diff --git a/cmd/mavend/main.go b/cmd/mavend/main.go
index d51e68c..5a6638b 100644
--- a/cmd/mavend/main.go
+++ b/cmd/mavend/main.go
@@ -69,7 +69,20 @@ func run(args []string) error {
 	defer stop()
 
 	// ----- store (the unlocked handle; core = the only key-holder) -----
-	st, err := store.Open(ctx, cfg.DBPath)
+	// The cold-start unlock dance (L3 passkey → key bytes) is not yet wired;
+	// today the key comes from config/env. When a key is present the on-disk
+	// file is ciphertext and we work on a tmpfs plaintext copy; no key ⇒
+	// plaintext store (dev/CI). A configured-but-broken key fails closed.
+	key, err := cfg.DBEncryptionKey()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	var st *store.Store
+	if key != nil {
+		st, err = store.OpenEncrypted(ctx, cfg.DBPath, cfg.DBTmpfs, key)
+	} else {
+		st, err = store.Open(ctx, cfg.DBPath)
+	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("open store: %w", err)
 	}
diff --git a/internal/config/config.go b/internal/config/config.go
index 66793f9..855559d 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/config/config.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 package config
 
 import (
+	"encoding/base64"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
@@ -30,8 +31,29 @@ import (
 // deliberately-unwired channel at scaffold time).
 type Config struct {
 	// DBPath — sqlite database path. Default applied by Load if empty.
+	// When encryption is configured, the file at this path is ciphertext
+	// (AES-256-GCM); the daemon works on a tmpfs plaintext copy.
 	DBPath string `json:"db_path"`
 
+	// DBKeyB64 — base64 (std encoding) of a raw 32-byte AES-256 key. Empty ⇒
+	// the store is plaintext (dev/CI). Prefer DBKeyEnv over baking the key
+	// into the config file. Exactly one of DBKeyB64/DBKeyEnv should be set.
+	//
+	// ponytail: raw key, no KDF — stdlib has no argon2/scrypt and x/crypto
+	// isn't a dep. This is also the seam the L3 passkey cold-start key plugs
+	// into later: the passkey op produces the 32 bytes and calls
+	// store.OpenEncrypted directly, bypassing config.
+	DBKeyB64 string `json:"db_key_b64,omitempty"`
+
+	// DBKeyEnv — name of an env var holding the base64 32-byte key. Takes
+	// precedence over DBKeyB64. Lets systemd credentials / secrets managers
+	// inject the key without it touching the config file.
+	DBKeyEnv string `json:"db_key_env,omitempty"`
+
+	// DBTmpfs — plaintext working-copy path (RAM-backed). Empty ⇒ a stable
+	// per-db path under /dev/shm. Only used when encryption is configured.
+	DBTmpfs string `json:"db_tmpfs,omitempty"`
+
 	// SocketPath — the unix socket the IPC server listens on. Modules
 	// connect here; the dir is created 0700, the socket chmod'd 0600 by
 	// ipc.Listen. Default applied by Load if empty.
@@ -322,6 +344,31 @@ func (c *Config) validate() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// DBEncryptionKey resolves the at-rest encryption key: DBKeyEnv (if set) wins
+// over DBKeyB64. Returns (nil, nil) when neither is set — the caller then opens
+// a plaintext store. A configured-but-invalid key is an error (fail closed,
+// never silently downgrade to plaintext).
+func (c *Config) DBEncryptionKey() ([]byte, error) {
+	raw := c.DBKeyB64
+	if c.DBKeyEnv != "" {
+		raw = os.Getenv(c.DBKeyEnv)
+		if raw == "" {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("config: db_key_env %q is set but the env var is empty", c.DBKeyEnv)
+		}
+	}
+	if raw == "" {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+	key, err := base64.StdEncoding.DecodeString(raw)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("config: db key is not valid base64: %w", err)
+	}
+	if len(key) != 32 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("config: db key must decode to 32 bytes, got %d", len(key))
+	}
+	return key, nil
+}
+
 func defaultDataDir() string {
 	if x := os.Getenv("XDG_DATA_HOME"); x != "" {
 		return filepath.Join(x, "maven")
diff --git a/internal/store/crypt.go b/internal/store/crypt.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fc93757
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/store/crypt.go
@@ -0,0 +1,270 @@
+package store
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"crypto/aes"
+	"crypto/cipher"
+	"crypto/rand"
+	"crypto/sha256"
+	"database/sql"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+)
+
+// At-rest encryption for the sqlite store.
