diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index c33253e..9c80ffc 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -69,3 +69,10 @@ repos:
           # and checks these with shellcheck. This is arguably its most useful feature,
           # but the integration only works if shellcheck is installed
           - "github.com/wasilibs/go-shellcheck/cmd/shellcheck@v0.11.1"
+
+  - repo: https://github.com/renovatebot/pre-commit-hooks
+    rev: 43.110.2
+    hooks:
+      - id: renovate-config-validator
+        args: ["--strict"]
+        files: ".*\\.json5$"
diff --git a/renovate-base.json5 b/renovate-base.json5
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..892d6e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/renovate-base.json5
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (C) 2025 Opal Health Informatics Group <https://www.opalmedapps.com>
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+{
+  "$schema": "https://docs.renovatebot.com/renovate-schema.json",
+  "extends": [
+    // Extend a best-practices base preset
+    // See: https://github.com/mschoettle/renovate-presets#best-practices
+    "github>mschoettle/renovate-presets//presets/best-practices.json5",
+  ],
+  // https://docs.renovatebot.com/configuration-options/#labels
+  "labels": ["dependencies"],
+  "packageRules": [
+    // Combine reuse-tool and reuse-action updates
+    {
+      "matchPackageNames": ["/reuse-tool/", "/reuse-action/"],
+      "groupName": "reuse",
+    },
+    // Combine Docker actions
+    {
+      "matchManagers": ["github-actions"],
+      "matchPackageNames": ["/docker\\//"],
+    },
+    // Combine download and upload artifact actions
+    {
+      "matchManagers": ["github-actions"],
+      "matchPackageNames": ["actions/upload-artifact", "actions/download-artifact"],
+    },
+  ],
+}
diff --git a/renovate.json5 b/renovate.json5
index b28879e..e7c8250 100644
--- a/renovate.json5
+++ b/renovate.json5
@@ -5,29 +5,15 @@
 {
   "$schema": "https://docs.renovatebot.com/renovate-schema.json",
   "extends": [
-    "config:recommended",
-    // https://docs.renovatebot.com/presets-default/#separatemultiplemajorreleases
-    ":separateMultipleMajorReleases",
+    "github>opalmedapps/.github//renovate-base.json5",
     // set timezone to local one to ensure schedules are run
     // https://docs.renovatebot.com/configuration-options/#timezone
     ":timezone(America/Toronto)",
-    // https://docs.renovatebot.com/presets-default/#configmigration
-    ":configMigration",
     // https://docs.renovatebot.com/presets-customManagers/#custommanagersgithubactionsversions
     "customManagers:githubActionsVersions",
-    // https://docs.renovatebot.com/presets-helpers/#helperspingithubactiondigeststosemver
-    "helpers:pinGitHubActionDigestsToSemver",
-    "github>mschoettle/renovate-presets//presets/pre-commit-hooks.json5",
   ],
   // https://docs.renovatebot.com/configuration-options/#assignees
-  "assignees": ["mschoettle"],
-  // https://docs.renovatebot.com/configuration-options/#labels
-  "labels": ["dependencies"],
-  // Only rebase existing MRs when the branch is conflicted
-  // This avoids getting spammed by updates to existing PRs
-  //
-  // https://docs.renovatebot.com/configuration-options/#rebasewhen
-  "rebaseWhen": "conflicted",
+  "assignees": [],
   // https://docs.renovatebot.com/configuration-options/#packagerules
   "packageRules": [
     // Exclude markdownlint-cli2 and reuse-tool pre-commit hooks from the pre-commit hooks group
@@ -41,11 +27,6 @@
         "!/reuse-tool/",
       ],
     },
-    // Combine markdownlint-cli2 updates
-    {
-      "matchPackageNames": ["/markdownlint-cli2/"],
-      "groupName": "markdownlint-cli2",
-    },
     // Combine reuse-tool and reuse-action updates
     {
       "matchPackageNames": ["/reuse-tool/", "/reuse-action/"],