diff --git a/src/analytics/PosthogAnalytics.test.ts b/src/analytics/PosthogAnalytics.test.ts
index 7c1128ad4..ba51ba276 100644
--- a/src/analytics/PosthogAnalytics.test.ts
+++ b/src/analytics/PosthogAnalytics.test.ts
@@ -22,75 +22,121 @@ import {
   PosthogAnalytics,
 } from "./PosthogAnalytics";
 import { mockConfig } from "../utils/test";
+import { analyticsConfigFromEnvironment } from "../initializer";
 
 describe("PosthogAnalytics", () => {
-  describe("embedded package", () => {
-    beforeAll(() => {
-      vi.stubEnv("VITE_PACKAGE", "embedded");
-    });
-
+  describe("enablement", () => {
     beforeEach(() => {
-      mockConfig({});
-      window.location.hash = "#";
       PosthogAnalytics.resetInstance();
     });
 
-    afterAll(() => {
-      vi.unstubAllEnvs();
-    });
-
-    it("does not create instance without config value or URL params", () => {
+    it("stays off until it is configured", () => {
       expect(PosthogAnalytics.instance.isEnabled()).toBe(false);
     });
 
-    it("ignores config value and does not create instance", () => {
-      mockConfig({
-        posthog: {
-          api_host: "https://api.example.com.localhost",
-          api_key: "api_key",
-        },
+    it("stays off when configured without credentials", () => {
+      PosthogAnalytics.configure({ matrixBackend: "jssdk" });
+      expect(PosthogAnalytics.instance.isEnabled()).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it("stays off when given only a key", () => {
+      PosthogAnalytics.configure({
+        matrixBackend: "jssdk",
+        apiKey: "api_key",
       });
       expect(PosthogAnalytics.instance.isEnabled()).toBe(false);
     });
 
-    it("uses URL params if both set", () => {
-      window.location.hash = `#?posthogApiHost=${encodeURIComponent("https://url.example.com.localhost")}&posthogApiKey=api_key`;
+    it("turns on when given both a key and a host", () => {
+      PosthogAnalytics.configure({
+        matrixBackend: "jssdk",
+        apiKey: "api_key",
+        apiHost: "https://api.example.com.localhost",
+      });
       expect(PosthogAnalytics.instance.isEnabled()).toBe(true);
     });
   });
 
-  describe("full package", () => {
-    beforeAll(() => {
-      vi.stubEnv("VITE_PACKAGE", "full");
-    });
-
+  // Which of the URL and config.json the credentials come from is a deliberate
+  // policy: an embedder is responsible for its own users' telemetry, so it must
+  // not pick up the deployment's, and vice versa.
+  describe("analyticsConfigFromEnvironment", () => {
     beforeEach(() => {
       mockConfig({});
       window.location.hash = "#";
-      PosthogAnalytics.resetInstance();
     });
 
     afterAll(() => {
       vi.unstubAllEnvs();
     });
 
-    it("does not create instance without config value", () => {
-      expect(PosthogAnalytics.instance.isEnabled()).toBe(false);
-    });
+    const urlCredentials = `posthogApiHost=${encodeURIComponent("https://url.example.com.localhost")}&posthogApiKey=url_key`;
+    const configCredentials = {
+      posthog: {
+        api_host: "https://config.example.com.localhost",
+        api_key: "config_key",
+      },
+    };
 