+//
+// The on-disk file at cfg.DBPath is ALWAYS ciphertext: a fixed magic header +
+// a random 12-byte GCM nonce + AES-256-GCM ciphertext of the whole sqlite
+// file. On Open the ciphertext is decrypted into a tmpfs (RAM-backed)
+// plaintext working copy that modernc sqlite operates on directly; on Close
+// the working copy is checkpointed, re-encrypted, and atomically written back,
+// then wiped. A crash leaves plaintext only in RAM (gone on reboot) and never
+// a half-written ciphertext file (atomic rename).
+//
+// Wrong key or a tampered file => GCM authentication fails => Open fails
+// closed. We NEVER fall back to opening the file as plaintext.
+//
+// ponytail: chosen over option 2 (github.com/ncruces/go-sqlite3 pure-Go
+// page-level encryption VFS = no transient plaintext file). Rejected for now
+// because the threat model here is disk-at-rest only — the tmpfs plaintext is
+// RAM that clears on reboot, acceptable — and option 2 swaps the sqlite driver
+// project-wide. Revisit if the threat model grows to include RAM capture.
+//
+// KEY: OpenEncrypted takes a raw 32-byte key. Today the operator supplies it
+// as base64 in config/env (see config.DBEncryptionKey). No KDF: x/crypto isn't
+// a dependency and stdlib has no argon2/scrypt, so a passphrase-derived key
+// would only get sha256 — worse than demanding real key material. This same
+// []byte seam is where the L3 passkey-derived cold-start key plugs in later
+// (auth/tier.go Layer3): produce the 32 bytes from the passkey op and pass them
+// here instead of reading config. ponytail: if a passphrase path is ever
+// wanted, store a random salt in the header below and derive with argon2id
+// (new dep) — do NOT bolt on sha256(passphrase).
+
+const (
+	cryptMagic   = "MVNC1\x00" // 6-byte file magic; version in the trailing byte
+	cryptMagicLen = len(cryptMagic)
+	nonceLen     = 12 // AES-GCM standard nonce
+	keyLen       = 32 // AES-256
+)
+
+// ErrKeyLen — the supplied encryption key was not exactly 32 bytes.
+var ErrKeyLen = errors.New("store: encryption key must be 32 bytes")
+
+// ErrDecrypt — the ciphertext failed to authenticate/decrypt (wrong key or
+// tampering). Fail closed: the caller gets no handle and no plaintext.
+var ErrDecrypt = errors.New("store: decrypt failed (wrong key or corrupt file)")
+
+type encState struct {
+	cipherPath string // on-disk ciphertext (cfg.DBPath)
+	plainPath  string // tmpfs working copy
+	key        []byte // 32 bytes; zeroed on Close
+}
+
+// OpenEncrypted opens the encrypted store whose ciphertext lives at cipherPath.
+// The plaintext working copy is created at tmpfsPath (default under /dev/shm if
+// empty). key must be exactly 32 bytes.
+//
+// Flow:
+//   - ciphertext file exists (our magic)  -> decrypt to tmpfs, open.
+//   - file exists but is legacy plaintext -> first-run upgrade: copy to tmpfs,
+//     open; Close will write ciphertext over the original (rename) so the
+//     plaintext original is gone after the first clean shutdown.
+//   - no file                             -> fresh empty db in tmpfs.
+func OpenEncrypted(ctx context.Context, cipherPath, tmpfsPath string, key []byte) (*Store, error) {
+	if len(key) != keyLen {
+		return nil, ErrKeyLen
+	}
+	if tmpfsPath == "" {
+		tmpfsPath = defaultTmpfsPath(cipherPath)
+	}
+
+	// Stale working copy from a previous crash: tmpfs is RAM so this only
+	// happens without a reboot in between. Remove it; the ciphertext file is
+	// the source of truth.
