diff --git a/internal/builder/check_merge.go b/internal/builder/check_merge.go
index b9423ab8..e656d4e9 100644
--- a/internal/builder/check_merge.go
+++ b/internal/builder/check_merge.go
@@ -35,9 +35,10 @@ type JudgedHead struct {
 	Head, Trunk string
 }
 
-// mergeIdentity is who a check's merge is made as: it is never pushed, so it names nobody's account.
+// mergeIdentity is who a check's merge is made as: it is never pushed, so it names nobody's account. No hook of the
+// clone's or the build machine's git configuration runs, and no setting there changes the merge.
 var mergeIdentity = []string{"-c", "user.name=mesh merge check", "-c", "user.email=merge-check@mesh.invalid",
-	"-c", "commit.gpgsign=false"}
+	"-c", "commit.gpgsign=false", "-c", "core.hooksPath=/dev/null", "-c", "merge.verifySignatures=false"}
 
 // mergeIntoTrunk makes, in the clone at tree, the merge of head into the head of origin/<base> as it stands in
 // that fresh clone: the trunk commit. A head that does not merge cleanly answers the files in conflict and leaves
@@ -61,7 +62,7 @@ func mergeIntoTrunk(ctx context.Context, run Runner, tree, base, head string) (T
 	}
 	message := fmt.Sprintf("Check the merge of %s into %s at %s (made for a merge check, never pushed)",
 		twelve(m.Head), base, twelve(m.Trunk))
-	args := append(append([]string{}, mergeIdentity...), "merge", "--no-ff", "--no-edit", "--quiet", "-m", message, m.Head)
+	args := append(append([]string{}, mergeIdentity...), "merge", "--no-ff", "--no-edit", "--no-verify", "--quiet", "-m", message, m.Head)
 	if _, err := run(ctx, tree, "git", args...); err != nil {
 		out, _ := run(ctx, tree, "git", "diff", "--name-only", "--diff-filter=U")
 		m.Conflicts = strings.Fields(out)
diff --git a/internal/builder/check_merge_test.go b/internal/builder/check_merge_test.go
index 4c6955a1..a35fe888 100644
--- a/internal/builder/check_merge_test.go
+++ b/internal/builder/check_merge_test.go
@@ -186,3 +186,27 @@ func gitOut(t *testing.T, dir string, args ...string) string {
 	}
 	return strings.TrimSpace(string(out))
 }
+
+// No hook runs when a check makes its merge: not one in the clone, whatever the build machine's git configuration says.
+func TestACheckMergeRunsNoHook(t *testing.T) {
+	repo, head, _ := aTrunkAndABranch(t, map[string]string{"a": "1"}, map[string]string{"b": "trunk"},
+		map[string]string{"c": "head"})
+	clone := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "clone")
+	if out, err := exec.Command("git", "clone", "--quiet", repo, clone).CombinedOutput(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("%v\n%s", err, out)
+	}
+	ran := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "ran")
+	for _, hook := range []string{"pre-merge-commit", "commit-msg", "prepare-commit-msg", "post-merge"} {
+		if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(clone, ".git", "hooks", hook),
+			[]byte("#!/bin/sh\necho "+hook+" >> "+ran+"\n"), 0o755); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+	m, err := mergeIntoTrunk(t.Context(), Command, clone, "main", head)
+	if err != nil || m.Merge == "" {
+		t.Fatalf("the merge was not made: %+v, %v", m, err)
+	}
+	if said, err := os.ReadFile(ran); err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("a hook ran when the check made its merge: %s", said)
+	}
+}