "$BACKUP_DIR/db" -name 'printhive-*.dump' -type f -mtime "+$KEEP_DAYS" -del
 # --- the model files --------------------------------------------------------
 # A mirror, not a history: it matches what's there now, deletions included.
 # Thumbnails, previews and extracted archives are left out — they rebuild.
-if [ ! -d "$DATA_DIR/uploads" ]; then
-  echo "$(date '+%F %T') FAILED: no $DATA_DIR/uploads — is the disk mounted?" >&2
-  exit 1
-fi
 rsync -a --delete "$DATA_DIR/uploads/" "$BACKUP_DIR/uploads/"
 echo "$(date '+%F %T') files    → $BACKUP_DIR/uploads ($(du -sh "$BACKUP_DIR/uploads" | cut -f1))"