diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7ea9964..91db2f9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ Clone the repository and run the local development installer:
 git clone https://github.com/zdzichu6969/pyTorrent.git
 cd pyTorrent
 ./install.sh
-. venv/bin/activate
+. .venv/bin/activate
 python app.py
 ```
 
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/zdzichu6969/pyTorrent/master/script
 Recommended production command:
 
 ```bash
-. venv/bin/activate
+. .venv/bin/activate
 gunicorn --worker-class gthread \
   --workers 1 \
   --threads 32 \
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ PYTORRENT_AUTH_PROVIDER=local
 Reset a local user's password:
 
 ```bash
-. venv/bin/activate
+. .venv/bin/activate
 python -m pytorrent.cli reset-password admin new_password
 ```
 
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ PYTORRENT_DEBUG_INSTALL=1 bash scripts/install_stack.sh
 ## Development
 
 ```bash
-. venv/bin/activate
+. .venv/bin/activate
 python app.py
 ```
 
diff --git a/deploy/pytorrent.service b/deploy/pytorrent.service
index 2cffdfd..1813d76 100644
--- a/deploy/pytorrent.service
+++ b/deploy/pytorrent.service
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ Group=pytorrent
 WorkingDirectory=/opt/pyTorrent
 Environment="PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1"
 EnvironmentFile=/opt/pyTorrent/.env
-ExecStart=/opt/pyTorrent/venv/bin/gunicorn -c /opt/pyTorrent/gunicorn.conf.py --worker-class gthread --workers 1 --threads 32 --bind ${PYTORRENT_HOST}:${PYTORRENT_PORT} wsgi:app
+ExecStart=/opt/pyTorrent/.venv/bin/gunicorn -c /opt/pyTorrent/gunicorn.conf.py --worker-class gthread --workers 1 --threads 32 --bind ${PYTORRENT_HOST}:${PYTORRENT_PORT} wsgi:app
 Restart=always
 RestartSec=3
 KillSignal=SIGINT
diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index b4303e5..9dae580 100755
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 set -euo pipefail
-python3 -m venv venv
-. venv/bin/activate
+python3 -m venv .venv
+. .venv/bin/activate
 pip install --upgrade pip
 pip install -r requirements.txt
 cp -n .env.example .env || true
@@ -11,4 +11,4 @@ mkdir -p data
 chmod 755 data
 ./scripts/download_geoip.sh data/GeoLite2-City.mmdb
 python -c "from pytorrent.db import init_db; init_db(); print(\"SQLite initialized\")"
-echo "Run: . venv/bin/activate && python app.py"
+echo "Run: . .venv/bin/activate && python app.py"
diff --git a/scripts/INSTALL.md b/scripts/INSTALL.md
index c143a66..95f0c49 100644
--- a/scripts/INSTALL.md
+++ b/scripts/INSTALL.md
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/zdzichu6969/pyTorrent/master/script
 The API configurator can be run manually:
 
 ```bash
-/opt/pytorrent/venv/bin/python /opt/pytorrent/scripts/stack_installers/configure_pytorrent_api.py \
+/opt/pytorrent/.venv/bin/python /opt/pytorrent/scripts/stack_installers/configure_pytorrent_api.py \
   --base-url http://127.0.0.1:8090 \
   --profile-name "Local rTorrent" \
   --scgi-url scgi://127.0.0.1:5000
diff --git a/scripts/install_debian_ubuntu.sh b/scripts/install_debian_ubuntu.sh
index 55e284d..fe8482e 100755
--- a/scripts/install_debian_ubuntu.sh
+++ b/scripts/install_debian_ubuntu.sh
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ mkdir -p "${APP_DIR}"
 
 rsync -a --delete \
     --exclude '.git' \
+    --exclude '.venv' \
     --exclude 'venv' \
     --exclude '__pycache__' \
     --exclude '*.pyc' \
