diff --git a/.drone.yml b/.drone.yml
index 4cb1c6b..e821334 100644
--- a/.drone.yml
+++ b/.drone.yml
@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@ steps:
   image: alpine
   commands:
   - sh compile.sh
-  - apk add openssh
+  - apk add rsync openssh
   - sh deploy.sh
   environment:
-    SSH_CONNECTION_STRING:
-      from_secret: SSH_CONNECTION_STRING
+    RSYNC_DESTINATION:
+      from_secret: RSYNC_DESTINATION
     SSH_KEY:
       from_secret: SSH_KEY
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6427ebc..e42f443 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -4,6 +4,6 @@ instructions:
 
 1. generate a new ssh key with no password (i.e. @ /tmp/id_ed25519)
 2. add the key to .ssh/authorized_keys @ tilde.club 
-3. set SSH_CONNECTION_STRING in drone.io worker secrets to "<username>@tilde.club"
+3. set RSYNC_DESTINATION in drone.io worker secrets to "<username>@tilde.club:/home/<username>"
 4. set SSH_KEY to (echo /tmp/id_ed25519 | base64 -e --wrap=0)
 5. profit (keep it simple! don't want env vars leaking for obvious reasons...)
diff --git a/deploy.sh b/deploy.sh
index 1799e5c..042b325 100755
--- a/deploy.sh
+++ b/deploy.sh
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
 set -e
 
 echo $SSH_KEY | base64 -d >> /tmp/key
-chmod -R 0600 /tmp/key
-scp -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -i /tmp/key -r dist/* $SSH_CONNECTION_STRING:~
 
+chmod -R 0600 /tmp/key
+rsync -e "ssh -i /tmp/key -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no" -avz --delete dist/. $RSYNC_DESTINATION
+echo "finished copying to remote host..."
 rm /tmp/key