diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index ebd0d475..a83d451a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -42,8 +42,6 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v7
-      - name: Delete rust-toolchain.toml
-        run: rm rust-toolchain.toml
       - name: Install toolchain
         run: rustup toolchain install --component rustfmt,clippy nightly
       - uses: Swatinem/rust-cache@v2
@@ -80,8 +78,6 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v7
-      - name: Delete rust-toolchain.toml
-        run: rm rust-toolchain.toml
       - name: Install toolchain
         run: |
           rustup toolchain install ${{ matrix.rust-version }}
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 4ef490b8..889d68a4 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -23,11 +23,12 @@ curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh
 
 For Windows users, download `rustup-init.exe` from [here](https://win.rustup.rs/x86_64) instead.
 
-Rustup will read the `rust-toolchain.toml` file and set up everything else automatically. To ensure that everything works correctly, run `cargo version` under the root directory:
+This project declares its minimum supported Rust version (MSRV) with `rust-version` in the workspace `Cargo.toml`; CI verifies it explicitly. Any toolchain at or above the MSRV works for building and testing.
+
+The lint and check commands additionally require a nightly toolchain:
 
 ```shell
-cargo version
-# cargo 1.86.0 (<hash> <date>)
+rustup toolchain install --component rustfmt,clippy nightly
 ```
 
 To keep code style consistent, run `cargo x lint --fix` to automatically fix any style issues before committing your changes.
diff --git a/rust-toolchain.toml b/rust-toolchain.toml
deleted file mode 100644
index 7df2ea36..00000000
--- a/rust-toolchain.toml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,20 +0,0 @@
-# Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one
-# or more contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file
-# distributed with this work for additional information
-# regarding copyright ownership.  The ASF licenses this file
-# to you under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the
-# "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
-# with the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
-#
-#   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-#
-# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
-# software distributed under the License is distributed on an
-# "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
-# KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
-# specific language governing permissions and limitations
-# under the License.
-
-[toolchain]
-channel = "1.86.0"
-components = ["rustfmt", "clippy", "rust-analyzer"]