diff --git a/.rustfmt.toml b/.rustfmt.toml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b1483ac0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.rustfmt.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# This file intentionally left almost blank
+#
+# The empty `rustfmt.toml` makes rustfmt use the default configuration,
+# overriding any which may be found in the contributor's home or parent
+# folders.
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 86388528..b1c588f7 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ cargo clippy
 
 ## Formatting
 
-Starship source files are formatted with [rustfmt](https://crates.io/crates/rustfmt-nightly). Rustfmt will be ran as part of CI. Unformatted code will fail a build, so it is suggested that you run rustfmt locally:
+Starship source files are formatted with [rustfmt](https://crates.io/crates/rustfmt-nightly), using the default configuration. Rustfmt will be ran as part of CI. Unformatted code will fail a build, so it is suggested that you run rustfmt locally:
 
 ```sh
 rustup component add rustfmt