diff --git a/deploy_vps.sh b/deploy_vps.sh
index 8187747..7cd10cd 100755
--- a/deploy_vps.sh
+++ b/deploy_vps.sh
@@ -1,8 +1,16 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 set -euo pipefail
 
-VPS_HOST="${VPS_HOST:-vps.austalius.nl}"
-VPS_USER="${VPS_USER:?Set VPS_USER to the non-root sudo SSH user}"
+REMOTE_HOST="${REMOTE_HOST:-${VPS_HOST:-}}"
+REMOTE_USER="${REMOTE_USER:-${VPS_USER:-}}"
+if [ -z "$REMOTE_HOST" ]; then
+  echo "Set REMOTE_HOST to the SSH host or IP address, for example a local NAS hostname." >&2
+  exit 2
+fi
+if [ -z "$REMOTE_USER" ]; then
+  echo "Set REMOTE_USER to the non-root sudo SSH user." >&2
+  exit 2
+fi
 APP_USER="${APP_USER:-mailcat}"
 APP_DIR="${APP_DIR:-/opt/mailcat}"
 SERVICE_NAME="${SERVICE_NAME:-mailcat-sort-backup}"
@@ -30,9 +38,9 @@ tar \
   -C "$ROOT_DIR" \
   -czf "$ARCHIVE" .
 
-scp "$ARCHIVE" "$VPS_USER@$VPS_HOST:/tmp/mailcat-deploy.tar.gz"
+scp "$ARCHIVE" "$REMOTE_USER@$REMOTE_HOST:/tmp/mailcat-deploy.tar.gz"
 
-ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_HOST" \
+ssh "$REMOTE_USER@$REMOTE_HOST" \
   "APP_USER='$APP_USER' APP_DIR='$APP_DIR' SERVICE_NAME='$SERVICE_NAME' ACCOUNT='$ACCOUNT' bash -s" <<'REMOTE'
 set -euo pipefail
 
@@ -46,7 +54,7 @@ sudo chown -R "$APP_USER:$APP_USER" "$APP_DIR" /var/lib/mailcat /var/log/mailcat
 sudo chmod 750 "$APP_DIR"
 
 if [ ! -f "$APP_DIR/config.json" ]; then
-  echo "Missing $APP_DIR/config.json on VPS. Create it with mode 600 before starting the service." >&2
+  echo "Missing $APP_DIR/config.json on remote host. Create it with mode 600 before starting the service." >&2
 fi
 sudo chmod 600 "$APP_DIR/config.json" 2>/dev/null || true
 sudo chown "$APP_USER:$APP_USER" "$APP_DIR/config.json" 2>/dev/null || true
diff --git a/restart_prompt.md b/restart_prompt.md
index 190b840..bfa6ff1 100644
--- a/restart_prompt.md
+++ b/restart_prompt.md
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@ Build a reliable mailbox cleanup and automation toolkit for `australius.nl`.
 The project started as an offline analysis of a local mailbox export and is being moved toward an IMAP-based sorter because Sieve does not work with the email provider. The intended production model is:
 
 - Email is hosted at `australius.nl`.
-- A VPS is available at `vps.austalius.nl`.
+- A VPS is available at `vps.austalius.nl`, but the user now wants to test automation first on a local home NAS instead of the VPS.
 - The test mailbox is `backup@australius.nl`.
-- The future automation should run on the VPS, preferably via SSH deployment and an IMAP IDLE daemon.
+- The future automation should run on an always-on remote host, preferably via SSH deployment and an IMAP IDLE daemon. The current deploy path assumes a Linux/systemd target with sudo; if the NAS does not support that, adapt the run method to the NAS scheduler or container tooling.
 - The current end-to-end test uses the `backup` account as a disposable test target.
 
 ## Repository State
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ Shared operation helpers:
 
 `sort_mail_daemon.py` current behavior:
 
-- Intended VPS automation entry point for IMAP sorting.
+- Intended remote-host automation entry point for IMAP sorting.
 - Defaults to `--account backup` and `--folder INBOX`.
 - Uses the same shared routing policy through `mail_imap_ops.destination_from_header()`.
 - Maintains a JSON state file of processed UIDs per folder and resets that state when UIDVALIDITY changes.
@@ -144,12 +144,12 @@ Shared operation helpers:
 - Logs to `sort_mail_daemon.log` by default, or to the path passed with `--log-file`.
 - Ensures the destination mailbox exists before moving a message, then moves by UID COPY plus UID STORE `\Deleted`, followed by expunge after a scan.
 
