diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ca16173..dc1fa60 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -2379,10 +2379,13 @@ so that they run in minimal containers.
   that the health check passes, that a request reaches the app through
   `smallwebwaf`, that a second request in a minute bans the client, that a probe
   for `/.env` bans another client, whose next request makes the ban permanent,
-  that `sv stop` and `docker stop` stop it in order, and that a new container on
-  the same volume still refuses the banned client; then removes the containers,
-  the volume and both images. It needs network access, for nixpkgs' binary
-  cache, and `script/check` does not run it; `make example-app` does.
+  that `sv stop` and `docker stop` stop it in order, that a new container on the
+  same volume still refuses the banned client, that a container with its state
+  files on a new volume mounted at the directory `SWWAF_STATE_DIR_FILE` names
+  becomes healthy, and that one whose `SWWAF_STATE_DIR` does not exist logs
+  `smallwebwaf`'s message about it; then removes the containers, the volumes and
+  both images. It needs network access, for nixpkgs' binary cache, and
+  `script/check` does not run it; `make example-app` does.
 - `script/gitea-requests`: builds the image and runs gitea 1.27.3 behind it,
   with every setting of `smallwebwaf` at its default but `SWWAF_UPSTREAM_URL`,
   which names gitea's container. Of the requests that three of the notes
diff --git a/script/example-app b/script/example-app
index 52bd4c6..18cea8e 100755
--- a/script/example-app
+++ b/script/example-app
@@ -5,12 +5,15 @@
 # served through smallwebwaf, that a second one in a minute bans the
 # client, that a probe for /.env bans another client, which its next
 # request bans for good, that `sv stop` stops smallwebwaf in order, that
-# `docker stop` stops the container without having to kill it, and that
-# a new container on the same volume still refuses the banned client. The
+# `docker stop` stops the container without having to kill it, that a
+# new container on the same volume still refuses the banned client, that
+# a container with its state files on a new volume mounted at the
+# directory SWWAF_STATE_DIR_FILE names becomes healthy, and that one whose
+# SWWAF_STATE_DIR does not exist logs smallwebwaf's message about it. The
 # containers run with SWWAF_LOOKUP_SOURCE=off, so that no address is sent
-# to GeoJS. The containers, the volume and both images are removed however
-# the script ends. Building the app needs network access, for nixpkgs'
-# binary cache. script/check does not run this.
+# to GeoJS. The containers, the volumes and both images are removed
+# however the script ends. Building the app needs network access, for
+# nixpkgs' binary cache. script/check does not run this.
 set -eu
 
 SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd -P)"
@@ -23,10 +26,15 @@ IMAGE="$NAME-base"
 APP_IMAGE="$NAME-app"
 CONTAINER="$NAME"
 VOLUME="$NAME-state"
+# The volumes of the container whose state directory SWWAF_STATE_DIR_FILE
+# names: its state files, and the file that names their directory.
+MOVED_VOLUME="$NAME-moved-state"
+SETTINGS_VOLUME="$NAME-settings"
 
 cleanup() {
     docker rm --force "$CONTAINER" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
-    docker volume rm --force "$VOLUME" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+    docker volume rm --force "$VOLUME" "$MOVED_VOLUME" "$SETTINGS_VOLUME" \
+        >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
     docker rmi --force "$APP_IMAGE" "$IMAGE" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
 }
 
@@ -76,6 +84,27 @@ start_container() {
     address="$(docker port "$CONTAINER" 8080/tcp)"
 }
 
