diff --git a/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/claim-ledger.d.ts b/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/claim-ledger.d.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..06f58fe497
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/claim-ledger.d.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+export type ClaimStatus = "active" | "released" | "expired";
+
+export type ClaimEntry = {
+  id: number;
+  repoFullName: string;
+  issueNumber: number;
+  claimedAt: string;
+  status: ClaimStatus;
+  note: string | null;
+};
+
+export type RecordClaimInput = {
+  repoFullName: string;
+  issueNumber: number;
+  note?: string;
+};
+
+export type ListClaimsFilter = {
+  repoFullName?: string;
+  status?: ClaimStatus;
+};
+
+export type ClaimLedger = {
+  dbPath: string;
+  recordClaim(claim: RecordClaimInput): ClaimEntry;
+  releaseClaim(repoFullName: string, issueNumber: number): ClaimEntry | null;
+  listClaims(filter?: ListClaimsFilter): ClaimEntry[];
+  close(): void;
+};
+
+export const CLAIM_STATUSES: readonly ClaimStatus[];
+
+export function resolveClaimLedgerDbPath(env?: Record<string, string | undefined>): string;
+
+export function openClaimLedger(dbPath?: string): ClaimLedger;
+
+export function recordClaim(claim: RecordClaimInput): ClaimEntry;
+
+export function releaseClaim(repoFullName: string, issueNumber: number): ClaimEntry | null;
+
+export function listClaims(filter?: ListClaimsFilter): ClaimEntry[];
+
+export function closeDefaultClaimLedger(): void;
diff --git a/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/claim-ledger.js b/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/claim-ledger.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2e0dc90f5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/claim-ledger.js
@@ -0,0 +1,190 @@
+import { chmodSync, mkdirSync } from "node:fs";
+import { homedir } from "node:os";
+import { dirname, join } from "node:path";
+import { DatabaseSync } from "node:sqlite";
+
+// The miner's local soft-claim ledger (#2314): a 100% client-side record of "I'm working on issue #N in repo X",
+// so Phase 2's soft-claim adjudication (sibling issues) has somewhere to persist claims. Schema + CRUD only — no
+// adjudication logic, no network calls, no autonomous writes. The database only lives on this machine; this module
+// never uploads, syncs, or phones home. Mirrors the package's existing local-store pattern (run-state.js,
+// portfolio-queue.js, event-ledger.js) — plain JS + node:sqlite, not the hosted Worker's shared D1 `migrations/`.
+
+export const CLAIM_STATUSES = Object.freeze(["active", "released", "expired"]);
+
+const defaultDbFileName = "claim-ledger.sqlite3";
+let defaultClaimLedger = null;
+
+export function resolveClaimLedgerDbPath(env = process.env) {
+  const explicitPath = typeof env.GITTENSORY_MINER_CLAIM_LEDGER_DB === "string"
+    ? env.GITTENSORY_MINER_CLAIM_LEDGER_DB.trim()
+    : "";
+  if (explicitPath) return explicitPath;
+
+  const explicitConfigDir = typeof env.GITTENSORY_MINER_CONFIG_DIR === "string"
+    ? env.GITTENSORY_MINER_CONFIG_DIR.trim()
+    : "";
+  if (explicitConfigDir) return join(explicitConfigDir, defaultDbFileName);
+
+  const configHome = typeof env.XDG_CONFIG_HOME === "string" && env.XDG_CONFIG_HOME.trim()
+    ? env.XDG_CONFIG_HOME.trim()
+    : join(homedir(), ".config");
+  return join(configHome, "gittensory-miner", defaultDbFileName);
+}
+
+function normalizeDbPath(dbPath) {
+  const path = (dbPath ?? resolveClaimLedgerDbPath()).trim();
+  if (!path) throw new Error("invalid_claim_ledger_db_path");
+  return path;
+}
+
+function normalizeRepoFullName(repoFullName) {
+  if (typeof repoFullName !== "string") throw new Error("invalid_repo_full_name");
+  const [owner, repo, extra] = repoFullName.trim().split("/");
+  if (!owner || !repo || extra !== undefined) throw new Error("invalid_repo_full_name");
+  return `${owner}/${repo}`;
+}
+
+function normalizeIssueNumber(issueNumber) {
+  if (!Number.isInteger(issueNumber) || issueNumber < 1) throw new Error("invalid_issue_number");
+  return issueNumber;
+}
+
+/** Optional free-text note: omitted/nullish → null; a string is kept as-is; anything else is rejected. */
+function normalizeNote(note) {
+  if (note === undefined || note === null) return null;
+  if (typeof note !== "string") throw new Error("invalid_note");
+  return note;
+}
+
+function rowToClaim(row) {
+  return {
+    id: row.id,
+    repoFullName: row.repo_full_name,
+    issueNumber: row.issue_number,
