diff --git a/deploy/deploy.sh b/deploy/deploy.sh
index 3562aa1..8dcac64 100755
--- a/deploy/deploy.sh
+++ b/deploy/deploy.sh
@@ -8,10 +8,12 @@ KIT_FAMILY="$(dirname "$0")/../../game-kit/family.json"
 [ -f "$KIT_FAMILY" ] && cp "$KIT_FAMILY" packages/web/public/family.json
 
 npm run build --workspace=@wizwar/web
+# /data/ is the local game ledgers, anchored so the engine's own data/ (the
+# cards and boards the server reads) always ships.
 # Old hashed chunks stay a week: a page loaded before this deploy can still
 # fetch the module it was built against instead of failing mid-game.
 rsync -az --delete --filter='P packages/web/dist/assets/*' \
-  --exclude node_modules --exclude data/ --exclude .git --exclude research \
+  --exclude node_modules --exclude /data/ --exclude .git --exclude research \
   ./ "root@$HOST:/opt/wizwar/"
 ssh "root@$HOST" '
   cd /opt/wizwar && npm install --no-audit --no-fund