diff --git a/roles/restic/files/restic-job.sh b/roles/restic/files/restic-job.sh
index 014fbb5..ada90fa 100755
--- a/roles/restic/files/restic-job.sh
+++ b/roles/restic/files/restic-job.sh
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@ error_exit() {
 }
 
 RESTIC_ETC_PATH=${RESTIC_ETC_PATH:-/etc/restic}
-RESTIC_PATH=${RESTIC_PATH:-/usr/local/bin/restic}
+
+# shellcheck source=/dev/null
+source "${RESTIC_ETC_PATH}/env.sh"
 
 MAX_ATTEMPTS=60
 NICE="ionice -c2 nice -n19"
diff --git a/roles/restic/files/restic-repo.sh b/roles/restic/files/restic-repo.sh
index 369d5ba..7a02bf1 100644
--- a/roles/restic/files/restic-repo.sh
+++ b/roles/restic/files/restic-repo.sh
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@ error_exit() {
 }
 
 RESTIC_ETC_PATH=${RESTIC_ETC_PATH:-/etc/restic}
-RESTIC_PATH=${RESTIC_PATH:-/usr/local/bin/restic}
+
+# shellcheck source=/dev/null
+source "${RESTIC_ETC_PATH}/env.sh"
 
 if [ $# -lt 2 ]; then
     error_exit "missing arguments"
diff --git a/roles/restic/files/restic-tidy.sh b/roles/restic/files/restic-tidy.sh
index 505f301..ab7054a 100755
--- a/roles/restic/files/restic-tidy.sh
+++ b/roles/restic/files/restic-tidy.sh
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@ error_exit() {
 }
 
 RESTIC_ETC_PATH=${RESTIC_ETC_PATH:-/etc/restic}
-RESTIC_PATH=${RESTIC_PATH:-/usr/local/bin/restic}
+
+# shellcheck source=/dev/null
+source "${RESTIC_ETC_PATH}/env.sh"
 
 if [ "$RESTIC_SELF_UPDATE" -eq 1 ]; then
   printf "running restic self-update\n"
diff --git a/roles/restic/tasks/main.yaml b/roles/restic/tasks/main.yaml
index 7225242..84c1ba8 100644
--- a/roles/restic/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/restic/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -65,6 +65,14 @@
     - "{{ restic_etc_path }}/repos"
     - "{{ restic_etc_path }}/jobs"
 
+- name: create environment helper
+  template:
+    src: env.sh.j2
+    dest: "{{ restic_etc_path }}/env.sh"
+    owner: root
+    group: root
+    mode: 0400
+
 - name: copy restic helper scripts
   copy:
     src: "{{ item }}"
diff --git a/roles/restic/templates/env.sh.j2 b/roles/restic/templates/env.sh.j2
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b6fa8b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/restic/templates/env.sh.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# {{ ansible_managed }}
+
+RESTIC_ETC_PATH="{{ restic_etc_path | default('/etc/restic') }}"
+RESTIC_PATH="{{ restic_path | default('/usr/local/bin/restic') }}"
+RESTIC_SELF_UPDATE={{ restic_self_update | ternary(1, 0) }}