diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a2faa1a..9ca58c8 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -6,3 +6,4 @@ dist/
 /somanycrows
 /web/
 /dist/
+.env
diff --git a/start.command b/start.command
index 9cf8aeb..16f9221 100755
--- a/start.command
+++ b/start.command
@@ -1,19 +1,29 @@
 #!/bin/bash
-# So Many Crows: local test server.
+# So Many Crows: local server.
 # Double-click to start. Close this window (or Ctrl-C) to stop.
 #
-# Controlled by default:
-#   - offline mock crows (no API key used, no cost, no network calls)
-#   - listens on this Mac only (127.0.0.1:8080)
-#   - all state lives in this folder's .crows/ (delete it to start fresh)
-# From Terminal, `./start.command --real` uses real Claude crows (needs ANTHROPIC_API_KEY).
+#   - Real crows (Claude) when .env in this folder holds ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=...; mock crows otherwise.
+#   - `./start.command --mock` forces mock crows.
+#   - Listens on this Mac only (127.0.0.1:8080). State lives in .crows/ (delete it to start fresh).
+#   - Guardrails: 20,000 tokens per item, 100,000 per list; you approve everything until crows earn trust.
 cd "$(dirname "$0")" || exit 1
 xattr -d com.apple.quarantine ./crows 2>/dev/null
 chmod +x ./crows
-if [ "$1" != "--real" ]; then
-  unset ANTHROPIC_API_KEY
-  echo "Controlled mode: offline mock crows."
+
+unset ANTHROPIC_API_KEY
+if [ "$1" != "--mock" ] && [ -f .env ]; then
+  # Read only the key line; the file is never executed.
+  ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="$(sed -n 's/^ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=//p' .env | head -n 1 | tr -d '[:space:]')"
+  CROWS_MODEL_FROM_ENV="$(sed -n 's/^CROWS_MODEL=//p' .env | head -n 1 | tr -d '[:space:]')"
+  [ -n "$CROWS_MODEL_FROM_ENV" ] && export CROWS_MODEL="$CROWS_MODEL_FROM_ENV"
+  [ -n "$ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" ] && export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY
 fi
+if [ -n "$ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" ]; then
+  echo "Real crows: Claude (${CROWS_MODEL:-claude-sonnet-5-5}). Each list is capped at 100,000 tokens."
+else
+  echo "Mock crows (no key in .env, or --mock)."
+fi
+
 if lsof -iTCP:8080 -sTCP:LISTEN >/dev/null 2>&1; then
   echo "Something is already using port 8080. Stop it first."
   exit 1