diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e8e00a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# Shellery configuration
+#
+#   cp .env.example .env
+#
+# Every value below is the built-in default, so an unedited copy changes
+# nothing. .env is read from the working directory and is gitignored.
+#
+# Precedence: command line flags > environment > .env > these defaults.
+# This file is sourced by build.sh, so shell syntax applies.
+
+# Page title. Used for both <title> and the <h1> header.
+# Special characters are HTML-escaped automatically.
+# Flag: --title=TEXT
+GALLERY_TITLE="Gallery"
+
+# Show the "Powered by shellery" footer.  1 = show, 0 = hide.
+# Flag: --no-footer
+SHOW_FOOTER=1
+
+# Strip EXIF/GPS/IPTC/XMP metadata from the images copied into output/.
+# 1 = strip (requires exiftool), 0 = publish metadata as-is.
+# Source images in images/ are never modified either way.
+# Flag: --keep-exif
+STRIP_EXIF=1
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 021d4a3..01ebe7f 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -5,3 +5,6 @@ output/*
 # Ignore content in images directory
 images/*
 !images/.gitkeep
+
+# Local configuration (see .env.example)
+.env
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f908ab5..ad01fcf 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ Simple SSG to create dynamic gallery one-pagers in your shell! Shell+Gallery
 **Available**:
 - Simple use, single dependency (exiftool)
 - Removes EXIF/GPS metadata from published images by default
+- Configurable title and optional footer via environment variables
 - no Javascript
 - Lightbox of image with anchor
 - Order of images via filename
@@ -70,6 +71,42 @@ docker run -v $(pwd)/images:/app/images -v $(pwd)/output:/app/output localhost/s
 
 The generated gallery will be in `./output/index.html`
 
+### Configuration
+
+All options can be set in a `.env` file, as environment variables, or as flags.
+`.env.example` lists every option with its default, so an unedited copy changes nothing:
+
+```bash
+cp .env.example .env
+```
+
+`.env` is gitignored. Precedence is **flags > environment > `.env` > defaults**, so a
+`-e` value passed to the container still wins over the file. Point `ENV_FILE` at another
+path to use a different file.
+
+| Variable | Flag | Default | Effect |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| `GALLERY_TITLE` | `--title=TEXT` | `Gallery` | Page `<title>` and the `<h1>` header |
+| `SHOW_FOOTER` | `--no-footer` | `1` | Set to `0` to hide the "Powered by shellery" footer |
+| `STRIP_EXIF` | `--keep-exif` | `1` | Set to `0` to publish image metadata as-is |
+| `ENV_FILE` | - | `.env` | Path to the config file to load |
+
+```bash
+GALLERY_TITLE="Holiday 2026" SHOW_FOOTER=0 ./build.sh
+# or
+./build.sh --title="Holiday 2026" --no-footer
+
+# container, via -e
+podman run -e GALLERY_TITLE="Holiday 2026" -e SHOW_FOOTER=0 \
+  -v $(pwd)/images:/app/images -v $(pwd)/output:/app/output \
+  git.uphillsecurity.com/cf7/shellery:latest
+
+# container, via a mounted .env
+podman run -v $(pwd)/.env:/app/.env:ro \
+  -v $(pwd)/images:/app/images -v $(pwd)/output:/app/output \
+  git.uphillsecurity.com/cf7/shellery:latest
+```
+
 ### Metadata removal
 
 EXIF, GPS, IPTC and XMP metadata is stripped from every image by default. Only the copies
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index 2b22d7c..0c3303b 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -10,6 +10,20 @@ OUTPUT_DIR="output"
 TEMPLATES_DIR="templates"
 ASSETS_DIR="assets"
 
+# Load .env if present; see .env.example for every option and its default.
+# Precedence: command line flags > environment > .env > built-in defaults.
+ENV_FILE="${ENV_FILE:-.env}"
+if [[ -f "$ENV_FILE" ]]; then
+    # Remember caller-supplied values so the file cannot clobber them
+    env_override=$(export -p | grep -E '^declare -x (STRIP_EXIF|GALLERY_TITLE|SHOW_FOOTER)=' || true)
+    # shellcheck source=/dev/null
+    source "$ENV_FILE"
+    if [[ -n "$env_override" ]]; then
+        eval "$env_override"
+    fi
+    unset env_override
+fi
+
 # Image metadata (EXIF/GPS/IPTC/XMP) is stripped by default.
 # Opt out with STRIP_EXIF=0 or --keep-exif.
 STRIP_EXIF="${STRIP_EXIF:-1}"
@@ -30,6 +44,9 @@ for arg in "$@"; do
             echo "  --keep-exif    do not strip image metadata (env: STRIP_EXIF=0)"
             echo "  --no-footer    hide the 'Powered by shellery' footer (env: SHOW_FOOTER=0)"
             echo "  --title=TEXT   page title and header, default 'Gallery' (env: GALLERY_TITLE)"
+            echo ""
+            echo "Options may also be set in .env (see .env.example)."
+            echo "Precedence: flags > environment > .env > defaults."
             exit 0 ;;
         *) echo "unknown option: $arg" >&2; exit 1 ;;
     esac