diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
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+# Contributing to Pinchflat
+
+## Background
+
+Pinchflat was created by [@kieraneglin](https://github.com/kieraneglin) and grew a dedicated community of self-hosters. When the original project became unmaintained, a fork has been created to keep it alive — applying backlogged PRs, fixing bugs, and perhaps continuing development.
+
+This repo is community-run. There is no single owner; contributions from anyone are welcome.
+
+## How to contribute
+
+### Reporting bugs and requesting features
+
+Open an issue. Check for duplicates first. For bugs, include your Docker version, logs, and steps to reproduce.
+
+### Submitting code
+
+1. Fork the repo and create a branch from `master`.
+2. Make your changes. If you're adding a feature, consider opening an issue first to discuss it.
+3. Commit using [Conventional Commits](https://www.conventionalcommits.org/) — this drives automatic versioning:
+   - `fix: ...` → patch release
+   - `feat: ...` → minor release
+   - `chore: ...` / `docs: ...` → no release bump
+4. Open a PR against `master`. CI will run tests and build a Docker image tagged `pr-<number>-<sha>` for testing.
+5. A maintainer will review and merge.
+
+### Development setup
+
+See the [Development and Contributing wiki page](https://github.com/CommunityMaintained/pinchflat/wiki/Development-and-Contributing) for local setup instructions.
+
+## Release process
+
+Releases are managed automatically by [release-please](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please). When PRs are merged to `master`, release-please maintains a running Release PR that tracks the next version. Merging that PR cuts a release, publishes a GitHub Release, and pushes versioned Docker images to GHCR and Docker Hub.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
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-> [!NOTE]
-> This is a community-maintained fork of [kieraneglin/pinchflat](https://github.com/kieraneglin/pinchflat). The original project is no longer actively maintained; this fork exists to continue development and apply community contributions. Docker images are published to `ghcr.io/communitymaintained/pinchflat`.
+> [!WARNING]
+> This is a community-maintained fork of [kieraneglin/pinchflat](https://github.com/kieraneglin/pinchflat). The original project is no longer actively maintained; this fork exists to continue development and apply community contributions. Docker images are published to `ghcr.io/communitymaintained/pinchflat`. PR welcome - see [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md).
 
 > [!IMPORTANT]  
 > (2025-02-14) [zakkarry](https://github.com/sponsors/zakkarry), who is a collaborator on [cross-seed](https://github.com/cross-seed/cross-seed) and an extremely helpful community member in general, is facing hard times due to medical debt and family illness. If you're able, please consider [sponsoring him on GitHub](https://github.com/sponsors/zakkarry) or donating via [buymeacoffee](https://tip.ary.dev). Tell him I sent you!