diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b48e74b0e..f7a357588 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -13,8 +13,6 @@ MAKEFLAGS += --warn-undefined-variables
 MAKEFLAGS += --no-builtin-rules
 
 # Local target variables
-VCS_HOOK_SAMPLES=$(wildcard .git/hooks/*.sample)
-VCS_HOOKS=$(VCS_HOOK_SAMPLES:%.sample=%)
 PYTHON=python
 export PYTHON
 PYFLAKES=flake8
@@ -31,15 +29,6 @@ TEST_SUITE=allmydata
 default:
 	@echo "no default target"
 
-.PHONY: install-vcs-hooks
-## Install the VCS hooks to run linters on commit and all tests on push
-install-vcs-hooks: .git/hooks/pre-commit .git/hooks/pre-push
-.PHONY: uninstall-vcs-hooks
-## Remove the VCS hooks
-uninstall-vcs-hooks: .tox/create-venvs.log
-	"./$(dir $(<))py36/bin/pre-commit" uninstall || true
-	"./$(dir $(<))py36/bin/pre-commit" uninstall -t pre-push || true
-
 .PHONY: test
 ## Run all tests and code reports
 test: .tox/create-venvs.log
@@ -215,7 +204,7 @@ clean:
 	rm -f *.pkg
 
 .PHONY: distclean
-distclean: clean uninstall-vcs-hooks
+distclean: clean
 	rm -rf src/*.egg-info
 	rm -f src/allmydata/_version.py
 	rm -f src/allmydata/_appname.py
@@ -261,6 +250,3 @@ src/allmydata/_version.py:
 
 .tox/create-venvs.log: tox.ini setup.py
 	tox --notest -p all | tee -a "$(@)"
-
-$(VCS_HOOKS): .tox/create-venvs.log .pre-commit-config.yaml
-	"./$(dir $(<))py36/bin/pre-commit" install --hook-type $(@:.git/hooks/%=%)
diff --git a/docs/developer-guide.rst b/docs/developer-guide.rst
index 2d26e68a4..a44414f8f 100644
--- a/docs/developer-guide.rst
+++ b/docs/developer-guide.rst
@@ -5,23 +5,17 @@ Developer Guide
 Pre-commit Checks
 -----------------
 
-This project is configured for use with `pre-commit`_ to install `VCS/git hooks`_ which
-perform some static code analysis checks and other code checks to catch common errors
-before each commit and to run the full self-test suite to find less obvious regressions
-before each push to a remote.
+This project is configured for use with `pre-commit`_ to install `VCS/git hooks`_ which perform some static code analysis checks and other code checks to catch common errors.
+These hooks can be configured to run before commits or pushes
 
 For example::
 
-  tahoe-lafs $ make install-vcs-hooks
-  ...
-  + ./.tox//py36/bin/pre-commit install --hook-type pre-commit
-  pre-commit installed at .git/hooks/pre-commit
-  + ./.tox//py36/bin/pre-commit install --hook-type pre-push
+  tahoe-lafs $ pre-commit install --hook-type pre-push
   pre-commit installed at .git/hooks/pre-push
-  tahoe-lafs $ python -c "import pathlib; pathlib.Path('src/allmydata/tabbed.py').write_text('def foo():\\n\\tpass\\n')"
-  tahoe-lafs $ git add src/allmydata/tabbed.py
+  tahoe-lafs $ echo "undefined" > src/allmydata/undefined_name.py
+  tahoe-lafs $ git add src/allmydata/undefined_name.py
   tahoe-lafs $ git commit -a -m "Add a file that violates flake8"
-  ...
+  tahoe-lafs $ git push
   codechecks...............................................................Failed
   - hook id: codechecks
   - exit code: 1
@@ -30,58 +24,17 @@ For example::
   codechecks inst-nodeps: ...
   codechecks installed: ...
   codechecks run-test-pre: PYTHONHASHSEED='...'
-  codechecks run-test: commands[0] | flake8 src static misc setup.py
-  src/allmydata/tabbed.py:2:1: W191 indentation contains tabs
-  ERROR: InvocationError for command ./tahoe-lafs/.tox/codechecks/bin/flake8 src static misc setup.py (exited with code 1)
+  codechecks run-test: commands[0] | flake8 src/allmydata/undefined_name.py
+  src/allmydata/undefined_name.py:1:1: F821 undefined name 'undefined'
+  ERROR: InvocationError for command ./tahoe-lafs/.tox/codechecks/bin/flake8 src/allmydata/undefined_name.py (exited with code 1)
   ___________________________________ summary ____________________________________
   ERROR:   codechecks: commands failed
-  ...
 
 To uninstall::
 
-  tahoe-lafs $ make uninstall-vcs-hooks
-  ...
-  + ./.tox/py36/bin/pre-commit uninstall
-  pre-commit uninstalled
-  + ./.tox/py36/bin/pre-commit uninstall -t pre-push
+  tahoe-lafs $ pre-commit uninstall --hook-type pre-push
   pre-push uninstalled
 
-Note that running the full self-test suite takes several minutes so expect pushing to
-take some time.  If you can't or don't want to wait for the hooks in some cases, use the
-``--no-verify`` option to ``$ git commit ...`` or ``$ git push ...``.  Alternatively,
-see the `pre-commit`_ documentation and CLI help output and use the committed
-`pre-commit configuration`_ as a starting point to write a local, uncommitted
-``../.pre-commit-config.local.yaml`` configuration to use instead.  For example::
-
-  tahoe-lafs $ ./.tox/py36/bin/pre-commit --help
-  tahoe-lafs $ ./.tox/py36/bin/pre-commit instll --help
-  tahoe-lafs $ cp  "./.pre-commit-config.yaml" "./.pre-commit-config.local.yaml"
-  tahoe-lafs $ editor "./.pre-commit-config.local.yaml"
-  ...
-  tahoe-lafs $ ./.tox/py36/bin/pre-commit install -c "./.pre-commit-config.local.yaml" -t pre-push
-  pre-commit installed at .git/hooks/pre-push
-  tahoe-lafs $ git commit -a -m "Add a file that violates flake8"
-  [3398.pre-commit 29f8f43d2] Add a file that violates flake8
-   1 file changed, 2 insertions(+)
-   create mode 100644 src/allmydata/tabbed.py
-  tahoe-lafs $ git push
-  ...
-  codechecks...............................................................Failed
-  - hook id: codechecks
-  - exit code: 1
-
-  GLOB sdist-make: ./tahoe-lafs/setup.py
-  codechecks inst-nodeps: ...
-  codechecks installed: ...
-  codechecks run-test-pre: PYTHONHASHSEED='...'
-  codechecks run-test: commands[0] | flake8 src static misc setup.py
-  src/allmydata/tabbed.py:2:1: W191 indentation contains tabs
-  ERROR: InvocationError for command ./tahoe-lafs/.tox/codechecks/bin/flake8 src static misc setup.py (exited with code 1)
-  ___________________________________ summary ____________________________________
-  ERROR:   codechecks: commands failed
-  ...
-
-  error: failed to push some refs to 'github.com:jaraco/tahoe-lafs.git'
 
 
 .. _`pre-commit`: https://pre-commit.com