diff --git a/.github/workflows/lint.yml b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9f8d869
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+---
+name: Lint
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+
+# Read-only: this workflow only inspects code and reports status, so it works
+# from fork PRs (which receive a read-only token and no secrets).
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+concurrency:
+  group: lint-${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+jobs:
+  pre-commit:
+    name: pre-commit (changed files)
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+      - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: '3.x'
+      - name: Run pre-commit on changed files
+        # gitleaks is handled by the dedicated job below (it scans git history,
+        # not a file list), so skip it here to avoid a redundant no-op run.
+        env:
+          SKIP: gitleaks
+          BASE_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha }}
+          HEAD_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}
+        run: |
+          python -m pip install --upgrade pre-commit
+          pre-commit run \
+            --from-ref "$BASE_SHA" \
+            --to-ref "$HEAD_SHA" \
+            --show-diff-on-failure
+
+  gitleaks:
+    name: gitleaks (secret scan)
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+      - name: Scan PR commits for secrets
+        env:
+          GITLEAKS_VERSION: 8.30.1
+          BASE_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha }}
+          HEAD_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}
+        run: |
+          curl -sSfL "https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks/releases/download/v${GITLEAKS_VERSION}/gitleaks_${GITLEAKS_VERSION}_linux_x64.tar.gz" \
+            | tar -xz gitleaks
+          ./gitleaks git . --redact --no-banner --log-opts="${BASE_SHA}..${HEAD_SHA}"
diff --git a/.gitleaks.toml b/.gitleaks.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2d4c385
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitleaks.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+# Gitleaks configuration for JimsGarage.
+#
+# These are homelab tutorial configs: many directories intentionally ship
+# throwaway/dummy credentials so viewers can copy a working example (see
+# issue #127). This config keeps the full default secret-detection ruleset
+# but allowlists the paths and placeholder values that are dummy *by
+# convention*, so the scanner only fires on something that looks like a
+# genuine accidental leak.
+#
+# Tradeoff worth knowing: because `.env` files here are demo placeholders by
+# design, they are allowlisted wholesale — gitleaks will NOT catch a real
+# secret accidentally dropped into a `.env`. The scanner's value in this repo
+# is catching real secrets pasted into scripts, compose files, and manifests.
+
+title = "JimsGarage gitleaks config"
+
+[extend]
+# Inherit all of gitleaks' built-in rules (AWS keys, JWTs, private keys,
+# provider tokens, high-entropy strings, etc.).
+useDefault = true
+
+[[allowlists]]
+description = "Intentional throwaway credentials in example/placeholder files"
+# `paths` is matched against the file path of the candidate finding.
+paths = [
+  # Tracked .env files are demo placeholders by convention in this repo.
+  '''(^|/)\.env$''',
+  '''\.env$''',
+  # Files that are explicitly named as examples/samples/templates.
+  '''(^|/)[^/]*example[^/]*''',
+  '''(^|/)[^/]*sample[^/]*''',
+  '''\.(example|sample|dist|template|tmpl)$''',
+]
+
+[[allowlists]]
+description = "Common placeholder secret values"
+# `regexes` is matched against the detected secret value itself, so a
+# realistic-looking value anywhere still gets flagged — only obvious
+# placeholders are exempted.
+regexTarget = "match"
+regexes = [
+  '''(?i)changeme''',
+  '''(?i)your[-_].*(key|token|secret|password)''',
+  '''(?i)example[-_.]?(key|token|secret|password|value)?''',
+  '''(?i)supersecret''',
+  '''(?i)redacted''',
+  '''(?i)<[^>]+>''',          # angle-bracket placeholders like <your-token>
+  '''(?i)^(test|dummy|placeholder|password|secret)$''',
+]
diff --git a/.gitleaksignore b/.gitleaksignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bd198ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitleaksignore
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+# gitleaks baseline — pre-existing intentional dummy credentials kept here
+# instead of an inline `# gitleaks:allow` annotation. A finding is baselined
+# (rather than annotated inline) when its file cannot or should not be edited:
+#   - JSON files have no comment syntax            (e.g. Netbird/management.json)
+#   - multi-line PEM private-key blocks can't carry a reliable inline marker
+#                                                  (Authelia/Authelia/configuration.yml)
+#   - files with pre-existing lint debt: editing them would pull that file into
+#     the changed-files lint scope and fail unrelated yamllint/hygiene checks.
+#
+# New intentional dummies in clean, comment-capable files should use an inline
+# `# gitleaks:allow` instead of being added here. See CONTRIBUTING.md.
+
+Authelia/Authelia/configuration.yml:generic-api-key:19
+Authelia/Authelia/configuration.yml:generic-api-key:226
+Authelia/Authelia/configuration.yml:private-key:369
+Authelia/Authelia/configuration.yml:generic-api-key:681
+Authelia/Authelia/configuration.yml:private-key:790
+Authelia/Authelia/configuration.yml:generic-api-key:872
+Authelia/Authelia/configuration.yml:private-key:962
+Authelia/Authelia/configuration.yml:private-key:1068
+Authelia/Authelia/configuration.yml:private-key:1225
+Authelia/Authelia/configuration.yml:generic-api-key:1267
+Authelia/Authelia/configuration.yml:private-key:1314
+Grafana-Monitoring/Part-2/telegraf.conf:generic-api-key:398
+Home-Assistant/docker-compose.yaml:generic-api-key:43
+Netbird/docker-compose.yml:generic-api-key:15
+Netbird/docker-compose.yml:generic-api-key:16
+Netbird/management.json:generic-api-key:19
+Netbird/management.json:generic-api-key:30
+Netbird/management.json:generic-api-key:35
+Netbird/management.json:generic-api-key:52
+Paperless-ngx/docker-compose.yaml:generic-api-key:83
+Popup-Homelab/docker-compose.yaml:generic-api-key:87
+Pterodactyl/config.yml:generic-api-key:3
+Pterodactyl/config.yml:generic-api-key:4
+Synapse/docker-compose.yaml:generic-api-key:57
+Synapse/homeserver.yaml:generic-api-key:29
+Synapse/mautrix-discord-bridge/docker-compose.yaml:generic-api-key:36
+Terraform/providers.tf:generic-api-key:14
+Vikunja/docker-compose.yaml:generic-api-key:13
+Zitadel/docker-compose.yaml:generic-api-key:10
diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index 615bc75..4a1000e 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -1,13 +1,40 @@
 ---
 repos:
   - repo: https://github.com/pre-commit/pre-commit-hooks
-    rev: v4.5.0
+    rev: v5.0.0
     hooks:
+      # Pre-existing checks
       - id: check-symlinks
       - id: destroyed-symlinks
       - id: detect-aws-credentials
         args: [--allow-missing-credentials]
+      # General hygiene
+      - id: trailing-whitespace
+      - id: end-of-file-fixer
+      - id: check-merge-conflict
+      - id: check-added-large-files
+      - id: mixed-line-ending
+      - id: check-yaml
+        args: [--allow-multiple-documents]
   - repo: https://github.com/IamTheFij/docker-pre-commit
     rev: v3.0.1
     hooks:
       - id: docker-compose-check
+  - repo: https://github.com/koalaman/shellcheck-precommit
+    rev: v0.10.0
+    hooks:
+      - id: shellcheck
+        # Block on real warnings/errors; skip style/info noise on legacy scripts.
+        args: [--severity=warning]
+  - repo: https://github.com/adrienverge/yamllint
+    rev: v1.35.1
+    hooks:
+      - id: yamllint
+  - repo: https://github.com/rhysd/actionlint
+    rev: v1.7.7
+    hooks:
+      - id: actionlint
+  - repo: https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks
+    rev: v8.30.1
+    hooks:
+      - id: gitleaks
diff --git a/.yamllint.yaml b/.yamllint.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5fe29e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.yamllint.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+---
+# Lenient ruleset: this repo has a large body of pre-existing YAML (compose
+# stacks, k8s manifests, Ansible). The goal is to catch real problems on
+# changed files without drowning contributors in stylistic noise.
+extends: default
+
+rules:
+  # Long lines are common and harmless in compose/k8s/Ansible YAML.
+  line-length: disable
+  # Many files intentionally omit the leading '---'.
+  document-start: disable
+  # compose/Ansible use yes/no/on/off as values, not just true/false.
+  truthy:
+    check-keys: false
+  # Indentation styles vary across the repo; only require internal consistency.
+  indentation:
+    spaces: consistent
+    indent-sequences: whatever
+  comments:
+    min-spaces-from-content: 1
+  comments-indentation: disable