+	removeDBFiles(tmpfsPath)
+
+	raw, err := os.ReadFile(cipherPath)
+	switch {
+	case err == nil && isCiphertext(raw):
+		plain, derr := decrypt(key, raw)
+		if derr != nil {
+			return nil, derr // ErrDecrypt — fail closed
+		}
+		if err := writeFileSync(tmpfsPath, plain, 0o600); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("write working copy: %w", err)
+		}
+	case err == nil:
+		// Legacy plaintext sqlite db: first-run upgrade. Copy verbatim to tmpfs
+		// and let Close encrypt it back over the original.
+		if err := writeFileSync(tmpfsPath, raw, 0o600); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("stage plaintext for upgrade: %w", err)
+		}
+	case errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist):
+		// fresh: nothing to stage; sqlite creates tmpfsPath on open.
+	default:
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("read ciphertext %s: %w", cipherPath, err)
+	}
+
+	db, err := openAt(ctx, tmpfsPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		removeDBFiles(tmpfsPath)
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return &Store{db: db, enc: &encState{cipherPath: cipherPath, plainPath: tmpfsPath, key: key}}, nil
+}
+
+// closeAndSeal checkpoints the WAL into the main file, closes the handle,
+// re-encrypts the working copy to the ciphertext file atomically, then wipes
+// the plaintext copy and zeroes the key.
+func (e *encState) closeAndSeal(db *sql.DB) error {
+	// Fold -wal/-shm into the main file so we encrypt a single complete db.
+	// Best-effort: a checkpoint failure still lets us encrypt what's committed.
+	_, _ = db.ExecContext(context.Background(), "PRAGMA wal_checkpoint(TRUNCATE)")
+	if err := db.Close(); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("close db: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	plain, err := os.ReadFile(e.plainPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("read working copy: %w", err)
+	}
+	blob, err := encrypt(e.key, plain)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("encrypt: %w", err)
+	}
+	if err := atomicWrite(e.cipherPath, blob); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("seal ciphertext: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	removeDBFiles(e.plainPath)
+	zero(e.key)
+	return nil
+}
+
+func isCiphertext(b []byte) bool {
+	return len(b) >= cryptMagicLen && string(b[:cryptMagicLen]) == cryptMagic
+}
+
+// encrypt: magic || nonce || AES-256-GCM(seal). The magic is bound as
+// additional data so a truncated/retagged header also fails authentication.
+func encrypt(key, plain []byte) ([]byte, error) {
+	gcm, err := newGCM(key)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	nonce := make([]byte, nonceLen)
+	if _, err := io.ReadFull(rand.Reader, nonce); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("nonce: %w", err)
+	}
+	out := make([]byte, 0, cryptMagicLen+nonceLen+len(plain)+gcm.Overhead())
+	out = append(out, cryptMagic...)
+	out = append(out, nonce...)
+	out = gcm.Seal(out, nonce, plain, []byte(cryptMagic))
+	return out, nil
+}
+
+func decrypt(key, blob []byte) ([]byte, error) {
+	if len(blob) < cryptMagicLen+nonceLen {
+		return nil, ErrDecrypt
+	}
+	gcm, err := newGCM(key)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	nonce := blob[cryptMagicLen : cryptMagicLen+nonceLen]
+	ct := blob[cryptMagicLen+nonceLen:]
+	plain, err := gcm.Open(nil, nonce, ct, []byte(cryptMagic))
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, ErrDecrypt // fail closed, don't leak the GCM error detail
+	}
+	return plain, nil
+}
+
+func newGCM(key []byte) (cipher.AEAD, error) {
+	if len(key) != keyLen {
+		return nil, ErrKeyLen
+	}
+	block, err := aes.NewCipher(key)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("aes: %w", err)
+	}
+	return cipher.NewGCM(block)
+}
+
+// defaultTmpfsPath: a stable per-db path under /dev/shm so restarts reuse it.
+// Hash of the ciphertext path keeps distinct dbs from colliding.