-    it("ignores URL params and does not create instance", () => {
-      window.location.hash = `#?posthogApiHost=${encodeURIComponent("https://url.example.com.localhost")}&posthogApiKey=api_key`;
-      expect(PosthogAnalytics.instance.isEnabled()).toBe(false);
-    });
-
-    it("creates instance with config value", () => {
-      mockConfig({
-        posthog: {
-          api_host: "https://api.example.com.localhost",
-          api_key: "api_key",
-        },
+    describe("embedded package", () => {
+      beforeAll(() => {
+        vi.stubEnv("VITE_PACKAGE", "embedded");
       });
-      expect(PosthogAnalytics.instance.isEnabled()).toBe(true);
+
+      it("has no credentials without URL params", () => {
+        expect(analyticsConfigFromEnvironment().apiKey).toBeUndefined();
+      });
+
+      it("takes the credentials from the URL", () => {
+        window.location.hash = `#?${urlCredentials}`;
+        expect(analyticsConfigFromEnvironment()).toMatchObject({
+          apiKey: "url_key",
+          apiHost: "https://url.example.com.localhost",
+        });
+      });
+
+      it("ignores the deployment's config", () => {
+        mockConfig(configCredentials);
+        expect(analyticsConfigFromEnvironment().apiKey).toBeUndefined();
+      });
+    });
+
+    describe("full package", () => {
+      beforeAll(() => {
+        vi.stubEnv("VITE_PACKAGE", "full");
+      });
+
+      it("has no credentials without config", () => {
+        expect(analyticsConfigFromEnvironment().apiKey).toBeUndefined();
+      });
+
+      it("takes the credentials from the config", () => {
+        mockConfig(configCredentials);
+        expect(analyticsConfigFromEnvironment()).toMatchObject({
+          apiKey: "config_key",
+          apiHost: "https://config.example.com.localhost",
+        });
+      });
+
+      it("ignores the URL params", () => {
+        window.location.hash = `#?${urlCredentials}`;
+        expect(analyticsConfigFromEnvironment().apiKey).toBeUndefined();
+      });
+    });
+
+    // Who owns the user's analytics identity depends on how Element Call is
+    // running, not on which package it was built as.
+    it("reports the embedded backend when running as a widget", () => {
+      vi.stubEnv("VITE_PACKAGE", "full");
+      window.location.hash = `#?widgetId=id&parentUrl=${encodeURIComponent("https://host.example.com.localhost")}&posthogUserId=given_id`;
+      expect(analyticsConfigFromEnvironment()).toMatchObject({
+        matrixBackend: "embedded",
+        hostAnalyticsId: "given_id",
+      });
+    });
+
+    it("reports the jssdk backend when running standalone", () => {
+      expect(analyticsConfigFromEnvironment().matrixBackend).toBe("jssdk");
     });
   });
 
@@ -204,22 +250,13 @@ describe("PosthogAnalytics", () => {
   // posthog-js bumps renaming/removing the hook. The filter logic itself is
   // covered by the applyPrivacyFilters block above.
   describe("posthog.init wiring", () => {
-    beforeAll(() => {
-      vi.stubEnv("VITE_PACKAGE", "full");
-    });
-
     beforeEach(() => {
-      mockConfig({
-        posthog: {
-          api_host: "https://api.example.com.localhost",
-          api_key: "api_key",
-        },
-      });
       PosthogAnalytics.resetInstance();
-    });
-
-    afterAll(() => {
-      vi.unstubAllEnvs();
+      PosthogAnalytics.configure({
+        matrixBackend: "jssdk",
+        apiKey: "api_key",
+        apiHost: "https://api.example.com.localhost",
+      });
     });
 
     it("passes events through the privacy filter via before_send", () => {
diff --git a/src/analytics/PosthogAnalytics.ts b/src/analytics/PosthogAnalytics.ts
index 01a146e0d..01a05bfb9 100644
--- a/src/analytics/PosthogAnalytics.ts
+++ b/src/analytics/PosthogAnalytics.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ import { logger } from "matrix-js-sdk/lib/logger";
 import { type MatrixClient } from "matrix-js-sdk";
 import { type Subscription } from "rxjs";
 
-import { widget } from "../widget";
 import {
   CallEndedTracker,
   CallStartedTracker,
@@ -29,8 +28,6 @@ import {
   CallConnectDurationTracker,
   CallReconnectingTracker,
 } from "./PosthogEvents";
-import { Config } from "../config/Config";
-import { getUrlParams } from "../UrlParams";
 import { optInAnalytics } from "../settings/settings";
 
 /* Posthog analytics tracking.
@@ -140,6 +137,27 @@ interface PlatformProperties {
   cryptoVersion?: string;
 }
 
