diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 8c3acbd..d2a14cb 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ CI and review will bounce these even though `npm run check` and the linters don'
 
 ## Commit messages
 
-Gitmoji subject, imperative mood, 50/72 wrapping. The template is `commit-message-template`; `npm run use:git-commit-message` installs it into `.git/COMMIT_EDITMSG`.
+Gitmoji subject, imperative mood, 50/72 wrapping. The template is `commit-message-template`; run `npm run use:git-commit-message` once after cloning to register it as git's `commit.template`.
 
 Examples from history: `:sparkles: Add watch tier with watch:test child`, `:recycle: Move type-aware config to .oxlintrc.json; use source-level disable directives`, `:memo: Restore unique maintainer content as CONTRIBUTING.md`. The body explains _what and why_, not _how_; link issues with `Resolves #...`.
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index f789c66..89502ca 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
         "watch:test": "node --test --watch --strip-types \"src/**/*.test.ts\"",
         "publish:attw": "attw . --pack --profile esm-only",
         "publish:publint": "publint",
-        "use:git-commit-message": "cp commit-message-template .git/COMMIT_EDITMSG || true"
+        "use:git-commit-message": "git config commit.template commit-message-template"
     },
     "devDependencies": {
         "@arethetypeswrong/cli": "^0.18.5",