diff --git a/.nvmrc b/.nvmrc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1d9b7831
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.nvmrc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+22.12.0
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 721f67f2..a5a7d47f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -89,14 +89,19 @@ To have your board appear in a directory on the 5chan homepage:
 
 ### Prerequisites
 
-- Node.js v22 (Download from https://nodejs.org)
-- Corepack enabled for Yarn 4: `corepack enable`
-- Portless is installed with project dependencies via `corepack yarn install`
+- Node.js 22.12.0, pinned in [`.nvmrc`](./.nvmrc)
+- Corepack enabled once per machine: `corepack enable`
+
+### Contributor Setup
+
+1. Run `nvm install && nvm use`
+2. Run `corepack enable` once
+3. Use plain `yarn install`, `yarn build`, and `yarn test`
 
 ### Setup
 
 1. Clone the repository
-2. Install dependencies: `corepack yarn install`
+2. Install dependencies: `yarn install`
 3. Start the web client: `yarn start`
 
 The dev server runs at http://5chan.localhost:1355 via [Portless](https://port1355.dev/), which gives each Bitsocial project a stable, named URL instead of a random port. To bypass Portless and use a plain Vite dev server: `PORTLESS=0 yarn start`