@@ -53,10 +54,10 @@ rsync -a --delete \
 
 cd "${APP_DIR}"
 
-"${PYTHON_BIN}" -m venv venv
+"${PYTHON_BIN}" -m venv .venv
 
-venv/bin/pip install --upgrade pip wheel
-venv/bin/pip install -r requirements.txt
+.venv/bin/pip install --upgrade pip wheel
+.venv/bin/pip install -r requirements.txt
 
 mkdir -p data instance logs
 
@@ -91,7 +92,7 @@ chown "${APP_USER}:${APP_USER}" .env
 
 if [[ -f scripts/download_frontend_libs.py ]]; then
     sudo -u "${APP_USER}" \
-        "${APP_DIR}/venv/bin/python" \
+        "${APP_DIR}/.venv/bin/python" \
         scripts/download_frontend_libs.py || true
 fi
 
@@ -113,7 +114,7 @@ Group=${APP_USER}
 WorkingDirectory=${APP_DIR}
 Environment="PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1"
 EnvironmentFile=${APP_DIR}/.env
-ExecStart=${APP_DIR}/venv/bin/gunicorn -c ${APP_DIR}/gunicorn.conf.py --worker-class gthread --workers 1 --threads 32 --bind \${PYTORRENT_HOST}:\${PYTORRENT_PORT} --access-logfile - --error-logfile - wsgi:app
+ExecStart=${APP_DIR}/.venv/bin/gunicorn -c ${APP_DIR}/gunicorn.conf.py --worker-class gthread --workers 1 --threads 32 --bind \${PYTORRENT_HOST}:\${PYTORRENT_PORT} --access-logfile - --error-logfile - wsgi:app
 Restart=always
 RestartSec=3
 KillSignal=SIGINT
diff --git a/scripts/install_pytorrent_only.sh b/scripts/install_pytorrent_only.sh
index 0dd355e..818db46 100755
--- a/scripts/install_pytorrent_only.sh
+++ b/scripts/install_pytorrent_only.sh
@@ -299,16 +299,16 @@ copy_application() {
     local project_dir
     project_dir="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && pwd)"
     mkdir -p "${APP_DIR}"
-    rsync -a --delete --exclude '.git' --exclude 'venv' --exclude '__pycache__' --exclude '*.pyc' "${project_dir}/" "${APP_DIR}/"
+    rsync -a --delete --exclude '.git' --exclude 'venv' --exclude '.venv'  --exclude '__pycache__' --exclude '*.pyc' "${project_dir}/" "${APP_DIR}/"
     chown -R "${APP_USER}:${APP_USER}" "${APP_DIR}" "/var/lib/${APP_USER}" || true
 }
 
 install_python_app() {
     # Note: A private virtualenv keeps pyTorrent dependencies isolated from system Python packages.
     cd "${APP_DIR}"
-    "${PYTHON_BIN}" -m venv venv
-    venv/bin/pip install --upgrade pip wheel
-    venv/bin/pip install -r requirements.txt
+    "${PYTHON_BIN}" -m venv .venv
+    .venv/bin/pip install --upgrade pip wheel
+    .venv/bin/pip install -r requirements.txt
     mkdir -p data instance logs
     chown -R "${APP_USER}:${APP_USER}" "${APP_DIR}"
 }
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ write_env() {
 install_frontend_libs() {
     # Note: Offline mode downloads local JS/CSS assets during installation; online mode uses CDN links.
     if [[ "${LIBS_MODE}" == "offline" && -f "${APP_DIR}/scripts/download_frontend_libs.py" ]]; then
-        sudo -u "${APP_USER}" "${APP_DIR}/venv/bin/python" "${APP_DIR}/scripts/download_frontend_libs.py" || true
+        sudo -u "${APP_USER}" "${APP_DIR}/.venv/bin/python" "${APP_DIR}/scripts/download_frontend_libs.py" || true
     fi
     if [[ -f "${APP_DIR}/scripts/download_geoip.sh" ]]; then
         sudo -u "${APP_USER}" bash "${APP_DIR}/scripts/download_geoip.sh" "${APP_DIR}/data/GeoLite2-City.mmdb" || true
@@ -444,7 +444,7 @@ configure_database() {
         PROFILE_NAME="${PROFILE_NAME}" \
         SCGI_URL="${SCGI_URL}" \
         SKIP_PROFILE="${SKIP_PROFILE}" \
-        "${APP_DIR}/venv/bin/python" - <<'PY'
+        "${APP_DIR}/.venv/bin/python" - <<'PY'