+/**
+ * How analytics reporting should be set up, supplied by whoever is starting
+ * Element Call rather than discovered from the page it happens to be on.
+ */
+export interface AnalyticsConfig {
+  /** The PostHog project key. Without one, analytics stay switched off. */
+  apiKey?: string;
+  apiHost?: string;
+  /**
+   * How Element Call reaches Matrix. When `embedded`, the host owns the user's
+   * identity: it supplies the analytics ID, and Element Call must not store one
+   * in the user's account data.
+   */
+  matrixBackend: "embedded" | "jssdk";
+  /** The analytics ID the host has assigned to this user, when embedded. */
+  hostAnalyticsId?: string | null;
+}
+
+/** Analytics are off until someone asks for them. */
+const analyticsDisabled: AnalyticsConfig = { matrixBackend: "jssdk" };
+
 export class PosthogAnalytics {
   /* Wrapper for Posthog analytics.
    * 3 modes of anonymity are supported, governed by this.anonymity
@@ -167,13 +185,32 @@ export class PosthogAnalytics {
   private registrationType: RegistrationType = RegistrationType.Guest;
   private optInListener: Subscription | null = null;
 
+  private static analyticsConfig: AnalyticsConfig = analyticsDisabled;
+
+  /**
+   * Sets up analytics reporting. Must be called before the instance is first
+   * used; without it, analytics stay switched off.
+   */
+  public static configure(config: AnalyticsConfig): void {
+    if (this.internalInstance)
+      // Configuration is read once, when the instance is built, so arriving
+      // late means analytics are already running unconfigured.
+      logger.warn(
+        "Analytics were configured after they had already been started; the new configuration will not take effect",
+      );
+    this.analyticsConfig = config;
+  }
+
   public static hasInstance(): boolean {
     return Boolean(this.internalInstance);
   }
 
   public static get instance(): PosthogAnalytics {
     if (!this.internalInstance) {
-      this.internalInstance = new PosthogAnalytics(posthog);
+      this.internalInstance = new PosthogAnalytics(
+        posthog,
+        PosthogAnalytics.analyticsConfig,
+      );
     }
     return this.internalInstance;
   }
@@ -181,20 +218,14 @@ export class PosthogAnalytics {
   public static resetInstance(): void {
     // Reset the singleton instance
     this.internalInstance = null;
+    this.analyticsConfig = analyticsDisabled;
   }
 
-  private constructor(private readonly posthog: PostHog) {
-    let apiKey: string | undefined;
-    let apiHost: string | undefined;
-    if (import.meta.env.VITE_PACKAGE === "embedded") {
-      // for the embedded package we always use the values from the URL as the widget host is responsible for analytics configuration
-      apiKey = getUrlParams().posthogApiKey ?? undefined;
-      apiHost = getUrlParams().posthogApiHost ?? undefined;
-    } else if (import.meta.env.VITE_PACKAGE === "full") {
-      // in full package it is the server responsible for the analytics
-      apiKey = Config.get().posthog?.api_key;
-      apiHost = Config.get().posthog?.api_host;
-    }
+  private constructor(
+    private readonly posthog: PostHog,
+    private readonly config: AnalyticsConfig,
+  ) {
+    const { apiKey, apiHost } = config;
 
     if (apiKey && apiHost) {
       const beforeSend = (event: CaptureResult | null): CaptureResult | null =>
@@ -225,15 +256,15 @@ export class PosthogAnalytics {
     }
   }
 
-  private static getPlatformProperties(): PlatformProperties {
+  private getPlatformProperties(): PlatformProperties {
     const appVersion = import.meta.env.VITE_APP_VERSION || "dev";
     return {
       appVersion,
-      matrixBackend: widget ? "embedded" : "jssdk",
+      matrixBackend: this.config.matrixBackend,
       callBackend: "livekit",
-      cryptoVersion: widget
-        ? undefined
-        : window.matrixclient?.getCrypto()?.getVersion(),
+      // Undefined when Element Call has no crypto of its own, which is the case
+      // whenever a host is doing the encrypting for it.
+      cryptoVersion: window.matrixclient?.getCrypto()?.getVersion(),
     };
   }
 
@@ -283,8 +314,8 @@ export class PosthogAnalytics {
       // different devices to send the same ID.
       let analyticsID = await this.getAnalyticsId();
       try {
-        if (!analyticsID && !widget) {
-          // only try setting up a new analytics ID in the standalone app.
+        if (!analyticsID && this.config.matrixBackend !== "embedded") {
+          // only mint an analytics ID when we are the ones storing it.
 
