diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr.yml b/.github/workflows/pr.yml
index aee9ef0..5e7b4d2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr.yml
@@ -55,8 +55,11 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup Python and uv
         uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@08807647e7069bb48b6ef5acd8ec9567f424441b # v8.1.0
 
+      - name: Setup just
+        uses: extractions/setup-just@53165ef7e734c5c07cb06b3c8e7b647c5aa16db3 # v4
+
       - name: Run checks
-        run: make check
+        run: just check
 
   test:
     name: Test
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 93140bf..00fdd8c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -76,8 +76,11 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup Python and uv
         uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@08807647e7069bb48b6ef5acd8ec9567f424441b # v8.1.0
 
+      - name: Setup just
+        uses: extractions/setup-just@53165ef7e734c5c07cb06b3c8e7b647c5aa16db3 # v4
+
       - name: Build distributions
-        run: make build
+        run: just build
 
       - name: Upload distributions
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@043fb46d1a93c77aae656e7c1c64a875d1fc6a0a # v7.0.1
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 41c9373..d273567 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -3,10 +3,10 @@
 This guide reflects the repository's current local tooling and GitHub Actions
 checks.
 
-By default, use `make` for routine development. Direct
-[`uv`](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/), `ruff`, `pytest`, and
-[`prek`](https://prek.j178.dev/) usage is still fine when you need a targeted
-command.
+By default, use `just` for routine development. Direct
+[`uv`](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/), [`ruff`](https://docs.astral.sh/ruff/),
+[`pytest`](https://docs.pytest.org/), and [`prek`](https://prek.j178.dev/)
+usage is still fine when you need a targeted command.
 
 ## Development Setup
 
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ command.
 
 - Python 3.12 or 3.13
 - [`uv`](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/)
-- `make`
+- [`just`](https://just.systems/)
+- [`fd`](https://github.com/sharkdp/fd)
 - `git`
 
 Python 3.14 is currently unsupported because `unstructured`, which is used by
@@ -23,24 +24,25 @@ the document extraction node, currently declares `Requires-Python: <3.14`.
 ### Bootstrap
 
 ```bash
-make dev
+just dev
 # optional for interactive work
 source .venv/bin/activate
 ```
 
-`make dev` will:
+`just dev` will:
 
 - run `uv sync`
 - install [`prek`](https://prek.j178.dev/) Git hooks
 
 The repository uses [`uv`](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/) for dependency and
 virtual environment management. The default development environment includes
-`ruff`, `pytest`, `pytest-xdist`, `pytest-cov`, `pytest-mock`, and
+[`ruff`](https://docs.astral.sh/ruff/), [`pytest`](https://docs.pytest.org/),
+`pytest-xdist`, `pytest-cov`, `pytest-mock`, and
 [`prek`](https://prek.j178.dev/).
 
 ### Git Hooks
 
-`make dev` installs [`prek`](https://prek.j178.dev/) hooks from
+`just dev` installs [`prek`](https://prek.j178.dev/) hooks from
 [`prek.toml`](prek.toml).
 
 The current hook set includes:
@@ -49,7 +51,7 @@ The current hook set includes:
 - BOM cleanup and line ending normalization
 - TOML and YAML validation
 - shebang executable checks
-- local `make tc` (which runs `format`, `lint`, and `ty check` in sequence)
+- local `just tc` (which runs `format`, `lint`, and `ty check` in sequence)
 
 Useful direct commands:
 
@@ -57,10 +59,10 @@ Useful direct commands:
 uv run prek install
 uv run prek run -a
 uv run prek list
-uv run prek validate-config
+uv run prek validate-config prek.toml
 ```
 
-Use `make` by default. For targeted work, direct tool usage is still fine:
+Use `just` by default. For targeted work, direct tool usage is still fine:
 
 ```bash
 uv run ruff check src/graphon/path.py
@@ -72,48 +74,49 @@ uv run prek run -a
 
 Use these commands for normal development:
 
