diff --git a/.pre-commit-hooks.yaml b/.pre-commit-hooks.yaml
index b299a3a..1f6ab43 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-hooks.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-hooks.yaml
@@ -281,6 +281,16 @@
   always_run: true
   additional_dependencies:
     - pre-commit==4.6.0
+- id: check-stale-references
+  name: Check for stale references to deleted/renamed files
+  description: |-
+    When files are deleted or renamed, check that no remaining tracked file still references the old path.
+    Searches for both the full repo-relative path and the basename of deleted files.
+    This catches broken cross-references in dead code such as comments, documentation, and configs.
+  entry: check-stale-references
+  language: python
+  pass_filenames: false
+  always_run: true
 - id: check-max-one-sentence-per-line
   name: Check max one sentence per line
   description: |-
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0328328..b8a77bb 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ These tools are used to help developers in their day-to-day tasks.
 > I try to contribute back if possible but since I am no longer working at Luminar, it is not guaranteed that my contributions are accepted.
 
 <!-- toc -->
-
 - [Tools](#tools)
   - [Configure VS Code for Bazel](#configure-vs-code-for-bazel)
   - [Whoowns](#whoowns)
@@ -39,10 +38,10 @@ These tools are used to help developers in their day-to-day tasks.
   - [`print-pre-commit-metrics`](#print-pre-commit-metrics)
   - [`sync-vscode-config`](#sync-vscode-config)
   - [`sync-tool-versions`](#sync-tool-versions)
+  - [`check-stale-references`](#check-stale-references)
   - [`check-max-one-sentence-per-line`](#check-max-one-sentence-per-line)
   - [`check-ownership`](#check-ownership)
 - [Contributing](#contributing)
-
 <!-- tocstop -->
 
 ## Tools
@@ -225,6 +224,12 @@ sync_versions:
         version_override: '314'
 ```
 
+### `check-stale-references`
+
+When files are deleted or renamed, check that no remaining tracked file still references the old path.
+Searches for both the full repo-relative path and the basename of deleted files.
+This catches broken cross-references in dead code such as comments, documentation, and configs.
+
 ### `check-max-one-sentence-per-line`
 
 This hook is a simplified version of [rumdl MD013 sentence-per-line-mode](https://github.com/rvben/rumdl/blob/main/docs/md013.md#sentence-per-line-mode).
diff --git a/dev_tools/check_stale_references.py b/dev_tools/check_stale_references.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8908f54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dev_tools/check_stale_references.py
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import re
+import subprocess
+import sys
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class StaleReference:
+    """A reference in a tracked file that points to a deleted/renamed path."""
+
+    from_file: str
+    from_line: int
+    to_path: str
+
+    def __str__(self) -> str:
+        """Format as file:line references deleted_path."""
+        return f"{self.from_file}:{self.from_line} references {self.to_path}"
+
+
+def _run_git(*args: str, check: bool = True) -> str:
+    return subprocess.run(
+        ["git", *args],  # noqa: S607
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True,
+        check=check,
+    ).stdout
+
+
+def get_deleted_paths() -> set[str]:
+    """Return repo-relative paths of files being deleted or renamed away in the staged commit."""
+    output = _run_git("diff", "--cached", "--diff-filter=DR", "--name-status")
+    # Both D(eleted) and R(enamed) have the vanishing path in column 1
+    return {line.split("\t")[1] for line in output.splitlines()}
+
+
+def build_path_pattern(deleted_path: str) -> str:
+    """Build a PCRE pattern for a deleted path that matches references to it.
+
+    For path "a/b/c.txt", matches (with non-word/dot/dash boundaries):
+      - /?a/b/c.txt        (full path, optional leading /)
+      - (../)*b/c.txt      (intermediate suffix with optional ../ prefix)
+      - (../)*c.txt        (basename with optional ../ prefix)
+    """
+    segments = deleted_path.split("/")
+    alternatives: list[str] = []
+    for i in range(len(segments)):
+        suffix = "/".join(segments[i:])
+        escaped_suffix = re.escape(suffix)
+        if i == 0:
+            alternatives.append(rf"/?{escaped_suffix}")
+        else:
+            alternatives.append(rf"(?:\.\./)*{escaped_suffix}")
+    return rf"(?<![\w.-])(?:{'|'.join(alternatives)})(?![\w.-])"
+
+
+def git_grep(pattern: str) -> list[tuple[str, int]]:
+    """Run git grep with PCRE and return (file, line_number) tuples."""
+    output = _run_git("grep", "-nP", pattern, check=False)
+    matches: list[tuple[str, int]] = []
+    for line in output.splitlines():
+        file, line_no = line.split(":", 1)
+        matches.append((file, int(line_no)))
+    return matches
+
+
+def find_stale_references() -> list[StaleReference]:
+    """Search tracked files for references to deleted paths."""
