diff --git a/.github/workflows/lint-ruby.yml b/.github/workflows/lint-ruby.yml
index 277e456146..87f8aee24e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/lint-ruby.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/lint-ruby.yml
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ on:
       - 'Gemfile*'
       - '.rubocop*.yml'
       - '.ruby-version'
+      - 'bin/rubocop'
       - 'config/brakeman.ignore'
       - '**/*.rb'
       - '**/*.rake'
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ on:
       - 'Gemfile*'
       - '.rubocop*.yml'
       - '.ruby-version'
+      - 'bin/rubocop'
       - 'config/brakeman.ignore'
       - '**/*.rb'
       - '**/*.rake'
diff --git a/bin/rubocop b/bin/rubocop
index 369a05bedb..b3801537d4 100755
--- a/bin/rubocop
+++ b/bin/rubocop
@@ -24,4 +24,7 @@ end
 require "rubygems"
 require "bundler/setup"
 
+# explicit rubocop config increases performance slightly while avoiding config confusion.
+ARGV.unshift("--config", File.expand_path("../.rubocop.yml", __dir__))
+
 load Gem.bin_path("rubocop", "rubocop")
diff --git a/db/migrate/.rubocop.yml b/db/migrate/.rubocop.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index f594b8799a..0000000000
--- a/db/migrate/.rubocop.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-inherit_from: ../../.rubocop.yml
-
-# Below are all enabled as workaround for https://docs.rubocop.org/rubocop/configuration.html#path-relativity
-# TODO: Delete this file and move above config to base naming config
-
-Rails/CreateTableWithTimestamps:
-  Include:
-    - '*.rb'
-
-Rails/ThreeStateBooleanColumn:
-  Include:
-    - '*.rb'
-
-Rails/ReversibleMigration:
-  Include:
-    - '*.rb'
diff --git a/db/migrate/20170112154826_migrate_settings.rb b/db/migrate/20170112154826_migrate_settings.rb
index d1faa81f5d..166d90eab7 100644
--- a/db/migrate/20170112154826_migrate_settings.rb
+++ b/db/migrate/20170112154826_migrate_settings.rb
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ class MigrateSettings < ActiveRecord::Migration[4.2]
       t.remove_index [:thing_type, :thing_id, :var]
       t.rename :thing_id, :target_id
       t.rename :thing_type, :target_type
-      t.column :target_id, :integer, null: false
+      t.column :target_id, :integer, null: false # rubocop:disable Rails/NotNullColumn
       t.column :target_type, :string, null: false, default: ''
       t.index [:target_type, :target_id, :var], unique: true
     end
diff --git a/spec/controllers/.rubocop.yml b/spec/controllers/.rubocop.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 51d7c23de1..0000000000
--- a/spec/controllers/.rubocop.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-inherit_from: ../../.rubocop.yml
-
-# Anonymous controllers in specs cannot access `described_class`, explanation:
-# https://github.com/rubocop/rubocop-rspec/blob/v2.26.1/lib/rubocop/cop/rspec/described_class.rb#L36-L56
-RSpec/DescribedClass:
-  SkipBlocks: true
diff --git a/spec/controllers/concerns/account_controller_concern_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/concerns/account_controller_concern_spec.rb
index 384406a0ea..4a44fd3498 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/concerns/account_controller_concern_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/concerns/account_controller_concern_spec.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ require 'rails_helper'
 
 RSpec.describe AccountControllerConcern do
   controller(ApplicationController) do
-    include AccountControllerConcern
+    include AccountControllerConcern # rubocop:disable RSpec/DescribedClass
 
     def success
       render plain: @account.username # rubocop:disable RSpec/InstanceVariable
diff --git a/spec/controllers/concerns/api/rate_limit_headers_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/concerns/api/rate_limit_headers_spec.rb
index 6372c94e6c..74ed81f5da 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/concerns/api/rate_limit_headers_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/concerns/api/rate_limit_headers_spec.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ require 'rails_helper'
 
 RSpec.describe Api::RateLimitHeaders do
   controller(ApplicationController) do
-    include Api::RateLimitHeaders
+    include Api::RateLimitHeaders # rubocop:disable RSpec/DescribedClass
 
     def show
       head 200
diff --git a/spec/controllers/concerns/challengable_concern_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/concerns/challengable_concern_spec.rb
index 169e2122f8..01f979ff4c 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/concerns/challengable_concern_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/concerns/challengable_concern_spec.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ require 'rails_helper'
 
 RSpec.describe ChallengableConcern do
   controller(ApplicationController) do
-    include ChallengableConcern
+    include ChallengableConcern # rubocop:disable RSpec/DescribedClass
 
     before_action :require_challenge!
 
diff --git a/spec/controllers/concerns/localized_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/concerns/localized_spec.rb
index b1f805ae50..4798e8270c 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/concerns/localized_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/concerns/localized_spec.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ require 'rails_helper'
 
 RSpec.describe Localized do
   controller(ApplicationController) do
-    include Localized
+    include Localized # rubocop:disable RSpec/DescribedClass
 
     def success
       render plain: I18n.locale, status: 200
diff --git a/spec/controllers/concerns/preloading_concern_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/concerns/preloading_concern_spec.rb
index 795afbc45e..2cbccb411e 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/concerns/preloading_concern_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/concerns/preloading_concern_spec.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ require 'rails_helper'
 
 RSpec.describe PreloadingConcern do
   controller(ApplicationController) do
-    include PreloadingConcern
+    include PreloadingConcern # rubocop:disable RSpec/DescribedClass
 
     def empty_array
       render plain: preload_collection([], Status).size
diff --git a/spec/controllers/concerns/settings/export_controller_concern_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/concerns/settings/export_controller_concern_spec.rb
index 2c67991e3a..6c1a06114c 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/concerns/settings/export_controller_concern_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/concerns/settings/export_controller_concern_spec.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ require 'rails_helper'
 
 RSpec.describe Settings::ExportControllerConcern do
   controller(ApplicationController) do
-    include Settings::ExportControllerConcern
+    include Settings::ExportControllerConcern # rubocop:disable RSpec/DescribedClass
 
     def index
       send_export_file
diff --git a/spec/controllers/concerns/user_tracking_concern_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/concerns/user_tracking_concern_spec.rb
index cc61e285cc..d67b0ef5e7 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/concerns/user_tracking_concern_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/concerns/user_tracking_concern_spec.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ require 'rails_helper'
 
 RSpec.describe UserTrackingConcern do
   controller(ApplicationController) do
-    include UserTrackingConcern
+    include UserTrackingConcern # rubocop:disable RSpec/DescribedClass
 
     def show
       render plain: 'show'