-- `make format`: run `uv run ruff format`
-- `make lint`: run `make format`, then `uv run ruff check --fix`
-- `make tc`: run `make lint`, then `uv run ty check`
-- `make check`: run `uv lock --check && uv run ruff format --check && uv run ruff check && uv run ty check`
-- `make test`: run `make tc`, then `uv run pytest`
-- `make build`: build the package distributions
-- `make clean`: remove build artifacts and caches
+- `just`: list available recipes
+- `just format`: run `uv run ruff format`
+- `just lint`: run `just format`, then `uv run ruff check --fix`
+- `just tc`: run `just lint`, then `uv run ty check`
+- `just check`: run `uv run prek validate-config prek.toml && uv lock --check && uv run ruff format --check && uv run ruff check && uv run ty check`
+- `just test`: run `just tc`, then `uv run pytest`
+- `just build`: build the package distributions
+- `just clean`: remove build artifacts and caches
 
 Notes:
 
-- `make lint` is mutating. It may rewrite files.
-- `make tc` is the local type-check entrypoint used by Git hooks. It includes
+- `just lint` is mutating. It may rewrite files.
+- `just tc` is the local type-check entrypoint used by Git hooks. It includes
   formatting and lint fixes first.
-- `make test` is the progressive local full-chain target. It formats, applies
+- `just test` is the progressive local full-chain target. It formats, applies
   lint fixes, runs `ty check`, and then runs the test suite.
-- `make check` aggregates the same non-mutating lockfile, lint, and type-check
+- `just check` aggregates the same non-mutating lockfile, lint, and type-check
   commands used by CI.
-- `pytest` is configured with `-n auto` and `testpaths = ['tests']`, so the
-  test suite runs in parallel by default.
+- [`pytest`](https://docs.pytest.org/) is configured with `-n auto` and
+  `testpaths = ['tests']`, so the test suite runs in parallel by default.
 - If you change dependencies, refresh and commit `uv.lock` before opening a
   pull request.
 
 For most changes, a good local sequence is:
 
 ```bash
-make test
-make check
+just test
+just check
 ```
 
-`make test` applies local fixes, runs `ty check`, and then runs the test suite.
-`make check` then confirms the non-mutating CI check job will pass.
+`just test` applies local fixes, runs `ty check`, and then runs the test suite.
+`just check` then confirms the non-mutating CI check job will pass.
 
 ### CI Checks
 
 Pull requests targeting `main` currently run three kinds of checks:
 
 1. PR title validation with `amannn/action-semantic-pull-request`
-2. `make check` including `uv.lock` freshness validation
+2. `just check` including `uv.lock` freshness validation
 3. `uv run pytest` on Python 3.12 and 3.13
 
-Keep local workflow aligned with those checks. A green local `make test` plus
-`make check` is useful, but it is not a complete substitute for the exact CI
+Keep local workflow aligned with those checks. A green local `just test` plus
+`just check` is useful, but it is not a complete substitute for the exact CI
 flow because CI also validates PR titles and a Python version matrix.
 
 ## Git Commits
@@ -177,7 +180,7 @@ Before you open a pull request:
 - search existing pull requests again to confirm there is no duplicate review in
   progress
 - make sure the change stays focused and reviewable
-- run `make test` before pushing and keep `make check` green locally when
+- run `just test` before pushing and keep `just check` green locally when
   possible
 
 When you open a pull request:
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
deleted file mode 100644
index 29bf04c..0000000
--- a/Makefile
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,37 +0,0 @@
-.PHONY: dev
-dev:
-	uv sync
-	uv run prek install
-
-.PHONY: format
-format:
-	uv run ruff format
-
-.PHONY: lint
-lint: format
-	uv run ruff check --fix
-
-.PHONY: tc
-tc: lint
-	uv run ty check
-
-.PHONY: test
-test: tc
-	uv run pytest
-
-.PHONY: check
-check:
-	uv lock --check
-	uv run ruff format --check
-	uv run ruff check
-	uv run ty check
-
-.PHONY: build
-build:
-	uv build --no-create-gitignore --no-sources
-
-.PHONY: clean
-clean:
-	find . -type d -name '__pycache__' -prune -exec rm -rf {} +
-	rm -rf dist/ .pytest_cache/
-	uv run ruff clean
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1efb1f0..0b6a849 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ Graphon is currently easiest to evaluate from a source checkout.
 
