diff --git a/root-ubuntu.sh b/root-ubuntu.sh
index 1efe336..d47c436 100755
--- a/root-ubuntu.sh
+++ b/root-ubuntu.sh
@@ -2014,13 +2014,21 @@ _confine_sysctl_floor() {
 	local key="$1" floor="$2" have
 	have="$(sysctl -n "$key" 2>/dev/null)" || return 1
 	[[ "$have" =~ ^-?[0-9]+$ ]] || return 1
+	# At the floor BECAUSE of our own file is not "already at the floor": the
+	# line stays. Otherwise the second run sees the value the first run raised,
+	# writes nothing, deletes the file, and the box boots without the hardening.
+	if (( have == floor )) && grep -qxF "$key = $floor" "${CONFINE_SYSCTL_CONF:-}" 2>/dev/null; then
+		printf '%s = %s\n' "$key" "$floor"
+		return 0
+	fi
 	(( have >= floor )) && return 1
 	printf '%s = %s\n' "$key" "$floor"
 	return 0
 }
 
+CONFINE_SYSCTL_CONF=/etc/sysctl.d/62-profullstack-confine.conf
 configure_confine_sysctl() {
-	local conf=/etc/sysctl.d/62-profullstack-confine.conf body="" dumpable
+	local conf="$CONFINE_SYSCTL_CONF" body="" dumpable
 
 	if [[ "$CONFINE_SYSCTL" != 1 ]]; then
 		info "confine: sysctl hardening off (CONFINE_SYSCTL=0)"
@@ -2052,7 +2060,11 @@ configure_confine_sysctl() {
 	# have left a box sitting on 2 alone and called it hardened. It is an exact
 	# value instead, and 0 can never be a loosening of anything.
 	dumpable="$(sysctl -n fs.suid_dumpable 2>/dev/null)"
-	[[ "$dumpable" =~ ^[0-9]+$ && "$dumpable" != 0 ]] && body+='fs.suid_dumpable = 0'$'\n'
+	# Same rule as the floors: a 0 that our own file set is kept, not dropped.
+	if [[ "$dumpable" =~ ^[0-9]+$ && "$dumpable" != 0 ]] \
+		|| { [[ "$dumpable" == 0 ]] && grep -qxF 'fs.suid_dumpable = 0' "$conf" 2>/dev/null; }; then
+		body+='fs.suid_dumpable = 0'$'\n'
+	fi
 
 	body="$(printf '%s' "$body" | grep -v '^$')"
 
@@ -3670,7 +3682,13 @@ resolve_dotfiles() {
 		DOTFILES_DIR=""
 	fi
 
-	if looks_like_dotfiles "$SCRIPT_DIR"; then
+	# ...but only a CHECKOUT. The documented way to run this is from /root
+	# (curl -O, then ./root-ubuntu.sh), and after the first run /root has a
+	# .zshrc of its own -- oh-my-zsh puts one there. Taken at face value that
+	# made the second run treat root's home as the team's dotfiles and copy
+	# root's shell config into every account. A dotfiles repo is a git
+	# checkout; a home directory is not.
+	if looks_like_dotfiles "$SCRIPT_DIR" && [[ -e "$SCRIPT_DIR/.git" ]]; then
 		DOTFILES_DIR="$SCRIPT_DIR"
 		info "dotfiles: $DOTFILES_DIR (running from inside them)"
 		return 0
diff --git a/test/root-ubuntu.test.ts b/test/root-ubuntu.test.ts
index 36630d2..6687694 100644
--- a/test/root-ubuntu.test.ts
+++ b/test/root-ubuntu.test.ts
@@ -1031,7 +1031,7 @@ describe('the user confine', () => {
              -p|*) return 0 ;;
            esac
          }
-         eval "$(declare -f configure_confine_sysctl | sed 's#/etc/sysctl.d/62-profullstack-confine.conf#${dir}/out.conf#g')"
+         CONFINE_SYSCTL_CONF=${dir}/out.conf
          configure_confine_sysctl`,
       );
       try {
@@ -1054,6 +1054,52 @@ describe('the user confine', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('second runs keep what the first run wrote', () => {
+    it('keeps a sysctl floor its own file put there, instead of deleting the file on run two', () => {
+      const run = (have: string, file: string) =>
+        shell(
+          ['_confine_sysctl_floor'],
+          `sysctl() { echo ${have}; }; CONFINE_SYSCTL_CONF=$(mktemp); printf '${file}' >"$CONFINE_SYSCTL_CONF"
+_confine_sysctl_floor kernel.kptr_restrict 2 || echo none`,
+        );
+      expect(run('1', '')).toBe('kernel.kptr_restrict = 2');
+      // at the floor because of our own file: the line stays
+      expect(run('2', 'kernel.kptr_restrict = 2\\n')).toBe('kernel.kptr_restrict = 2');
+      // at the floor on its own: nothing to write
+      expect(run('2', '')).toBe('none');
+      // stricter than the floor: never written back down
+      expect(run('3', 'kernel.kptr_restrict = 2\\n')).toBe('none');
+    });
+
+    it('keeps fs.suid_dumpable = 0 when its own file set it', () => {
+      const dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'root-ubuntu-suid2-'));
+      writeFileSync(join(dir, 'out.conf'), 'fs.suid_dumpable = 0\n');
+      shell(
+        ['_confine_sysctl_floor', 'configure_confine_sysctl', 'write_if_changed', 'file_sha'],
+        `CONFINE_SYSCTL=1; note() { :; }; info() { :; }; warn() { :; }
+         sysctl() { case "\${2:-}" in fs.suid_dumpable) echo 0 ;; -p|*) echo 99 ;; esac; }
+         CONFINE_SYSCTL_CONF=${dir}/out.conf
+         configure_confine_sysctl`,
+      );
+      expect(readFileSync(join(dir, 'out.conf'), 'utf8')).toContain('fs.suid_dumpable = 0');
+    });
+
+    it("does not mistake root's home for a dotfiles checkout, but still takes a real one", () => {
+      const resolve = (dir: string) =>
+        shell(
+          ['looks_like_dotfiles', 'resolve_dotfiles'],
+          `info() { :; }; warn() { :; }; SKIP_DOTFILES=0; DOTFILES_DIR=; DOTFILES_REPO=; SCRIPT_DIR=${dir}; resolve_dotfiles; echo "[$DOTFILES_DIR]"`,
+        );
+      const home = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'home-'));
+      writeFileSync(join(home, '.zshrc'), '# root after run one\n');
+      expect(resolve(home)).toBe('[]');
+      const repo = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'dotfiles-'));
+      writeFileSync(join(repo, '.zshrc'), '# the team dotfiles\n');
+      execFileSync('git', ['init', '-q', repo]);
+      expect(resolve(repo)).toBe(`[${repo}]`);
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('_confine_fstab_proc', () => {
     const FNS = ['_confine_fstab_proc'];