diff --git a/Deploying-Smeagol.md b/Deploying-Smeagol.md
index 70334cf..dc26da4 100644
--- a/Deploying-Smeagol.md
+++ b/Deploying-Smeagol.md
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ This will create a jar file in the `target` directory, named `smeagol-`*VERSION*
 Smeagol cannot access either its configuration or its content from the jar file, as otherwise they would not be editable. Consequently you should set up three environment variables:
 
 1. `SMEAGOL_CONFIG` should be the full or relative pathname of a Smeagol [[Configuration]] file;
-2. `SMEAGOL_CONTENT_DIR` should be the full or relative pathname of the directory from which Smeagol should serve content (which may initially be empty, but must be writable by the process which runs Smeagol)'
+2. `SMEAGOL_CONTENT_DIR` should be the full or relative pathname of the directory from which Smeagol should serve content (which must be writable as well as readable by the process which runs Smeagol)'
 3. `SMEAGOL_PASSWD` should be the full or relative pathname of a Smeagol Passwd file - see [[Security and authentication]]. This file must contain an entry for at least your initial user, and, if you want to administer users through the user interface, must be writable by the process which runs Smeagol.
 
 **NOTE** that `SMEAGOL_CONTENT_DIR` must contain at least the following files: