diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 256de8b5..52388751 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -9,11 +9,13 @@ gstack skills are Markdown files that Claude Code discovers from a `skills/` dir
 That's what dev mode does. It symlinks your repo into the local `.claude/skills/` directory so Claude Code reads skills straight from your checkout.
 
 ```bash
-git clone <repo> && cd gstack
+git clone https://github.com/garrytan/gstack.git && cd gstack
 bun install                    # install dependencies
 bin/dev-setup                  # activate dev mode
 ```
 
+> **Full clone vs shallow.** The README's user-facing install uses `--depth 1` for speed. As a contributor, use a full clone (no `--depth` flag) — you'll need history for `git log`, `git blame`, `git bisect`, and reviewing PRs against earlier versions. If you already have a `--depth 1` clone from following the README, promote it to a full clone with `git fetch --unshallow`.
+
 Now edit any `SKILL.md`, invoke it in Claude Code (e.g. `/review`), and see your changes live. When you're done developing:
 
 ```bash
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1a98787b..7ef8dcbe 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -62,11 +62,6 @@ No vendored files in your repo, no version drift, no manual upgrades. Every Clau
 
 Swap `required` for `optional` if you'd rather nudge teammates than block them.
 
-> **Contributing or need full history?** The commands above use `--depth 1` for a fast install. If you plan to contribute or need full git history, do a full clone instead:
-> ```bash
-> git clone https://github.com/garrytan/gstack.git ~/.claude/skills/gstack
-> ```
-
 ### OpenClaw
 
 OpenClaw spawns Claude Code sessions via ACP, so every gstack skill just works