diff --git a/maintainers/format.sh b/maintainers/format.sh
index a2a6d8b41..b2902e6dc 100755
--- a/maintainers/format.sh
+++ b/maintainers/format.sh
@@ -1,11 +1,16 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
 if ! type -p pre-commit &>/dev/null; then
-  echo "format.sh: pre-commit not found. Please use \`nix develop\`.";
+  echo "format.sh: pre-commit not found. Please use \`nix develop -c ./maintainers/format.sh\`.";
   exit 1;
 fi;
 if test -z "$_NIX_PRE_COMMIT_HOOKS_CONFIG"; then
-  echo "format.sh: _NIX_PRE_COMMIT_HOOKS_CONFIG not set. Please use \`nix develop\`.";
+  echo "format.sh: _NIX_PRE_COMMIT_HOOKS_CONFIG not set. Please use \`nix develop -c ./maintainers/format.sh\`.";
   exit 1;
 fi;
-pre-commit run --config "$_NIX_PRE_COMMIT_HOOKS_CONFIG" --all-files
+
+while ! pre-commit run --config "$_NIX_PRE_COMMIT_HOOKS_CONFIG" --all-files; do
+    if [ "${1:-}" != "--until-stable" ]; then
+        exit 1
+    fi
+done