diff --git a/.git-hooks/pre-commit b/.git-hooks/pre-commit
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..e1f8714
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.git-hooks/pre-commit
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# GLOBAL PRE-COMMIT HOOK with CHAINING to repo's own .git/hooks/pre-commit
+#
+
+# Detect repo root; empty if not in a Git repo
+repo_root="$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2> /dev/null)"
+
+if [[ -z "$repo_root" ]]; then
+  # Not a Git repo — do nothing
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+# Current branch
+branch="$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD 2> /dev/null || echo "")"
+
+# If in detached HEAD (rebasing, etc.), do nothing
+if [[ "$branch" == "HEAD" || -z "$branch" ]]; then
+  :
+else
+  # Determine primary (default) branch of the repo dynamically
+  # Determine default remote, prefer origin
+  default_remote="$(git config --get core.defaultRemote)"
+  if [[ -z "$default_remote" ]]; then
+    default_remote="origin"
+  fi
+
+  # Try to find remote HEAD reference, e.g. refs/remotes/origin/main
+  remote_head_ref="$(git symbolic-ref -q "refs/remotes/$default_remote/HEAD" 2> /dev/null || true)"
+
+  if [[ -n "$remote_head_ref" ]]; then
+    # Extract branch name from refs/remotes/origin/main
+    default_branch="${remote_head_ref#refs/remotes/$default_remote/}"
+  else
+    # Fallback to init.defaultBranch or 'main'
+    default_branch="$(git config --get init.defaultBranch)"
+    if [[ -z "$default_branch" ]]; then
+      default_branch="main"
+    fi
+  fi
+
+  # Block commits on primary branch
+  if [[ "$branch" == "$default_branch" ]]; then
+    echo "🚫 Stop‼ Don't commit on the primary branch '$branch' - Use a feature branch!"
+    echo "  Detected default remote '$default_remote' & primary branch '$default_branch'"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+fi
+
+# Chain to repo-specific pre-commit hook if it exists
+local_hook="$repo_root/.git/hooks/pre-commit"
+
+# Avoid infinite recursion: skip if this hook *is* the local hook
+if [[ -x "$local_hook" && "$0" != "$local_hook" ]]; then
+  echo "🔗 Chaining to local pre-commit hook at '$local_hook'"
+  exec "$local_hook"
+fi
+
+exit 0
diff --git a/.gitconfig b/.gitconfig
index c716d83..680359b 100644
--- a/.gitconfig
+++ b/.gitconfig
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@
 	# bdone = "!f() { git checkout ${1-master} && git up && git bclean ${1-master}; }; f"
 [core]
 	excludesfile = /home/praco/.gitignore
+	hooksPath = /Users/racop/.git-hooks
 [user]
 	name = Patrick Raco
 	email = patrick.raco@autodesk.com
diff --git a/setup.sh b/setup.sh
index 64b59b1..1d69950 100755
--- a/setup.sh
+++ b/setup.sh
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ SRC_REPO="$HOME/repos/pataraco/dot_files"
 #   1. Installs Homebrew
 #   2. Installs the Homebrew packages in the Brewfile
 #   3. Moves existing dot files in $HOME to $HOME/.orig
-#   4. Set up symlinks from $HOME to the files in the $SRC_REPO
+#   4. Set up symlinks from $HOME to the files/dirs in the $SRC_REPO
 #      (excluding this script, the .git directory and the README file, etc.)
 #
 # some other manual steps
@@ -70,23 +70,23 @@ fi
 
 # get list of files to process and create symlinks
 # shellcheck disable=SC2010
-for file in $(ls -1d .[a-z]* | grep -wv .git); do
-  echo -n "processing: $file... "
-  if [ -f "$file" ]; then         # source file is a regular file, create link
-    if [ -L "$HOME/$file" ]; then # existing symlink
+for file_or_dir in $(ls -1d .[a-z]* | grep -wv ".git/"); do
+  echo -n "processing: $file_or_dir... "
+  if [[ -f "$file_or_dir" ]] || [[ -d $file_or_dir ]]; then # source is a regular file or directory
+    if [ -L "$HOME/$file_or_dir" ]; then                    # existing symlink
       echo -n "removing existing symlink... "
-      rm -f "$HOME/$file"
-    elif [ -f "$HOME/$file" ]; then # existing file
-      echo -n "saving original file... "
-      mv "$HOME/$file" "$ORIG_DIR"
+      rm -f "$HOME/$file_or_dir"
+    elif [[ -f "$HOME/$file_or_dir" ]] || [[ -d "$HOME/$file_or_dir" ]]; then # existing file/dir
+      echo -n "saving original file/directory... "
+      mv "$HOME/$file_or_dir" "$ORIG_DIR"
       files_saved=true
     else # not found
-      echo -n "existing file/symlink not found..."
+      echo -n "existing file/directory/symlink not found..."
     fi
     echo -n "creating symlink... "
-    ln -s "$SRC_REPO/$file" "$HOME/$file"
-  else # source file is not a regular file, don't link
-    echo -n "not a regular file, not creating symlink... "
+    ln -s "$SRC_REPO/$file_or_dir" "$HOME/$file_or_dir"
+  else # source file/dir is not a regular file or directory, don't link
+    echo -n "not a regular file or directory, not creating symlink... "
   fi
   echo "done"
 done
diff --git a/starship.toml b/starship.toml
index 55bc499..49a84f5 100644
--- a/starship.toml
+++ b/starship.toml
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ ahead = "[⇡$count](bold fg:color_bright_green bg:color_indigo)"
 behind = "[⇣$count](bold fg:color_bright_yellow bg:color_indigo)"
 diverged = "[⇕$count](bold fg:color_bright_purple bg:color_indigo)"
 untracked = "[?$count](bold fg:color_bright_orange bg:color_indigo)"
-stashed = '[$\$count](bold fg:color_bright_blue bg:color_indigo)'
+stashed = '[\$$count](bold fg:color_bright_blue bg:color_indigo)'
 modified = "[!$count](bold fg:color_bright_yellow bg:color_indigo)"
 staged = "[+$count](bold fg:color_bright_green bg:color_indigo)"
 renamed = "[»$count](bold fg:color_bright_purple bg:color_indigo)"