diff --git a/phing/build.yml b/phing/build.yml
index 06dbf716f..f0a43adf0 100644
--- a/phing/build.yml
+++ b/phing/build.yml
@@ -69,6 +69,14 @@ drush:
   logoutput: yes
   verbose: ${blt.verbose}
 
+git:
+  # The value of a hook should be the file path to a directory containing an
+  # executable file named after the hook.
+  # Changing a hook value to 'false' will disable it.
+  hooks:
+    pre-commit: ${blt.root}/scripts/git-hooks
+    commit-msg: ${blt.root}/scripts/git-hooks
+
 multisite:
   # The docroot/sites/default directory is used by default.
   name: default
diff --git a/phing/tasks/setup.xml b/phing/tasks/setup.xml
index a42e4122e..1826c8208 100644
--- a/phing/tasks/setup.xml
+++ b/phing/tasks/setup.xml
@@ -228,16 +228,28 @@
   </target>
 
   <target name="setup:git-hooks" description="Installs git hooks to local .git/hooks directory from version controlled scripts/git-hooks directory.">
-    <echo>Removing ${repo.root}/.git/hooks, if it exists.</echo>
-    <!-- Symlink into .git directory. -->
-    <delete dir="${repo.root}/.git/hooks" quiet="true" failonerror="false"/>
-    <delete file="${repo.root}/.git/hooks" quiet="true" failonerror="false"/>
-    <echo>Symlinking ${repo.root}/scripts/git-hooks to ${repo.root}/.git/hooks.</echo>
-    <exec dir="${repo.root}/.git" command="ln -snv ../vendor/acquia/blt/scripts/git-hooks hooks" logoutput="true" checkreturn="true" level="${blt.exec_level}" passthru="true"/>
+    <exec dir="${repo.root}/.git" command="mkdir -p hooks" logoutput="true" checkreturn="true" level="${blt.exec_level}" passthru="true"/>
+    <delete file="${repo.root}/.git/hooks/pre-commit" failonerror="false" quiet="true" verbose="${blt.verbose}"/>
+    <delete file="${repo.root}/.git/hooks/commit-msg" failonerror="false" quiet="true" verbose="${blt.verbose}"/>
+
+    <if>
+      <not><equals arg1="${git.hooks.pre-commit}" arg2="false"/></not>
+      <then>
+        <echo level="info">Symlinking ${repo.root}/scripts/git-hooks/pre-commit to ${git.hooks.pre-commit}/pre-commit</echo>
+        <exec dir="${repo.root}/.git/hooks" command="ln -snv ${git.hooks.pre-commit}/pre-commit pre-commit" logoutput="true" checkreturn="true" level="${blt.exec_level}" passthru="true"/>
+      </then>
+    </if>
+    <if>
+      <not><equals arg1="${git.hooks.commit-msg}" arg2="false"/></not>
+      <then>
+        <echo level="verbose">Symlinking ${repo.root}/scripts/git-hooks/commit-msg to ${git.hooks.pre-commit}/commit-msg</echo>
+        <exec dir="${repo.root}/.git/hooks" command="ln -snv ${git.hooks.commit-msg}/commit-msg commit-msg" logoutput="true" checkreturn="true" level="${blt.exec_level}" passthru="true"/>
+      </then>
+    </if>
 
     <!-- Grant execution permissions. -->
-    <echo>Making git hooks executable.</echo>
-    <chmod mode="0755">
+    <echo level="verbose">Making git hooks executable.</echo>
+    <chmod mode="0755" verbose="false">
       <fileset dir="${blt.root}/scripts/git-hooks">
         <exclude name="**/*.sample" />
         <exclude name="**/README.md" />
diff --git a/readme/extending-blt.md b/readme/extending-blt.md
index 4439fa1ec..6265bed1d 100644
--- a/readme/extending-blt.md
+++ b/readme/extending-blt.md
@@ -86,6 +86,24 @@ More specifically, you can modify the build artifact in the following key ways:
             dir: ${deploy.dir}/docroot/profiles/contrib/lightning
             command: npm run install-libraries
 
+### setup:*
+
+#### setup:git-hooks
+
+You may disable a git hook by setting its value under `git.hooks` to false:
+
+        git:
+          hooks:
+            pre-commit: false
+
+You may use a custom git hook in place of BLT's default git hooks by setting its value under `git.hooks` to the directory path containing of the hook. The directory must contain an executable file named after the git hook:
+
+        git:
+          hooks:
+            pre-commit: ${repo.root}/my-custom-git-hooks
+
+In this example, an executable file named `pre-commit` should exist in `${repo.root}/my-custom-git-hooks`.
+
 ### tests:*
 
 #### tests:behat
diff --git a/src/Update/Updater.php b/src/Update/Updater.php
index ff9f63ab9..8371ab7ff 100644
--- a/src/Update/Updater.php
+++ b/src/Update/Updater.php
@@ -57,6 +57,13 @@ public function setRepoRoot($repoRoot) {
     $this->repoRoot = $repoRoot;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * @return ConsoleOutput
+   */
+  public function getOutput() {
+    return $this->output;
+  }
+
   /**
    * @return \Symfony\Component\Filesystem\Filesystem
    */
@@ -268,4 +275,12 @@ public function moveFile($source, $target, $overwrite = FALSE) {
     return FALSE;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * @param $filepath
+   */
+  public function deleteFile($filepath) {
+    $abs_path = $this->getRepoRoot() . '/' . $filepath;
+    $this->getFileSystem()->remove($abs_path);
+  }
+
 }
diff --git a/src/Update/Updates.php b/src/Update/Updates.php
index 0b0d5bf03..5fbcc984e 100644
--- a/src/Update/Updates.php
+++ b/src/Update/Updates.php
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ public function __construct(Updater $updater) {
   /**
    * @Update(
    *   version = "8.5.1",
-   *   description = "Removes deprecated features patch. Moves configuration files to blt subdirectory."
+   *   description = "Removes deprecated features patch. Moves configuration files to blt subdirectory. Removes .git/hooks symlink."
    * )
    */
   public function update_851() {
@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@ public function update_851() {
     $this->updater->moveFile('project.yml', 'blt/project.yml', TRUE);
     $this->updater->moveFile('project.local.yml', 'blt/project.local.yml', TRUE);
     $this->updater->moveFile('example.project.local.yml', 'blt/example.project.local.yml', TRUE);
+
+    // Delete symlink to hooks directory. Individual git hooks are now symlinked, not the entire directory.
+    $this->updater->deleteFile('.git/hooks');
+    $this->updater->getOutput()->writeln('.git/hooks was deleted. Please re-run setup:git-hooks to install git hooks locally.');
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/template/blt/project.yml b/template/blt/project.yml
index e2cf8509c..d6a92a736 100644
--- a/template/blt/project.yml
+++ b/template/blt/project.yml
@@ -19,10 +19,6 @@ git:
   remotes:
     # Defining git remotes allows builds deployed via CI.
     - bolt8@svn-5223.devcloud.hosting.acquia.com:bolt8.git
-    # - radass4@svn-11692.prod.hosting.acquia.com:radass4.git
-  hooks:
-    pre-commit: true
-    commit-msg: true
 
 drush:
   # You can set custom project aliases in drush/site-aliases/aliases.drushrc.php.