diff --git a/source/src/commands/create-service.cpp b/source/src/commands/create-service.cpp
index 6c1120a..3a2b659 100644
--- a/source/src/commands/create-service.cpp
+++ b/source/src/commands/create-service.cpp
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ namespace dropshell
             // copy the template config files to the service directory
             recursive_copy(tinfo.local_template_path() / "config", service_dir);
 
-            // set TEMPLATE in service.env first (required before get_service_info)
+            // set TEMPLATE in service.env (required before get_service_info)
             if (!set_env_variable(
                 localfile::service_env(server_name, service_name),
                 "TEMPLATE",
@@ -215,21 +215,16 @@ namespace dropshell
             }
 
 
+            // set SSH_USER in service.env
             info << "Setting SSH_USER to " << sshuser << " in the " << filenames::service_env << " file" << std::endl;
-            { // edit the service.env file to set the SSH_USER.
-                std::string source_service_env = tinfo.local_template_path() / "config" / filenames::service_env;
-                ASSERT(std::filesystem::exists(source_service_env), "Template service env file not found: " + source_service_env);
-                std::ifstream template_service_env_file_in(source_service_env);
-                std::ofstream service_env_file_out(localfile::service_env(server_name, service_name));
-                std::string line;
-                while (std::getline(template_service_env_file_in, line))
-                {
-                    if (line.find("SSH_USER") != std::string::npos)
-                        line = "SSH_USER=" + sshuser;
-                    service_env_file_out << line << std::endl;
-                }
-                template_service_env_file_in.close();
-                service_env_file_out.close();
+            if (!set_env_variable(
+                localfile::service_env(server_name, service_name),
+                "SSH_USER",
+                sshuser,
+                ""))
+            {
+                error << "Failed to set SSH_USER in service.env" << std::endl;
+                return false;
             }
 
             // check docker.