diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 5d3c8ad..664a6cd 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 # Copy to .env (which is gitignored) — `make env` generates one with fresh secrets.
-# Both the systemd service and the reminder cron job read this file.
-#
-# Values must stay shell-safe and unquoted: the cron wrapper sources this file, so
-# a secret containing ')' or '$' would break it. `make env` uses a URL-safe alphabet.
+# Read by the systemd service (EnvironmentFile) and the reminder cron job
+# (uv run --env-file), both of which want plain unquoted KEY=value lines.
+# `make env` uses a URL-safe alphabet for the generated secrets.
 
 DJANGO_SECRET_KEY=change-me
 DJANGO_DEBUG=0
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 6622337..5a269cf 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -6,10 +6,13 @@ USER        := $(shell id -un)
 PORT        ?= 8000
 SERVICE     := osiris
 UNIT_FILE   := /etc/systemd/system/$(SERVICE).service
-REMINDER_SH := $(PROJECT_DIR)/deploy/send-reminders.sh
 CRON_SCHED  ?= * * * * *
 CRON_LOG    ?= $(PROJECT_DIR)/reminders.log
 MANAGE      := $(UV) run python manage.py
+# The reminder job as one line: cron's environment is nearly empty, so uv is
+# called by absolute path and loads .env (VAPID keys) itself via --env-file.
+# --no-sync: don't resolve dependencies (needs network) on a cron tick.
+REMINDER_CMD := cd $(PROJECT_DIR) && $(UV) run --no-sync --env-file .env python manage.py send_reminders
 
 .PHONY: help
 help: ## Show this help
@@ -88,24 +91,23 @@ service-uninstall: ## Stop and remove the systemd service
 
 # --- cron ------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-# The script path is the marker: it identifies our line without needing a literal
-# '#' comment, which make would strip as a comment of its own.
+# 'send[-_]reminders' is the marker identifying our line, so reinstalling stays
+# idempotent and also cleans up entries from the old wrapper-script era.
 .PHONY: cron
-cron: ## Install the reminder cron job (every 10 minutes, idempotent)
-	@chmod +x $(REMINDER_SH)
-	@( crontab -l 2>/dev/null | grep -vF '$(REMINDER_SH)' ; \
-	   echo "$(CRON_SCHED) $(REMINDER_SH) >> $(CRON_LOG) 2>&1" ) | crontab -
+cron: ## Install the reminder cron job (idempotent)
+	@( crontab -l 2>/dev/null | grep -vE 'send[-_]reminders' ; \
+	   echo "$(CRON_SCHED) $(REMINDER_CMD) >> $(CRON_LOG) 2>&1" ) | crontab -
 	@echo "Installed:"
-	@crontab -l | grep -F '$(REMINDER_SH)'
+	@crontab -l | grep -F 'send_reminders'
 
 .PHONY: cron-remove
 cron-remove: ## Remove the reminder cron job
-	@crontab -l 2>/dev/null | grep -vF '$(REMINDER_SH)' | crontab -
+	@crontab -l 2>/dev/null | grep -vE 'send[-_]reminders' | crontab -
 	@echo "Removed."
 
 .PHONY: cron-test
 cron-test: ## Run the reminder job once, reporting what it would send
-	$(REMINDER_SH) --dry-run
+	@$(REMINDER_CMD) --dry-run
 
 # --- Frontend --------------------------------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 305de44..d8e0a00 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -122,10 +122,12 @@ and so on. A dose with no reminder time never notifies.
 **3. Turn reminders on** in the Reminders card on the Today page, and use **Send
 test** there to confirm the whole chain works before trusting it with the cat.
 
-**4. Run the sender from cron**, every ten minutes:
+**4. Run the sender from cron** — `make cron` installs the line below. Cron's
+environment is nearly empty, so `uv` is called by absolute path and loads
+`.env` (the VAPID keys) itself:
 
 ```cron
-*/10 * * * * cd /path/to/Osiris && uv run python manage.py send_reminders >> /var/log/osiris-reminders.log 2>&1
+*/10 * * * * cd /path/to/Osiris && /path/to/uv run --no-sync --env-file .env python manage.py send_reminders >> reminders.log 2>&1
 ```
 
 The command only pushes a dose that is due and not already ticked off, and
diff --git a/deploy/send-reminders.sh b/deploy/send-reminders.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 1b3b0c7..0000000
--- a/deploy/send-reminders.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-# Wrapper for the reminder cron job. Cron runs with almost no environment, so the
-# settings (and the VAPID keys) have to be loaded explicitly.
-set -euo pipefail
-
-PROJECT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && pwd)"
-cd "$PROJECT_DIR"
-
-if [ -f .env ]; then
-    set -a
-    # shellcheck disable=SC1091
-    . ./.env
-    set +a
-fi
-
-exec "${UV:-uv}" run --no-sync python manage.py send_reminders "$@"