diff --git a/scripts/install/server.sh b/scripts/install/server.sh
index c298c38..b3ac2ab 100755
--- a/scripts/install/server.sh
+++ b/scripts/install/server.sh
@@ -30,6 +30,19 @@ is_attached_state() {
   return 1
 }
 
+detect_connected_hdmi_connector() {
+  local dev status best=""
+  for dev in /sys/class/drm/card*-HDMI-A-*; do
+    [[ -e $dev/status ]] || continue
+    status=$(cat "$dev/status" 2>/dev/null || true)
+    if [[ $status == connected ]]; then
+      best=$(basename "$dev")
+      break
+    fi
+  done
+  printf '%s\n' "$best"
+}
+
 run_as_user() {
   sudo -u "$ORIG_USER" env HOME="$USER_HOME" SSH_AUTH_SOCK="${SSH_AUTH_SOCK:-}" "$@"
 }
@@ -191,6 +204,25 @@ sudo install -Dm755 "$SRC_DIR/target/release/lesavka-uvc"    /usr/local/bin/lesa
 sudo install -Dm755 "$SRC_DIR/scripts/daemon/lesavka-core.sh"       /usr/local/bin/lesavka-core.sh
 sudo install -Dm755 "$SRC_DIR/scripts/daemon/lesavka-uvc.sh"        /usr/local/bin/lesavka-uvc.sh
 
+echo "==> 5b. Runtime environment defaults"
+sudo install -d -m 0755 /etc/lesavka
+HDMI_CONNECTOR=${LESAVKA_HDMI_CONNECTOR:-$(detect_connected_hdmi_connector)}
+if [[ -n $HDMI_CONNECTOR ]]; then
+  echo "   ↪ HDMI connector: $HDMI_CONNECTOR"
+else
+  echo "⚠️  no connected HDMI connector detected; leaving LESAVKA_HDMI_CONNECTOR unset." >&2
+fi
+{
+  echo "# generated by lesavka/scripts/install/server.sh"
+  echo "# Edit only for local hardware overrides; rerunning the installer refreshes defaults."
+  if [[ -n $HDMI_CONNECTOR ]]; then
+    printf 'LESAVKA_HDMI_CONNECTOR=%q\n' "$HDMI_CONNECTOR"
+  fi
+  printf 'LESAVKA_HDMI_DRIVER=%q\n' "${LESAVKA_HDMI_DRIVER:-vc4}"
+  printf 'LESAVKA_UAC_DEV=%q\n' "${LESAVKA_UAC_DEV:-hw:UAC2Gadget,0}"
+  printf 'LESAVKA_ALSA_DEV=%q\n' "${LESAVKA_ALSA_DEV:-hw:UAC2Gadget,0}"
+} | sudo tee /etc/lesavka/server.env >/dev/null
+
 echo "==> 6a. Systemd units - lesavka-core"
 cat <<'UNIT' | sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/lesavka-core.service >/dev/null
 [Unit]
@@ -238,6 +270,7 @@ Environment=LESAVKA_EYE_FPS=20
 Environment=LESAVKA_MIC_INIT_ATTEMPTS=5
 Environment=LESAVKA_MIC_INIT_DELAY_MS=250
 Environment=LESAVKA_ALLOW_GADGET_CYCLE=1
+EnvironmentFile=-/etc/lesavka/server.env
 Restart=always
 RestartSec=5
 StandardError=append:/tmp/lesavka-server.stderr