 - Python 3.12 or 3.13
 - [`uv`](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/)
-- `make`
+- [`just`](https://just.systems/)
+- [`fd`](https://github.com/sharkdp/fd)
 
 Python 3.14 is currently unsupported because `unstructured`, which backs part
 of the document extraction stack, currently declares `Requires-Python: <3.14`.
@@ -38,15 +39,15 @@ of the document extraction stack, currently declares `Requires-Python: <3.14`.
 ### Set up the repository
 
 ```bash
-make dev
+just dev
 source .venv/bin/activate
-make test
+just test
 ```
 
-`make dev` installs the project, syncs development dependencies, and sets up
-[`prek`](https://prek.j178.dev/) Git hooks. `make test` is the progressive
+`just dev` installs the project, syncs development dependencies, and sets up
+[`prek`](https://prek.j178.dev/) Git hooks. `just test` is the progressive
 local validation entrypoint: it formats, applies lint fixes, runs `ty check`,
-and then runs `pytest`.
+and then runs [`pytest`](https://docs.pytest.org/).
 
 ## Run the Example Workflows
 
@@ -62,7 +63,7 @@ start -> llm -> answer
 To run it:
 
 ```bash
-make dev
+just dev
 source .venv/bin/activate
 cd examples/slim_llm
 cp credentials.example.json credentials.json
@@ -158,7 +159,7 @@ planned as a separate follow-up.
 Contributor setup, tooling details, CLA notes, and commit/PR conventions live
 in [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md).
 
-CI currently validates pull request titles, runs `make check` including
+CI currently validates pull request titles, runs `just check` including
 `uv.lock` freshness validation, and runs `uv run pytest` on Python 3.12 and
 3.13. Python 3.14 is currently excluded because `unstructured` does not yet
 support it.
diff --git a/justfile b/justfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..671348a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/justfile
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+default:
+    @just --list
+
+dev:
+    uv sync
+    uv run prek install
+
+format:
+    uv run ruff format
+
+lint: format
+    uv run ruff check --fix
+
+tc: lint
+    uv run ty check
+
+test: tc
+    uv run pytest
+
+check:
+    uv run prek validate-config prek.toml
+    uv lock --check
+    uv run ruff format --check
+    uv run ruff check
+    uv run ty check
+
+build:
+    uv build --no-create-gitignore --no-sources
+
+clean:
+    fd -H -t d '^__pycache__$' -x rm -rf
+    rm -rf dist/ .pytest_cache/ .ruff_cache/
+    uv run ruff clean
diff --git a/prek.toml b/prek.toml
index 8a88d69..b1a9735 100644
--- a/prek.toml
+++ b/prek.toml
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-minimum_prek_version = "0.3.8"
-
 [[repos]]
 repo = 'builtin'
 hooks = [
@@ -11,6 +9,7 @@ hooks = [
     {id = 'fix-byte-order-marker'},
     {id = 'check-json'},
     {id = 'check-json5'},
+    {id = 'pretty-format-json'},
     {id = 'check-toml'},
     {id = 'check-vcs-permalinks'},
     {id = 'check-yaml'},
@@ -20,6 +19,7 @@ hooks = [
     {id = 'destroyed-symlinks'},
     {id = 'check-merge-conflict'},
     {id = 'detect-private-key'},
+    {id = 'no-commit-to-branch'},
     {id = 'check-executables-have-shebangs'},
     {id = 'check-shebang-scripts-are-executable'},
 ]
@@ -28,9 +28,17 @@ hooks = [
 repo = 'local'
 
 [[repos.hooks]]
-id = 'make-tc'
-name = 'make tc'
-entry = 'make tc'
+id = 'prek-validate-config'
+name = 'prek validate-config'
+entry = 'uv run prek validate-config prek.toml'
+language = 'system'
+always_run = true
+pass_filenames = false
+
+[[repos.hooks]]
+id = 'just-tc'
+name = 'just tc'
+entry = 'just tc'
 language = 'system'
 always_run = true
 pass_filenames = false