 import os
 from pytorrent.db import connect, init_db, utcnow
 from pytorrent.services.auth import password_hash
@@ -518,7 +518,7 @@ Group=${APP_USER}
 WorkingDirectory=${APP_DIR}
 Environment="PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1"
 EnvironmentFile=${APP_DIR}/.env
-ExecStart=${APP_DIR}/venv/bin/gunicorn -c ${APP_DIR}/gunicorn.conf.py --worker-class gthread --workers 1 --threads 32 --bind \${PYTORRENT_HOST}:\${PYTORRENT_PORT} wsgi:app
+ExecStart=${APP_DIR}/.venv/bin/gunicorn -c ${APP_DIR}/gunicorn.conf.py --worker-class gthread --workers 1 --threads 32 --bind \${PYTORRENT_HOST}:\${PYTORRENT_PORT} wsgi:app
 Restart=always
 RestartSec=3
 KillSignal=SIGINT
diff --git a/scripts/stack_installers/install_pytorrent_rhel.sh b/scripts/stack_installers/install_pytorrent_rhel.sh
index 61dda79..94d91a6 100755
--- a/scripts/stack_installers/install_pytorrent_rhel.sh
+++ b/scripts/stack_installers/install_pytorrent_rhel.sh
@@ -44,15 +44,16 @@ mkdir -p "${APP_DIR}"
 rsync -a --delete \
     --exclude '.git' \
     --exclude 'venv' \
+    --exclude '.venv' \
     --exclude '__pycache__' \
     --exclude '*.pyc' \
     ./ "${APP_DIR}/"
 
 cd "${APP_DIR}"
 
-"${PYTHON_BIN}" -m venv venv
-venv/bin/pip install --upgrade pip wheel
-venv/bin/pip install -r requirements.txt
+"${PYTHON_BIN}" -m venv .venv
+.venv/bin/pip install --upgrade pip wheel
+.venv/bin/pip install -r requirements.txt
 
 mkdir -p data instance logs data/logs
 chown -R "${APP_USER}:${APP_USER}" "${APP_DIR}" "/var/lib/${APP_USER}"
@@ -95,7 +96,7 @@ chown -R "${APP_USER}:${APP_USER}" "${PYTORRENT_LOG_DIR_VALUE}" || true
 chown "${APP_USER}:${APP_USER}" .env
 
 if [[ -f scripts/download_frontend_libs.py ]]; then
-    sudo -u "${APP_USER}" "${APP_DIR}/venv/bin/python" scripts/download_frontend_libs.py || true
+    sudo -u "${APP_USER}" "${APP_DIR}/.venv/bin/python" scripts/download_frontend_libs.py || true
 fi
 
 if [[ -f scripts/download_geoip.sh ]]; then
@@ -115,7 +116,7 @@ Group=${APP_USER}
 WorkingDirectory=${APP_DIR}
 Environment="PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1"
 EnvironmentFile=${APP_DIR}/.env
-ExecStart=${APP_DIR}/venv/bin/gunicorn -c ${APP_DIR}/gunicorn.conf.py --worker-class gthread --workers 1 --threads 32 --bind \${PYTORRENT_HOST}:\${PYTORRENT_PORT} --access-logfile - --error-logfile - wsgi:app
+ExecStart=${APP_DIR}/.venv/bin/gunicorn -c ${APP_DIR}/gunicorn.conf.py --worker-class gthread --workers 1 --threads 32 --bind \${PYTORRENT_HOST}:\${PYTORRENT_PORT} --access-logfile - --error-logfile - wsgi:app
 Restart=always
 RestartSec=3
 KillSignal=SIGINT
diff --git a/scripts/stack_installers/install_stack_arch.sh b/scripts/stack_installers/install_stack_arch.sh
index 66501af..c32f53c 100755
--- a/scripts/stack_installers/install_stack_arch.sh
+++ b/scripts/stack_installers/install_stack_arch.sh
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ fi
 bash "${PROJECT_DIR}/scripts/install_pytorrent_only.sh" "${PYTORRENT_ONLY_ARGS[@]}"
 
 if [[ -n "${PYTORRENT_API_TOKEN}" ]]; then
-    "${PYTORRENT_APP_DIR}/venv/bin/python" "${PYTORRENT_APP_DIR}/scripts/stack_installers/configure_pytorrent_api.py" \
+    "${PYTORRENT_APP_DIR}/.venv/bin/python" "${PYTORRENT_APP_DIR}/scripts/stack_installers/configure_pytorrent_api.py" \
         --base-url "${PYTORRENT_BASE_URL}" \
         --profile-name "${PYTORRENT_PROFILE_NAME}" \
         --scgi-url "${PYTORRENT_RTORRENT_SCGI_URL}" \