diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
deleted file mode 100644
index afe6aee..0000000
--- a/.env.example
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-# Generate with: htpasswd -nbBC 10 "" YOUR_PASSWORD | tr -d ':\n' | sed 's/$2y/$2a/'
-ARGOCD_ADMIN_PASSWORD_HASH=
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6c458a7..71fa09a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -46,27 +46,13 @@ helm version
 
 ---
 
-## Phase 2 — Set credentials
-
-Install tools (one-time):
+## Phase 2 — Install tools
 
 ```bash
-sudo dnf install -y httpd-tools gettext
+sudo dnf install -y httpd-tools
 ```
 
-Copy and fill in `.env`:
-
-```bash
-cp .env.example .env
-```
-
-Generate bcrypt hash and set it in `.env`:
-
-```bash
-htpasswd -nbBC 10 "" YOUR_PASSWORD | tr -d ':\n' | sed 's/$2y/$2a/'
-```
-
-`.env` is gitignored — never commit it.
+`htpasswd` is used in Phase 3.1 to generate the admin password hash. No `.env` file, no `envsubst` — the password never touches Git.
 
 ---
 
@@ -82,15 +68,13 @@ helm repo add argo https://argoproj.github.io/argo-helm
 helm repo update
 ```
 
-Install ArgoCD (`envsubst` fills `$ARGOCD_ADMIN_PASSWORD_HASH` from `.env` before helm reads the values):
+Install ArgoCD:
 
 ```bash
-source .env
+helm install argocd argo/argo-cd -n argocd --create-namespace -f manifests/argocd/values.yaml
 ```
 
-```bash
-envsubst < manifests/argocd/values.yaml | helm install argocd argo/argo-cd -n argocd --create-namespace -f -
-```
+`values.yaml` deliberately has no `configs.secret` block — the chart auto-generates a random admin password, stored in `argocd-initial-admin-secret`. That's replaced with your own in 3.1.
 
 Wait for ArgoCD to be ready:
 
@@ -98,30 +82,29 @@ Wait for ArgoCD to be ready:
 kubectl wait --for=condition=available deployment/argocd-server -n argocd --timeout=120s
 ```
 
-Port-forward to access UI (MetalLB + Envoy not running yet):
+Check pods are up:
 
 ```bash
-kubectl port-forward svc/argocd-server -n argocd 8080:443
+kubectl get pods -n argocd
 ```
 
-Open `https://localhost:8080` — login with `admin` and the password you chose.
+> UI login isn't needed for bootstrap (Phase 4 applies the root Application via `kubectl`). Only port-forward if you want to inspect ArgoCD manually: `kubectl port-forward svc/argocd-server -n argocd 8080:443`, then open `https://localhost:8080` with `admin` / your chosen password.
 
-### 3.1 Bake the hash into values.yaml for self-management
+### 3.1 Set your own admin password directly on the Secret
 
-ArgoCD won't run `envsubst` when it self-manages — replace the placeholder with the real hash so future syncs work:
+Set it once, straight on `argocd-secret` (the Secret ArgoCD actually reads) — never in `values.yaml`, never committed to Git:
 
 ```bash
-source .env
-sed -i "s|\$ARGOCD_ADMIN_PASSWORD_HASH|$ARGOCD_ADMIN_PASSWORD_HASH|" manifests/argocd/values.yaml
+read -s -p "ArgoCD admin password: " PW; echo
+HASH=$(htpasswd -nbBC 12 "" "$PW" | tr -d ':\n' | sed 's/$2y/$2a/')
+kubectl patch secret argocd-secret -n argocd --type merge -p \
+  "{\"stringData\":{\"admin.password\":\"$HASH\",\"admin.passwordMtime\":\"$(date -u +%FT%TZ)\"}}"
+unset PW HASH
 ```
 
-```bash
-git add manifests/argocd/values.yaml && git commit -m "set argocd admin password hash"
-```
+**Why this stays stable across self-management:** `values.yaml` never declares `configs.secret.argocdServerAdminPassword`, so the Helm chart's rendered manifest never includes `admin.password`/`admin.passwordMtime`. Once ArgoCD self-manages (wave -1, `selfHeal: true`), it only reconciles fields present in its own rendered output — it has no opinion on keys it never declared, so your patched hash survives every sync, forever. If that block is ever added back to `values.yaml`, the next self-heal overwrites it — don't add it.
 
-```bash
-git push origin main
-```
+To rotate later: repeat the same `kubectl patch` with a new hash and a new `admin.passwordMtime` (ArgoCD only accepts the change if the Mtime also changes).
 
 ---
 
diff --git a/manifests/argocd/values.yaml b/manifests/argocd/values.yaml
index a284b5f..b9ab66f 100644
--- a/manifests/argocd/values.yaml
+++ b/manifests/argocd/values.yaml
@@ -18,9 +18,6 @@ global:
 configs:
   params:
     server.insecure: true   # TLS terminated at Envoy Gateway
-  secret:
-    argocdServerAdminPassword: "$ARGOCD_ADMIN_PASSWORD_HASH"
-    argocdServerAdminPasswordMtime: "2025-01-01T00:00:00Z"
 
 server:
   replicas: 1