+func defaultTmpfsPath(cipherPath string) string {
+	sum := sha256.Sum256([]byte(cipherPath))
+	name := fmt.Sprintf("maven-%s.db", encodeHex(sum[:6]))
+	return filepath.Join("/dev/shm", name)
+}
+
+func encodeHex(b []byte) string {
+	const hexd = "0123456789abcdef"
+	out := make([]byte, len(b)*2)
+	for i, c := range b {
+		out[i*2] = hexd[c>>4]
+		out[i*2+1] = hexd[c&0xf]
+	}
+	return string(out)
+}
+
+// atomicWrite writes to a temp file in the same dir, fsyncs, and renames over
+// the target so the ciphertext file is never observed half-written.
+func atomicWrite(path string, data []byte) error {
+	dir := filepath.Dir(path)
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(dir, 0o700); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	tmp, err := os.CreateTemp(dir, ".maven-seal-*")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	tmpName := tmp.Name()
+	if _, err := tmp.Write(data); err != nil {
+		tmp.Close()
+		os.Remove(tmpName)
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := tmp.Sync(); err != nil {
+		tmp.Close()
+		os.Remove(tmpName)
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := tmp.Close(); err != nil {
+		os.Remove(tmpName)
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := os.Chmod(tmpName, 0o600); err != nil {
+		os.Remove(tmpName)
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := os.Rename(tmpName, path); err != nil {
+		os.Remove(tmpName)
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func writeFileSync(path string, data []byte, perm os.FileMode) error {
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(path), 0o700); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return os.WriteFile(path, data, perm)
+}
+
+// removeDBFiles removes the db and its -wal/-shm sidecars, best-effort.
+func removeDBFiles(path string) {
+	for _, p := range []string{path, path + "-wal", path + "-shm"} {
+		_ = os.Remove(p)
+	}
+}
+
+func zero(b []byte) {
+	for i := range b {
+		b[i] = 0
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/store/crypt_test.go b/internal/store/crypt_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0fc6c90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/store/crypt_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,169 @@
+package store
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"context"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func mustNow() time.Time { return time.Now().UTC().Truncate(time.Millisecond) }
+
+// testKey — a deterministic 32-byte key for tests.
+func testKey(b byte) []byte {
+	k := make([]byte, 32)
+	for i := range k {
+		k[i] = b + byte(i)
+	}
+	return k
+}
+
+func TestEncryptedRoundTrip(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	cipher := filepath.Join(dir, "maven.db")
+	tmpfs := filepath.Join(dir, "work.db") // tmpfs stand-in for the test
+	key := testKey(1)
+
+	s, err := OpenEncrypted(ctx, cipher, tmpfs, key)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("OpenEncrypted: %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, err := s.SetValue(ctx, KindSelf, "water", "tap:water", map[string]int{"ml": 250}, mustNow()); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("SetValue: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := s.Close(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Close: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Ciphertext exists, plaintext working copy is wiped.
+	if _, err := os.Stat(cipher); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ciphertext missing after Close: %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, err := os.Stat(tmpfs); !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		t.Fatalf("working copy not wiped: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Reopen with same key, read the fact back.
+	s2, err := OpenEncrypted(ctx, cipher, tmpfs, testKey(1))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("reopen: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer s2.Close()
+	f, err := s2.LatestFact(ctx, "water")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("LatestFact: %v", err)
+	}
+	if f.Key != "water" || f.Source != "tap:water" {
+		t.Fatalf("got %+v", f)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestWrongKeyFailsClosed(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	cipher := filepath.Join(dir, "maven.db")
+	tmpfs := filepath.Join(dir, "work.db")
+
+	s, err := OpenEncrypted(ctx, cipher, tmpfs, testKey(1))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("OpenEncrypted: %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, err := s.SetValue(ctx, KindSelf, "water", "tap:water", 1, mustNow()); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("SetValue: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := s.Close(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Close: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	s2, err := OpenEncrypted(ctx, cipher, tmpfs, testKey(9)) // wrong key
+	if err == nil {
+		s2.Close()
+		t.Fatal("expected wrong key to fail, got nil error")
+	}
+	// Must not have left a decrypted working copy behind.
