diff --git a/deployment/proxmox/provision.sh b/deployment/proxmox/provision.sh
index dba60b37..74b92717 100755
--- a/deployment/proxmox/provision.sh
+++ b/deployment/proxmox/provision.sh
@@ -28,24 +28,27 @@ debug=false
 
 help () {
   cat <<EOF
-Usage: $0 [OPTION...] [ID...]
+Usage: $0 [OPTION...] ID [ID...]
 
-Authentication options:
-  --username STR    Username, with provider (eg. niols@pve)
-  --password STR    Password
+Options:
+  --username STR    Username, with provider (eg. niols@pve; required)
+  --password STR    Password (required)
 
-  If not provided via the command line, username and password will be looked for
-  in a '.proxmox' file in the current working directory, the username on the
-  first line, and the password on the second.
-
-Other options:
-  --sockets INT     Number of sockets (default: $sockets)
   --cores INT       Number of cores (default: $cores)
   --memory INT      Memory (default: $memory)
-  --debug           Run this script in debug mode
+  --sockets INT     Number of sockets (default: $sockets)
 
-Others:
+  --debug           Run this script in debug mode (default: $debug)
   -h|-?|--help      Show this help and exit
+
+Options can also be provided by adding assignments to a '.proxmox' file in the
+current working directory. For instance, it could contain:
+
+  cores=7
+  username=mireille@pve
+  debug=true
+
+Command line options take precedence over options found in the '.proxmox' file.
 EOF
 }
 
@@ -57,6 +60,10 @@ die_with_help () { printf '\033[31m'; printf "$@"; printf '\033[0m\n'; help; exi
 # shellcheck disable=SC2059
 debug () { if $debug; then printf >&2 '\033[37m'; printf >&2 "$@"; printf >&2 '\033[0m\n'; fi }
 
+if [ -f .proxmox ]; then
+  . "$PWD"/.proxmox
+fi
+
 while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
   argument=$1
   shift
@@ -78,12 +85,12 @@ while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
   esac
 done
 
+if [ -z "$vm_ids" ]; then
+  die_with_help "Required: at least one VM id.\n"
+fi
+
 if [ -z "$username" ] || [ -z "$password" ]; then
-  if [ -f .proxmox ]; then
-    { read -r username; read -r password; } < .proxmox
-  else
-    die_with_help "Required: '--username' and '--password'.\n"
-  fi
+  die_with_help "Required: '--username' and '--password'.\n"
 fi
 
 readonly sockets