diff --git a/commit_check/rules_catalog.py b/commit_check/rules_catalog.py
index 29717b2e..93faf529 100644
--- a/commit_check/rules_catalog.py
+++ b/commit_check/rules_catalog.py
@@ -24,6 +24,22 @@
 RULES_DOCS_URL = "https://commit-check.com/rules/"
 
 
+def display_name(check: str) -> str:
+    """Human-readable form of a check name, e.g. ``subject-imperative``.
+
+    Config files and the JSON output carry the snake_case key, because that is
+    what a reader sets in ``cchk.toml`` and what a consumer maps back to an
+    option. Text written for a person uses the kebab-case form instead: it is
+    how the rules reference titles each rule, so a name printed to a terminal
+    can be searched for there verbatim.
+
+    Every text surface goes through here so the two forms cannot drift apart
+    again — the compact output once printed the config key while the default
+    output printed this one.
+    """
+    return check.replace("_", "-")
+
+
 @dataclass(frozen=True)
 class RuleCatalogEntry:
     check: str
@@ -35,7 +51,7 @@ class RuleCatalogEntry:
     @property
     def name(self) -> str:
         """Human-readable rule name, e.g. ``subject-imperative``."""
-        return self.check.replace("_", "-")
+        return display_name(self.check)
 
     @property
     def docs_url(self) -> str | None:
diff --git a/commit_check/util.py b/commit_check/util.py
index 8053d8c3..6de1af03 100644
--- a/commit_check/util.py
+++ b/commit_check/util.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 import sys
 from subprocess import CalledProcessError
 from commit_check import RED, GREEN, YELLOW, RESET_COLOR
+from commit_check.rules_catalog import display_name
 
 
 def _print_failure(
@@ -23,7 +24,8 @@ def _print_failure(
     rule_id = check.get("rule_id", "")
     if compact:
         compact_value = actual.splitlines()[0] if actual else actual
-        label = f"{rule_id} {check['check']}" if rule_id else check["check"]
+        name = display_name(check["check"])
+        label = f"{rule_id} {name}" if rule_id else name
         print(f"[FAIL] {label}: {compact_value}")
         return
     if not no_banner and not print_error_header.has_been_called:
@@ -364,9 +366,7 @@ def print_error_message(
 
     :returns: Give error messages to user
     """
-    # The kebab-case form is what the rules reference uses as its headings, so
-    # the name printed here can be searched for there verbatim.
-    name = check_type.replace("_", "-")
+    name = display_name(check_type)
     label = rule_id
     if rule_id and docs_url and supports_hyperlinks():
         label = hyperlink(rule_id, docs_url)
diff --git a/tests/main_test.py b/tests/main_test.py
index 9cc43b41..d1b5f59c 100644
--- a/tests/main_test.py
+++ b/tests/main_test.py
@@ -728,6 +728,35 @@ def test_compact_shows_one_line_per_failure(self, mocker, capsys, monkeypatch):
         assert all(line.startswith("[FAIL]") for line in lines)
         assert len(lines) >= 1
 
+    @pytest.mark.benchmark
+    def test_compact_names_checks_the_way_the_default_output_does(
+        self, mocker, capsys, monkeypatch
+    ):
+        """--compact prints the kebab-case name, not the config key.
+
+        Both are text written for a person, so they have to agree. This
+        assertion is the one the suite was missing: --compact shipped
+        printing ``subject_imperative`` while the default output printed
+        ``subject-imperative``, and nothing here noticed.
+        """
+        mocker.patch("sys.stdin.isatty", return_value=False)
+        mocker.patch("sys.stdin.read", return_value="docs: revamped the profile\n")
+        mocker.patch("commit_check.engine.get_commit_info", return_value="test-author")
+
+        # A check whose name contains an underscore, so the two forms differ.
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            "sys.argv", [CMD, "-m", "--compact", "--subject-imperative=true"]
+        )
+        main()
+
+        out, _ = capsys.readouterr()
+        assert "CC003 subject-imperative:" in out, (
+            f"--compact should print the display name: {out!r}"
+        )
+        assert "subject_imperative" not in out, (
+            f"--compact printed the config key: {out!r}"
+        )
+
     @pytest.mark.benchmark
     def test_compact_no_suggestions(self, mocker, capsys, monkeypatch):
         """--compact output must not include 'Suggest:' lines."""