diff --git a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.md b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.md
deleted file mode 100644
index d0cc61cd..00000000
--- a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,32 +0,0 @@
----
-name: Bug report
-about: Create a report to help us improve
-title: ""
-labels: Bug
-assignees: ""
----
-
-## Bug description
-
-<!-- A clear and concise description of what the bug is. -->
-
-<!-- If applicable, add a log or screenshot to help explain your problem. -->
-
-## How to reproduce?
-
-Steps to reproduce the behavior:
-
-1.
-
-## Expected behavior
-
-<!-- A clear and concise description of what you expected to happen. -->
-
-## System info
-
-Bug resulted on the following system:
-
-- OS: <!-- e.g. macOS, WSL Ubuntu, ...-->
-- Version <!-- e.g. 10.15, 20.04, ... -->
-- Python version: <!-- e.g. 3.7, 3.8, ... -->
-- Virtual environment: <!-- e.g. venv, Conda, pip user install, ... -->
diff --git a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/feature_request.md b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/feature_request.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 049eb32b..00000000
--- a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/feature_request.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
----
-name: Feature request
-about: Suggest an idea for this project
-title: ""
-labels: "✨ Enhancement"
-assignees: ""
----
-
-## Problem description
-
-<!-- Is your feature request related to a problem? Please provide a clear and
-concise description of what the problem is. [Example: "I'm always frustrated
-when ..." -->
-
-## Proposed solution
-
-<!-- Describe the solution you'd want to happen. -->
-
-<!-- Are there alternatives you have considered? -->
-
-<!-- Additional context: -->
-<!-- Add any other context or screenshots about the feature -->
diff --git a/.github/pull_request_template.md b/.github/pull_request_template.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 14b80852..00000000
--- a/.github/pull_request_template.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-<!-- Fixes #xxx -->
-
-<!--
-For the PR title, follow a conventional commit message style:
-https://compwa-org.readthedocs.io/en/stable/develop.html#commit-conventions
--->
-
-<!--
-Contents of this PR appear in the release notes. Please use screenshots, code snippets
-etc. to illustrate proposed changes
--->
diff --git a/.vscode/settings.json b/.vscode/settings.json
index 5b4b86e9..0622e029 100644
--- a/.vscode/settings.json
+++ b/.vscode/settings.json
@@ -56,8 +56,6 @@
     ".constraints/*.txt": true,
     ".github/workflows/cd.yml": true,
     ".github/workflows/ci.yml": true,
-    "src/repoma/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE": true,
-    "src/repoma/.github/pull_request_template.md": true,
     "src/repoma/.github/workflows/clean-caches.yml": true,
     "src/repoma/.github/workflows/pr-linting.yml": true,
     "src/repoma/.github/workflows/release-drafter.yml": true,
diff --git a/src/repoma/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE b/src/repoma/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE
deleted file mode 120000
index 335e0ae7..00000000
--- a/src/repoma/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../../../.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/repoma/.github/pull_request_template.md b/src/repoma/.github/pull_request_template.md
deleted file mode 120000
index 95e1395f..00000000
--- a/src/repoma/.github/pull_request_template.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../../../.github/pull_request_template.md
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/repoma/check_dev_files/__init__.py b/src/repoma/check_dev_files/__init__.py
index 05835be7..482a9c74 100644
--- a/src/repoma/check_dev_files/__init__.py
+++ b/src/repoma/check_dev_files/__init__.py
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
     cspell,
     editorconfig,
     github_labels,
-    github_templates,
     github_workflows,
     gitpod,
     mypy,
@@ -65,6 +64,12 @@ def main(argv: Optional[Sequence[str]] = None) -> int:
         required=False,
         type=str,
     )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--keep-issue-templates",
+        help="Do not remove the .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE directory",
+        action="store_true",
+        default=False,
+    )
     parser.add_argument(
         "--ignore-author",
         action="store_true",
@@ -165,7 +170,6 @@ def main(argv: Optional[Sequence[str]] = None) -> int:
     executor(editorconfig.main, args.no_python)
     if not args.allow_labels:
         executor(github_labels.main)
-    executor(github_templates.main)
     executor(
         github_workflows.main,
         allow_deprecated=args.allow_deprecated_workflows,
@@ -194,7 +198,7 @@ def main(argv: Optional[Sequence[str]] = None) -> int:
         executor(pyupgrade.main)
         executor(ruff.main)
         executor(setup_cfg.main, args.ignore_author)
-    executor(remove_deprecated_tools)
+    executor(remove_deprecated_tools, args.keep_issue_templates)
     executor(vscode.main)
     if not args.no_gitpod:
         executor(gitpod.main)
diff --git a/src/repoma/check_dev_files/deprecated.py b/src/repoma/check_dev_files/deprecated.py
index 9df1f047..3c5d972c 100644
--- a/src/repoma/check_dev_files/deprecated.py
+++ b/src/repoma/check_dev_files/deprecated.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 """Remove deprecated linters and formatters."""
 import os
+import shutil
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, List
 
 from repoma.errors import PrecommitError
@@ -18,10 +19,12 @@
     from tomlkit.items import Table
 
