diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 566381c..f2575e7 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -4,6 +4,25 @@ Configures fresh VMs (RHEL-family or Debian-family) with a consistent
 environment. Run `./bootstrap.sh` (or curl-pipe it) to apply everything;
 each module also runs standalone and is safe to re-run.
 
+## Quick start
+
+On a fresh box, apply everything with one command:
+
+```sh
+curl -fsSL https://git.nic-oconnor.com/public/dotfiles/raw/branch/main/bootstrap.sh | sh
+```
+
+When piped like this (no local checkout), `bootstrap.sh` clones the repo to
+`~/.dotfiles` and runs from there, so `git` must be installed first. Re-running
+the command updates the checkout (`git pull`) and re-applies every module.
+Override the destination or source with `DOTFILES_DIR` / `DOTFILES_REPO`.
+
+Already have a clone? Just run it directly:
+
+```sh
+./bootstrap.sh
+```
+
 ## Modules
 
 - `zsh/` — installs zsh + oh-my-zsh, drops a managed `~/.zshrc`
diff --git a/bootstrap.sh b/bootstrap.sh
index 5de7784..182ec8a 100755
--- a/bootstrap.sh
+++ b/bootstrap.sh
@@ -6,7 +6,28 @@
 #   (or, from a checked-out clone: ./bootstrap.sh)
 set -eu
 
+REPO_URL="${DOTFILES_REPO:-https://git.nic-oconnor.com/public/dotfiles.git}"
+DOTFILES_DIR="${DOTFILES_DIR:-$HOME/.dotfiles}"
+
 SCRIPT_DIR="$(CDPATH= cd -- "$(dirname -- "$0")" && pwd)"
 
+# When curl-piped into `sh`, there is no checkout on disk: $0 is not a real
+# path, so the module scripts alongside this file are missing. Clone (or
+# update) the repo, then re-exec bootstrap.sh from the checkout.
+if [ ! -f "$SCRIPT_DIR/zsh/install.sh" ]; then
+  if ! command -v git >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    echo "bootstrap: git is required to self-clone; install git first" >&2
+    exit 1
+  fi
+  if [ -d "$DOTFILES_DIR/.git" ]; then
+    echo "bootstrap: updating existing checkout at $DOTFILES_DIR"
+    git -C "$DOTFILES_DIR" pull --ff-only
+  else
+    echo "bootstrap: cloning $REPO_URL into $DOTFILES_DIR"
+    git clone "$REPO_URL" "$DOTFILES_DIR"
+  fi
+  exec "$DOTFILES_DIR/bootstrap.sh"
+fi
+
 "$SCRIPT_DIR/zsh/install.sh"
 "$SCRIPT_DIR/git/install.sh"