diff --git a/modules/emacs/vc/config.el b/modules/emacs/vc/config.el
index 5100cbea4..5d57213ef 100644
--- a/modules/emacs/vc/config.el
+++ b/modules/emacs/vc/config.el
@@ -22,10 +22,12 @@
 
 
 ;; `git-commit-mode'
-;; see https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/
-(setq git-commit-fill-column 72
-      git-commit-summary-max-length 50
-      git-commit-style-convention-checks '(overlong-summary-line non-empty-second-line))
+(defun +vc|enforce-git-commit-conventions ()
+  "See https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/"
+  (setq fill-column 72
+        git-commit-summary-max-length 50
+        git-commit-style-convention-checks '(overlong-summary-line non-empty-second-line)))
+(add-hook 'git-commit-mode-hook #'+vc|enforce-git-commit-conventions)
 (when (featurep! :feature evil)
   (add-hook 'git-commit-mode-hook #'evil-insert-state))