+    claimedAt: row.claimed_at,
+    status: row.status,
+    note: row.note,
+  };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Opens the local claim ledger, creating the table on first use. `UNIQUE(repo_full_name, issue_number)` keeps ONE
+ * row per claimed issue, and `recordClaim` is a single atomic INSERT…ON CONFLICT statement (no read-then-write), so
+ * concurrent claims cannot duplicate a row. (#2314)
+ */
+export function openClaimLedger(dbPath = resolveClaimLedgerDbPath()) {
+  const resolvedPath = normalizeDbPath(dbPath);
+  mkdirSync(dirname(resolvedPath), { recursive: true, mode: 0o700 });
+  const db = new DatabaseSync(resolvedPath);
+  chmodSync(resolvedPath, 0o600);
+  db.exec("PRAGMA busy_timeout = 5000");
+  db.exec(`
+    CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS miner_claims (
+      id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
+      repo_full_name TEXT NOT NULL,
+      issue_number INTEGER NOT NULL,
+      claimed_at TEXT NOT NULL,
+      status TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT 'active' CHECK (status IN ('active', 'released', 'expired')),
+      note TEXT,
+      UNIQUE (repo_full_name, issue_number)
+    )
+  `);
+
+  // Idempotent claim in ONE atomic statement: insert a new active claim, or — only if the existing row is NOT
+  // already active — re-activate it (a released/expired claim can be re-claimed). The `WHERE status <> 'active'`
+  // guard makes re-claiming an already-active issue a true no-op (no row churn), never a duplicate row.
+  const recordStatement = db.prepare(`
+    INSERT INTO miner_claims (repo_full_name, issue_number, claimed_at, status, note)
+    VALUES (?, ?, ?, 'active', ?)
+    ON CONFLICT(repo_full_name, issue_number) DO UPDATE SET
+      claimed_at = excluded.claimed_at,
+      note = excluded.note,
+      status = 'active'
+    WHERE miner_claims.status <> 'active'
+  `);
+  const getStatement = db.prepare(
+    "SELECT * FROM miner_claims WHERE repo_full_name = ? AND issue_number = ?",
+  );
+  const releaseStatement = db.prepare(
+    "UPDATE miner_claims SET status = 'released' WHERE repo_full_name = ? AND issue_number = ?",
+  );
+  const listAllStatement = db.prepare("SELECT * FROM miner_claims ORDER BY id ASC");
+  const listRepoStatement = db.prepare(
+    "SELECT * FROM miner_claims WHERE repo_full_name = ? ORDER BY id ASC",
+  );
+  const listStatusStatement = db.prepare(
+    "SELECT * FROM miner_claims WHERE status = ? ORDER BY id ASC",
+  );
+  const listRepoStatusStatement = db.prepare(
+    "SELECT * FROM miner_claims WHERE repo_full_name = ? AND status = ? ORDER BY id ASC",
+  );
+
+  function normalizeStatusFilter(status) {
+    if (status === undefined) return undefined;
+    if (!CLAIM_STATUSES.includes(status)) throw new Error("invalid_status");
+    return status;
+  }
+
+  return {
+    dbPath: resolvedPath,
+    recordClaim(claim) {
+      const repoFullName = normalizeRepoFullName(claim?.repoFullName);
+      const issueNumber = normalizeIssueNumber(claim?.issueNumber);
+      const note = normalizeNote(claim?.note);
+      const claimedAt = new Date().toISOString();
+      recordStatement.run(repoFullName, issueNumber, claimedAt, note);
+      return rowToClaim(getStatement.get(repoFullName, issueNumber));
+    },
+    releaseClaim(repoFullName, issueNumber) {
+      const normalizedRepo = normalizeRepoFullName(repoFullName);
+      const normalizedIssue = normalizeIssueNumber(issueNumber);
+      releaseStatement.run(normalizedRepo, normalizedIssue);
+      const row = getStatement.get(normalizedRepo, normalizedIssue);
+      return row ? rowToClaim(row) : null;
+    },
+    listClaims(filter = {}) {
+      const repoFullName = filter.repoFullName === undefined
+        ? undefined
+        : normalizeRepoFullName(filter.repoFullName);
+      const status = normalizeStatusFilter(filter.status);
+
+      let rows;
+      if (repoFullName !== undefined && status !== undefined) {
+        rows = listRepoStatusStatement.all(repoFullName, status);
+      } else if (repoFullName !== undefined) {
+        rows = listRepoStatement.all(repoFullName);
+      } else if (status !== undefined) {
+        rows = listStatusStatement.all(status);
+      } else {
+        rows = listAllStatement.all();
+      }
+      return rows.map(rowToClaim);
+    },
+    close() {
+      db.close();
+    },
+  };
+}
+
+function getDefaultClaimLedger() {
+  defaultClaimLedger ??= openClaimLedger();
+  return defaultClaimLedger;
+}
+