+# start_moved_container: run the app's container with the state files on
+# a new volume at /srv/state, which SWWAF_STATE_DIR_FILE names in a file
+# only the smallwebwaf user can read, as under "Settings given as files"
+# in README.md, and wait until it is healthy. smallwebwaf can write the
+# new volume only once the run script has given it to that user.
+start_moved_container() {
+    docker volume create "$MOVED_VOLUME" >/dev/null
+    docker volume create "$SETTINGS_VOLUME" >/dev/null
+    docker run --rm --volume "$SETTINGS_VOLUME:/settings" \
+        --entrypoint bash "$IMAGE" -c 'echo /srv/state > /settings/state-dir &&
+            chown smallwebwaf:smallwebwaf /settings/state-dir &&
+            chmod 0400 /settings/state-dir'
+    docker run --detach --name "$CONTAINER" \
+        --volume "$MOVED_VOLUME:/srv/state" \
+        --volume "$SETTINGS_VOLUME:/etc/smallwebwaf/settings:ro" \
+        --env SWWAF_STATE_DIR_FILE=/etc/smallwebwaf/settings/state-dir \
+        --env SWWAF_LOOKUP_SOURCE=off \
+        "$APP_IMAGE" >/dev/null
+    wait_for "the health check did not pass" healthy
+}
+
 # refused: a request to the container gets 403, SWWAF_BAN_RESPONSE's
 # default.
 refused() {
@@ -140,6 +169,20 @@ main() {
     wait_for "smallwebwaf logged no request refused under the ban" \
         logged '"action":"banned"'
     echo "example-app: a new container on the same volume keeps the ban"
+
+    docker rm --force "$CONTAINER" >/dev/null
+    start_moved_container
+    echo "example-app: the run script gives the state files' directory named" \
+        "by SWWAF_STATE_DIR_FILE to the smallwebwaf user"
+
+    docker rm --force "$CONTAINER" >/dev/null
+    docker run --detach --name "$CONTAINER" \
+        --env SWWAF_STATE_DIR=/srv/missing \
+        --env SWWAF_LOOKUP_SOURCE=off \
+        "$APP_IMAGE" >/dev/null
+    wait_for "smallwebwaf did not report the missing state directory" \
+        logged "SWWAF_STATE_DIR cannot be written"
+    echo "example-app: smallwebwaf reports a state directory that does not exist"
 }
 
 main "$@"
diff --git a/share/smallwebwaf.run b/share/smallwebwaf.run
index a13a17b..b67684a 100755
--- a/share/smallwebwaf.run
+++ b/share/smallwebwaf.run
@@ -5,12 +5,32 @@ set -euo pipefail
 # exits; the wait spaces out the restarts. The state directory and every
 # file in it are given to the smallwebwaf user, so that a volume mounted
 # there needs no change of owner; chown -R changes a symbolic link itself,
-# never what it points to. exec, so that the signal `sv stop` sends
-# reaches smallwebwaf itself.
+# never what it points to. When SWWAF_STATE_DIR, in either form, cannot be
+# read or is not the absolute path of a directory, no owner is changed,
+# and smallwebwaf starts and stops with a message naming the setting. A
+# change of owner that fails, as on a volume mounted read-only, does not
+# end the script either: smallwebwaf reports a directory it cannot write.
+# exec, so that the signal `sv stop` sends reaches smallwebwaf itself.
 main() {
     sleep 1
-    chown -R smallwebwaf:smallwebwaf "${SWWAF_STATE_DIR:-/var/lib/smallwebwaf}"
+    local dir
+    if dir="$(state_dir)" && [[ "$dir" == /* && -d "$dir" ]]; then
+        chown -R smallwebwaf:smallwebwaf "$dir" || true
+    fi
     exec chpst -u smallwebwaf:smallwebwaf /usr/local/bin/smallwebwaf
 }
 
+# state_dir prints SWWAF_STATE_DIR, /var/lib/smallwebwaf when it is unset,
+# or what is in the file SWWAF_STATE_DIR_FILE names, less every newline at
+# its end. It fails when both are set or the file cannot be read.
+state_dir() {
+    if [[ ! -v SWWAF_STATE_DIR_FILE ]]; then
+        printf '%s\n' "${SWWAF_STATE_DIR-/var/lib/smallwebwaf}"
+    elif [[ ! -v SWWAF_STATE_DIR ]]; then
+        cat -- "$SWWAF_STATE_DIR_FILE" 2>/dev/null
+    else
+        return 1
+    fi
+}
+
 main "$@"