diff --git a/.changeset/tasty-numbers-destroy.md b/.changeset/tasty-numbers-destroy.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..3c07ed14f98a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/tasty-numbers-destroy.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@astrojs/rss': minor
+---
+
+Change the optional "canonicalUrl" argument to a required "site" argument. This fixes problems with import.meta.env.SITE. If you want to use your project's "site" field for your RSS feeds, set site: import.meta.env.SITE in the rss function options
diff --git a/packages/astro-rss/README.md b/packages/astro-rss/README.md
index 4e1edd42c435..931e9200b718 100644
--- a/packages/astro-rss/README.md
+++ b/packages/astro-rss/README.md
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ import rss from '@astrojs/rss';
 export const get = () => rss({
     title: 'Buzz’s Blog',
     description: 'A humble Astronaut’s guide to the stars',
+    // pull in the "site" from your project's astro.config
+    site: import.meta.env.SITE,
     items: import.meta.glob('./blog/**/*.md'),
   });
 ```
@@ -44,6 +46,8 @@ rss({
   title: 'Buzz’s Blog',
   // `<description>` field in output xml
   description: 'A humble Astronaut’s guide to the stars',
+  // provide a base URL for RSS <item> links
+  site: import.meta.env.SITE,
   // list of `<item>`s in output xml
   items: import.meta.glob('./**/*.md'),
   // (optional) absolute path to XSL stylesheet in your project
@@ -52,9 +56,6 @@ rss({
   customData: '<language>en-us</language>',
   // (optional) add arbitrary metadata to opening <rss> tag
   xmlns: { h: 'http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/' },
-  // (optional) provide a canonical URL
-  // defaults to the "site" configured in your project's astro.config
-  canonicalUrl: 'https://stargazers.club',
 });
 ```
 
@@ -70,6 +71,12 @@ Type: `string (required)`
 
 The `<description>` attribute of your RSS feed's output xml.
 
+### site
+
+Type: `string (required)`
+
+The base URL to use when generating RSS item links. We recommend using `import.meta.env.SITE` to pull in the "site" from your project's astro.config. Still, feel free to use a custom base URL if necessary.
+
 ### items
 
