diff --git a/_scripts/git-hooks-init.js b/_scripts/git-hooks-init.js
index 49705f1..418b708 100755
--- a/_scripts/git-hooks-init.js
+++ b/_scripts/git-hooks-init.js
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ async function copyScripts() {
 
   var gitHooksDir = Path.join(gitDir, 'hooks');
 
-  var src = Path.join(scriptsDir, 'git-hooks-pre-commit');
+  var src = Path.join(scriptsDir, 'git-hooks-pre-commit.js');
   var dst = Path.join(gitHooksDir, 'pre-commit');
 
   console.info(`[git-hooks] Checking for pre-commit hooks...`);
diff --git a/_scripts/git-hooks-pre-commit.js b/_scripts/git-hooks-pre-commit.js
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..ed3fa50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_scripts/git-hooks-pre-commit.js
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+'use strict';
+
+var Process = require('child_process');
+
+var procOpts = { stdio: 'inherit' };
+var commands = ['npm run fmt', 'npm run lint', 'npm run test'];
+
+for (let cmd of commands) {
+  console.info(`[pre-commit] exec: ${cmd}`);
+  Process.execSync(cmd, procOpts);
+}
diff --git a/_scripts/tooling-init.js b/_scripts/tooling-init.js
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..75477fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_scripts/tooling-init.js
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+'use strict';
+
+var Cmd = require('node:child_process');
+var Os = require('node:os');
+
+var procOpts = { stdio: 'inherit' };
+var commands = ['shfmt --version', 'shellcheck --version'];
+
+for (let cmd of commands) {
+  console.info(`[tooling-init] checking for '${cmd}':`);
+  try {
+    Cmd.execSync(cmd, procOpts);
+  } catch (e) {
+    // ignore e
+    printInstallHelp(cmd);
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+}
+
+function printInstallHelp(cmd) {
+  console.error('');
+  console.error('ERROR');
+  console.error(`        could not run '${cmd}'`);
+  console.error('POSSIBLE FIX');
+  if (/^win/i.test(Os.platform())) {
+    console.error(`        curl.exe https://webi.ms/${cmd} | powershell`);
+  } else {
+    console.error(`        curl -fsS https://webi.sh/${cmd} | sh`);
+  }
+  console.error('');
+}
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 5f8d509..a0350f7 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -7,13 +7,15 @@
   "scripts": {
     "fmt": "npm run prettier && npm run shfmt",
     "lint": "npm run shellcheck && npm run jshint",
-    "prepare": "node _scripts/git-hooks-init.js",
+    "prepare": "npm run tooling-init && npm run git-hooks-init",
     "test": "node _webi/test.js ./node/",
     "----": "------------------------------------",
+    "git-hooks-init": "node ./_scripts/git-hooks-init.js",
     "jshint": "npx -p jshint@2.x -- jshint -c ./.jshintrc --exclude 'node_modules/**/*' */*.js */*/*.js",
     "prettier": "npx -p prettier@3.x -- prettier -w '**/*.{js,md,html}'",
     "shellcheck": "shellcheck -s sh -S style --exclude=SC2154,SC2034 */*.sh",
-    "shfmt": "shfmt -w -i 4 -sr -ci -s ./"
+    "shfmt": "shfmt -w -i 4 -sr -ci -s ./",
+    "tooling-init": "node ./_scripts/tooling-init.js"
   },
   "repository": {
     "type": "git",