diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.template
similarity index 100%
rename from .env.example
rename to .env.template
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 950f545..68ec67b 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 # exclude archived files
 /_archive/
 
-# exclude dev-symlinks to .venv that make bin/python work
+# exclude toplevel dev-symlinks to .venv that make bin/python work
 /bin
 /lib
 /lib64
diff --git a/.make/03-dotenv.mk b/.make/03-dotenv.mk
index f282e09..4266d1a 100644
--- a/.make/03-dotenv.mk
+++ b/.make/03-dotenv.mk
@@ -7,12 +7,12 @@
 -include .env
 
 
-.PHONY: dotenv-install-from-example ## instantiate the dotenv-file (no override)
+.PHONY: dotenv-install-from-template ## instantiate the dotenv-file (no override)
 # cp --backup  creates .env~, but will overwrite this next time.
 # safest way, is to not overwrite existing .env-files, manual intervention needed.
 dotenv-install-from-example:
-	@echo -e "Copying .env.example to .env" ;\
-	cp -n .env.example .env ;\
+	@echo -e "Copying .env.template to .env" ;\
+	cp -n .env.template .env ;\
 	echo "Please review any credentials in the .env-file."
 
 
@@ -23,4 +23,4 @@ dotenv-set-basedir:
 
 
 .PHONY: dotenv-install ## install .env-file from .env.example
-dotenv-install: dotenv-install-from-example dotenv-set-basedir
\ No newline at end of file
+dotenv-install: dotenv-install-from-template dotenv-set-basedir