diff --git a/crates/spaceshd/src/event_store.rs b/crates/spaceshd/src/event_store.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..202f7fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/spaceshd/src/event_store.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,200 @@
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+use std::sync::Arc;
+use anyhow::Result;
+use tokio::sync::mpsc;
+use tokio::time::{Duration, Instant};
+use crate::event_log::EventLogState;
+
+pub trait EventStore: Send + Sync {
+    fn load(&self) -> Result<EventLogState>;
+    fn save(&self, state: &EventLogState) -> Result<()>;
+}
+
+/// JSON file store with atomic write (temp + fsync + rename) and corrupt backup.
+pub struct JsonEventStore {
+    path: PathBuf,
+}
+
+impl JsonEventStore {
+    pub fn new(path: PathBuf) -> Self {
+        Self { path }
+    }
+
+    fn backup_corrupt(&self, ts: u128) {
+        let bak = self.path.with_extension(format!("corrupt-{ts}"));
+        let _ = std::fs::rename(&self.path, bak);
+    }
+}
+
+impl EventStore for JsonEventStore {
+    fn load(&self) -> Result<EventLogState> {
+        if !self.path.exists() {
+            return Ok(EventLogState { version: 1, next_id: 1, records: vec![] });
+        }
+        let bytes = std::fs::read(&self.path)?;
+        match serde_json::from_slice::<EventLogState>(&bytes) {
+            Ok(state) => Ok(state),
+            Err(_) => {
+                let ts = std::time::SystemTime::now()
+                    .duration_since(std::time::UNIX_EPOCH)
+                    .map(|d| d.as_nanos())
+                    .unwrap_or(0);
+                self.backup_corrupt(ts);
+                Ok(EventLogState { version: 1, next_id: 1, records: vec![] })
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn save(&self, state: &EventLogState) -> Result<()> {
+        if let Some(parent) = self.path.parent() {
+            std::fs::create_dir_all(parent)?;
+        }
+        let tmp = self.path.with_extension("json.tmp");
+        let bytes = serde_json::to_vec_pretty(state)?;
+        std::fs::write(&tmp, &bytes)?;
+        let f = std::fs::File::open(&tmp)?;
+        // fsync the temp file before rename for durability.
+        f.sync_all()?;
+        std::fs::rename(&tmp, &self.path)?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+/// Handle the recorder uses to request a debounced persist.
+#[derive(Clone)]
+pub struct EventPersister {
+    tx: mpsc::Sender<EventLogState>,
+}
+
+impl EventPersister {
+    pub fn mark_dirty(&self, state: EventLogState) {
+        // Best-effort; dropping a snapshot is fine because a newer one will arrive.
+        let _ = self.tx.try_send(state);
+    }
+}
+
+/// Spawn the debounce task; coalesces a burst into one save.
+pub fn spawn(store: Arc<dyn EventStore>, debounce: Duration) -> EventPersister {
+    let (tx, mut rx) = mpsc::channel::<EventLogState>(64);
+    tokio::spawn(async move {
+        let mut latest: Option<EventLogState> = None;
+        let mut deadline: Option<Instant> = None;
+        loop {
+            let timer = async {
+                match deadline {
+                    Some(d) => tokio::time::sleep_until(d).await,
+                    None => std::future::pending::<()>().await,
+                }
+            };
+            tokio::select! {
+                msg = rx.recv() => {
+                    match msg {
+                        Some(state) => {
+                            latest = Some(state);
+                            deadline = Some(Instant::now() + debounce);
+                        }
+                        None => {
+                            // channel closed: final flush then exit
+                            if let Some(s) = latest.take() { let _ = store.save(&s); }
+                            break;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                _ = timer => {
+                    if let Some(s) = latest.take() { let _ = store.save(&s); }
+                    deadline = None;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    });
+    EventPersister { tx }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use spacesh_proto::event::{EventKind, EventRecord};
+    use spacesh_proto::ids::{SurfaceId, WorkspaceId};
+
+    fn tmp_file(name: &str) -> PathBuf {
+        let mut p = std::env::temp_dir();
+        let n = std::time::SystemTime::now().duration_since(std::time::UNIX_EPOCH).unwrap().as_nanos();
+        p.push(format!("spacesh-events-{name}-{n}.json"));
+        p
+    }
+
+    fn sample() -> EventLogState {
+        EventLogState {
+            version: 1,
+            next_id: 2,
+            records: vec![EventRecord {
+                id: 1,
+                surface_id: SurfaceId("s_1".into()),
+                workspace_id: WorkspaceId("w_1".into()),
+                workspace_name: "infra".into(),
+                agent_label: Some("claude".into()),
+                kind: EventKind::Done,
+                ts: 1,
+                read: false,
+            }],
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn save_then_load_round_trips() {
+        let path = tmp_file("roundtrip");
+        let store = JsonEventStore::new(path.clone());
+        store.save(&sample()).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(store.load().unwrap(), sample());
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_file(path);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn missing_file_loads_empty() {
+        let store = JsonEventStore::new(tmp_file("missing"));
+        let s = store.load().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(s.next_id, 1);
+        assert!(s.records.is_empty());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn corrupt_file_is_backed_up_and_load_returns_empty() {
+        let path = tmp_file("corrupt");
+        std::fs::write(&path, b"{ not valid json").unwrap();
+        let store = JsonEventStore::new(path.clone());
+        let s = store.load().unwrap();
+        assert!(s.records.is_empty());
+        assert!(!path.exists());
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_file(path);
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread", worker_threads = 2)]
+    async fn burst_coalesces_to_one_save() {
+        struct Counting {
+            saves: std::sync::atomic::AtomicUsize,
+            last: std::sync::Mutex<Option<EventLogState>>,
+        }
+        impl EventStore for Counting {
+            fn load(&self) -> Result<EventLogState> { Ok(EventLogState::default()) }
+            fn save(&self, s: &EventLogState) -> Result<()> {
+                self.saves.fetch_add(1, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst);
+                *self.last.lock().unwrap() = Some(s.clone());
+                Ok(())
+            }
+        }
+        let store = Arc::new(Counting {
+            saves: std::sync::atomic::AtomicUsize::new(0),
+            last: std::sync::Mutex::new(None),
+        });
+        let p = spawn(store.clone(), Duration::from_millis(80));
+        for v in 1..=5u64 {
+            let mut s = EventLogState::default();
+            s.next_id = v;
+            p.mark_dirty(s);
+            tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(10)).await;
+        }
+        tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(200)).await;
+        assert_eq!(store.saves.load(std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst), 1, "burst should coalesce to one save");
+        assert_eq!(store.last.lock().unwrap().as_ref().unwrap().next_id, 5, "save uses the latest snapshot");
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/spaceshd/src/main.rs b/crates/spaceshd/src/main.rs
index 44997e8..80384de 100644
--- a/crates/spaceshd/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/spaceshd/src/main.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 mod event_log;
+mod event_store;
 mod hooks;
 mod launchd;
 mod lifecycle;