diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index ff28eab..da28e41 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -93,9 +93,10 @@ Beyond `codex-setup.sh`/`codex-maintenance.sh` above, `scripts/` also has:
   (`--force-rebuild` to skip that and always rebuild), and probes
   nix-cache's substituter/remote-builder reachability once up front rather
   than letting every `nix build` call retry against it individually.
-  Refuses to create a target whose host identity already has a real
-  deployment elsewhere (`variables.nix`'s `deployedTargets`) unless
-  `--allow-duplicate-host` is passed. `--dry-run` throughout both modes.
+  Refuses to create a target whose host identity already exists live on
+  the node (checked directly via `qm`/`pct`, not any file in this repo)
+  unless `--allow-duplicate-host` is passed. `--dry-run` throughout both
+  modes.
 - `scripts/env.sh` — shared config (`PROXMOX_HOST`, storage pool, bridge,
   default cores/memory) sourced by `create-proxmox-resource.sh`. Add new
   cross-script config here instead of duplicating it per-script.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 77e62b3..bcb85c2 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -28,10 +28,12 @@ list:
 | `proxmox-pxe-boot` / `lxc-pxe-boot` | HTTP/iPXE boot asset host (`proxmox-pxe-boot` is the real, deployed one — previously the flat `pxe-boot` target) |
 | `linode-tailscale-exit-node` / `proxmox-tailscale-exit-node` / `lxc-tailscale-exit-node` | Tailscale exit node (no deployed target yet; `lxc-tailscale-exit-node` is the one planned for actual use) |
 
-The "(real, deployed)" targets above are also tracked machine-readably in
-`variables.nix`'s `deployedTargets` — keep both in sync when a deployment
-changes. `scripts/create-proxmox-resource.sh` reads that list to refuse
-creating a same-identity duplicate of an already-deployed host by accident.
+This table is the only place "(real, deployed)" status is tracked — there's
+no separate machine-readable copy to keep in sync. `scripts/create-proxmox-resource.sh`
+guards against creating a same-identity duplicate of an already-deployed host
+by checking the Proxmox node itself (live `qm`/`pct` state) rather than any
+file in this repo, since a static list can't track whether a resource still
+actually exists.
 
 Each buildtype's `hosts/<name>/host.nix` carries the per-machine identity
 (hostname, hostId, per-machine secrets, `system.stateVersion`) that must stay
diff --git a/scripts/create-proxmox-resource.sh b/scripts/create-proxmox-resource.sh
index f1e952d..e10473e 100755
--- a/scripts/create-proxmox-resource.sh
+++ b/scripts/create-proxmox-resource.sh
@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@
 #
 # SAFETY:
 #   - The default (create) mode only ever creates a NEW resource -- it
-#     refuses to run if the target VMID already exists on the node.
+#     refuses to run if the target VMID already exists on the node, or if
+#     a VM/CT identified as --host already exists under any other VMID
+#     (checked live against the node; --allow-duplicate-host overrides).
 #   - --modify only ever touches a resource you name explicitly via
 #     --vmid, shows exactly what will change first, and (outside
 #     --dry-run) always requires typing that VMID back to confirm before
@@ -56,10 +58,11 @@ Create mode (default):
   --force-rebuild                Skip the "does the node already have this
                                   image" check -- always build fresh and
                                   overwrite what's there.
-  --allow-duplicate-host        Required if --host already has a real
-                                deployment elsewhere (variables.nix's
-                                deployedTargets) -- otherwise refused, since
-                                it'd share that host's hostName/hostId.
+  --allow-duplicate-host        Required if a VM/CT identified as --host
+                                already exists on the node (checked live via
+                                qm/pct, not any file in this repo) --
+                                otherwise refused, since it'd share that
+                                host's hostName/hostId.
 
 Modify mode (reconfigure an EXISTING resource -- requires --modify):
   --modify                Switch to modify mode.
@@ -286,31 +289,57 @@ fi
 # feeds straight into the guest's real hostname) disagree with host.nix.
 [[ -z "$name" ]] && name="$host"
 
