README.md

@@ -320,8 +320,8 @@ the following precedence (highest to lowest):
 | `DNSWATCHER_SLACK_WEBHOOK`      | Slack incoming webhook URL                 | `""`        |
 | `DNSWATCHER_MATTERMOST_WEBHOOK` | Mattermost incoming webhook URL            | `""`        |
 | `DNSWATCHER_NTFY_TOPIC`         | ntfy topic URL                             | `""`        |
-| `DNSWATCHER_DNS_INTERVAL`       | DNS check interval                         | `1h`        |
+| `DNSWATCHER_DNS_INTERVAL`       | DNS check interval, a positive duration such as `30m`; empty means the default, anything else stops startup | `1h` |
-| `DNSWATCHER_TLS_INTERVAL`       | TLS check interval                         | `12h`       |
+| `DNSWATCHER_TLS_INTERVAL`       | TLS check interval, a positive duration such as `6h`; empty means the default, anything else stops startup | `12h` |
 | `DNSWATCHER_TLS_EXPIRY_WARNING` | Days before expiry to warn                 | `7`         |
 | `DNSWATCHER_SENTRY_DSN`         | Sentry DSN for error reporting             | `""`        |
 | `DNSWATCHER_MAINTENANCE_MODE`   | Enable maintenance mode                    | `false`     |
@@ -344,6 +344,14 @@ the client address is taken from the `X-Real-IP` or `X-Forwarded-For` header
 the proxy sets; a proxy that sets neither makes all its clients share one
 allowance.
 
+**`DNSWATCHER_DNS_INTERVAL` and `DNSWATCHER_TLS_INTERVAL`** take a positive
+duration: a number followed by a unit such as `s`, `m` or `h`, for example
+`90s`, `30m`, `1h` or `1h30m`. There is no unit for days; write `24h`. An
+unset or empty variable (`DNSWATCHER_DNS_INTERVAL=`) means the default. If
+either is set to anything else, including a bare number or a zero or negative
+duration, dnswatcher refuses to start with an error naming the variable and
+the value.
+
 ### Example `.env`
 
 ```sh

TODO.md

@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/dnswatcher/issues/104
 
 # Completed Steps
 
+- 2026-10-01: a `DNSWATCHER_DNS_INTERVAL` or `DNSWATCHER_TLS_INTERVAL` that is
+  not a positive duration stops startup; empty means the default (closes #177).
 - 2026-10-01: `/metrics` allows each client address 30 requests a minute,
   counted before Basic Auth, and answers 429 beyond that (closes #101).
 - 2026-10-01: the image built by `make docker` reports the `git describe`
@@ -97,8 +99,6 @@ https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/dnswatcher/issues/104
 - nameserver IP address changes: https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/dnswatcher/issues/105
 - `DNSWATCHER_SENTRY_DSN` does nothing:
   https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/dnswatcher/issues/107
-- invalid DNS or TLS interval silently replaced by the default:
-  https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/dnswatcher/issues/177
 - trial run of the finished image:
   https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/dnswatcher/issues/149
 - 1.0 readiness: run it with a real config and read the logs:

internal/config/config.go

@@ -28,6 +28,13 @@ var ErrNoTargets = errors.New(
 	"no monitoring targets configured: set DNSWATCHER_TARGETS environment variable",
 )
 
+// ErrInvalidInterval is returned when DNSWATCHER_DNS_INTERVAL or
+// DNSWATCHER_TLS_INTERVAL is set but is not a positive duration. An empty
+// value counts as unset and means the default.
+var ErrInvalidInterval = errors.New(
+	"interval must be a positive duration such as 30m or 1h",
+)
+
 // Params contains dependencies for Config.
 type Params struct {
 	fx.In
@@ -125,18 +132,14 @@ func buildConfig(
 		}
 	}
 
-	dnsInterval, err := time.ParseDuration(
+	dnsInterval, err := parseInterval("DNS_INTERVAL")
-		viper.GetString("DNS_INTERVAL"),
-	)
 	if err != nil {
-		dnsInterval = defaultDNSInterval
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	tlsInterval, err := time.ParseDuration(
+	tlsInterval, err := parseInterval("TLS_INTERVAL")
-		viper.GetString("TLS_INTERVAL"),
-	)
 	if err != nil {
-		tlsInterval = defaultTLSInterval
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	domains, hostnames, err := parseAndValidateTargets()
@@ -168,6 +171,22 @@ func buildConfig(
 	return cfg, nil
 }
 
+// parseInterval reads the DNSWATCHER_-prefixed setting key as a duration. A
+// value that does not parse, or is zero or negative, is an error naming the
+// variable and the value; an unset variable has its default from setupViper.
