diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d4c8753
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# One command before committing: make
+#
+# gofmt is first because a formatting failure is the cheapest to fix, and it is the only check that
+# needs a wrapper — gofmt reports offending files on stdout and still exits 0.
+.POSIX:
+.PHONY: check fmt vet test build run
+
+check: fmt vet test
+
+fmt:
+	@out=$$(gofmt -l .); test -z "$$out" || { echo "not gofmt'd:"; echo "$$out"; exit 1; }
+
+vet:
+	go vet ./...
+
+test:
+	go test ./...
+
+build:
+	go build -o levyraati26-go .
+
+# Templates and migrations are embedded, so seeing a change means rebuilding.
+run: build
+	./levyraati26-go
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d9a8df6..189630c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -88,14 +88,16 @@ go run .
 Requires Go 1.27+, plus `ffmpeg`, `ffprobe`, and `yt-dlp` on `PATH`. There is nothing to start first:
 the database is a file under `./storage`, created on the first run.
 
-Tests get a fresh database file in a temp directory each, so they need no setup and touch nothing:
+Tests get a fresh database file in a temp directory each, so they need no setup and touch nothing.
+`make` is everything that has to pass before a commit — formatting, `go vet`, and the tests:
 
 ```sh
-go test ./...
+make            # gofmt -l, go vet, go test
+make test       # just the tests
 ```
 
 Templates, stylesheet, and migrations are embedded with `embed.FS`, so a rebuild is needed to see
-template changes. `go build && ./levyraati` is the loop.
+template changes. `make run` is the loop.
 
 ## Admin page