diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 9f7cc77..43a9649 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -18,9 +18,11 @@ Thumbs.db
 # Per-operator overlays, never committed: .claude/settings.local.json (per-machine
 # plugin enablement written by .claude/cloud-bootstrap.sh) and the layered-config
 # overlays beside tracked team layers. The .claude/ glob is the form the
-# source-control plugin prescribes; the work-items tracker overlay sits at the
-# repo root, so it needs its own line.
+# source-control plugin prescribes; the work-items tracker overlay sits beside
+# its binding in docs/conventions/, and the legacy root overlay stays ignored
+# until no reader uses it.
 .claude/*.local.*
+docs/conventions/**/*.local.*
 .work-item-tracker.local.json
 
 # Exception: .claude/cloud-bootstrap.local.sh is a team-shared extension point
diff --git a/.work-item-tracker.json b/.work-item-tracker.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 8ffed16..0000000
--- a/.work-item-tracker.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "schema_version": "1.0",
-  "provider": "github",
-  "docs": "Work-item tracker binding; see the work-items plugin's tools/work-item-tracker/CONTRACT.md (Setup)",
-  "config": { "lease_ttl_hours": 24 }
-}
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 9bf48f4..f7935a0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -64,9 +64,11 @@ link lane for the same reason.
   It also denies Read on secret files (`.env*`, `secrets/`, keys).
   `docs/conventions/source-control.yaml` is the tracked team layer of the
   source-control convention (commit and PR-title pattern, required PR-body
-  sections, merge lane); `.work-item-tracker.json` binds the work-items tracker
-  provider. The source-control settings and `.work-item-tracker.json` each
-  resolve an optional gitignored `*.local.*` overlay for per-operator deviations.
+  sections, merge lane); the `tracker` key of `docs/conventions/work-items.yaml`
+  binds the work-items tracker provider. The source-control settings and the
+  tracker binding each resolve an optional gitignored `*.local.*` overlay for
+  per-operator deviations; the binding's overlay is
+  `docs/conventions/work-items.local.yaml`.
   `.claude/rules/pr-body-contract.md`, synced from `standards`, states the
   pull-request body contract; `.claude/ai-slop.json` configures the AI-writing
   audit for this repository.
diff --git a/docs/conventions/work-items.yaml b/docs/conventions/work-items.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2c80f81
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/conventions/work-items.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+tracker:
+  schema_version: "1.0"
+  provider: "github"
+  docs: "Work-item tracker binding; see the work-items plugin's tools/work-item-tracker/CONTRACT.md (Setup)"
+  config:
+    lease_ttl_hours: 24