 
-def remove_deprecated_tools() -> None:
+def remove_deprecated_tools(keep_issue_templates: bool) -> None:
     executor = Executor()
     executor(_remove_flake8)
     executor(_remove_isort)
+    if not keep_issue_templates:
+        executor(_remove_github_issue_templates)
     executor(_remove_pydocstyle)
     executor(_remove_pylint)
     executor.finalize()
@@ -85,6 +88,15 @@ def __remove_nbqa_option(option: str) -> None:
     raise PrecommitError(msg)
 
 
+def _remove_github_issue_templates() -> None:
+    __remove_configs(
+        [
+            ".github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE",
+            ".github/pull_request_template.md",
+        ]
+    )
+
+
 def _remove_pydocstyle() -> None:
     executor = Executor()
     executor(
@@ -122,7 +134,10 @@ def __remove_configs(paths: List[str]) -> None:
 def __remove_file(path: str) -> None:
     if not os.path.exists(path):
         return
-    os.remove(path)
+    if os.path.isdir(path):
+        shutil.rmtree(path)
+    else:
+        os.remove(path)
     msg = f"Removed {path}"
     raise PrecommitError(msg)
 
diff --git a/src/repoma/check_dev_files/github_templates.py b/src/repoma/check_dev_files/github_templates.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 160163c7..00000000
--- a/src/repoma/check_dev_files/github_templates.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,83 +0,0 @@
-"""Check existing issue and PR templates for GitHub."""
-
-import os
-import shutil
-from pathlib import Path
-from typing import List
-
-from repoma.errors import PrecommitError
-from repoma.utilities import REPOMA_DIR
-from repoma.utilities.executor import Executor
-
-__PR_TEMPLATE_PATH = Path(".github/pull_request_template.md")
-__ISSUE_TEMPLATE_PATH = Path(".github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE")
-
-
-def main() -> None:
-    executor = Executor()
-    executor(_check_pr_template)
-    executor(_check_issue_templates)
-    executor.finalize()
-
-
-def _check_issue_templates() -> None:
-    existing_templates = _list_template_files(__ISSUE_TEMPLATE_PATH)
-    expected_templates = _list_template_files(REPOMA_DIR / __ISSUE_TEMPLATE_PATH)
-    error_message = ""
-    if set(existing_templates) != set(expected_templates):
-        shutil.rmtree(__ISSUE_TEMPLATE_PATH, ignore_errors=True)
-        os.makedirs(__ISSUE_TEMPLATE_PATH, exist_ok=True)
-        error_message = f"{__ISSUE_TEMPLATE_PATH} doesn't contain expected templates:\n"
-    for basename in expected_templates:
-        import_path = REPOMA_DIR / __ISSUE_TEMPLATE_PATH / basename
-        export_path = __ISSUE_TEMPLATE_PATH / basename
-        expected_content = __get_template_content(import_path)
-        existing_content = ""
-        if os.path.exists(export_path):
-            existing_content = __get_template_content(export_path)
-        if expected_content != existing_content:
-            if error_message == "":
-                error_message = "The following issue  have been updated:\n`"
-            error_message += f"  {export_path}\n"
-            __write_template(expected_content, export_path)
-    if error_message:
-        error_message += "Problem has been fixed."
-        raise PrecommitError(error_message)
-
-
-def _check_pr_template() -> None:
-    if not os.path.exists(__PR_TEMPLATE_PATH):
-        os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(__PR_TEMPLATE_PATH), exist_ok=True)
-        expected_content = __get_template_content(REPOMA_DIR / __PR_TEMPLATE_PATH)
-        __write_template(expected_content, __PR_TEMPLATE_PATH)
-        msg = (
-            f"This repository has no {__PR_TEMPLATE_PATH} file. Problem has been fixed."
-        )
-        raise PrecommitError(msg)
-    with open(__PR_TEMPLATE_PATH) as stream:
-        template_content = stream.read()
-    expected_content = __get_template_content(REPOMA_DIR / __PR_TEMPLATE_PATH)
-    if template_content != expected_content:
-        __write_template(expected_content, path=__PR_TEMPLATE_PATH)
-        msg = (
-            f"PR template {__PR_TEMPLATE_PATH} does not contain expected content."
-            " Problem has been fixed."
-        )
-        raise PrecommitError(msg)
-
-
-def __get_template_content(path: Path) -> str:
-    with open(path) as stream:
-        return stream.read()
-
-
-def _list_template_files(directory: Path) -> List[str]:
-    template_files = []
-    for _, __, files in os.walk(directory):  # pyright: ignore[reportUnusedVariable]
-        template_files.extend(files)
-    return template_files
-
-
-def __write_template(content: str, path: Path) -> None:
-    with open(path, "w") as stream:
-        stream.write(content)
diff --git a/tests/check_dev_files/test_github_templates.py b/tests/check_dev_files/test_github_templates.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 0a5fdfa2..00000000
--- a/tests/check_dev_files/test_github_templates.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-from repoma.check_dev_files.github_templates import _list_template_files
-from repoma.utilities import REPOMA_DIR
-
-
-def test_list_issue_templates():
-    files = _list_template_files(REPOMA_DIR / ".github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE")
-    assert set(files) == {
-        "bug_report.md",
-        "feature_request.md",
-    }