+	if _, statErr := os.Stat(tmpfs); !os.IsNotExist(statErr) {
+		t.Fatalf("wrong-key open leaked a working copy: %v", statErr)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestFirstRunUpgrade(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	cipher := filepath.Join(dir, "maven.db")
+	tmpfs := filepath.Join(dir, "work.db")
+
+	// Seed a PLAINTEXT db at the on-disk path (legacy state).
+	plain, err := Open(ctx, cipher)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("seed Open: %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, err := plain.SetValue(ctx, KindSelf, "water", "tap:water", 42, mustNow()); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("seed SetValue: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := plain.Close(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("seed Close: %v", err)
+	}
+	if isCiphertext(mustRead(t, cipher)) {
+		t.Fatal("seed db should be plaintext")
+	}
+
+	// Open encrypted: upgrades in place.
+	key := testKey(3)
+	s, err := OpenEncrypted(ctx, cipher, tmpfs, key)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("OpenEncrypted upgrade: %v", err)
+	}
+	f, err := s.LatestFact(ctx, "water")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("LatestFact after upgrade: %v", err)
+	}
+	if f.Key != "water" {
+		t.Fatalf("upgraded data wrong: %+v", f)
+	}
+	if err := s.Close(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Close: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// On-disk file is now ciphertext, not a readable sqlite db.
+	if !isCiphertext(mustRead(t, cipher)) {
+		t.Fatal("on-disk file still plaintext after upgrade")
+	}
+	if _, err := Open(ctx, cipher); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("ciphertext opened as plaintext sqlite — should fail")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNoPlaintextValueOnDisk(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	cipher := filepath.Join(dir, "maven.db")
+	tmpfs := filepath.Join(dir, "work.db")
+
+	const secret = "SUPERSECRET_MARKER_VALUE_12345"
+	s, err := OpenEncrypted(ctx, cipher, tmpfs, testKey(7))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("OpenEncrypted: %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, err := s.SetValue(ctx, KindSelf, "note", "tap:note", secret, mustNow()); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("SetValue: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := s.Close(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Close: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if bytes.Contains(mustRead(t, cipher), []byte(secret)) {
+		t.Fatal("plaintext secret found in ciphertext file")
+	}
+}
+
+func mustRead(t *testing.T, p string) []byte {
+	t.Helper()
+	b, err := os.ReadFile(p)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("read %s: %v", p, err)
+	}
+	return b
+}
diff --git a/internal/store/migrations.go b/internal/store/migrations.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2b28c22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/store/migrations.go
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+package store
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"database/sql"
+	"fmt"
+)
+
+// migrations are ordered, forward-only schema steps applied after schema.sql.
+// Index i (1-based) is the user_version the step at migrations[i-1] brings the
+// DB TO; there is no step 0 — schema.sql is the idempotent baseline (version 0).
+// An empty slice is a clean no-op that leaves user_version at 0.
+//
+// To add migration #1 (e.g. the sqlcipher rekey), append its SQL:
+//
+//	var migrations = []string{
+//		`ALTER TABLE ...;`, // #1
+//	}
+var migrations = []string{}
+
+// migrate applies every migration with a number greater than the DB's current
+// user_version, each in its own transaction that also bumps user_version. Fails
+// closed: the first erroring step aborts and leaves prior steps committed.
+func migrate(ctx context.Context, db *sql.DB) error {
+	var current int
+	if err := db.QueryRowContext(ctx, "PRAGMA user_version").Scan(&current); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("read user_version: %w", err)
+	}
+	for i := current; i < len(migrations); i++ {
+		version := i + 1 // 1-based: migrations[i] brings DB to `version`
+		tx, err := db.BeginTx(ctx, nil)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("migration %d begin: %w", version, err)
+		}
+		if _, err := tx.ExecContext(ctx, migrations[i]); err != nil {
+			_ = tx.Rollback()
+			return fmt.Errorf("migration %d: %w", version, err)
+		}
+		// PRAGMA user_version can't be parameterized; version is our own int.