+    deleted_paths = get_deleted_paths()
+    return [
+        StaleReference(from_file=file, from_line=line_no, to_path=deleted_path)
+        for deleted_path in deleted_paths
+        for file, line_no in git_grep(build_path_pattern(deleted_path))
+        if file not in deleted_paths
+    ]
+
+
+def main() -> int:
+    if stale_refs := find_stale_references():
+        print("Stale references to deleted/renamed files:")
+        for ref in stale_refs:
+            print(f"  {ref}")
+        return 1
+    return 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    sys.exit(main())
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 0ff56d6..b4d8c7e 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ generate-hook-docs = "dev_tools.generate_hook_docs:main"
 print-pre-commit-metrics = "dev_tools.print_pre_commit_metrics:main"
 sync-vscode-config = "dev_tools.sync_vscode_config:main"
 sync-tool-versions = "dev_tools.sync_tool_versions:main"
+check-stale-references = "dev_tools.check_stale_references:main"
 
 [tool.pytest.ini_options]
 addopts = "--cov-report term-missing --cov=dev_tools --cov=packages/whoowns/whoowns --cov=packages/pre_commit_excludes/pre_commit_excludes --cov=packages/configure_vscode_for_bazel/configure_vscode_for_bazel -vv"
diff --git a/tests/test_check_stale_references.py b/tests/test_check_stale_references.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..441122a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_check_stale_references.py
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import re
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+from dev_tools.check_stale_references import (
+    StaleReference,
+    build_path_pattern,
+    find_stale_references,
+)
+
+
+def test_matches_full_path() -> None:
+    pattern = build_path_pattern("src/lib/foo.hpp")
+    assert re.search(pattern, "see src/lib/foo.hpp for details")
+
+
+def test_matches_full_path_with_leading_slash() -> None:
+    pattern = build_path_pattern("src/lib/foo.hpp")
+    assert re.search(pattern, "see /src/lib/foo.hpp for details")
+
+
+def test_matches_partial_path() -> None:
+    pattern = build_path_pattern("src/lib/foo.hpp")
+    assert re.search(pattern, "see lib/foo.hpp here")
+
+
+def test_matches_partial_path_with_dotdot() -> None:
+    pattern = build_path_pattern("src/lib/foo.hpp")
+    assert re.search(pattern, "see ../lib/foo.hpp here")
+
+
+def test_matches_basename() -> None:
+    pattern = build_path_pattern("src/lib/foo.hpp")
+    assert re.search(pattern, "see foo.hpp for details")
+
+
+def test_matches_basename_with_dotdot() -> None:
+    pattern = build_path_pattern("src/lib/foo.hpp")
+    assert re.search(pattern, "see ../../foo.hpp for details")
+
+
+def test_no_substring_match() -> None:
+    pattern = build_path_pattern("src/lib/foo.hpp")
+    assert not re.search(pattern, "notfoo.hpp")
+
+
+def test_no_match_with_dot_suffix() -> None:
+    pattern = build_path_pattern("src/lib/foo.hpp")
+    assert not re.search(pattern, "foo.hpp.bak")
+
+
+def test_no_match_with_dash_suffix() -> None:
+    pattern = build_path_pattern("src/lib/foo.hpp")
+    assert not re.search(pattern, "foo.hpp-old")
+
+
+def test_dot_in_extension_is_literal() -> None:
+    pattern = build_path_pattern("src/lib/foo.hpp")
+    assert not re.search(pattern, "fooXhpp")
+
+
+@patch("dev_tools.check_stale_references.git_grep")
+@patch("dev_tools.check_stale_references.get_deleted_paths")
+def test_finds_reference_to_deleted_file(mock_deleted, mock_grep) -> None:
+    mock_deleted.return_value = {"src/utils/helper.hpp"}
+    mock_grep.return_value = [("src/main.cpp", 1)]
+    result = find_stale_references()
+    assert result == [StaleReference("src/main.cpp", 1, "src/utils/helper.hpp")]
+
+
+@patch("dev_tools.check_stale_references.git_grep")
+@patch("dev_tools.check_stale_references.get_deleted_paths")
+def test_no_reference_no_finding(mock_deleted, mock_grep) -> None:
+    mock_deleted.return_value = {"src/utils/helper.hpp"}
+    mock_grep.return_value = []
+    result = find_stale_references()
+    assert result == []
+
+
+@patch("dev_tools.check_stale_references.git_grep")
+@patch("dev_tools.check_stale_references.get_deleted_paths")
+def test_skips_deleted_file_itself(mock_deleted, mock_grep) -> None:
+    mock_deleted.return_value = {"src/utils/helper.hpp"}
+    mock_grep.return_value = [("src/utils/helper.hpp", 1)]
+    result = find_stale_references()
+    assert result == []
+
+
+@patch("dev_tools.check_stale_references.get_deleted_paths")
+def test_empty_deleted_paths_returns_empty(mock_deleted) -> None:
+    mock_deleted.return_value = set()
+    assert find_stale_references() == []
+
+
+@patch("dev_tools.check_stale_references.git_grep")
+@patch("dev_tools.check_stale_references.get_deleted_paths")
+def test_multiple_files_with_references(mock_deleted, mock_grep) -> None:
+    mock_deleted.return_value = {"src/helper.hpp"}
+    mock_grep.return_value = [
+        ("a.cpp", 1),
+        ("c.md", 3),
+    ]
+    assert {reference.from_file for reference in find_stale_references()} == {"a.cpp", "c.md"}