diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 81ef7f2..e19b020 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -5,15 +5,21 @@ My configuration files that keep me from flipping a table after logging in.
 ## Setup
 
 ```
+sudo pacman -S stow   # or your distro's equivalent
 git clone https://github.com/andwati/dotfiles ~/dev/dotfiles
 ~/dev/dotfiles/install.sh
 ```
 
-Symlinks `zsh/.zshrc`, `zsh/.zshenv`, `zsh/.zprofile`, `zsh/.p10k.zsh`, and
-`gnupg/.gnupg/gpg-agent.conf` into `$HOME`, and clones oh-my-zsh plus the
-theme/plugins `.zshrc` expects (powerlevel10k, zsh-autosuggestions,
-zsh-syntax-highlighting, zsh-history-substring-search, zsh-completions,
-you-should-use).
+Each top-level directory is a [GNU Stow](https://www.gnu.org/software/stow/)
+package mirroring `$HOME` (e.g. `zsh/.zshrc` -> `~/.zshrc`). `install.sh`
+clones oh-my-zsh plus the theme/plugins `.zshrc` expects (powerlevel10k,
+zsh-autosuggestions, zsh-syntax-highlighting, zsh-history-substring-search,
+zsh-completions, you-should-use), then runs `stow zsh gnupg` to link
+everything in, backing up any conflicting real files it finds first (e.g.
+oh-my-zsh's own freshly-installed `.zshrc`).
+
+To add a new package: create a top-level dir shaped like `$HOME` (e.g.
+`git/.gitconfig`), then add a `stow_package <name>` call in `install.sh`.
 
 `gpg-agent.conf` caches your GPG passphrase for 8 hours (24h hard cap)
 instead of the 10-minute default, so signed commits don't re-prompt
diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index 75d1f9c..e8b9627 100755
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -1,19 +1,16 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
-# Bootstraps zsh config on a new machine: symlinks dotfiles into $HOME and
-# clones oh-my-zsh + the custom theme/plugins referenced by .zshrc.
+# Bootstraps dotfiles on a new machine: installs oh-my-zsh + the custom
+# theme/plugins .zshrc expects, then symlinks packages into $HOME via
+# GNU Stow (each top-level dir is a package mirroring $HOME, e.g.
+# zsh/.zshrc -> ~/.zshrc). Add a new package by adding a new top-level dir.
 set -euo pipefail
 
 DOTFILES_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
 ZSH_CUSTOM="${ZSH_CUSTOM:-$HOME/.oh-my-zsh/custom}"
 
-link() {
-  local src="$1" dst="$2"
-  if [ -e "$dst" ] && [ ! -L "$dst" ]; then
-    mv "$dst" "$dst.bak.$(date +%s)"
-    echo "Backed up existing $dst"
-  fi
-  ln -sfn "$src" "$dst"
-  echo "Linked $dst -> $src"
+command -v stow >/dev/null || {
+  echo "GNU Stow is required: sudo pacman -S stow (or your distro's equivalent)" >&2
+  exit 1
 }
 
 clone_if_missing() {
@@ -34,14 +31,30 @@ clone_if_missing https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-history-substring-search "$ZSH
 clone_if_missing https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-completions "$ZSH_CUSTOM/plugins/zsh-completions"
 clone_if_missing https://github.com/MichaelAquilina/zsh-you-should-use "$ZSH_CUSTOM/plugins/you-should-use"
 
-link "$DOTFILES_DIR/zsh/.zshrc" "$HOME/.zshrc"
-link "$DOTFILES_DIR/zsh/.zshenv" "$HOME/.zshenv"
-link "$DOTFILES_DIR/zsh/.zprofile" "$HOME/.zprofile"
-link "$DOTFILES_DIR/zsh/.p10k.zsh" "$HOME/.p10k.zsh"
+# Stow refuses to link over a real (non-symlink) file, so move any
+# conflicting pre-existing file aside first (e.g. the .zshrc oh-my-zsh's
+# own installer just wrote above).
+stow_package() {
+  local pkg="$1" f rel target
+  while IFS= read -r -d '' f; do
+    rel="${f#"$DOTFILES_DIR/$pkg/"}"
+    target="$HOME/$rel"
+    if [ -L "$target" ]; then
+      rm "$target"
+    elif [ -e "$target" ]; then
+      mkdir -p "$(dirname "$target")"
+      mv "$target" "$target.bak.$(date +%s)"
+      echo "Backed up existing $target"
+    fi
+  done < <(find "$DOTFILES_DIR/$pkg" -type f -print0)
+  stow --dir="$DOTFILES_DIR" --target="$HOME" --restow "$pkg"
+  echo "Stowed $pkg"
+}
 
-mkdir -p "$HOME/.gnupg"
-chmod 700 "$HOME/.gnupg"
-link "$DOTFILES_DIR/gnupg/.gnupg/gpg-agent.conf" "$HOME/.gnupg/gpg-agent.conf"
+mkdir -p "$HOME/.gnupg" && chmod 700 "$HOME/.gnupg"
+
+stow_package zsh
+stow_package gnupg
 gpgconf --kill gpg-agent 2>/dev/null || true
 
 cat <<'EOF'