diff --git a/Containerfile b/Containerfile
index 149dfe07..3e5b3549 100644
--- a/Containerfile
+++ b/Containerfile
@@ -28,5 +28,9 @@ COPY --from=build /out/telesrv-admin /app/telesrv-admin
 COPY --from=build /out/createuser /app/createuser
 COPY --from=build /src/data/langpack /app/data/langpack
 COPY --from=build /src/data/sticker-seed /app/data/sticker-seed
+# telesrv-admin's Server Settings env editor (procctl.Manager.ReadEnvGroups)
+# reads this as the template of available settings; without it the editor
+# always reports zero groups.
+COPY --from=build /src/.env.example /app/.env.example
 EXPOSE 2398 2600
 ENTRYPOINT ["/app/gramsrv"]
diff --git a/internal/procctl/procctl.go b/internal/procctl/procctl.go
index d1cd85d6..60fd3c23 100644
--- a/internal/procctl/procctl.go
+++ b/internal/procctl/procctl.go
@@ -525,7 +525,12 @@ func (m *Manager) ReadEnvGroups() ([]EnvGroup, error) {
 	tmplPath := filepath.Join(m.Root, ".env.example")
 	tmplData, err := os.ReadFile(tmplPath)
 	if os.IsNotExist(err) {
-		return nil, nil
+		// A nil slice here would marshal to JSON null instead of [] -- the
+		// admin UI's env editor unconditionally calls .reduce()/.map() on
+		// this response and crashes on null. .env.example isn't shipped
+		// inside the container image, so this path is the normal case in
+		// production, not an edge case.
+		return []EnvGroup{}, nil
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("read .env.example: %w", err)