diff --git a/.husky/commit-msg b/.husky/commit-msg
index ddef51f..8eedee4 100755
--- a/.husky/commit-msg
+++ b/.husky/commit-msg
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 . "$(dirname "$0")/_/husky.sh"
 
-"$(dirname "$0")/../node_modules/.bin/commitlint" --edit $1
+npm x commitlint -- --edit $1
diff --git a/.husky/commit-msg.sample b/.husky/commit-msg.sample
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..5e3dc95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.husky/commit-msg.sample
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+. "$(dirname "$0")/_/husky.sh"
+
+"$(npm x mdep bin commitlint)" --edit $1
diff --git a/__tests__/install.spec.js b/__tests__/install.spec.js
index 1dbd7b2..7929364 100644
--- a/__tests__/install.spec.js
+++ b/__tests__/install.spec.js
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ const fs = require('fs/promises');
 const debug = require('debug')('test');
 const execa = require('execa');
 
+// setup git so that we can try commits
+beforeAll(async () => {
+  await execa.command('git config --global user.name deploy-tests');
+  await execa.command('git config --global user.email ci@github.com');
+});
+
 describe('(yarn) test installing the package', () => {
   const kFilename = 'deploy-yarn.tgz';
   const cwd = process.cwd();
@@ -120,7 +126,14 @@ describe('(yarn) test installing the package', () => {
 
     test('.husky files content sane', async () => {
       const contents = await fs.readFile('.husky/commit-msg', { encoding: 'utf8' });
-      expect(contents).toContain('npx --no-install commitlint -e $1');
+      expect(contents).toContain('"$(npm x mdep bin commitlint)" --edit $1');
+    });
+
+    test('able to commit with hooks installed', async () => {
+      await fs.writeFile('.gitignore', 'node_modules\n');
+      await execa('git', ['add', '.']);
+      await expect(execa('git', ['commit', '-m', 'wrong message'])).rejects.toThrow('subject may not be empty');
+      await execa('git', ['commit', '-m', 'chore(test): correct message']);
     });
   });
 
@@ -267,7 +280,7 @@ describe('(pnpm) test installing the package', () => {
 
     test('.husky files content sane', async () => {
       const contents = await fs.readFile('.husky/commit-msg', { encoding: 'utf8' });
-      expect(contents).toContain('npx --no-install commitlint -e $1');
+      expect(contents).toContain('"$(npm x mdep bin commitlint)" --edit $1');
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/bin/cmds/bin.js b/bin/cmds/bin.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..37b43d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/cmds/bin.js
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+const execa = require('execa');
+const fs = require('fs/promises');
+const { resolve } = require('path');
+
+exports.command = 'bin [binary]';
+exports.desc = 'return absolute path to bundled bin';
+exports.builder = (yargs) => {
+  return yargs
+    .positional('binary', {
+      describe: 'path to binary dep',
+      type: 'string',
+    })
+    .strict(false)
+    .help();
+};
+exports.handler = async (argv) => {
+  const bin = (await execa('npm', ['bin'], { cwd: resolve(__dirname, '../..') })).stdout;
+  const path = resolve(bin, argv.binary);
+
+  try {
+    if ((await fs.stat(path)).isFile()) {
+      process.stdout.write(`${path}\n`);
+    } else {
+      // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+      console.error('path %s isnt a file', path);
+      process.exit(128);
+    }
+  } catch (e) {
+    // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+    console.error('can\'t locate path %s - %o', path, e);
+    process.exit(128);
+  }
+};
diff --git a/bin/cmds/get-config.js b/bin/cmds/get-config.js
index ae25580..c43b745 100644
--- a/bin/cmds/get-config.js
+++ b/bin/cmds/get-config.js
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ const get = require('lodash.get');
 
 exports.command = 'get-config [path]';
 exports.desc = 'return mdeprc properties';
-exports.builder = async (yargs) => {
-  yargs
+exports.builder = (yargs) => {
+  return yargs
     .positional('path', {
       describe: 'path in config',
       type: 'string',
diff --git a/scripts/setup-semantic-release.js b/scripts/setup-semantic-release.js
index cba48de..fa8aaae 100644
--- a/scripts/setup-semantic-release.js
+++ b/scripts/setup-semantic-release.js
@@ -69,10 +69,10 @@ async function isInstallingGlobally() {
   return globalDirs.includes(rootDir());
 }
 
-async function copyConfiguration(filename, _fallback = []) {
+async function copyConfiguration(filename, _fallback = [], renameTo = filename) {
   const names = Array.isArray(_fallback) ? [filename].concat(_fallback) : [filename];
   const prefix = rootDir();
-  const rcpath = path.join(prefix, filename);
+  const rcpath = path.join(prefix, renameTo);
 
   for (const name of names) {
     try {
@@ -181,6 +181,13 @@ async function main() {
           continue;
         }
 
+        if (key === 'commit-msg'
+           && script === 'commitlint -e $HUSKY_GIT_PARAMS') {
+          delete pkg.husky.hooks[key];
+          // eslint-disable-next-line no-continue
+          continue;
+        }
+
         if (!/^(yarn|np[mx]) /.test(script)) {
           script = `npx --no-install ${script}`;
         }
@@ -197,7 +204,7 @@ async function main() {
     console.log(stdout);
   }
 
-  await copyConfiguration('.husky/commit-msg');
+  await copyConfiguration('.husky/commit-msg.sample', [], '.husky/commit-msg');
   await copyConfiguration('.husky/prepare-commit-msg');
 
   console.log('⚠️ Use "semantic-release-cli setup" to complete setting up semantic-release');