-VPS deployment files:
+Remote/NAS deployment files:
 
-- `deploy_vps.sh` packages the repo excluding `.git`, `config.json`, logs, runtime JSON state/log files, bytecode, and local mailbox data; uploads to `vps.austalius.nl`; installs under `/opt/mailcat` by default; creates/uses a non-root system user named `mailcat` by default; installs a systemd service; enables but does not start the service.
-- The deploy script requires `VPS_USER` to be set to the non-root sudo SSH user. Optional overrides: `VPS_HOST`, `APP_USER`, `APP_DIR`, `SERVICE_NAME`, and `ACCOUNT`.
+- `deploy_vps.sh` is host-neutral despite its historical filename. It packages the repo excluding `.git`, `config.json`, logs, runtime JSON state/log files, bytecode, and local mailbox data; uploads to the SSH host in `REMOTE_HOST`; installs under `/opt/mailcat` by default; creates/uses a non-root system user named `mailcat` by default; installs a systemd service; enables but does not start the service.
+- The deploy script requires `REMOTE_HOST` and `REMOTE_USER`. The old `VPS_HOST` and `VPS_USER` names still work as aliases. Optional overrides: `APP_USER`, `APP_DIR`, `SERVICE_NAME`, and `ACCOUNT`.
 - `systemd/mailcat-sort.service` is a template consumed by `deploy_vps.sh`; after placeholder replacement it runs `sort_mail_daemon.py --account backup --folder INBOX` and stores state/logs under `/var/lib/mailcat` and `/var/log/mailcat`.
-- `config.json` remains ignored and must be created manually on the VPS with mode `600` before starting the service.
+- `config.json` remains ignored and must be created manually on the remote host with mode `600` before starting the service.
 
 ## Current Backup Test Status
 
@@ -237,16 +237,16 @@ Latest live mailbox verification:
 - The user started an actual sorter run on `backup@australius.nl`; it began moving messages from `INBOX` and then crashed on an unexpected IMAP `FETCH` response shape: `AttributeError: 'int' object has no attribute 'decode'`. The local `verplaats_log.json` contains processed `INBOX:<uid>` entries from that run and should be preserved if the user resumes sorting. The current code fixes this parser crash.
 - A later read-only INBOX inspection of the `backup` account found 1,908 unmatched messages and identified additional candidate sender domains. No mailbox-affecting script was run by Codex.
 - After the latest routing refinements, the user reported the backup sorter ended with `Totaal gepland: 0 | Totaal geen match: 2218 | Totaal overgeslagen: 8219 | Totaal fouten: 0`. Treat this as a successful backup historical-sorter run with no immediate recovery work needed.
-- VPS deployment and daemon live tests have not yet been run by Codex.
+- Remote NAS/systemd deployment and daemon live tests have not yet been run by Codex.
 
 ## What To Do Next
 
 Recommended next work:
 
-1. Ask the user for the VPS non-root sudo SSH username.
-2. Before starting the service, ensure `/opt/mailcat/config.json` on the VPS contains the `backup` account credentials and has mode `600`.
-3. Deploy with a command like `VPS_USER=<ssh-user> ./deploy_vps.sh`.
-4. On the VPS, start and inspect the service:
+1. Ask the user for the NAS SSH hostname/IP, SSH username, and whether the NAS has Linux/systemd with sudo. If it is a Synology/QNAP-style NAS without systemd, adapt the run method to its scheduler or container tooling before deploying.
+2. Before starting the service, ensure `/opt/mailcat/config.json` on the NAS contains the `backup` account credentials and has mode `600`.
+3. Deploy to a Linux/systemd NAS with a command like `REMOTE_HOST=<nas-host> REMOTE_USER=<ssh-user> ./deploy_vps.sh`.
+4. On the NAS, start and inspect the service:
    - `sudo systemctl start mailcat-sort-backup.service`
    - `sudo systemctl status mailcat-sort-backup.service`
    - `sudo journalctl -u mailcat-sort-backup.service -f`