+func parseInterval(key string) (time.Duration, error) {
+	value := viper.GetString(key)
+
+	interval, err := time.ParseDuration(value)
+	if err != nil || interval <= 0 {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf(
+			"invalid DNSWATCHER_%s %q: %w", key, value, ErrInvalidInterval,
+		)
+	}
+
+	return interval, nil
+}
+
 func parseAndValidateTargets() ([]string, []string, error) {
 	domains, hostnames, err := ClassifyTargets(
 		parseCSV(viper.GetString("TARGETS")),

internal/config/config_test.go

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package config_test
 
 import (
+	"strconv"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -113,33 +114,40 @@ func TestNew_OnlyEmptyCSVSegments(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.ErrorIs(t, err, config.ErrNoTargets)
 }
 
-func TestNew_InvalidDNSInterval_FallsBackToDefault(t *testing.T) {
+// TestNew_InvalidIntervalStopsStartup checks values that must stop startup;
-	viper.Reset()
+// TestNew_DefaultValues and TestNew_EmptyIntervalMeansDefault check that an
-	t.Setenv("DNSWATCHER_TARGETS", "example.com")
+// unset or empty interval means the default.
-	t.Setenv("DNSWATCHER_DNS_INTERVAL", "banana")
+func TestNew_InvalidIntervalStopsStartup(t *testing.T) {
+	variables := []string{"DNSWATCHER_DNS_INTERVAL", "DNSWATCHER_TLS_INTERVAL"}
+	values := []string{
+		"banana", // not a duration
+		"5",      // no unit
+		"1d",     // days are not a unit time.ParseDuration knows
+		"0",      // zero
+		"-1h",    // negative
+	}
 
-	cfg, err := config.New(nil, newTestParams(t))
+	for _, variable := range variables {
-	require.NoError(t, err)
+		for _, value := range values {
-	assert.Equal(t, time.Hour, cfg.DNSInterval,
+			t.Run(variable+"="+value, func(t *testing.T) {
-		"invalid DNS interval should fall back to 1h default")
+				viper.Reset()
+				t.Setenv("DNSWATCHER_TARGETS", "example.com")
+				t.Setenv(variable, value)
+
+				_, err := config.New(nil, newTestParams(t))
+				require.ErrorIs(t, err, config.ErrInvalidInterval)
+				require.ErrorContains(t, err, variable)
+				require.ErrorContains(t, err, strconv.Quote(value))
+			})
+		}
+	}
 }
 
-func TestNew_InvalidTLSInterval_FallsBackToDefault(t *testing.T) {
+func TestNew_EmptyIntervalMeansDefault(t *testing.T) {
 	viper.Reset()
 	t.Setenv("DNSWATCHER_TARGETS", "example.com")
-	t.Setenv("DNSWATCHER_TLS_INTERVAL", "notaduration")
+	t.Setenv("DNSWATCHER_DNS_INTERVAL", "")
-
+	t.Setenv("DNSWATCHER_TLS_INTERVAL", "")
-	cfg, err := config.New(nil, newTestParams(t))
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Equal(t, 12*time.Hour, cfg.TLSInterval,
-		"invalid TLS interval should fall back to 12h default")
-}
-
-func TestNew_BothIntervalsInvalid(t *testing.T) {
-	viper.Reset()
-	t.Setenv("DNSWATCHER_TARGETS", "example.com")
-	t.Setenv("DNSWATCHER_DNS_INTERVAL", "xyz")
-	t.Setenv("DNSWATCHER_TLS_INTERVAL", "abc")
 
 	cfg, err := config.New(nil, newTestParams(t))
 	require.NoError(t, err)