diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index e424b4a..cfb42fc 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -12,10 +12,12 @@ START_TIMEOUT=90
 WAIT_INTERVAL=3
 START_RETRIES=1
 LOCK_FILE="/run/lock/zorruno-docker-backup.lock"
+ZSTD_EXTRA_OPTS="-T0 -12"
 
 # Rclone destination becomes <remote>/beaver/.
 RCLONE_ENABLED=0
 RCLONE_REMOTE="gdrive:dockerbackups"
+RCLONE_HOST_SUBDIR=1
 RCLONE_EXTRA_ARGS=""
 
 # The SMB share must already be mounted by the operating system.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d0fcf8f..a9a4b8c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ Copy `.env.example` to `.env`; `.env` is ignored by Git. Important values:
 | `CONTAINERS_FILE` | Absolute path, or path relative to this repository |
 | `BACKUP_HOSTNAME` | Host folder/name embedded in archive filenames |
 | `BACKUP_METHODS` | Ordered method names, default `rclone smb` |
+| `ZSTD_EXTRA_OPTS` | Options passed to `zstd`, default `-T0 -12` |
 | `KEEP_COUNT` | Local archives retained per Compose project |
 | `PULL_IMAGES` | Pull images before restarting (`1` or `0`) |
 
@@ -79,7 +80,9 @@ RCLONE_REMOTE="gdrive:dockerbackups"
 ```
 
 Archives are copied beneath `<remote>/<BACKUP_HOSTNAME>/`. The method uses
-`rclone copy`, so it does not delete older destination files.
+`rclone copy`, so it does not delete older destination files. Set
+`RCLONE_HOST_SUBDIR=0` when `RCLONE_REMOTE` already names the final host-specific
+destination; otherwise the host name is appended automatically.
 
 ### SMB
 
diff --git a/lib/common.sh b/lib/common.sh
index 085aca6..39ca80d 100644
--- a/lib/common.sh
+++ b/lib/common.sh
@@ -15,9 +15,11 @@ START_TIMEOUT=90
 WAIT_INTERVAL=3
 START_RETRIES=1
 LOCK_FILE="/run/lock/zorruno-docker-backup.lock"
+ZSTD_EXTRA_OPTS="-T0 -12"
 
 RCLONE_ENABLED=0
 RCLONE_REMOTE=""
+RCLONE_HOST_SUBDIR=1
 RCLONE_EXTRA_ARGS=""
 SMB_ENABLED=0
 SMB_MOUNT=""
diff --git a/methods/20-rclone.sh b/methods/20-rclone.sh
index e1a84f4..84d3776 100755
--- a/methods/20-rclone.sh
+++ b/methods/20-rclone.sh
@@ -17,8 +17,10 @@ if ! is_true "$RCLONE_ENABLED" && (( FORCE == 0 )); then log SKIP "rclone method
 require_command rclone
 [[ -d "$BACKUP_ROOT" ]] || die "Backup root not found: $BACKUP_ROOT"
 read -r -a extra_args <<<"$RCLONE_EXTRA_ARGS"
-args=(copy "$BACKUP_ROOT" "${RCLONE_REMOTE%/}/$BACKUP_HOSTNAME" "${extra_args[@]}")
+destination="${RCLONE_REMOTE%/}"
+is_true "$RCLONE_HOST_SUBDIR" && destination="$destination/$BACKUP_HOSTNAME"
+args=(copy "$BACKUP_ROOT" "$destination" "${extra_args[@]}")
 (( DRY_RUN )) && args+=(--dry-run)
-log INFO "Copying backups to ${RCLONE_REMOTE%/}/$BACKUP_HOSTNAME"
+log INFO "Copying backups to $destination"
 rclone "${args[@]}"
 log DONE "rclone backup method completed"
diff --git a/stages/10-containers.sh b/stages/10-containers.sh
index 8e254ad..59d10df 100755
--- a/stages/10-containers.sh
+++ b/stages/10-containers.sh
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ done
 CONTAINERS_FILE="$(resolve_path "$CONTAINERS_FILE")"
 require_command docker
 require_command tar
+require_command zstd
 [[ -d "$SOURCE_BASE_DIR" ]] || die "Docker source directory not found: $SOURCE_BASE_DIR"
 [[ -r "$CONTAINERS_FILE" ]] || die "Containers file not readable: $CONTAINERS_FILE"
 
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ wait_for_project() {
 
 backup_project() {
   local project="$1" working_dir="$2" parent base output_dir output attempt
+  local -a zstd_args=()
   parent="$(dirname "$working_dir")"
   base="$(basename "$working_dir")"
   output_dir="$BACKUP_ROOT/$project"
@@ -91,7 +93,9 @@ backup_project() {
   mkdir -p "$output_dir"
   cd "$working_dir"
   compose down
-  if ! tar --one-file-system --zstd -cf "$output" -C "$parent" "$base"; then
+  read -r -a zstd_args <<<"$ZSTD_EXTRA_OPTS"
+  if ! tar --one-file-system -cf - -C "$parent" "$base" | zstd "${zstd_args[@]}" -o "$output"; then
+    rm -f -- "$output"
     log ERROR "Archive failed; attempting to restart $project"
     compose up -d || true
     return 1