diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 06c539b..c75778a 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -25,6 +25,6 @@ LIDARR_QUALITY_PROFILE_ID=1
 LIDARR_ROOT_FOLDER=/music
 
 # App
-# SESSION_SECRET_KEY is auto-generated if omitted. Set it explicitly so sessions survive restarts.
+# SESSION_SECRET_KEY is auto-generated if omitted. A new key on every restart invalidates all sessions.
 # SESSION_SECRET_KEY=
 DATABASE_PATH=bellhop.db
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c8048a3..9d8242a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ Copy the `access_token` from the response.
 
 | Variable | Default | Description |
 |---|---|---|
-| `SESSION_SECRET_KEY` | _(auto-generated)_ | Secret for signing session cookies. Auto-generated at startup if not set. Set this explicitly in production so sessions survive restarts. |
+| `SESSION_SECRET_KEY` | _(auto-generated)_ | Secret for signing session cookies. Auto-generated at startup if not set. A new key is generated on every restart, which invalidates all existing sessions. |
 | `DATABASE_PATH` | `bellhop.db` | Path to the SQLite database file |
 
 ## API Reference
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ Bellhop/
 ### Production Recommendations
 
 - Run behind a reverse proxy (nginx, Caddy, Traefik) with TLS termination so the `secure` cookie flag works.
-- Set `SESSION_SECRET_KEY` explicitly so sessions survive process restarts.
+- If you want sessions to persist across restarts, set `SESSION_SECRET_KEY` explicitly. Otherwise, all users are logged out on restart.
 - Restrict network access to your *arr instances — only the Bellhop container needs to reach them.
 - Use a dedicated Matrix bot account for audit logging rather than a personal account.