diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 4c3bd68..27406d1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        # Min is 22.13 because the pinned pnpm (packageManager) requires it.
-        # The published builder itself runs on Node >=18.13 (see package.json engines).
+        # The published builder requires Node >=22 (package.json engines), which
+        # also satisfies the pinned pnpm's own >=22.13 requirement.
         node: [22, 24]
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 41e35ce..81230bc 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ focused package, so the workflow is lightweight.
 ## Prerequisites
 
 - **Node.js ≥ 22.13** — required by the pinned pnpm version. (The *published*
-  builder runs on Node ≥ 18.13; the higher floor only applies to development.)
+  builder requires Node ≥ 22; development just needs the slightly higher pnpm floor.)
 - **pnpm** — managed via Corepack, which ships with Node:
 
   ```sh
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c3e855c..dd81945 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ pnpm add -D angular-deploy-bunny
 
 Requires **Angular 17+** using the esbuild-based **application builder** — the
 default since v17, which emits the browser bundle into a `browser/` folder — and
-**Node 18.13+**. The test suite runs in CI against Angular 17 through 21.
+**Node 22+**. The test suite runs in CI against Angular 17 through 21.
 
 ## Quick start
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 246ff9b..ef6e598 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
     "CHANGELOG.md"
   ],
   "engines": {
-    "node": ">=18.13.0"
+    "node": ">=22.0.0"
   },
   "packageManager": "pnpm@11.0.8",
   "scripts": {
diff --git a/src/env.spec.ts b/src/env.spec.ts
index 27035ed..564cca5 100644
--- a/src/env.spec.ts
+++ b/src/env.spec.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+import { mkdtempSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
+import { join } from 'node:path';
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 import { loadSecrets, _resetDotenvLoaded } from './env.js';
 
@@ -47,4 +50,25 @@ describe('loadSecrets', () => {
       /BUNNY_ACCOUNT_API_KEY/,
     );
   });
+
+  it('loads .env.local for each distinct workspaceRoot, not only the first', () => {
+    const dirA = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'bunny-env-a-')); // no .env.local
+    const dirB = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'bunny-env-b-'));
+    writeFileSync(join(dirB, '.env.local'), 'BUNNY_STORAGE_PASSWORD=fromB\n');
+    try {
+      // First call against a root with no .env.local must not latch globally
+      // and skip loading later roots.
+      expect(() => loadSecrets({ requireAccountApiKey: false, workspaceRoot: dirA })).toThrow(
+        /BUNNY_STORAGE_PASSWORD/,
+      );
+      // A different root that DOES have .env.local must still be loaded.
+      expect(loadSecrets({ requireAccountApiKey: false, workspaceRoot: dirB })).toEqual({
+        storagePassword: 'fromB',
+        accountApiKey: null,
+      });
+    } finally {
+      rmSync(dirA, { recursive: true, force: true });
+      rmSync(dirB, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/env.ts b/src/env.ts
index 77580df..891c2bf 100644
--- a/src/env.ts
+++ b/src/env.ts
@@ -13,15 +13,18 @@ export interface LoadSecretsOptions {
   workspaceRoot?: string;
 }
 
-let dotenvLoaded = false;
+// Keyed by the resolved .env.local path so each distinct workspace root loads
+// its own file once. A single boolean would latch on the first root and skip
+// every later one (breaks multi-project workspaces deploying in one process).
+const loadedDotenvPaths = new Set<string>();
 
 function ensureDotenv(workspaceRoot: string): void {
-  if (dotenvLoaded) return;
   const path = resolve(workspaceRoot, '.env.local');
+  if (loadedDotenvPaths.has(path)) return;
   if (existsSync(path)) {
     loadDotenv({ path });
   }
-  dotenvLoaded = true;
+  loadedDotenvPaths.add(path);
 }
 
 export function loadSecrets(options: LoadSecretsOptions): Secrets {
@@ -46,5 +49,5 @@ export function loadSecrets(options: LoadSecretsOptions): Secrets {
 
 // Test-only escape hatch.
 export function _resetDotenvLoaded(): void {
-  dotenvLoaded = false;
+  loadedDotenvPaths.clear();
 }