diff --git a/pre_commit/commands/install_uninstall.py b/pre_commit/commands/install_uninstall.py
index 83b97cb..9191222 100644
--- a/pre_commit/commands/install_uninstall.py
+++ b/pre_commit/commands/install_uninstall.py
@@ -2,15 +2,19 @@ from __future__ import print_function
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
 import io
+import logging
 import os.path
 import sys
 
 from pre_commit import output
+from pre_commit.util import cmd_output
 from pre_commit.util import make_executable
 from pre_commit.util import mkdirp
 from pre_commit.util import resource_filename
 
 
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
 # This is used to identify the hook file we install
 PRIOR_HASHES = (
     '4d9958c90bc262f47553e2c073f14cfe',
@@ -36,6 +40,13 @@ def install(
         skip_on_missing_conf=False,
 ):
     """Install the pre-commit hooks."""
+    if cmd_output('git', 'config', 'core.hooksPath', retcode=None)[1].strip():
+        logger.error(
+            'Cowardly refusing to install hooks with `core.hooksPath` set.\n'
+            'hint: `git config --unset-all core.hooksPath`',
+        )
+        return 1
+
     hook_path = runner.get_hook_path(hook_type)
     legacy_path = hook_path + '.legacy'
 

Handle when `core.hooksPath` is set?
As we found in https://github.com/pre-commit/pre-commit-hooks/issues/250, pre-commit (despite being installed) will be silently skipped if `code.hooksPath` is set.

A few options:
- during `pre-commit install`, check this variable and warn
- "" but error
- install into the directory at `core.hooksPath` (but it may be outside the working dir? probably not the best idea to write to it)
diff --git a/tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py b/tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py
index a49a3e4..f83708e 100644
--- a/tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py
+++ b/tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py
@@ -66,6 +66,14 @@ def test_install_hooks_directory_not_present(tempdir_factory):
     assert os.path.exists(runner.pre_commit_path)
 
 
+def test_install_refuses_core_hookspath(tempdir_factory):
+    path = git_dir(tempdir_factory)
+    with cwd(path):
+        cmd_output('git', 'config', '--local', 'core.hooksPath', 'hooks')
+        runner = Runner(path, C.CONFIG_FILE)
+        assert install(runner)
+
+
 @xfailif_no_symlink
 def test_install_hooks_dead_symlink(
         tempdir_factory,

pip install -e .
parse_log_pytest
requirements.txt
3.6
requirements-dev.txt
pytest --no-header -rA --tb=line --color=no -p no:cacheprovider -W ignore::DeprecationWarning
aspy.yaml==1.3.0
attrs==22.2.0
cached-property==1.5.2
certifi==2021.5.30
cfgv==3.3.1
coverage==6.2
distlib==0.3.9
filelock==3.4.1
flake8==5.0.4
identify==2.4.4
importlib-metadata==4.8.3
importlib-resources==5.4.0
iniconfig==1.1.1
mccabe==0.7.0
mock==5.2.0
nodeenv==1.6.0
packaging==21.3
platformdirs==2.4.0
pluggy==1.0.0
-e git+https://github.com/pre-commit/pre-commit.git@ac3a37d1a0e3575bddf23fd9babf6e56202b2988#egg=pre_commit
py==1.11.0
pycodestyle==2.9.1
pyflakes==2.5.0
pyparsing==3.1.4
pytest==7.0.1
pytest-env==0.6.2
PyYAML==6.0.1
six==1.17.0
tomli==1.2.3
typing_extensions==4.1.1
virtualenv==20.17.1
zipp==3.6.0

name: pre-commit
channels:
  - defaults
  - https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main
  - https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/r
  - conda-forge
dependencies:
  - _libgcc_mutex=0.1=main
  - _openmp_mutex=5.1=1_gnu
  - ca-certificates=2025.2.25=h06a4308_0
  - certifi=2021.5.30=py36h06a4308_0
  - ld_impl_linux-64=2.40=h12ee557_0
  - libffi=3.3=he6710b0_2
  - libgcc-ng=11.2.0=h1234567_1
  - libgomp=11.2.0=h1234567_1
  - libstdcxx-ng=11.2.0=h1234567_1
  - ncurses=6.4=h6a678d5_0
  - openssl=1.1.1w=h7f8727e_0
  - pip=21.2.2=py36h06a4308_0
  - python=3.6.13=h12debd9_1
  - readline=8.2=h5eee18b_0
  - setuptools=58.0.4=py36h06a4308_0
  - sqlite=3.45.3=h5eee18b_0
  - tk=8.6.14=h39e8969_0
  - wheel=0.37.1=pyhd3eb1b0_0
  - xz=5.6.4=h5eee18b_1
  - zlib=1.2.13=h5eee18b_1
  - pip:
      - aspy-yaml==1.3.0
      - attrs==22.2.0
      - cached-property==1.5.2
      - cfgv==3.3.1
      - coverage==6.2
      - distlib==0.3.9
      - filelock==3.4.1
      - flake8==5.0.4
      - identify==2.4.4
      - importlib-metadata==4.8.3
      - importlib-resources==5.4.0
      - iniconfig==1.1.1
      - mccabe==0.7.0
      - mock==5.2.0
      - nodeenv==1.6.0
      - packaging==21.3
      - platformdirs==2.4.0
      - pluggy==1.0.0
      - py==1.11.0
      - pycodestyle==2.9.1
      - pyflakes==2.5.0
      - pyparsing==3.1.4
      - pytest==7.0.1
      - pytest-env==0.6.2
      - pyyaml==6.0.1
      - six==1.17.0
      - tomli==1.2.3
      - typing-extensions==4.1.1
      - virtualenv==20.17.1
      - zipp==3.6.0
prefix: /opt/conda/envs/pre-commit

tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_install_refuses_core_hookspath
tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_install_in_submodule_and_run tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_environment_not_sourced
tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_is_not_script tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_is_script tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_is_previous_pre_commit tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_install_pre_commit tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_install_hooks_directory_not_present tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_install_hooks_dead_symlink tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_uninstall_does_not_blow_up_when_not_there tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_uninstall tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_install_pre_commit_and_run tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_install_pre_commit_and_run_custom_path tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_commit_am tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_unicode_merge_commit_message tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_install_idempotent tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_failing_hooks_returns_nonzero tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_install_existing_hooks_no_overwrite tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_install_existing_hook_no_overwrite_idempotent tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_failing_existing_hook_returns_1 tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_install_overwrite_no_existing_hooks tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_install_overwrite tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_uninstall_restores_legacy_hooks tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_replace_old_commit_script tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_uninstall_doesnt_remove_not_our_hooks tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_installs_hooks_with_hooks_True tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_install_hooks_command tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_installed_from_venv tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_pre_push_integration_failing tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_pre_push_integration_accepted tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_pre_push_new_upstream tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_pre_push_integration_empty_push tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_pre_push_legacy tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_commit_msg_integration_failing tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_commit_msg_integration_passing tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_commit_msg_legacy tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_install_disallow_mising_config tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_install_allow_mising_config tests/commands/install_uninstall_test.py::test_install_temporarily_allow_mising_config
pre_commit/commands/install_uninstall.py
pre_commit/commands/install_uninstall.py