diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c136a70..1e313dd 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -92,6 +92,12 @@ It then runs `bundle install`.
 You can also run `penchant gemfile ENV`. Just straight `penchant gemfile` will rebuild the `Gemfile` from
 `Gemfile.penchant` for whatever environment the `Gemfile` is currently using.
 
+If you have an existing project, `penchant convert` will convert the `Gemfile` into a `Gemfile.penchant`
+and add some bonuses, like defining that anything in `env :local` blocks automatically reference `..`,
+ensuring that hooks are always installed when `penchant gemfile` is executed, and adding the `:github` gem property
+that lets you pass in the username of the repo to reference that repo:
+`gem 'penchant', :github => 'johnbintz'`.
+
 ### Deployment mode
 
 Use `no_deployment` blocks to indicate gems that shouldn't even appear in `Gemfiles` destined for
diff --git a/bin/penchant b/bin/penchant
index 9269fe7..21b06e5 100755
--- a/bin/penchant
+++ b/bin/penchant
@@ -36,6 +36,17 @@ class PenchantCLI < Thor
   def convert
     install
     FileUtils.mv 'Gemfile', 'Gemfile.penchant'
+    prepend_to_file 'Gemfile.penchant', <<-RB
+# ensure git hooks are always installed
+ensure_git_hooks!
+
+# everything in the :local env is assumed to be a sibling directory of this one
+defaults_for env(:local), :path => '../%s'
+
+# reference a github repository with gem 'my-gem', :github => 'username'
+property :github, :git => 'git://github.com/$1/%s.git'
+
+    RB
     gemfile(:remote)
   end
 
diff --git a/features/cli.feature b/features/cli.feature
index d781555..9f3604d 100644
--- a/features/cli.feature
+++ b/features/cli.feature
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ Feature: CLI
       source :rubygems
       """
     When I run "bin/penchant convert" in the "tmp" directory
-    Then the file "tmp/Gemfile.penchant" should have the following content:
+    Then the file "tmp/Gemfile.penchant" should include the following content:
       """
       source :rubygems
       """
diff --git a/features/step_definitions/then/the_file_tmp_gemfile_penchant_should_include_the_following_content.rb b/features/step_definitions/then/the_file_tmp_gemfile_penchant_should_include_the_following_content.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fea4a11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/features/step_definitions/then/the_file_tmp_gemfile_penchant_should_include_the_following_content.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Then /^the file "(.*?)" should include the following content:$/ do |file, string|
+  File.read(file).should include(string)
+end
diff --git a/lib/penchant/hooks.rb b/lib/penchant/hooks.rb
index 8ccb68e..9b795b5 100644
--- a/lib/penchant/hooks.rb
+++ b/lib/penchant/hooks.rb
@@ -21,12 +21,18 @@ module Penchant
     end
 
     def self.install!
-      puts "[penchant] installing git hooks"
+      if git?
+        puts "[penchant] installing git hooks"
 
-      Dir['script/hooks/*'].each do |hook|
-        FileUtils.ln_sf File.join(Dir.pwd, hook), ".git/hooks/#{File.split(hook).last}"
+        Dir['script/hooks/*'].each do |hook|
+          FileUtils.ln_sf File.join(Dir.pwd, hook), "#{GIT_HOOKS_DIR}/#{File.split(hook).last}"
+        end
       end
     end
+
+    def self.git?
+      File.directory?(GIT_HOOKS_DIR)
+    end
   end
 end
 
diff --git a/lib/penchant/version.rb b/lib/penchant/version.rb
index b062dc1..83b93ea 100644
--- a/lib/penchant/version.rb
+++ b/lib/penchant/version.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 module Penchant
-  VERSION = "0.2.16"
+  VERSION = "0.2.17"
 end