diff --git a/deploy.conf.example b/deploy.conf.example
index d7616eb..4e19ce8 100644
--- a/deploy.conf.example
+++ b/deploy.conf.example
@@ -30,5 +30,5 @@ XMS="10G"
 ACCEPT_EULA="no"
 
 # --- optional ---------------------------------------------------------------
-START_SERVER="no"                  # yes to start Minecraft at the end
+START_SERVER="yes"                 # no to leave Minecraft stopped
 CAP_ZFS_ARC="2147483648"           # bytes; empty to leave ARC alone
diff --git a/mc-service-setup.sh b/mc-service-setup.sh
index 203c2f3..3baa8af 100755
--- a/mc-service-setup.sh
+++ b/mc-service-setup.sh
@@ -62,6 +62,39 @@ done
     || die "-H wants a port between 1 and 65535, got: $HTTP_PORT"
 [ "$HTTP_PORT" != "$PORT" ] || die "the HTTP port and the Minecraft port cannot both be $PORT"
 
+# --------------------------------------------------------------- cleanup ----
+
+# Re-running has to repair whatever an earlier, partly-applied run left behind,
+# not trip over it. Everything here is safe when there is nothing to clean.
+info "clearing previous service state"
+
+systemctl stop minecraft.service packwiz-http.service >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+
+# The old socket unit could never work: SELinux denies init_t read/write on a
+# var_run_t fifo_file, so systemd could not open the FIFO.
+if [ -e "$UNIT_DIR/minecraft.socket" ]; then
+    info "removing obsolete minecraft.socket"
+    systemctl disable --now minecraft.socket >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+    rm -f "$UNIT_DIR/minecraft.socket"
+fi
+
+# Drop-ins override the unit we are about to write and win silently — including
+# any hand-made `systemctl edit` workaround. Move them aside rather than delete,
+# in case one was deliberate.
+for d in "$UNIT_DIR/minecraft.service.d" "$UNIT_DIR/packwiz-http.service.d"; do
+    if [ -d "$d" ]; then
+        bak="$d.bak.$(date +%Y%m%d%H%M%S)"
+        warn "moving override drop-in aside: $d -> $bak"
+        mv "$d" "$bak"
+    fi
+done
+
+# FIFO from the old socket-unit layout, and any left by a killed run.
+rm -f /run/minecraft-console /run/minecraft/console
+
+systemctl reset-failed minecraft.service minecraft.socket packwiz-http.service >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+systemctl daemon-reload
+
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------- share ----
 
 [ -d "$SHARE" ] || die "$SHARE does not exist"
@@ -110,6 +143,13 @@ if [ -n "$ADMIN" ]; then
     chown "$ADMIN":"$MCUSER" "$SHARE"
     chmod 2775 "$SHARE"
     install -d -o "$ADMIN" -g "$MCUSER" -m 2775 "$SHARE/packs"
+
+    # An earlier version chowned the whole share on every run, which took the
+    # pack and the generated guides away from the author. Give them back.
+    chown -R "$ADMIN":"$MCUSER" "$SHARE/packs" 2>/dev/null || true
+    for f in "$SHARE"/setup-*-packwiz.html; do
+        [ -e "$f" ] && chown "$ADMIN":"$MCUSER" "$f" 2>/dev/null || true
+    done
     warn "$ADMIN's new group membership needs a fresh login to take effect in
      existing shells — 'newgrp $MCUSER' works for the current one."
 fi
@@ -287,15 +327,6 @@ fi
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------- units ----
 
-# A previous version shipped a minecraft.socket that had systemd itself open
-# the FIFO. SELinux denies init_t read/write on a var_run_t fifo_file, so that
-# never worked; remove it if it is still around.
-if [ -e "$UNIT_DIR/minecraft.socket" ]; then
-    info "removing obsolete minecraft.socket"
-    systemctl disable --now minecraft.socket >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
-    rm -f "$UNIT_DIR/minecraft.socket"
-fi
-
 info "writing $UNIT_DIR/minecraft.service"
 cat > "$UNIT_DIR/minecraft.service" <<EOF
 [Unit]