diff --git a/scripts/tier1/submit.mjs b/scripts/tier1/submit.mjs
index c6cf6e7e..d8522a46 100644
--- a/scripts/tier1/submit.mjs
+++ b/scripts/tier1/submit.mjs
@@ -42,7 +42,11 @@ console.log(`genesis     ${genesisHash}`);
 console.log(`extrinsic   v${runtime.extrinsicVersion}`);
 
 const dest = process.env.QUANTUS_DEST || 'qzkYEQv8tQsmniZYdame3Cku18RL5g9bGK9Pdydq5TMPdpE3y'; // crystal_bob
-const amount = 1_000_000_000n; // 0.001
+// In plancks: 12 decimal places, so 1_000_000_000_000 is 1 HEI. The default is
+// deliberately tiny for the happy-path proof; funding an account you intend to
+// sign from needs far more, since one ML-DSA extrinsic costs about 0.01 HEI in
+// fees alone.
+const amount = BigInt(process.env.QUANTUS_AMOUNT || '1000000000'); // default 0.001
 const nonce = await nextNonce(chain, pair.address);
 const before = await freeBalance(chain, dest);