diff --git a/.github/renovate.json b/.github/renovate.json
index b10b48b..d38851f 100644
--- a/.github/renovate.json
+++ b/.github/renovate.json
@@ -1,11 +1,5 @@
 {
   "$schema": "https://docs.renovatebot.com/renovate-schema.json",
-  "extends": [
-    "config:best-practices",
-    ":semanticCommits"
-  ],
-  "gitAuthor": "github-actions[bot] <41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>",
-  "minimumReleaseAge": "14 days",
   "customManagers": [
     {
       "customType": "regex",
@@ -21,17 +15,5 @@
       "matchStrings": ["github:(?<depName>[\\w-]+/[\\w-]+)/(?<currentDigest>[a-f0-9]+).*#\\s*(?<currentValue>v[\\S]+)"],
       "datasourceTemplate": "github-releases"
     }
-  ],
-  "packageRules": [
-    {
-      "matchUpdateTypes": ["minor", "patch", "digest"],
-      "groupName": "non-major dependencies",
-      "groupSlug": "non-major"
-    },
-    {
-      "matchUpdateTypes": ["major"],
-      "groupName": "major dependencies",
-      "groupSlug": "major"
-    }
   ]
 }
diff --git a/.github/workflows/renovate.yaml b/.github/workflows/renovate.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 3329711..0000000
--- a/.github/workflows/renovate.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,32 +0,0 @@
-# Managed by copier — changes may be overwritten by `copier update`
-name: Renovate
-
-on:
-  workflow_dispatch:
-  schedule:
-    - cron: "0 3 * * 1" # weekly, Monday at 03:00 UTC
-
-concurrency:
-  group: ${{ github.workflow }}
-  cancel-in-progress: true
-
-permissions:
-  contents: read
-
-jobs:
-  renovate:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    permissions:
-      contents: write       # Allow Renovate to create branches
-      issues: write         # Allow Renovate Dependency Dashboard
-      pull-requests: write  # Allow Renovate to create PRs
-    timeout-minutes: 30
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6
-
-      - uses: renovatebot/github-action@abd08c7549b2a864af5df4a2e369c43f035a6a9d # v46.1.5
-        with:
-          configurationFile: .github/renovate.json
-          token: ${{ secrets.RENOVATE_TOKEN }}
-        env:
-          RENOVATE_REPOSITORIES: ${{ github.repository }}
diff --git a/template/.github/renovate.json.jinja b/template/.github/renovate.json.jinja
index a7cb9f8..47c39f1 100644
--- a/template/.github/renovate.json.jinja
+++ b/template/.github/renovate.json.jinja
@@ -1,24 +1,7 @@
 {
-  "$schema": "https://docs.renovatebot.com/renovate-schema.json",
-  "extends": [
-    "config:best-practices",
-    ":semanticCommits"
-  ],
-  "gitAuthor": "github-actions[bot] <41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>",
-  "minimumReleaseAge": "14 days",
+  "$schema": "https://docs.renovatebot.com/renovate-schema.json"{% if _is_template %},
   "customManagers": [
 {% include pathjoin("includes", "renovate-template.jinja") ignore missing %}
-  ],
-  "packageRules": [
-    {
-      "matchUpdateTypes": ["minor", "patch", "digest"],
-      "groupName": "non-major dependencies",
-      "groupSlug": "non-major"
-    },
-    {
-      "matchUpdateTypes": ["major"],
-      "groupName": "major dependencies",
-      "groupSlug": "major"
-    }
   ]
+{% endif %}
 }
diff --git a/template/.github/workflows/renovate.yaml b/template/.github/workflows/renovate.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 3329711..0000000
--- a/template/.github/workflows/renovate.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,32 +0,0 @@
-# Managed by copier — changes may be overwritten by `copier update`
-name: Renovate
-
-on:
-  workflow_dispatch:
-  schedule:
-    - cron: "0 3 * * 1" # weekly, Monday at 03:00 UTC
-
-concurrency:
-  group: ${{ github.workflow }}
-  cancel-in-progress: true
-
-permissions:
-  contents: read
-
-jobs:
-  renovate:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    permissions:
-      contents: write       # Allow Renovate to create branches
-      issues: write         # Allow Renovate Dependency Dashboard
-      pull-requests: write  # Allow Renovate to create PRs
-    timeout-minutes: 30
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6
-
-      - uses: renovatebot/github-action@abd08c7549b2a864af5df4a2e369c43f035a6a9d # v46.1.5
-        with:
-          configurationFile: .github/renovate.json
-          token: ${{ secrets.RENOVATE_TOKEN }}
-        env:
-          RENOVATE_REPOSITORIES: ${{ github.repository }}
diff --git a/tests/test_rendering.py b/tests/test_rendering.py
index 11bcb06..7d8bd7f 100644
--- a/tests/test_rendering.py
+++ b/tests/test_rendering.py
@@ -249,17 +249,11 @@ def test_pr_checks_pinned_actions(generated_github_project):
 
 
 def test_renovate_config_valid_json(generated_github_project):
-    """renovate.json is valid JSON with expected keys."""
+    """renovate.json is valid JSON with $schema (khepri-managed, minimal config)."""
     data = parse_json(generated_github_project / ".github" / "renovate.json")
-    assert "extends" in data
-    assert "customManagers" in data
-
-
-def test_renovate_no_template_config(generated_github_project):
-    """Default projects don't have template-specific Renovate managers."""
-    content = (generated_github_project / ".github" / "renovate.json").read_text()
-    assert "postUpgradeTasks" not in content
-    assert "template/" not in content
+    assert "$schema" in data
+    assert "extends" not in data
+    assert "customManagers" not in data
 
 
 def test_security_md(generated_github_project):