diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 9b64d52..0f662d9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -54,11 +54,11 @@ An interactive setup script takes you from clone to mining in a few minutes.
 # Grab the latest release — pulls the published, tested images (no local build)
 curl -fsSL https://github.com/p2pool-starter-stack/pithead/releases/latest/download/pithead.tar.gz | tar xz
 cd pithead
-cp config.json.template config.json   # then set your Monero + Tari payout addresses
+cp config.minimal.json config.json   # then set your Monero + Tari payout addresses
 ./pithead setup
 ```
 
-> For every tunable, copy `config.advanced.example.json` instead. To build from source (a `dev`
+> For every tunable, copy `config.reference.json` instead. To build from source (a `dev`
 > build), e.g. to contribute, see [Install from source](docs/getting-started.md#alternative-build-from-source).
 
 > NOTE: Prereqs are Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS, 16 GB+ RAM, an SSD (~300 GB pruned / ~500 GB full
diff --git a/config.json.template b/config.minimal.json
similarity index 100%
rename from config.json.template
rename to config.minimal.json
diff --git a/config.advanced.example.json b/config.reference.json
similarity index 100%
rename from config.advanced.example.json
rename to config.reference.json
diff --git a/docs/configuration.md b/docs/configuration.md
index 948ede2..43d658c 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/configuration.md
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ Only your two wallet addresses are required. Every other key is optional and fal
 the node runs locally, on the `main` pool, with a secure dashboard, and the local node's RPC
 credentials are auto-generated. Leave a key out unless you want to change it.
 
-A fresh `config.json` is just this (see [`config.json.template`](../config.json.template)):
+A fresh `config.json` is just this (see [`config.minimal.json`](../config.minimal.json)):
 
 ```json
 {
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ A fresh `config.json` is just this (see [`config.json.template`](../config.json.
 ```
 
 For the full shape with every key and its default, see
-[`config.advanced.example.json`](../config.advanced.example.json) and copy in only the keys you
+[`config.reference.json`](../config.reference.json) and copy in only the keys you
 want to override.
 
 > The string `"auto"` anywhere means "let the stack pick the default": a default path, the
diff --git a/docs/getting-started.md b/docs/getting-started.md
index e6b1017..61a1a76 100644
--- a/docs/getting-started.md
+++ b/docs/getting-started.md
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ process; most of it runs on its own.
 > ```bash
 > curl -fsSL https://github.com/p2pool-starter-stack/pithead/releases/latest/download/pithead.tar.gz | tar xz
 > cd pithead
-> cp config.json.template config.json   # set your Monero + Tari payout addresses
+> cp config.minimal.json config.json   # set your Monero + Tari payout addresses
 > ./pithead setup
 > ```
 >
@@ -55,11 +55,11 @@ dashboard shows the real version and the update-checker works:
 ```bash
 curl -fsSL https://github.com/p2pool-starter-stack/pithead/releases/latest/download/pithead.tar.gz | tar xz
 cd pithead
-cp config.json.template config.json   # then set your Monero + Tari payout addresses
+cp config.minimal.json config.json   # then set your Monero + Tari payout addresses
 ```
 
-`config.json.template` is minimal: just your two payout addresses. `setup` fills in defaults for
-everything else. For the full set of knobs, copy `config.advanced.example.json` instead. Have your
+`config.minimal.json` is minimal: just your two payout addresses. `setup` fills in defaults for
+everything else. For the full set of knobs, copy `config.reference.json` instead. Have your
 Monero and Tari payout addresses ready (Tari wallets are sometimes labeled Minotari, same thing).
 
 ### Alternative: build from source
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ stack, clone the repo. pithead sees the `build/` context and builds locally, tag
 ```bash
 git clone https://github.com/p2pool-starter-stack/pithead.git
 cd pithead && chmod +x pithead
-cp config.json.template config.json   # then set your payout addresses
+cp config.minimal.json config.json   # then set your payout addresses
 ```
 
 > Changed your mind later? You can convert a clone to the published images in place. See
diff --git a/docs/releasing.md b/docs/releasing.md
index 359bf32..778bc82 100644
--- a/docs/releasing.md
+++ b/docs/releasing.md
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ What exists today:
   (the bundle ships no Dockerfiles, just `pithead` + `VERSION` + compose + the config templates + the
   `./build` runtime mounts) resolves `STACK_VERSION` to `vX.Y.Z` and pulls the published images
   (`--pull missing`; `upgrade` forces a re-pull). Override with `PITHEAD_REGISTRY` / `PITHEAD_PULL`. So
-  a release is now `cp config.json.template config.json && ./pithead setup`, no local build.
+  a release is now `cp config.minimal.json config.json && ./pithead setup`, no local build.
 
 **Remaining:**
 
diff --git a/pithead b/pithead
index ab1bc1c..1fc0d00 100755
--- a/pithead
+++ b/pithead
@@ -1468,7 +1468,7 @@ check_prerequisites() {
     log "All dependencies satisfied."