-# --- refuse to duplicate a host that's already really deployed ----------
-# Checked by hostName, not exact flake target: proxmox-server being
-# deployed also blocks --type lxc --host server, since both would carry
-# the same hosts/server/host.nix identity (hostName, hostId). But skip the
-# check when dt == flake_target -- that's not a duplicate, it's recreating
-# the canonical deployed target itself (e.g. redeploying nix-cache after
-# destroying its old VM/container to pick up new sops secrets), and the
-# later VMID-existence check already guards against clobbering a live
-# resource.
-if [[ "$allow_duplicate_host" -eq 0 ]]; then
-  deployed_targets_json="$(nix eval --json --no-use-registries --no-accept-flake-config \
-    --file "${repo_root}/variables.nix" deployedTargets)"
-  for dt in $(echo "$deployed_targets_json" | jq -r '.[]'); do
-    [[ "$dt" == "$flake_target" ]] && continue
-    dt_hostname="$(nix eval --raw --no-use-registries --no-accept-flake-config \
-      "${repo_root}#nixosConfigurations.${dt}.config.networking.hostName" 2>/dev/null || true)"
-    if [[ "$dt_hostname" == "$host" ]]; then
-      echo "ERROR: '${host}' already has a real deployment (${dt}, per variables.nix's" >&2
-      echo "deployedTargets). Creating ${flake_target} would share its hostName/hostId --" >&2
-      echo "refusing by default. Pass --allow-duplicate-host if you really mean to spin" >&2
-      echo "up a separate test instance of this host (it'll still get its own distinct" >&2
-      echo "sops key and VMID, never touching ${dt})." >&2
-      exit 1
-    fi
-  done
+# --- refuse to duplicate a host that's already live on the node ---------
+# Queries the node itself (qm/pct's own name/hostname config), not any
+# static list in this repo -- a file can't track whether a resource still
+# actually exists, and this used to be checked against variables.nix's
+# deployedTargets, which drifted stale (it kept naming a VM as "the real
+# deployment" well after that VM had been destroyed, blocking its own
+# redeploy) until that list was dropped in favour of this live check. This
+# only catches guests identified with the default --name (== --host, what
+# this script itself always uses unless --name is overridden) -- a guest
+# manually renamed on the node afterwards wouldn't match, but nothing here
+# creates guests that way.
+if [[ "$allow_duplicate_host" -eq 1 ]]; then
+  echo
+  echo "--allow-duplicate-host: skipping the check for an existing '${host}' on ${node}."
+elif [[ "$dry_run" -eq 1 ]]; then
+  echo
+  echo "[dry-run] would check ${node} for an existing VM/CT identified as '${host}'"
+else
+  echo
+  echo "==> Checking ${node} for an existing VM/CT identified as '${host}'..."
+  ssh_check_status=0
+  existing="$(ssh "$ssh_target" bash -s -- "$host" <<'REMOTE_SCRIPT'
+target="$1"
+for id in $(qm list 2>/dev/null | awk 'NR>1{print $1}'); do
+  n="$(qm config "$id" 2>/dev/null | grep -oP '^name:\s*\K\S+' || true)"
+  [[ "$n" == "$target" ]] && echo "vm ${id} ${n}"
+done
+for id in $(pct list 2>/dev/null | awk 'NR>1{print $1}'); do
+  n="$(pct config "$id" 2>/dev/null | grep -oP '^hostname:\s*\K\S+' || true)"
+  [[ "$n" == "$target" ]] && echo "lxc ${id} ${n}"
+done
+REMOTE_SCRIPT
+  )" || ssh_check_status=$?
+  if [[ "$ssh_check_status" -ne 0 ]]; then
+    echo "ERROR: couldn't reach ${node} (ssh exited ${ssh_check_status}) to check for an" >&2
+    echo "existing '${host}' resource -- refusing to guess. Fix connectivity and retry," >&2
+    echo "or pass --allow-duplicate-host if you're sure none exists (this skips the" >&2
+    echo "check entirely)." >&2
+    exit 1
+  fi
+  if [[ -n "$existing" ]]; then
+    echo "ERROR: '${host}' already exists on ${node}:" >&2
+    echo "$existing" | while read -r kind id n; do
+      echo "  - ${kind} VMID ${id} (${n})" >&2
+    done
+    echo "Refusing to create a second resource sharing this identity. Pass" >&2
+    echo "--allow-duplicate-host to create one anyway (it gets its own distinct" >&2
+    echo "sops key and VMID -- the existing resource(s) above are left untouched)," >&2
+    echo "or use --modify to reconfigure the existing one instead." >&2
+    exit 1
+  fi
 fi
 
 echo "Target: ${flake_target} (host=${host}, type=${type}) -> Proxmox resource '${name}'"
diff --git a/variables.nix b/variables.nix
index 77fc155..f86b81c 100644
--- a/variables.nix
+++ b/variables.nix
@@ -156,20 +156,4 @@
     keep = 20; # number of rotated logs to retain before deleting the oldest
   };
 
-  # Flake targets with a real, currently-running deployment somewhere —
-  # matches README.md's Hosts table "(real, deployed)" annotations; update
-  # both together. Not consumed by any NixOS module (nothing in the actual
-  # system config should behave differently because of this) — it's read
-  # by scripts/create-proxmox-resource.sh to refuse creating a same-identity
-  # duplicate of an already-deployed host (shared hostName/hostId) unless
-  # you explicitly pass --allow-duplicate-host.
-  deployedTargets = [
-    "linode-minimal"
-    "proxmox-minimal"
-    "lxc-nix-cache"
-    "proxmox-server"
-    "proxmox-docker"
-    "proxmox-gui"
-    "proxmox-pxe-boot"
-  ];
 }