diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8f2f414b..504d156f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ formatting
 nix fmt                         # treefmt: Nix, Gleam, Go, Python, and shell files
 pre-commit install              # once per checkout; available in `nix develop`
 pre-commit run --all-files       # format, lint Python, and type-check Python
+test/quick.sh                   # every static check, without a hook
 gleam format src test           # fix Gleam formatting
 ruff format priv/python test    # fix Python formatting
 ruff check                      # lint Python
@@ -149,7 +150,8 @@ ty check                        # type-check the kernel, plugins, and tests
 ```
 
 The commit hook formats staged files and runs the Python checks; it needs
-`gleam` on PATH.
+`gleam` on PATH. `jj` runs no git hooks, so with `jj` run `test/quick.sh` before
+each commit.
 
 tests
 
diff --git a/agents.md b/agents.md
index 5ca9ef7e..be2e178a 100644
--- a/agents.md
+++ b/agents.md
@@ -17,13 +17,14 @@ For Go changes, use the Go and gopls supplied by `nix develop` (they come from t
 - Gleam suites: `gleam test`
 - Go: `go -C cli vet ./...` and `go -C cli test ./...`
 - Rust (optional `view` renderer): `cargo test --release --locked --manifest-path native/render/Cargo.toml`
-- Everything that must pass before a commit: `./test.sh`
+- Static checks only (formatters, lints, type checks, generated-code checks), in seconds: `test/quick.sh`
+- Everything that must pass before a commit: `./test.sh`, which starts with `test/quick.sh`
 
 Anything that opens a browser must set `ALBEDO_NO_BROWSER=1`; `test.sh` exports it for the whole gate.
 
 ### Test layout and the build lock
 
-`./test.sh` is the gate. The quick checks run first, in order (Ruff lint and format checks, ty, Gleam format and lint checks, cargo test + renderer install, the web client's generated-API check and unit tests, Go vet, the CLI build the Python e2e suite drives); then it compiles the daemon once and runs every suite at the same time (`gleam test`, each `test/harness/*_test.py`, Go unit tests, the Go e2e suite, the Python e2e suite), each into its own log, printed only when that suite fails.
+`./test.sh` is the gate. It runs `test/quick.sh` first, then cargo test + renderer install, the web client's unit tests and the CLI build the Python e2e suite drives; then it compiles the daemon once and runs every suite at the same time (`gleam test`, each `test/harness/*_test.py`, Go unit tests, the Go e2e suite, the Python e2e suite), each into its own log, printed only when that suite fails.
 
 Python test files are loaded through `test/python_test_runner.py`; a selected file with no unittest cases fails. The E2E runner also rejects an empty aggregate before boot. Gleam and Erlang discovery selects `_test` files with exported test functions or generators, excluding the `albedo_test.gleam` entrypoint and manual tools. Support modules remain compiled but are not suites. Put reusable Python fixtures in `_support.py` modules. Inspection transport belongs to `test/e2e/inspect_support.py`; probes use the typed session diagnostics described in `robot-docs/runtime.md`.
 
@@ -46,6 +47,8 @@ Do not judge a UI change from its code or a text dump; render it and look at the
 
 Other sessions and agents often work in this checkout at the same time. Stage only the paths you changed (`git add -- <paths>`), leave other files alone, and never stash someone else's changes.
 
+`jj` doesn't support git hooks (e.g. `pre-commit`), so you will need to run `test/quick.sh` before every commit or set up an alias for it.
+
 If "push" could mean `main`, a branch, or a pull request, ask which before pushing.
 
 A push that fails with tangled's `too many concurrent operations from your address` is a rate limit, not a rejection: retry after about 15 seconds.
diff --git a/test.sh b/test.sh
index aa1d4bdd..31121b4b 100755
--- a/test.sh
+++ b/test.sh
@@ -1,34 +1,23 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 # Every check that must pass before a commit.
 #
-# The quick checks run first, in order. Then the daemon is compiled once and
-# every suite runs at the same time, each into its own log, which is printed
-# only if that suite fails. The e2e suites boot their daemons from that one
-# snapshot (ALBEDO_TEST_DAEMON) instead of through gleam, so none of them waits
-# on the build lock `gleam test` holds for its whole run. test/manual is opt-in
-# and not run here; those harnesses need a provider, a PTY, or artifacts from
-# an earlier benchmark run.
+# test/quick.sh runs first, then the other quick checks. Then the daemon is
+# compiled once and every suite runs at the same time, each into its own log,
+# which is printed only if that suite fails. The e2e suites boot their daemons
+# from that one snapshot (ALBEDO_TEST_DAEMON) instead of through gleam, so none
+# of them waits on the build lock `gleam test` holds for its whole run.
+# test/manual is opt-in and not run here; those harnesses need a provider, a
+# PTY, or artifacts from an earlier benchmark run.
 set -euo pipefail
 cd "$(dirname "$0")"
 export ALBEDO_NO_BROWSER=1
 # a detached kernel a suite left behind ends soon after, not in an hour
 export ALBEDO_KERNEL_GRACE_SECONDS=20
 
-# treefmt (Go, Nix and the other formatters CI runs); it rewrites what it fixes
-# and fails when it had to, so commit the result
-nix fmt -- --fail-on-change --no-cache
-ruff check
-ruff format --check priv/python test
-ty check
-gleam format --check src test
-test/gleam-lint.sh
+test/quick.sh
 cargo test --quiet --release --locked --manifest-path native/render/Cargo.toml
 native/render/install.sh
-go -C cli/tools/apigen run . -check
-test -d web/node_modules || npm --prefix web ci --no-audit --no-fund
-npm --prefix web run generate:check
 npm --prefix web test
-go -C cli vet ./...
 # the Python e2e suite drives the CLI through this binary
 go -C cli build -o bin/albedo ./cmd/albedo
 
diff --git a/test/quick.sh b/test/quick.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..35abb176
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/quick.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# The static checks: formatters, linters, type checks and the generated-code
+# checks. Seconds, no daemon. test.sh runs it first.
+#
+# Run it before every commit. jj never runs git hooks, so pre-commit does not
+# guard a `jj commit`; this script is the hook for those.
+set -euo pipefail
+cd "$(dirname "$0")/.."
+
+# treefmt: the formatters and linters CI runs (Gleam, Go, Nix, Python with Ruff
+# format and check, shell). It rewrites what it fixes and fails when it had to,
+# so commit the result
+nix fmt -- --fail-on-change --no-cache
+ty check
+test/gleam-lint.sh
+go -C cli/tools/apigen run . -check
+test -d web/node_modules || npm --prefix web ci --no-audit --no-fund
+npm --prefix web run generate:check
+go -C cli vet ./...