diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 031d0dde413d03d56a091402213baae3e0a6bd23..5cd6f9dd273f43e2f15c3d8ff32a230dd7381d21 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -186,6 +186,8 @@ Conventions
 * Try to follow style conventions of a file you are modifying, and
   avoid gratuitous reformatting (it makes merges harder!)
 
+* Format your commit messages [in the standard way](https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/#seven-rules).
+
 * A lot of Cabal does not have top-level comments.  We are trying to
   fix this.  If you add new top-level definitions, please Haddock them;
   and if you spend some time understanding what a function does, help