diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index a8c439e..ed4e255 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,13 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [0.1.2] — 2026-06-04
+
+### Changed
+
+- Credentials loader now falls back to `.env` when `.env.local` is absent.
+  `.env.local` still takes precedence when both files exist.
+
 ## [0.1.1] — 2026-05-25
 
 ### Fixed
@@ -31,6 +38,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 - `dryRun` mode and a `purgeAfterUpload` toggle.
 - Credentials read from environment variables or a `.env.local` file.
 
-[Unreleased]: https://github.com/lostium/angular-deploy-bunny/compare/v0.1.1...HEAD
+[Unreleased]: https://github.com/lostium/angular-deploy-bunny/compare/v0.1.2...HEAD
+[0.1.2]: https://github.com/lostium/angular-deploy-bunny/compare/v0.1.1...v0.1.2
 [0.1.1]: https://github.com/lostium/angular-deploy-bunny/compare/v0.1.0...v0.1.1
 [0.1.0]: https://github.com/lostium/angular-deploy-bunny/releases/tag/v0.1.0
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 468bd7e..22a9e18 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "angular-deploy-bunny",
-  "version": "0.1.1",
+  "version": "0.1.2",
   "description": "Angular Architect builder (ng deploy) that syncs your build output to a Bunny.net CDN Storage Zone with SHA256-based incremental diffing, then purges the Pull Zone.",
   "keywords": [
     "angular",
diff --git a/src/env.spec.ts b/src/env.spec.ts
index 564cca5..a1485bb 100644
--- a/src/env.spec.ts
+++ b/src/env.spec.ts
@@ -51,6 +51,33 @@ describe('loadSecrets', () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it('falls back to .env when .env.local does not exist', () => {
+    const dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'bunny-env-fallback-'));
+    writeFileSync(join(dir, '.env'), 'BUNNY_STORAGE_PASSWORD=fromEnv\n');
+    try {
+      expect(loadSecrets({ requireAccountApiKey: false, workspaceRoot: dir })).toEqual({
+        storagePassword: 'fromEnv',
+        accountApiKey: null,
+      });
+    } finally {
+      rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('.env.local takes precedence over .env when both exist', () => {
+    const dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'bunny-env-precedence-'));
+    writeFileSync(join(dir, '.env'), 'BUNNY_STORAGE_PASSWORD=fromEnv\n');
+    writeFileSync(join(dir, '.env.local'), 'BUNNY_STORAGE_PASSWORD=fromLocal\n');
+    try {
+      expect(loadSecrets({ requireAccountApiKey: false, workspaceRoot: dir })).toEqual({
+        storagePassword: 'fromLocal',
+        accountApiKey: null,
+      });
+    } finally {
+      rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
   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-'));
diff --git a/src/env.ts b/src/env.ts
index 891c2bf..89b2921 100644
--- a/src/env.ts
+++ b/src/env.ts
@@ -13,18 +13,23 @@ export interface LoadSecretsOptions {
   workspaceRoot?: string;
 }
 
-// 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>();
+// Keyed by the resolved workspace root so each distinct 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 loadedWorkspaceRoots = new Set<string>();
 
 function ensureDotenv(workspaceRoot: string): void {
-  const path = resolve(workspaceRoot, '.env.local');
-  if (loadedDotenvPaths.has(path)) return;
-  if (existsSync(path)) {
-    loadDotenv({ path });
+  if (loadedWorkspaceRoots.has(workspaceRoot)) return;
+  const envLocal = resolve(workspaceRoot, '.env.local');
+  if (existsSync(envLocal)) {
+    loadDotenv({ path: envLocal });
+  } else {
+    const envFile = resolve(workspaceRoot, '.env');
+    if (existsSync(envFile)) {
+      loadDotenv({ path: envFile });
+    }
   }
-  loadedDotenvPaths.add(path);
+  loadedWorkspaceRoots.add(workspaceRoot);
 }
 
 export function loadSecrets(options: LoadSecretsOptions): Secrets {
@@ -33,14 +38,14 @@ export function loadSecrets(options: LoadSecretsOptions): Secrets {
   const storagePassword = process.env['BUNNY_STORAGE_PASSWORD'];
   if (!storagePassword) {
     throw new Error(
-      'Missing BUNNY_STORAGE_PASSWORD. Set it in your shell or in .env.local at the repo root.',
+      'Missing BUNNY_STORAGE_PASSWORD. Set it in your shell, in .env.local, or in .env at the repo root.',
     );
   }
 
   const accountApiKey = process.env['BUNNY_ACCOUNT_API_KEY'] ?? null;
   if (options.requireAccountApiKey && !accountApiKey) {
     throw new Error(
-      'Missing BUNNY_ACCOUNT_API_KEY (required when purgeAfterUpload is true). Set it in your shell or in .env.local at the repo root.',
+      'Missing BUNNY_ACCOUNT_API_KEY (required when purgeAfterUpload is true). Set it in your shell, in .env.local, or in .env at the repo root.',
     );
   }
 
@@ -49,5 +54,5 @@ export function loadSecrets(options: LoadSecretsOptions): Secrets {
 
 // Test-only escape hatch.
 export function _resetDotenvLoaded(): void {
-  loadedDotenvPaths.clear();
+  loadedWorkspaceRoots.clear();
 }