diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index e286c5b..3c6493f 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -22,6 +22,12 @@ All notable changes to this project are documented here. The format is based on
 - `.env.example` now states that nothing loads `.env` automatically and shows
   how to export or source the variables, since the settings layer reads
   `os.environ` directly.
+- The README manual path and `rename-project`'s printed next steps now tell
+  users to remove all three single-use generator files (`rename-project`,
+  `create-project`, and `tests/test_create_project.py`), matching what the
+  scripted `create-project` path removes automatically. Previously the manual
+  instructions mentioned only the rename script, leaving generator tooling
+  behind in projects created via the GitHub "Use this template" button.
 
 ## [0.2.0] - 2026-07-17
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f368a3d..30dc9b5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -88,17 +88,22 @@ cannot portably use them.
 
 1. **Create your repo from this one** (GitHub "Use this template", or clone
    and re-init).
-2. **Rename the skeleton** (single-use, then delete the script):
+2. **Rename the skeleton**, then remove the template's single-use generator
+   files:
 
    ```bash
    bash scripts/rename-project your-tool-name
+   rm scripts/rename-project scripts/create-project tests/test_create_project.py
    ```
 
-   This rewrites the package (`skeleton_cli`), distribution (`skeleton-cli`),
-   and env-var prefix (`SKELETON_CLI`) everywhere, moves the source directory,
-   substitutes your `git config user.name` and `user.email` as owner and
-   contact in the docs and community files, and resets the project to its own
-   `0.1.0` with a fresh `CHANGELOG.md` and `docs/log.md`.
+   `rename-project` rewrites the package (`skeleton_cli`), distribution
+   (`skeleton-cli`), and env-var prefix (`SKELETON_CLI`) everywhere, moves the
+   source directory, substitutes your `git config user.name` and `user.email`
+   as owner and contact in the docs and community files, and resets the project
+   to its own `0.1.0` with a fresh `CHANGELOG.md` and `docs/log.md`. The `rm`
+   drops the two generator scripts and their smoke test — template tooling that
+   has no role in a downstream project. (The preferred path removes these same
+   three files for you.)
 3. **Create the environment and verify the gate with
    [uv](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/):**
 
diff --git a/docs/log.md b/docs/log.md
index a58d5f4..8399d2c 100644
--- a/docs/log.md
+++ b/docs/log.md
@@ -14,6 +14,13 @@ Dated changes to the docs bundle, newest first.
 
 ## 2026-07-17
 
+- Aligned the manual template-setup path with the scripted one on cleanup.
+  The README manual path and `rename-project`'s printed next steps now instruct
+  removing all three single-use generator files (`rename-project`,
+  `create-project`, `tests/test_create_project.py`), matching what
+  `create-project` removes automatically. This stops projects created via the
+  GitHub "Use this template" button from carrying generator tooling into their
+  first commit.
 - Kept claude-okf-repo-kit's safe same-name-file behavior visible during
   project creation. `create-project` now prints the installer summary and
   explains that `CLAUDE.2.md` is an inactive review candidate; the README
diff --git a/scripts/rename-project b/scripts/rename-project
index 2893f65..15033fd 100755
--- a/scripts/rename-project
+++ b/scripts/rename-project
@@ -189,5 +189,7 @@ Next steps:
      and .env.example.
   5. Install the operating contract on top (goal, mapping, hooks, loop):
      bash /path/to/claude-okf-repo-kit/scripts/update-existing-repo .
-  6. Delete this script; it is single-use.
+  6. Remove the single-use generator files; they have no role downstream:
+     rm scripts/rename-project scripts/create-project \
+       tests/test_create_project.py
 EOF