diff --git a/src/tools/pgindent/README b/src/tools/pgindent/README
index b649a21f59..b6cd4c6f6b 100644
--- a/src/tools/pgindent/README
+++ b/src/tools/pgindent/README
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 pgindent'ing the PostgreSQL source tree
 =======================================
 
-We run this process at least once in each development cycle,
-to maintain uniform layout style in our C and Perl code.
+pgindent is used to maintain uniform layout style in our C and Perl code,
+and should be run for every commit. There are additional code beautification
+tasks which should be performed at least once per release cycle.
 
 You might find this blog post interesting:
 http://adpgtech.blogspot.com/2015/05/running-pgindent-on-non-core-code-or.html
@@ -25,45 +26,31 @@ PREREQUISITES:
    Or if you have cpanm installed, you can just use:
    cpanm https://cpan.metacpan.org/authors/id/S/SH/SHANCOCK/Perl-Tidy-20230309.tar.gz
 
-DOING THE INDENT RUN:
+
+DOING THE INDENT RUN BEFORE A NORMAL COMMIT:
 
 1) Change directory to the top of the source tree.
 
-2) Download the latest typedef file from the buildfarm:
-
-	wget -O src/tools/pgindent/typedefs.list https://buildfarm.postgresql.org/cgi-bin/typedefs.pl
-
-   (See https://buildfarm.postgresql.org/cgi-bin/typedefs.pl?show_list for a full
-   list of typedef files, if you want to indent some back branch.)
-
-3) Run pgindent on the C files:
+2) Run pgindent on the C files:
 
 	src/tools/pgindent/pgindent .
 
    If any files generate errors, restore their original versions with
    "git checkout", and see below for cleanup ideas.
 
-4) Indent the Perl code using perltidy:
-
-	src/tools/pgindent/pgperltidy .
-
-   If you want to use some perltidy version that's not in your PATH,
-   first set the PERLTIDY environment variable to point to it.
-
-5) Reformat the bootstrap catalog data files:
-
-	./configure     # "make" will not work in an unconfigured tree
-	cd src/include/catalog
-	make reformat-dat-files
-	cd ../../..
-
-VALIDATION:
-
-1) Check for any newly-created files using "git status"; there shouldn't
+3) Check for any newly-created files using "git status"; there shouldn't
    be any.  (pgindent leaves *.BAK files behind if it has trouble, while
    perltidy leaves *.LOG files behind.)
 
-2) Do a full test build:
+4) If pgindent wants to change anything your commit wasn't touching,
+   stop and figure out why.  If it is making ugly whitespace changes
+   around typedefs your commit adds, you need to add those typedefs
+   to src/tools/pgindent/typedefs.list.
+
+5) If you have the patience, it's worth eyeballing the "git diff" output
+   for any egregiously ugly changes.  See below for cleanup ideas.
+
+6) Do a full test build:
 
 	make -s clean
 	make -s all	# look for unexpected warnings, and errors of course
@@ -75,14 +62,38 @@ VALIDATION:
    header files that get copied into ecpg output; if so, adjust the
    expected-files to match.
 
-3) If you have the patience, it's worth eyeballing the "git diff" output
-   for any egregiously ugly changes.  See below for cleanup ideas.
 
+AT LEAST ONCE PER RELEASE CYCLE:
 
-When you're done, "git commit" everything including the typedefs.list file
-you used.
+1) Download the latest typedef file from the buildfarm:
 
-4) Add the newly created commits to the .git-blame-ignore-revs file so
+	wget -O src/tools/pgindent/typedefs.list https://buildfarm.postgresql.org/cgi-bin/typedefs.pl
+
+   This step resolves any differences between the incrementally updated
+   version of the file and a clean, autogenerated one.
+   (See https://buildfarm.postgresql.org/cgi-bin/typedefs.pl?show_list for
+   a full list of typedef files, if you want to indent some back branch.)
+
+2) Run pgindent as above.
+
+3) Indent the Perl code using perltidy:
+
+	src/tools/pgindent/pgperltidy .
+
+   If you want to use some perltidy version that's not in your PATH,
+   first set the PERLTIDY environment variable to point to it.
+
+4) Reformat the bootstrap catalog data files:
+
+	./configure     # "make" will not work in an unconfigured tree
+	cd src/include/catalog
+	make reformat-dat-files
+	cd ../../..
+
+5) When you're done, "git commit" everything including the typedefs.list file
+   you used.
+
+6) Add the newly created commit(s) to the .git-blame-ignore-revs file so
    that "git blame" ignores the commits (for anybody that has opted-in
    to using the ignore file).  Follow the instructions that appear at
    the top of the .git-blame-ignore-revs file.