 Type: `RSSFeedItem[] | GlobResult (required)`
@@ -135,11 +142,7 @@ Will inject the following XML:
 <rss xmlns:h="http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/"...
 ```
 
-### canonicalUrl
-
-Type: `string (optional)`
-
-The base URL to use when generating RSS item links. This defaults to the [`site` configured in your project's `astro.config`](https://docs.astro.build/en/reference/configuration-reference/#site). We recommend using `site` instead of `canonicalUrl`, though we provide this option if an override is necessary.
+---
 
 For more on building with Astro, [visit the Astro docs][astro-rss].
 
diff --git a/packages/astro-rss/src/index.ts b/packages/astro-rss/src/index.ts
index c9e53f8ce55d..5f7e63b892a6 100644
--- a/packages/astro-rss/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/astro-rss/src/index.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,12 @@ type RSSOptions = {
 	title: string;
 	/** (required) Description of the RSS Feed */
 	description: string;
+	/**
+	 * Specify the base URL to use for RSS feed links.
+	 * We recommend "import.meta.env.SITE" to pull in the "site"
+	 * from your project's astro.config.
+	 */
+	site: string;
 	/**
 	 * List of RSS feed items to render. Accepts either:
 	 * a) list of RSSFeedItems
@@ -22,11 +28,6 @@ type RSSOptions = {
 	stylesheet?: string | boolean;
 	/** Specify custom data in opening of file */
 	customData?: string;
-	/**
-	 * Specify the base URL to use for RSS feed links.
-	 * Defaults to "site" in your project's astro.config
-	 */
-	canonicalUrl?: string;
 };
 
 type RSSFeedItem = {
@@ -43,7 +44,6 @@ type RSSFeedItem = {
 };
 
 type GenerateRSSArgs = {
-	site: string;
 	rssOptions: RSSOptions;
 	items: RSSFeedItem[];
 };
@@ -76,19 +76,12 @@ function mapGlobResult(items: GlobResult): Promise<RSSFeedItem[]> {
 }
 
 export default async function getRSS(rssOptions: RSSOptions) {
-	const site = rssOptions.canonicalUrl ?? (import.meta as any).env.SITE;
-	if (!site) {
-		throw new Error(
-			`RSS requires a canonical URL. Either add a "site" to your project's astro.config, or supply the canonicalUrl argument.`
-		);
-	}
 	let { items } = rssOptions;
 	if (isGlobResult(items)) {
 		items = await mapGlobResult(items);
 	}
 	return {
 		body: await generateRSS({
-			site,
 			rssOptions,
 			items,
 		}),
@@ -96,7 +89,8 @@ export default async function getRSS(rssOptions: RSSOptions) {
 }
 
 /** Generate RSS 2.0 feed */
-export async function generateRSS({ site, rssOptions, items }: GenerateRSSArgs): Promise<string> {
+export async function generateRSS({ rssOptions, items }: GenerateRSSArgs): Promise<string> {
+	const { site } = rssOptions;
 	let xml = `<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>`;
 	if (typeof rssOptions.stylesheet === 'string') {
 		xml += `<?xml-stylesheet href="${rssOptions.stylesheet}" type="text/xsl"?>`;
diff --git a/packages/astro-rss/test/rss.test.js b/packages/astro-rss/test/rss.test.js
index 2943709e30fd..9962e83f94fe 100644
--- a/packages/astro-rss/test/rss.test.js
+++ b/packages/astro-rss/test/rss.test.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ chai.use(chaiPromises);
 
 const title = 'My RSS feed';
 const description = 'This sure is a nice RSS feed';
-const canonicalUrl = 'https://example.com';
+const site = 'https://example.com';
 
 const phpFeedItem = {
 	link: '/php',
@@ -29,22 +29,12 @@ const web1FeedItem = {
 const validXmlResult = `<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[My RSS feed]]></title><description><![CDATA[This sure is a nice RSS feed]]></description><link>https://example.com/</link><item><title><![CDATA[Remember PHP?]]></title><link>https://example.com/php/</link><guid>https://example.com/php/</guid><description><![CDATA[PHP is a general-purpose scripting language geared toward web development. It was originally created by Danish-Canadian programmer Rasmus Lerdorf in 1994.]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 03 May 1994 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Web 1.0]]></title><link>https://example.com/web1/</link><guid>https://example.com/web1/</guid><description><![CDATA[Web 1.0 is the term used for the earliest version of the Internet as it emerged from its origins with Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and became, for the first time, a global network representing the future of digital communications.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 03 May 1997 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item></channel></rss>`;
 
 describe('rss', () => {
-	it('should fail on missing "site" and/or "canonicalUrl"', () => {
-		return chai.expect(
-			rss({
-				title,
-				description,
-				items: [],
-			})
-		).to.be.rejected;
-	});
-
 	it('should generate on valid RSSFeedItem array', async () => {
 		const { body } = await rss({
 			title,
 			description,
 			items: [phpFeedItem, web1FeedItem],
-			canonicalUrl,
+			site,
 		});
 
 		chai.expect(body).to.equal(validXmlResult);
@@ -81,7 +71,7 @@ describe('rss', () => {
 				title,
 				description,
 				items: globResult,
-				canonicalUrl,
+				site,
 			});
 
 			chai.expect(body).to.equal(validXmlResult);
@@ -105,7 +95,7 @@ describe('rss', () => {
 					title,
 					description,
 					items: globResult,
-					canonicalUrl,
+					site,
 				})
 			).to.be.rejected;
 		});
@@ -128,7 +118,7 @@ describe('rss', () => {
 					title,
 					description,
 					items: globResult,
-					canonicalUrl,
+					site,
 				})
 			).to.be.rejected;
 		});