diff --git a/bin/penchant b/bin/penchant
index 96c2135..e9ae180 100755
--- a/bin/penchant
+++ b/bin/penchant
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ class PenchantCLI < Thor
   method_options :switch_back => false
   desc "gemfile ENV", "Switch the gemfile environment, or rebuild the current environment if not given"
   def gemfile(env = get_current_env)
+    check_git_hooks!
+
     if env
       if options[:switch_back]
         puts "[penchant] Switching back, fallback: #{env}..."
@@ -93,9 +95,17 @@ class PenchantCLI < Thor
       out << "deployment" if gemfile.deployment?
       out.join(' ')
     end
+
+    def check_git_hooks!
+      if !Penchant::Hooks.installed?
+        puts "[penchant] git hooks not installed. Run script/install-git-hooks."
+        puts
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   default_task :gemfile
 end
 
 PenchantCLI.start
+
diff --git a/features/cli.feature b/features/cli.feature
index 2204dc2..3ece4c7 100644
--- a/features/cli.feature
+++ b/features/cli.feature
@@ -27,4 +27,30 @@ Feature: CLI
       source :rubygems
       """
       And the output should include "No git"
-    
+
+  @wip
+  Scenario: Run in a project where the git hooks are not set up
+    Given I have the file "tmp/Gemfile.penchant" with the content:
+      """
+      gem 'rake'
+      """
+    Given I have the file "tmp/script/hooks/pre-commit" with the content:
+      """
+      a penchant hook
+      """
+    When I run "bin/penchant gemfile remote" in the "tmp" directory
+    Then the output should include "git hooks not installed"
+
+  @wip
+  Scenario: Run in a project where git hooks are set up
+    Given I have the file "tmp/Gemfile.penchant" with the content:
+      """
+      gem 'rake'
+      """
+    Given I have the file "tmp/script/hooks/pre-commit" with the content:
+      """
+      a penchant hook
+      """
+    Given I have the symlink "tmp/.git/hooks/pre-commit" which points to "tmp/script/hooks/pre-commit"
+    When I run "bin/penchant gemfile remote" in the "tmp" directory
+    Then the output should not include "git hooks not installed"
diff --git a/features/step_definitions/given/i_have_the_symlink_git_hooks_pre_commit_which_points_to_script_hooks_pre_commit.rb b/features/step_definitions/given/i_have_the_symlink_git_hooks_pre_commit_which_points_to_script_hooks_pre_commit.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ce6daf7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/features/step_definitions/given/i_have_the_symlink_git_hooks_pre_commit_which_points_to_script_hooks_pre_commit.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+Given /^I have the symlink "(.*?)" which points to "(.*?)"$/ do |source, target|
+  FileUtils.mkdir_p(File.dirname(source))
+  File.symlink(target, source)
+end
diff --git a/features/step_definitions/then/the_output_should_not_include_git_hooks_not_installed.rb b/features/step_definitions/then/the_output_should_not_include_git_hooks_not_installed.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a08bfa7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/features/step_definitions/then/the_output_should_not_include_git_hooks_not_installed.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Then /^the output should not include "(.*?)"$/ do |text|
+  @output.should_not include(text)
+end
diff --git a/lib/penchant.rb b/lib/penchant.rb
index 54f57e9..89c71c4 100644
--- a/lib/penchant.rb
+++ b/lib/penchant.rb
@@ -2,4 +2,5 @@ module Penchant
   autoload :Gemfile, 'penchant/gemfile'
   autoload :Repo, 'penchant/repo'
   autoload :DotPenchant, 'penchant/dot_penchant'
+  autoload :Hooks, 'penchant/hooks'
 end
diff --git a/lib/penchant/hooks.rb b/lib/penchant/hooks.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f6a2607
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/penchant/hooks.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+require 'pathname'
+
+module Penchant
+  class Hooks
+    HOOKS_DIR = 'script/hooks'
+    GIT_HOOKS_DIR = '.git/hooks'
+
+    def self.installed?
+      if File.directory?(HOOKS_DIR)
+        Dir[File.join(HOOKS_DIR, '*')].each do |file|
+          target = File.join(GIT_HOOKS_DIR, File.basename(file))
+          return false if !File.symlink?(target)
+          return false if !File.expand_path(File.readlink(target)) == File.expand_path(file)
+        end
+
+        true
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
+
diff --git a/script/hooks/commit-msg b/script/hooks/commit-msg
index 1b1c32a..538118e 100755
--- a/script/hooks/commit-msg
+++ b/script/hooks/commit-msg
@@ -2,14 +2,13 @@
 
 msg=$(cat $1)
 
-OLD_GIT_DIR=$GIT_DIR
+# wtf mac os x lion
+if [ ! -z "$MY_RUBY_HOME" ]; then
+  PATH="$MY_RUBY_HOME/bin:$PATH"
+fi
 
 if [[ "${msg}" != *"[ci skip]"* ]]; then
-  if [ "$(penchant gemfile-env)" != "remote" ]; then
-    penchant gemfile remote
-  fi
-
-  bundle exec rake
+  bundle exec rake --trace
   R=$?
   if [ $R -ne 0 ]; then exit $R; fi
 fi
diff --git a/script/hooks/post-commit b/script/hooks/post-commit
index 490f85d..05a7907 100755
--- a/script/hooks/post-commit
+++ b/script/hooks/post-commit
@@ -1,4 +1,2 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-penchant gemfile remote --switch-back
-
diff --git a/script/hooks/pre-commit b/script/hooks/pre-commit
index 8cfef3d..05a7907 100755
--- a/script/hooks/pre-commit
+++ b/script/hooks/pre-commit
@@ -1,4 +1,2 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-# this has been moved to commit-msg
-