diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 7e1f610..a6009f2 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Lint stage — fast feedback on formatting and lint issues
-# golangci/golangci-lint:v2.12.2 (Debian-based), 2026-08-07
-FROM golangci/golangci-lint:v2.12.2@sha256:5cceeef04e53efe1470638d4b4b4f5ceefd574955ab3941b2d9a68a8c9ad5240 AS lint
+# golangci/golangci-lint:v2.12.2, 2026-08-07
+FROM golangci/golangci-lint@sha256:5cceeef04e53efe1470638d4b4b4f5ceefd574955ab3941b2d9a68a8c9ad5240 AS lint
 WORKDIR /src
 COPY go.mod go.sum ./
 RUN go mod download
diff --git a/Dockerfile.lint b/Dockerfile.lint
index 836c725..aac1cb9 100644
--- a/Dockerfile.lint
+++ b/Dockerfile.lint
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@
 # stage of the main Dockerfile because script/lint must not depend on
 # the rest of that build; the two FROM lines are kept identical by
 # script/verify-lint-image-pin, run as a gate below.
-# golangci/golangci-lint:v2.12.2 (Debian-based), 2026-08-07
-FROM golangci/golangci-lint:v2.12.2@sha256:5cceeef04e53efe1470638d4b4b4f5ceefd574955ab3941b2d9a68a8c9ad5240
+# golangci/golangci-lint:v2.12.2, 2026-08-07
+FROM golangci/golangci-lint@sha256:5cceeef04e53efe1470638d4b4b4f5ceefd574955ab3941b2d9a68a8c9ad5240
 
 WORKDIR /src
 
diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index 235101c..3da0b6c 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -29,6 +29,18 @@
 
 # Completed Steps
 
+- fix the lint-image pin comments and `FROM` form in `Dockerfile` and
+  `Dockerfile.lint` (2026-08-10, branch `next`, closes
+  https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/25): dropped the false
+  `(Debian-based)` parenthetical (v2.12.1 was Debian too) and the
+  redundant tag, so both pins are the policy `# image:vX.Y.Z,
+  YYYY-MM-DD` comment over a bare `FROM image@sha256:...`. Digest
+  unchanged. `script/verify-lint-image-pin` parses those `FROM` lines
+  and still matches the tagless form; its advice line lost the now
+  meaningless "tag and digest". With no tag in either reference, a
+  tag-only disagreement no longer exists — a one-sided tag is caught as
+  a plain mismatch.
+
 - run all linting in Docker via `Dockerfile.lint` and `script/lint`
   (2026-08-10, branch `next`, closes
   https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/46): per the owner ruling, the
diff --git a/script/verify-lint-image-pin b/script/verify-lint-image-pin
index ca6e488..fa30722 100755
--- a/script/verify-lint-image-pin
+++ b/script/verify-lint-image-pin
@@ -71,9 +71,9 @@ main() {
             "the two pins disagree:" >&2
         echo "verify-lint-image-pin:   $LINT_DOCKERFILE: $lint_ref" >&2
         echo "verify-lint-image-pin:   $MAIN_DOCKERFILE: $main_ref" >&2
-        echo "verify-lint-image-pin: bump both FROM lines together, tag and" \
-            "digest, so script/lint and the Dockerfile lint stage keep" \
-            "running the same linter" >&2
+        echo "verify-lint-image-pin: bump both FROM lines together so" \
+            "script/lint and the Dockerfile lint stage keep running the" \
+            "same linter" >&2
         exit 1
     fi