diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 659dd59c..9177434b 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -51,8 +51,10 @@ and `sprue` (the upload service; mirror its patterns where relevant).
 
 - Build / vet / test: `go build ./... && go vet ./... && go test ./...`. Run all
   three after changes — this is the standard loop.
-- Run locally: `go run ./cmd serve` (flags: `--storage=memory --vault=memory` to
-  avoid external deps; see `cmd/main.go` / `pkg/config`).
+- Run locally: `go run ./cmd serve --revocation-service-id=<did>
+  --revocation-service-url=<url>` (both required, no default; add
+  `--storage=memory --vault=memory` to avoid external deps; see `cmd/main.go` /
+  `pkg/config`).
 - Postgres and OpenBao-backed tests use testcontainers and **skip when Docker is
   unavailable** (`internal/testutil`). `go test ./...` passes without Docker but
   only exercises the memory backends; run with Docker for full coverage.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index dd9a4740..be150b1c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -115,11 +115,13 @@ the product/plan DID tenants are registered under.
 
 | Key | Flag | Env var | Default |
 | --- | --- | --- | --- |
-| `revocation.service_id` | `--revocation-service-id` | `HILT_REVOCATION_SERVICE_ID` | `did:web:revoke.fil-forge.com` |
-| `revocation.service_url` | `--revocation-service-url` | `HILT_REVOCATION_SERVICE_URL` | `https://revoke.fil-forge.com` |
+| `revocation.service_id` | `--revocation-service-id` | `HILT_REVOCATION_SERVICE_ID` | required |
+| `revocation.service_url` | `--revocation-service-url` | `HILT_REVOCATION_SERVICE_URL` | required |
 
 The Swarf service DID + HTTP endpoint Hilt publishes UCAN revocations to when a
-delegation it issued is withdrawn (e.g. when an access key is deleted).
+delegation it issued is withdrawn (e.g. when an access key is deleted). Both
+are required, and `hilt serve` exits at startup when either is unset. Each
+stage points at its own Swarf, which only knows that stage's tenants.
 
 ## Container images
 
diff --git a/cmd/main.go b/cmd/main.go
index 3b060607..7f612c85 100644
--- a/cmd/main.go
+++ b/cmd/main.go
@@ -69,8 +69,8 @@ func main() {
 	serveCmd.Flags().String("upload-proofs", "", "Upload service proofs: an encoded UCAN container or a path to a file containing one")
 
 	// revocation service config
-	serveCmd.Flags().String("revocation-service-id", "did:web:revoke.fil-forge.com", "Revocation service DID")
-	serveCmd.Flags().String("revocation-service-url", "https://revoke.fil-forge.com", "Revocation service HTTP endpoint")
+	serveCmd.Flags().String("revocation-service-id", "", "Revocation service DID (required)")
+	serveCmd.Flags().String("revocation-service-url", "", "Revocation service HTTP endpoint (required)")
 
 	rootCmd.AddCommand(serveCmd)
 	rootCmd.AddCommand(client.Cmd)
diff --git a/pkg/config/config.go b/pkg/config/config.go
index 01d40f21..6ae6974e 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ type Config struct {
 
 // RevocationConfig holds settings for the Swarf revocation service, which Hilt
 // publishes UCAN revocations to when a delegation it issued is withdrawn (e.g.
-// when an access key is deleted).
+// when an access key is deleted). Both fields are required by `hilt serve`.
 type RevocationConfig struct {
 	// ServiceID is the Swarf service's DID (e.g. "did:web:swarf.example.com").
 	ServiceID string `mapstructure:"service_id"`
@@ -185,8 +185,9 @@ func SetDefaults(v *viper.Viper) {
 	v.SetDefault("upload.service_url", "https://upload.fil-forge.com")
 	v.SetDefault("upload.product_id", "did:web:hilt.fil-forge.com")
 
-	v.SetDefault("revocation.service_id", "did:web:revoke.fil-forge.com")
-	v.SetDefault("revocation.service_url", "https://revoke.fil-forge.com")
+	// revocation.service_id and revocation.service_url have no default: every
+	// deployment names its own stage's Swarf, and `serve` refuses to start
+	// without one (see fx.NewRevocationClient).
 }
 
