diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2e9ce4a..0e891f8 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -262,6 +262,8 @@ journalctl -u xmonitor-sender.service -f
 ls /home/ubuntu/xMonitor/logs
 ```
 
+When run manually, the script now auto-loads `/etc/xmonitor/xmonitor.env` if that file exists.
+
 ### Behavior
 
 - Hotspot connect retry: every 5 seconds until the target SSID is connected
diff --git a/scripts/start_monitor_sender.sh b/scripts/start_monitor_sender.sh
index d3c23dd..f91e291 100644
--- a/scripts/start_monitor_sender.sh
+++ b/scripts/start_monitor_sender.sh
@@ -27,6 +27,12 @@ trap 'report_err "${LINENO}" "${BASH_COMMAND}"' ERR
 
 SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
 DEFAULT_APP_DIR="$(cd "${SCRIPT_DIR}/.." && pwd)"
+ENV_FILE="${ENV_FILE:-/etc/xmonitor/xmonitor.env}"
+
+if [[ -f "${ENV_FILE}" ]]; then
+  # shellcheck disable=SC1090
+  source "${ENV_FILE}"
+fi
 
 RUN_USER="${RUN_USER:-$(id -un)}"
 APP_DIR="${APP_DIR:-${DEFAULT_APP_DIR}}"
@@ -173,9 +179,14 @@ wait_for_server() {
 log "Starting xMonitor sender bootstrap"
 log "Using APP_DIR='${APP_DIR}'"
 log "Log file: ${LOG_FILE}"
+if [[ -f "${ENV_FILE}" ]]; then
+  log "Loaded environment from '${ENV_FILE}'"
+else
+  log "Environment file '${ENV_FILE}' not found; using current shell environment/defaults"
+fi
 prune_old_logs
 
-[[ -n "${HOTSPOT_SSID}" ]] || fail "HOTSPOT_SSID must be set in /etc/xmonitor/xmonitor.env"
+[[ -n "${HOTSPOT_SSID}" ]] || fail "HOTSPOT_SSID must be set in '${ENV_FILE}' or exported before launching the script"
 [[ -d "${APP_DIR}" ]] || fail "APP_DIR does not exist: ${APP_DIR}"
 [[ -f "${APP_DIR}/monitor_sender.py" ]] || fail "monitor_sender.py not found in ${APP_DIR}"
 [[ -f "${ROS_SETUP}" ]] || fail "ROS setup file not found: ${ROS_SETUP}"