+export function recordClaim(claim) {
+  return getDefaultClaimLedger().recordClaim(claim);
+}
+
+export function releaseClaim(repoFullName, issueNumber) {
+  return getDefaultClaimLedger().releaseClaim(repoFullName, issueNumber);
+}
+
+export function listClaims(filter) {
+  return getDefaultClaimLedger().listClaims(filter);
+}
+
+export function closeDefaultClaimLedger() {
+  if (!defaultClaimLedger) return;
+  defaultClaimLedger.close();
+  defaultClaimLedger = null;
+}
diff --git a/packages/gittensory-miner/package.json b/packages/gittensory-miner/package.json
index 7e175d4c58..f1c77d2972 100644
--- a/packages/gittensory-miner/package.json
+++ b/packages/gittensory-miner/package.json
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
     "lib"
   ],
   "scripts": {
-    "build": "node --check bin/gittensory-miner.js && node --check lib/cli.js && node --check lib/deny-check.js && node --check lib/update-check.js && node --check lib/opportunity-fanout.js && node --check lib/ci-poller.js && node --check lib/run-state.js && node --check lib/deny-hooks.js && node --check lib/event-ledger.js"
+    "build": "node --check bin/gittensory-miner.js && node --check lib/cli.js && node --check lib/deny-check.js && node --check lib/update-check.js && node --check lib/opportunity-fanout.js && node --check lib/ci-poller.js && node --check lib/run-state.js && node --check lib/deny-hooks.js && node --check lib/event-ledger.js && node --check lib/claim-ledger.js"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "@jsonbored/gittensory-engine": "0.1.0"
diff --git a/test/unit/miner-claim-ledger.test.ts b/test/unit/miner-claim-ledger.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2b464e53fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/miner-claim-ledger.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+import { mkdtempSync, rmSync, statSync } from "node:fs";
+import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
+import { join } from "node:path";
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import {
+  CLAIM_STATUSES,
+  closeDefaultClaimLedger,
+  openClaimLedger,
+  resolveClaimLedgerDbPath,
+} from "../../packages/gittensory-miner/lib/claim-ledger.js";
+
+const roots: string[] = [];
+const ledgers: Array<{ close(): void }> = [];
+
+function tempLedger() {
+  const root = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "gittensory-miner-claim-ledger-"));
+  roots.push(root);
+  const ledger = openClaimLedger(join(root, "nested", "claim-ledger.sqlite3"));
+  ledgers.push(ledger);
+  return ledger;
+}
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  for (const ledger of ledgers.splice(0)) ledger.close();
+  closeDefaultClaimLedger();
+  vi.useRealTimers();
+  for (const root of roots.splice(0)) rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
+});
+
+describe("gittensory-miner claim ledger (#2314)", () => {
+  it("exposes the frozen status vocabulary", () => {
+    expect(CLAIM_STATUSES).toEqual(["active", "released", "expired"]);
+    expect(Object.isFrozen(CLAIM_STATUSES)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("resolves the DB path from env override, miner config dir, XDG config, then the home default", () => {
+    expect(resolveClaimLedgerDbPath({ GITTENSORY_MINER_CLAIM_LEDGER_DB: "/custom/c.sqlite3" })).toBe(
+      "/custom/c.sqlite3",
+    );
+    expect(resolveClaimLedgerDbPath({ GITTENSORY_MINER_CONFIG_DIR: "/custom/config" })).toBe(
+      "/custom/config/claim-ledger.sqlite3",
+    );
+    expect(resolveClaimLedgerDbPath({ XDG_CONFIG_HOME: "/xdg" })).toBe(
+      "/xdg/gittensory-miner/claim-ledger.sqlite3",
+    );
+    expect(resolveClaimLedgerDbPath({})).toMatch(/\/\.config\/gittensory-miner\/claim-ledger\.sqlite3$/);
+  });
+
+  it("creates the SQLite file with owner-only permissions and lists empty before any claim", () => {
+    const ledger = tempLedger();
+    expect(statSync(ledger.dbPath).mode & 0o077).toBe(0);
+    expect(ledger.listClaims()).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it("records a claim and lists it back", () => {
+    const ledger = tempLedger();
+    const claim = ledger.recordClaim({ repoFullName: "JSONbored/gittensory", issueNumber: 2314, note: "mine" });
+    expect(claim).toMatchObject({
+      repoFullName: "JSONbored/gittensory",
+      issueNumber: 2314,
+      status: "active",
+      note: "mine",
+    });
+    expect(typeof claim.claimedAt).toBe("string");
+    expect(ledger.listClaims()).toEqual([claim]);
+    // A note is optional → null.
