diff --git a/scripts/deploy-rust-remote.sh b/scripts/deploy-rust-remote.sh
index 74f32a77..f68fc78a 100644
--- a/scripts/deploy-rust-remote.sh
+++ b/scripts/deploy-rust-remote.sh
@@ -485,8 +485,10 @@ WEB_SERVER
 
 touch "${TARGET_DIR}/.env"
 for env_file in "${TARGET_DIR}/.env" "${TARGET_DIR}/.env.local"; do
-  if [[ -f "${env_file}" ]] && ! grep -q '^GENARRATIVE_SPACETIME_ROOT_DIR=' "${env_file}"; then
-    printf '\nGENARRATIVE_SPACETIME_ROOT_DIR=${SCRIPT_DIR}/.spacetimedb\n' >>"${env_file}"
+  if [[ -f "${env_file}" ]]; then
+    grep -v '^GENARRATIVE_SPACETIME_ROOT_DIR=' "${env_file}" >"${env_file}.tmp"
+    mv "${env_file}.tmp" "${env_file}"
+    printf '\nGENARRATIVE_SPACETIME_ROOT_DIR=__GENARRATIVE_RUNTIME_SPACETIME_ROOT_DIR__\n' >>"${env_file}"
   fi
 done
 
@@ -582,6 +584,9 @@ load_env_file "${SCRIPT_DIR}/.env"
 load_env_file "${SCRIPT_DIR}/.env.local"
 
 SPACETIME_ROOT_DIR="${GENARRATIVE_SPACETIME_ROOT_DIR:-${SCRIPT_DIR}/.spacetimedb}"
+if [[ "${SPACETIME_ROOT_DIR}" == "__GENARRATIVE_RUNTIME_SPACETIME_ROOT_DIR__" ]]; then
+  SPACETIME_ROOT_DIR="${SCRIPT_DIR}/.spacetimedb"
+fi
 SPACETIME_HOST="${GENARRATIVE_SPACETIME_HOST:-__GENARRATIVE_DEFAULT_SPACETIME_HOST__}"
 SPACETIME_PORT="${GENARRATIVE_SPACETIME_PORT:-__GENARRATIVE_DEFAULT_SPACETIME_PORT__}"
 SPACETIME_SERVER_URL="${GENARRATIVE_SPACETIME_SERVER_URL:-http://${SPACETIME_HOST}:${SPACETIME_PORT}}"