 }
 
-# Placeholder credentials shipped in config.json.template / config.advanced.example.json. We
+# Placeholder credentials shipped in config.minimal.json / config.reference.json. We
 # treat them like empty values so a user who copies the template but never edits the node creds
 # still gets real, auto-generated ones (rather than working-but-predictable defaults).
 readonly PLACEHOLDER_NODE_USER="create_a_username_for_node"
@@ -1520,7 +1520,7 @@ ensure_config_exists() {
     [ -f "$CONFIG_FILE" ] && return 0
 
     if [ ! -t 0 ]; then
-        error "$CONFIG_FILE not found and no interactive terminal is available.\n  Create it first (copy config.json.template to config.json and edit it), then re-run."
+        error "$CONFIG_FILE not found and no interactive terminal is available.\n  Create it first (copy config.minimal.json to config.json and edit it), then re-run."
     fi
 
     log "$CONFIG_FILE not found. Starting interactive setup..."
diff --git a/scripts/release.sh b/scripts/release.sh
index 12b27a5..aa60d7f 100755
--- a/scripts/release.sh
+++ b/scripts/release.sh
@@ -466,13 +466,13 @@ compose_build_mounts() {
 # containers find the config templates they render at setup.
 make_bundle() {
     # Unpacks to a versionless "pithead/" dir so the documented quick start can `cd pithead` and so a
-    # later bundle re-download upgrades it in place. Ships BOTH config templates: config.json.template
+    # later bundle re-download upgrades it in place. Ships BOTH config templates: config.minimal.json
     # (basic — just the two wallet addresses, the documented quick-start config) and the advanced
     # example. The bundle README + the repo quick start both point at the basic one (matching setup's
-    # own "copy config.json.template" guidance); the advanced example is "for more options".
+    # own "copy config.minimal.json" guidance); the advanced example is "for more options".
     local out="$1" d="$WORKDIR/pithead"
     mkdir -p "$d"
-    cp pithead VERSION docker-compose.yml config.json.template config.advanced.example.json "$d/" 2>/dev/null || true
+    cp pithead VERSION docker-compose.yml config.minimal.json config.reference.json "$d/" 2>/dev/null || true
     local m
     while IFS= read -r m; do
         [ -e "$m" ] || {
@@ -482,7 +482,7 @@ make_bundle() {
         mkdir -p "$d/$(dirname "$m")"
         cp -R "$m" "$d/$(dirname "$m")/"
     done < <(compose_build_mounts docker-compose.yml)
-    printf 'Pithead %s — pinned install bundle (images pulled from %s, no local build).\n\nQuick start:\n  1. cp config.json.template config.json   # then set your Monero + Tari payout addresses\n     (more options: config.advanced.example.json)\n  2. ./pithead setup\n\nThere are no build contexts here, so pithead pulls the published %s images instead of building.\n' \
+    printf 'Pithead %s — pinned install bundle (images pulled from %s, no local build).\n\nQuick start:\n  1. cp config.minimal.json config.json   # then set your Monero + Tari payout addresses\n     (more options: config.reference.json)\n  2. ./pithead setup\n\nThere are no build contexts here, so pithead pulls the published %s images instead of building.\n' \
         "$TAG" "$REGISTRY" "$TAG" >"$d/README.txt"
     if [ "$DRY_RUN" -eq 1 ]; then
         printf '   %s[dry-run]%s would tar -> %s\n' "$C_YELLOW" "$C_RESET" "$out"
diff --git a/tests/stack/run.sh b/tests/stack/run.sh
index ca2f919..ff555c5 100755
--- a/tests/stack/run.sh
+++ b/tests/stack/run.sh
@@ -813,7 +813,7 @@ BUILD_MOUNTS="$(
 assert_contains "bundle ships monerod's config template" "$BUILD_MOUNTS" "./build/monero/bitmonero.conf.template"
 assert_contains "bundle ships the tari config dir" "$BUILD_MOUNTS" "./build/tari"
 # The bundle must ship the BASIC config template (the documented quick-start config — `cp
-# config.json.template config.json`) and unpack to a versionless `pithead/` dir for the stable
+# config.minimal.json config.json`) and unpack to a versionless `pithead/` dir for the stable
 # /releases/latest/download/pithead.tar.gz URL. Build a real bundle and inspect it.
 # shellcheck disable=SC1090,SC2034  # dynamic source; TAG/REGISTRY/DRY_RUN are consumed inside make_bundle
 (
@@ -829,7 +829,7 @@ assert_contains "bundle ships the tari config dir" "$BUILD_MOUNTS" "./build/tari
     make_bundle "$WORKDIR/pithead.tar.gz" >/dev/null 2>&1
     tar tzf "$WORKDIR/pithead.tar.gz" 2>/dev/null
 ) >"$SANDBOX/bundle.list" 2>/dev/null
-grep -q '^pithead/config.json.template$' "$SANDBOX/bundle.list" && ok "bundle ships config.json.template (basic quick-start config)" || bad "bundle ships config.json.template" "absent from the bundle"
+grep -q '^pithead/config.minimal.json$' "$SANDBOX/bundle.list" && ok "bundle ships config.minimal.json (basic quick-start config)" || bad "bundle ships config.minimal.json" "absent from the bundle"
 grep -q '^pithead/$' "$SANDBOX/bundle.list" && ok "bundle unpacks to versionless pithead/" || bad "bundle unpacks to pithead/" "top-level dir is not pithead/"
 _bm_missing=""
 for _m in $BUILD_MOUNTS; do [ -e "$ROOT/$_m" ] || _bm_missing="$_bm_missing $_m"; done