diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index ebcf4d8..7f6dfbf 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -9,8 +9,11 @@ Branch protection enforces this on `master`.
 
 **Branch naming:** Use a type prefix — `feat/`, `fix/`, `chore/`. Example: `fix/connection-leak`.
 
-**Merging policy:** We avoid merge commits. Always rebase onto `master` — never merge
-`master` into a branch. No squash merge on PRs. Local squash before opening a PR is fine.
+**Merging policy:** When working on a feature branch, never merge `master` into it —
+always rebase your branch onto the latest `master`. When merging a PR into `master`,
+either "Create a merge commit" (the default) or "Rebase and merge" is fine. Squash merge
+stays off; if you want to squash overly granular commits, do it locally before opening
+the PR.
 
 **Commit style:** [Conventional commits](https://www.conventionalcommits.org/) —
 `type(scope): description`.