diff --git a/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md b/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
index bdeee9949d..ab5c1af86e 100644
--- a/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
+++ b/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
-❓ **What kind of change does this PR introduce?**
+<!--
+  Thank you for your contribution!
+  Please follow our contribution guide or this PR may be closed without review:
+  https://cheroot.cherrypy.dev/en/latest/contributing/guidelines/
+-->
+
+## What kind of change does this PR introduce?
 
 * [ ] 🐞 bug fix
 * [ ] 🐣 feature
@@ -7,42 +13,64 @@
 * [ ] 📋 refactoring
 * [ ] 💥 other
 
-📋 **What is the related issue number (starting with `#`)**
+## What do these changes do?
 
-<!-- Are there any issues opened that will be resolved by merging this change? -->
-Resolves #<!-- issue number here -->
+<!-- Please give a short brief about these changes. -->
 
-❓ **What is the current behavior?** (You can also link to an open issue here)
+## Are there changes in behavior for the user?
 
+<!-- Outline any notable behavior for the end users. -->
 
+## Is it a substantial burden for the maintainers to support this?
 
-❓ **What is the new behavior (if this is a feature change)?**
+<!--
+Stop right there! Pause. Just for a minute... Can you think of anything
+obvious that would complicate the ongoing development of this project?
 
+Try to consider if you'd be able to maintain it throughout the next
+5 years. Does it seem viable? Tell us your thoughts! We'd very much
+love to hear what the consequences of merging this patch might be...
 
+This will help us assess if your change is something we'd want to
+entertain early in the review process. Thank you in advance!
+-->
 
-📋 **Other information**:
+## Related issue number
 
+<!-- Will this resolve any open issues? -->
+<!-- Remember to prefix with 'Fixes' if it closes an issue (e.g. 'Fixes #123'). -->
 
+## Checklist
 
-📋 **Contribution checklist:**
+<!-- It's fine to open a draft and tick more boxes before marking ready for review. -->
 
-(If you're a first-timer, check out
-[this guide on making great pull requests][making a lovely PR])
+> [!tip]
+> New to open source contributions? [Making a lovely PR] is a great read.
 
 * [ ] I wrote descriptive pull request text above
+* [ ] The PR relates to *only* one subject with a clear title
+      and description in grammatically correct, complete sentences
 * [ ] I think the code is well written
-* [ ] I wrote [good commit messages]
-* [ ] I have [squashed related commits together][related squash] after
-      the changes have been approved
 * [ ] Unit tests for the changes exist
 * [ ] Integration tests for the changes exist (if applicable)
 * [ ] I used the same coding conventions as the rest of the project
 * [ ] The new code doesn't generate linter offenses
-* [ ] Documentation reflects the changes
-* [ ] The PR relates to *only* one subject with a clear title
-      and description in grammatically correct, complete sentences
-
+* [ ] Project documentation (in `docs/`) and inline docstrings reflect the changes
+* [ ] My commits each have a descriptive title and a body explaining the why
+      (see [good commit messages])
+* [ ] I have added a [change log entry]
+      (can be done once the PR number is known; alternatively, you can
+      use a related issue number if one exists)
+* [ ] I'm planning to [squash related commits] together before final merge
+* [ ] I have read the [contribution guide] and the
+      [code of conduct][CoC]
+
+[contribution guide]:
+https://cheroot.cherrypy.dev/en/latest/contributing/guidelines/
+[CoC]: https://github.com/cherrypy/cheroot?tab=coc-ov-file#readme
+[change log entry]:
+https://github.com/cherrypy/cheroot/tree/main/docs/changelog-fragments.d#readme
 [good commit messages]: http://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/
-[making a lovely PR]: https://mtlynch.io/code-review-love/
-[related squash]:
+[Making a lovely PR]: https://mtlynch.io/code-review-love/
+[squash related commits]:
 https://github.com/todotxt/todo.txt-android/wiki/Squash-All-Commits-Related-to-a-Single-Issue-into-a-Single-Commit
diff --git a/docs/changelog-fragments.d/834.contrib.rst b/docs/changelog-fragments.d/834.contrib.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..43db925f0d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changelog-fragments.d/834.contrib.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+Updated the pull request template with consistent heading structure,
+a change log entry checkbox linking to the change log guidelines,
+and improved commit message guidance
+-- by :user:`julianz-`.