+    expect(ledger.recordClaim({ repoFullName: "o/a", issueNumber: 1 }).note).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("is idempotent: re-claiming an already-active issue is a no-op, not a duplicate row", () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    vi.setSystemTime(new Date("2026-07-03T00:00:00Z"));
+    const ledger = tempLedger();
+    const first = ledger.recordClaim({ repoFullName: "o/a", issueNumber: 7, note: "first" });
+    vi.setSystemTime(new Date("2026-07-03T01:00:00Z"));
+    const second = ledger.recordClaim({ repoFullName: "o/a", issueNumber: 7, note: "second" });
+    // Same row, unchanged (claimed_at + note preserved) — a true no-op while active.
+    expect(second).toEqual(first);
+    expect(ledger.listClaims({ repoFullName: "o/a" })).toHaveLength(1);
+  });
+
+  it("releases a claim, and re-claiming after release re-activates the same row", () => {
+    const ledger = tempLedger();
+    ledger.recordClaim({ repoFullName: "o/a", issueNumber: 9, note: "v1" });
+    const released = ledger.releaseClaim("o/a", 9);
+    expect(released?.status).toBe("released");
+    // Re-claim after release: same single row, back to active, note refreshed.
+    const reclaimed = ledger.recordClaim({ repoFullName: "o/a", issueNumber: 9, note: "v2" });
+    expect(reclaimed).toMatchObject({ status: "active", note: "v2", id: released?.id });
+    expect(ledger.listClaims({ repoFullName: "o/a" })).toHaveLength(1);
+    // Releasing an issue that was never claimed returns null.
+    expect(ledger.releaseClaim("o/a", 404)).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("filters listClaims by repoFullName and/or status", () => {
+    const ledger = tempLedger();
+    ledger.recordClaim({ repoFullName: "o/a", issueNumber: 1 });
+    ledger.recordClaim({ repoFullName: "o/b", issueNumber: 1 });
+    ledger.recordClaim({ repoFullName: "o/a", issueNumber: 2 });
+    ledger.releaseClaim("o/a", 2);
+    expect(ledger.listClaims({ repoFullName: "o/a" }).map((c) => c.issueNumber)).toEqual([1, 2]);
+    expect(ledger.listClaims({ status: "active" }).map((c) => c.repoFullName)).toEqual(["o/a", "o/b"]);
+    expect(ledger.listClaims({ repoFullName: "o/a", status: "released" }).map((c) => c.issueNumber)).toEqual([2]);
+  });
+
+  it("rejects malformed inputs rather than persisting them", () => {
+    const ledger = tempLedger();
+    expect(() => ledger.recordClaim({ repoFullName: "no-slash", issueNumber: 1 })).toThrow("invalid_repo_full_name");
+    expect(() => ledger.recordClaim({ repoFullName: "o/a", issueNumber: 0 })).toThrow("invalid_issue_number");
+    expect(() => ledger.recordClaim({ repoFullName: "o/a", issueNumber: 1.5 })).toThrow("invalid_issue_number");
+    expect(() => ledger.listClaims({ status: "bogus" as never })).toThrow("invalid_status");
+  });
+});