diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index bc4c519..a724b54 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -25,6 +25,13 @@ confirm make check still passes.
 
 # Completed Steps
 
+- 2026-08-09: `script/bootstrap` now installs the pinned `golangci-lint`
+  and `goimports` unconditionally instead of only when the binary is
+  absent from `PATH`, so the commit pins actually take effect on
+  already-provisioned machines; it also warns when `PATH` resolves
+  either tool to a copy outside the directory `go install` writes to.
+  The `missing` presence check is retained for `git`, `make`, and `go`
+  (#117)
 - 2026-08-07: golangci-lint bumped to v2.12.2 (commit-pinned installs
   in `Dockerfile` and `script/bootstrap`); `.golangci.yml` set to the
   org-standard v2-schema config used across the org's repos
diff --git a/script/bootstrap b/script/bootstrap
index 129cc77..c74ea7a 100755
--- a/script/bootstrap
+++ b/script/bootstrap
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 # script/bootstrap: install all dependencies needed to build and develop
-# this repo. Idempotent: every install is guarded by a check so already
-# installed tools are skipped. Base tooling comes from nix, apt, brew,
-# or apk (detected in that order); assumes nothing is present.
-# golangci-lint and goimports are installed via `go install` at the same
-# pinned commits the Dockerfile uses (never "latest").
+# this repo. Base tooling (git, make, go) comes from nix, apt, brew, or
+# apk (detected in that order) and is installed only when absent;
+# assumes nothing is present. golangci-lint and goimports are always
+# (re)installed via `go install` at the same pinned commits the
+# Dockerfile uses (never "latest") -- a presence check cannot tell the
+# pinned build from an arbitrary one already on PATH, so guarding them
+# would make the pins inert. Idempotent either way: running this twice
+# succeeds both times and leaves the same result.
 set -eu
 
 ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/.." && pwd -P)"
@@ -62,6 +65,31 @@ missing() {
     ! command -v "$1" >/dev/null 2>&1
 }
 
+# go_bin_dir: directory `go install` writes binaries to.
+go_bin_dir() {
+    gobin="$(go env GOBIN)"
+    if [ -n "$gobin" ]; then
+        echo "$gobin"
+    else
+        echo "$(go env GOPATH)/bin"
+    fi
+}
+
+# warn_if_shadowed <tool> <dir>: the pinned build was just installed
+# into <dir>. If PATH resolves <tool> anywhere else, that other copy is
+# what `make lint` and `make fmt` will actually run, and it is not the
+# pinned version. Warn loudly rather than failing, since the fix is the
+# user's PATH and not anything this script can do.
+warn_if_shadowed() {
+    resolved="$(command -v "$1" 2>/dev/null || true)"
+    if [ "$resolved" != "$2/$1" ]; then
+        echo "bootstrap: WARNING: installed pinned $1 to $2/$1, but PATH" >&2
+        echo "bootstrap: WARNING: resolves $1 to ${resolved:-(not on PATH)};" >&2
+        echo "bootstrap: WARNING: put $2 first on PATH or lint results will" >&2
+        echo "bootstrap: WARNING: not match CI." >&2
+    fi
+}
+
 main() {
     cd "$ROOT"
 
@@ -69,10 +97,17 @@ main() {
     if missing make; then pkg_install gnumake make make make; fi
     if missing go; then pkg_install go golang go go; fi
 
-    # Lint/format tools, pinned via go install (installs into
-    # "$(go env GOPATH)/bin"; ensure that is on your PATH).
-    if missing golangci-lint; then go install "$GOLANGCI_LINT_REF"; fi
-    if missing goimports; then go install "$GOIMPORTS_REF"; fi
+    # Lint/format tools, pinned via go install. These are installed
+    # unconditionally: `command -v` only proves *some* build is on PATH,
+    # and a wrong golangci-lint either cannot parse our v2-schema
+    # .golangci.yml at all or silently disagrees with CI. Installing at
+    # a fixed commit ref is idempotent and cheap with a warm module
+    # cache, so there is nothing to save by skipping it.
+    GOBIN_DIR="$(go_bin_dir)"
+    go install "$GOLANGCI_LINT_REF"
+    go install "$GOIMPORTS_REF"
+    warn_if_shadowed golangci-lint "$GOBIN_DIR"
+    warn_if_shadowed goimports "$GOBIN_DIR"
 
     go mod download