           // Couldn't retrieve an analytics ID from user settings, so create one and set it on the server.
           // Note there's a race condition here - if two devices do these steps at the same time, last write
@@ -313,8 +344,8 @@ export class PosthogAnalytics {
 
   private async getAnalyticsId(): Promise<string | null> {
     const client: MatrixClient = window.matrixclient;
-    if (widget) {
-      return getUrlParams().posthogUserId;
+    if (this.config.matrixBackend === "embedded") {
+      return this.config.hostAnalyticsId ?? null;
     } else {
       const accountData = await client.getAccountDataFromServer(
         PosthogAnalytics.ANALYTICS_EVENT_TYPE,
@@ -324,7 +355,7 @@ export class PosthogAnalytics {
   }
 
   private async setAccountAnalyticsId(analyticsID: string): Promise<void> {
-    if (!widget) {
+    if (this.config.matrixBackend !== "embedded") {
       const client = window.matrixclient;
 
       // the analytics ID only needs to be set in the standalone version.
@@ -362,7 +393,7 @@ export class PosthogAnalytics {
     // These properties will be subsequently passed in every event.
     //
     // This only needs to be done once per page lifetime. Note that getPlatformProperties
-    this.platformSuperProperties = PosthogAnalytics.getPlatformProperties();
+    this.platformSuperProperties = this.getPlatformProperties();
     this.registerSuperProperties({
       ...this.platformSuperProperties,
       registrationType:
diff --git a/src/initializer.tsx b/src/initializer.tsx
index c0e8407ec..0927d7aba 100644
--- a/src/initializer.tsx
+++ b/src/initializer.tsx
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ import { platform } from "./Platform";
 import { isFailure } from "./utils/fetch";
 import { initializeWidget } from "./widget";
 import { enableExtendedLivekitLogs } from "./settings/settings.ts";
+import {
+  type AnalyticsConfig,
+  PosthogAnalytics,
+} from "./analytics/PosthogAnalytics.ts";
 import { i18n } from "./utils/i18n.ts";
 
 // This generates a map of locale names to their URL (based on import.meta.url), which looks like this:
@@ -98,6 +102,36 @@ const Backend = {
   },
 } satisfies BackendModule;
 
+/**
+ * Where analytics reporting is configured from.
+ *
+ * Note the two halves are decided differently, and deliberately so. *Where the
+ * PostHog credentials come from* depends on the package: an embedder passes
+ * them in through the URL because it is responsible for its own users'
+ * telemetry, whereas a standalone deployment is configured by whoever operates
+ * it. *Who owns the user's analytics identity*, on the other hand, depends on
+ * how Element Call is actually running right now — the full package can be used
+ * as a widget too.
+ */
+// Exported for testing
+export function analyticsConfigFromEnvironment(): AnalyticsConfig {
+  const { posthogApiKey, posthogApiHost, posthogUserId, isWidget } =
+    getUrlParams();
+  return {
+    matrixBackend: isWidget ? "embedded" : "jssdk",
+    hostAnalyticsId: posthogUserId,
+    ...(import.meta.env.VITE_PACKAGE === "embedded"
+      ? {
+          apiKey: posthogApiKey ?? undefined,
+          apiHost: posthogApiHost ?? undefined,
+        }
+      : {
+          apiKey: Config.get().posthog?.api_key,
+          apiHost: Config.get().posthog?.api_host,
+        }),
+  };
+}
+
 enum LoadState {
   None,
   Loading,
@@ -241,6 +275,7 @@ export class Initializer {
       Config.init().then(
         () => {
           seedSettingsFromConfig(Config.get().media_quality);
+          PosthogAnalytics.configure(analyticsConfigFromEnvironment());
           this.loadStates.config = LoadState.Loaded;
           this.initStep(resolve);
         },