+		if _, err := tx.ExecContext(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("PRAGMA user_version = %d", version)); err != nil {
+			_ = tx.Rollback()
+			return fmt.Errorf("migration %d bump: %w", version, err)
+		}
+		if err := tx.Commit(); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("migration %d commit: %w", version, err)
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/store/migrations_test.go b/internal/store/migrations_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9a2a6bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/store/migrations_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+package store
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func userVersion(t *testing.T, s *Store) int {
+	t.Helper()
+	var v int
+	if err := s.db.QueryRowContext(context.Background(), "PRAGMA user_version").Scan(&v); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("read user_version: %v", err)
+	}
+	return v
+}
+
+func TestMigrateAppliesOnceAndIsIdempotent(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	s := newTestStore(t)
+
+	// Empty baseline slice leaves the DB at version 0.
+	if v := userVersion(t, s); v != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("fresh DB user_version = %d, want 0", v)
+	}
+
+	// Append a fake migration and run it: creates a throwaway table, bumps to 1.
+	migrations = append(migrations, `CREATE TABLE migrate_probe (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY)`)
+	t.Cleanup(func() { migrations = migrations[:len(migrations)-1] })
+
+	if err := migrate(ctx, s.db); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("migrate: %v", err)
+	}
+	if v := userVersion(t, s); v != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("after migrate user_version = %d, want 1", v)
+	}
+	if _, err := s.db.ExecContext(ctx, "INSERT INTO migrate_probe DEFAULT VALUES"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("probe table not created: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Second run is a no-op — re-running the CREATE would error (no IF NOT EXISTS).
+	if err := migrate(ctx, s.db); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("migrate second run not idempotent: %v", err)
+	}
+	if v := userVersion(t, s); v != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("after re-migrate user_version = %d, want 1", v)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/store/store.go b/internal/store/store.go
index d73b20f..beacac2 100644
--- a/internal/store/store.go
+++ b/internal/store/store.go
@@ -54,13 +54,17 @@ const (
 // here performs an UPDATE of a fact value (status-flips on reminders/nudges
 // are the documented exceptions — they mutate small state-machine columns).
 type Store struct {
-	db *sql.DB
+	db  *sql.DB
+	enc *encState // nil ⇒ plaintext store (dev/CI); set ⇒ re-encrypt on Close
 }
 
-// Open opens or creates the sqlite database at path and applies the schema.
+// openAt opens or creates the sqlite database at path and applies schema +
+// migrations. This is the raw plaintext open used by both Open (plaintext
+// store) and OpenEncrypted (the tmpfs working copy).
+//
 // Pragmas (WAL, NORMAL, FK on, busy_timeout) are set in schema.sql and re-applied
 // per connection on open via the modernc driver DSN.
-func Open(ctx context.Context, path string) (*Store, error) {
+func openAt(ctx context.Context, path string) (*sql.DB, error) {
 	// `_pragma=busy_timeout(5000)` etc. embed cleanly; schema.sql sets them too.
 	dsn := fmt.Sprintf("file:%s?_pragma=busy_timeout(5000)&_pragma=foreign_keys(1)", path)
 	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite", dsn)
@@ -75,11 +79,35 @@ func Open(ctx context.Context, path string) (*Store, error) {
 		}
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("apply schema: %w", err)
 	}
+	if err := migrate(ctx, db); err != nil {
+		if closeErr := db.Close(); closeErr != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("migrate: %w (close: %v)", err, closeErr)
+		}
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("migrate: %w", err)
+	}
+	return db, nil
+}
+
+// Open opens or creates a PLAINTEXT sqlite database at path. Used by tests and
+// by any deployment that keeps the db unencrypted (CI, dev). Production goes
+// through OpenEncrypted.
+func Open(ctx context.Context, path string) (*Store, error) {
+	db, err := openAt(ctx, path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	return &Store{db: db}, nil
 }
 
-// Close releases the database handle.
-func (s *Store) Close() error { return s.db.Close() }
+// Close checkpoints, releases the database handle, and — for an encrypted
+// store — re-encrypts the tmpfs working copy back to the on-disk ciphertext
+// file atomically, then wipes the plaintext copy and zeroes the key.
+func (s *Store) Close() error {
+	if s.enc == nil {
+		return s.db.Close()
+	}
+	return s.enc.closeAndSeal(s.db)
+}
 
 // DB exposes the underlying handle for internal read-only snapshots.
 // Used by the loop to take a consistent read under a single transaction.