 // flagBindings maps each config key to its serve-command flag name.
diff --git a/pkg/config/config_test.go b/pkg/config/config_test.go
index fd761437..29aa97e7 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config_test.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config_test.go
@@ -25,3 +25,15 @@ func TestLoadEnvOnly(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, "https://upload.example.com", cfg.Upload.ServiceURL)
 	require.Equal(t, "https://revocation.example.com", cfg.Revocation.ServiceURL)
 }
+
+// TestLoadRevocationHasNoDefault verifies the revocation service settings stay
+// empty when nothing configures them, so `hilt serve` refuses to start instead
+// of publishing revocations to another stage's Swarf.
+func TestLoadRevocationHasNoDefault(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv("HILT_REVOCATION_SERVICE_ID", "")
+	t.Setenv("HILT_REVOCATION_SERVICE_URL", "")
+
+	cfg, err := config.Load("")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, config.RevocationConfig{}, cfg.Revocation)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/fx/revocation.go b/pkg/fx/revocation.go
index a845196d..6ec0c05e 100644
--- a/pkg/fx/revocation.go
+++ b/pkg/fx/revocation.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package fx
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/url"
 
@@ -29,7 +30,17 @@ var RevocationModule = fx.Module("revocation",
 // NewRevocationClient builds the Swarf revocation-service client from
 // configuration. It takes no issuer: revocations are signed by the tenant that
 // issued the revoked delegations, which is passed per publish call.
+//
+// Both settings are required. Neither has a default, so a deployment that
+// forgets them fails at startup rather than publishing to another stage's
+// Swarf.
 func NewRevocationClient(cfg config.RevocationConfig) (*swarfclient.Client, error) {
+	if cfg.ServiceID == "" {
+		return nil, errors.New("revocation.service_id is required: set HILT_REVOCATION_SERVICE_ID or --revocation-service-id")
+	}
+	if cfg.ServiceURL == "" {
+		return nil, errors.New("revocation.service_url is required: set HILT_REVOCATION_SERVICE_URL or --revocation-service-url")
+	}
 	serviceID, err := did.Parse(cfg.ServiceID)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("parsing revocation.service_id %q: %w", cfg.ServiceID, err)
diff --git a/pkg/fx/revocation_test.go b/pkg/fx/revocation_test.go
index 9e240589..c9b9e18a 100644
--- a/pkg/fx/revocation_test.go
+++ b/pkg/fx/revocation_test.go
@@ -5,8 +5,10 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/fil-forge/hilt/pkg/config"
 	appfx "github.com/fil-forge/hilt/pkg/fx"
+	"github.com/fil-forge/hilt/pkg/grant"
 	"github.com/fil-forge/libforge/testutil"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"go.uber.org/fx"
 )
 
 func TestNewRevocationClient(t *testing.T) {
@@ -21,6 +23,26 @@ func TestNewRevocationClient(t *testing.T) {
 		require.Equal(t, serviceID, c.ServiceID)
 	})
 
+	missingCases := map[string]struct {
+		cfg         config.RevocationConfig
+		wantMessage string
+	}{
+		"service DID is unset": {
+			cfg:         config.RevocationConfig{ServiceURL: "http://swarf.test"},
+			wantMessage: "revocation.service_id is required: set HILT_REVOCATION_SERVICE_ID or --revocation-service-id",
+		},
+		"service URL is unset": {
+			cfg:         config.RevocationConfig{ServiceID: serviceID.String()},
+			wantMessage: "revocation.service_url is required: set HILT_REVOCATION_SERVICE_URL or --revocation-service-url",
+		},
+	}
+	for desc, tc := range missingCases {
+		t.Run("errors when "+desc, func(t *testing.T) {
+			_, err := appfx.NewRevocationClient(tc.cfg)
+			require.EqualError(t, err, tc.wantMessage)
+		})
+	}
+
 	t.Run("invalid service DID errors", func(t *testing.T) {
 		_, err := appfx.NewRevocationClient(config.RevocationConfig{
 			ServiceID:  "not-a-did",
@@ -37,3 +59,17 @@ func TestNewRevocationClient(t *testing.T) {
 		require.ErrorContains(t, err, "revocation.service_url")
 	})
 }
+
+// TestRevocationModuleRequiresConfig checks that an app built without the
+// revocation settings fails while it is being constructed, which is when
+// `hilt serve` exits, rather than when it first publishes a revocation.
+func TestRevocationModuleRequiresConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	app := fx.New(
+		fx.Supply(&config.Config{}),
+		appfx.ConfigModule,
+		appfx.RevocationModule,
+		fx.NopLogger,
+		fx.Invoke(func(grant.RevocationPublisher) {}),
+	)
+	require.ErrorContains(t, app.Err(), "revocation.service_id is required")
+}