diff --git a/docs/adr/0002-chezmoi-over-lighter-alternatives.md b/docs/adr/0002-chezmoi-over-lighter-alternatives.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..76cb65c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/adr/0002-chezmoi-over-lighter-alternatives.md
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# chezmoi over bare-git, symlinks, or a build script
+
+**Status:** accepted
+
+We manage these dotfiles with chezmoi even though the repo currently uses only a
+small slice of it — the `dot_` → `~/.` rename and `includeTemplate` fan-out (no
+OS conditionals in source, no run scripts, no encryption, no externals).
+
+The deciding requirement is **managed single-source fan-out**: one authored body
+of AI instructions that lands at several tool-specific paths, kept auditable.
+
+Considered and rejected:
+
+- **Bare git repo (`--git-dir` trick) or GNU Stow / symlinks** — lighter, very
+  common, but cannot fan out. One source can't become several distinct target
+  files without duplication, and duplication drifts. These only "win" if we
+  abandon single-source, which is the whole point of the repo.
+- **A small build/concatenation script** — does fan-out and is lighter than
+  chezmoi, but produces files nothing tracks: no `diff`, no `--dry-run`, no
+  preview, no cleanup when a tool is removed. We actually built this first
+  (dual sh/ps1 run scripts) and dropped it when verification showed it writing
+  untracked files outside chezmoi's destination model.
+
+chezmoi is the lightest option that does single-source fan-out **and** keeps it
+managed (previewable, dry-runnable, self-cleaning). The "heaviness" is a one-time
+binary install; the per-file mechanism we rely on is small and stable. Revisit
+only if the fan-out requirement itself goes away (e.g. all tools converge on a
+single shared `AGENTS.md` path), at which point a bare git repo would suffice.