diff --git a/restore-volumes.sh b/restore-volumes.sh
index 45ced8b3..66e55faa 100755
--- a/restore-volumes.sh
+++ b/restore-volumes.sh
@@ -15,11 +15,11 @@ done
 set -- "${_pos[@]}"
 
 # Static-file offload gate. Hosts with a real dedicated extra disk mounted at /slowdisk set
-# SLOWDISK=true in their .env; that (and only the literal "true") enables the offload. The
-# --no-slowdisk flag disables it even when SLOWDISK=true (e.g. the extra disk is full).
+# SLOWDISK=True in their .env (Python-templated boolean, capitalized); that enables the
+# offload. The --no-slowdisk flag disables it even when SLOWDISK=True (e.g. extra disk full).
 [ -f "$dir/.env" ] && source "$dir/.env"
 SLOWDISK="${SLOWDISK:-}"
-[ "$no_slowdisk_flag" = 1 ] && SLOWDISK=false
+[ "$no_slowdisk_flag" = 1 ] && SLOWDISK=False
 
 remote_source="$2"
 if [[ -n "$remote_source" ]] && is_local_backup_url "$remote_source"; then
@@ -43,13 +43,16 @@ fi
 # hot/dynamic state stays on the primary disk. tar then extracts THROUGH the symlinks via
 # --keep-directory-symlink (it keeps the dir-symlinks instead of clobbering them).
 # Target naming matches delete-volumes.sh / delete_slowdisk_targets_for_key cleanup.
-# GATED on SLOWDISK (see top): offload runs only when SLOWDISK is exactly "true" (set in the
-# host .env on dedicated-extra-disk hosts) and the --no-slowdisk flag was not passed. Case
-# matters — only the literal lowercase "true" enables it. Safe fallbacks (normal extract):
-# SLOWDISK not "true", /slowdisk missing, no manifest, or no static paths.
+# GATED on SLOWDISK (see top): offload runs only when SLOWDISK is the Python-templated boolean
+# "True" (set in the host .env on dedicated-extra-disk hosts) and the --no-slowdisk flag was
+# not passed. Case matters — the value comes through as capitalized "True"/"False". Safe
+# fallbacks (normal extract): SLOWDISK not True, /slowdisk missing, no manifest, no static paths.
 prep_static_offload() {
     local key=$1 meta=$2 data_dir=$3 rel target
-    [ "$SLOWDISK" = "true" ] || { echo "  static offload disabled (SLOWDISK=$SLOWDISK) — normal extract"; return 0; }
+    case "$SLOWDISK" in
+        True|true) ;;  # offload enabled (Python "True"; also accept manual lowercase "true")
+        *) echo "  static offload disabled (SLOWDISK=$SLOWDISK) — normal extract"; return 0 ;;
+    esac
     [ -d /slowdisk ] || { echo "  /slowdisk absent — no static offload"; return 0; }
     [ -f "$meta" ]   || { echo "  no manifest ($meta) — no static offload"; return 0; }
     # manifest data lines (after the 3-line header) are "<size>  <relpath>"