diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index cb86753..b6b35e2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Fixed
+- The `steplock init` sample checklist and the `git-push-quality-gate` example matched the literal text `git push`, so `git -C <dir> push` (or any global option between `git` and `push`) skipped the gate. They now match on `command_words`
+
 ## [0.1.0] - 2026-09-24
 
 First published release.
diff --git a/Installation.md b/Installation.md
index f4f34c5..6756e21 100644
--- a/Installation.md
+++ b/Installation.md
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ Each checklist lives in its own subdirectory. The directory name is the checklis
 
 on_event = "tool:before"
 on_tool   = "bash"
-match_input = "input.command.contains('git push')"
+match_input = "input.command_words.exists(x, x == 'git') && input.command_words.exists(x, x == 'push')"
 reset     = "session"
 allow_preview_request = true
 ```
diff --git a/core/src/bin/main.rs b/core/src/bin/main.rs
index b3a29c1..a83f217 100644
--- a/core/src/bin/main.rs
+++ b/core/src/bin/main.rs
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ fn run_hook() {
 
 const SAMPLE_CONFIG: &str = r#"on_event = "tool:before"
 on_tool = "bash"
-match_input = "input.command.contains('git push')"
+match_input = "input.command_words.exists(x, x == 'git') && input.command_words.exists(x, x == 'push')"
 reset = "session"
 "#;
 
diff --git a/core/src/bin/main_tests.rs b/core/src/bin/main_tests.rs
index 1f936c6..c8f238c 100644
--- a/core/src/bin/main_tests.rs
+++ b/core/src/bin/main_tests.rs
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ fn init_scaffolds_sample_checklist() {
     assert!(sample.join("config.toml").exists());
     assert!(sample.join("flow.mmd").exists());
     let cfg = fs::read_to_string(sample.join("config.toml")).unwrap();
-    assert!(cfg.contains("git push"));
+    assert!(cfg.contains("command_words"));
     let flow = fs::read_to_string(sample.join("flow.mmd")).unwrap();
     assert!(flow.contains("stateDiagram-v2"));
 }
@@ -477,3 +477,28 @@ fn hermes_session_end_cleans_global_session() {
         "on_session_end must clean the global session"
     );
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn init_sample_blocks_git_push_with_global_options() {
+    let tmp = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    run_init(tmp.path()).unwrap();
+    for cmd in [
+        "git -C /repo push origin main",
+        "git push",
+        "cd x && git push -q",
+    ] {
+        let stdin = claude_stdin(cmd, "s-opts");
+        let resp = run_app(stdin.as_bytes(), tmp.path(), None).unwrap();
+        assert!(
+            matches!(resp, polyhook::HookResponse::BlockResponse(_)),
+            "sample must block `{cmd}`"
+        );
+        fs::remove_dir_all(tmp.path().join(".steplock/sessions")).unwrap();
+    }
+    let stdin = claude_stdin("git status", "s-opts");
+    let resp = run_app(stdin.as_bytes(), tmp.path(), None).unwrap();
+    assert!(
+        !matches!(resp, polyhook::HookResponse::BlockResponse(_)),
+        "sample must not block unrelated git commands"
+    );
+}
diff --git a/examples/README.md b/examples/README.md
index 3965954..dc00207 100644
--- a/examples/README.md
+++ b/examples/README.md
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 A four-item quality checklist that gates `git push` commands.
 
-**Trigger**: `tool:before` on `bash` when `input.command.contains('git push')`.
+**Trigger**: `tool:before` on `bash` when the command's words include `git` and `push` (`command_words`, so `git -C dir push` and `git push` both match).
 
 **Flow**: linear — four states in sequence.
 
diff --git a/examples/git-push-quality-gate/.steplock/checklists/git-push-quality-gate/config.toml b/examples/git-push-quality-gate/.steplock/checklists/git-push-quality-gate/config.toml
index f66f047..53a2e75 100644
--- a/examples/git-push-quality-gate/.steplock/checklists/git-push-quality-gate/config.toml
+++ b/examples/git-push-quality-gate/.steplock/checklists/git-push-quality-gate/config.toml
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@
 
 on_event = "tool:before"
 on_tool = "bash"
-match_input = "input.command.contains('git push')"
+match_input = "input.command_words.exists(x, x == 'git') && input.command_words.exists(x, x == 'push')"
 reset = "session"
 allow_preview_request = true
diff --git a/schemas/checklist-config.schema.json b/schemas/checklist-config.schema.json
index 6214438..11ea6d3 100644
--- a/schemas/checklist-config.schema.json
+++ b/schemas/checklist-config.schema.json
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
       "type": "string",
       "description": "Optional CEL expression evaluated against the hook event. Omit to match all invocations of on_event + on_tool. Available variables: input.<key>, output.<key>, event.tool, event.event, event.caller.",
       "examples": [
-        "input.command.contains('git push')",
+        "input.command_words.exists(x, x == 'git') && input.command_words.exists(x, x == 'push')",
         "input.command.contains('git push') && !input.command.contains('--dry-run')",
         "input.command.matches('^git (push|tag)')",
         "input.path.startsWith('/etc')",