diff --git a/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/claim-ledger.d.ts b/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/claim-ledger.d.ts
index 15ec048874..206eb15a18 100644
--- a/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/claim-ledger.d.ts
+++ b/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/claim-ledger.d.ts
@@ -23,9 +23,11 @@ export type ListClaimsFilter = {
 export type ClaimLedger = {
   dbPath: string;
   recordClaim(claim: RecordClaimInput): ClaimEntry;
+  claimIssue(repoFullName: string, issueNumber: number, note?: string): ClaimEntry;
   releaseClaim(repoFullName: string, issueNumber: number): ClaimEntry | null;
   expireClaim(repoFullName: string, issueNumber: number): ClaimEntry | null;
   listClaims(filter?: ListClaimsFilter): ClaimEntry[];
+  listActiveClaims(repoFullName?: string): ClaimEntry[];
   close(): void;
 };
 
@@ -43,4 +45,8 @@ export function expireClaim(repoFullName: string, issueNumber: number): ClaimEnt
 
 export function listClaims(filter?: ListClaimsFilter): ClaimEntry[];
 
+export function claimIssue(repoFullName: string, issueNumber: number, note?: string): ClaimEntry;
+
+export function listActiveClaims(repoFullName?: string): ClaimEntry[];
+
 export function closeDefaultClaimLedger(): void;
diff --git a/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/claim-ledger.js b/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/claim-ledger.js
index dfdf77f5e0..7e4a496da3 100644
--- a/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/claim-ledger.js
+++ b/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/claim-ledger.js
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ export function openClaimLedger(dbPath = resolveClaimLedgerDbPath()) {
     return status;
   }
 
-  return {
+  const ledger = {
     dbPath: resolvedPath,
     recordClaim(claim) {
       const repoFullName = normalizeRepoFullName(claim?.repoFullName);
@@ -178,10 +178,19 @@ export function openClaimLedger(dbPath = resolveClaimLedgerDbPath()) {
       }
       return rows.map(rowToClaim);
     },
+    claimIssue(repoFullName, issueNumber, note) {
+      return ledger.recordClaim({ repoFullName, issueNumber, note });
+    },
+    listActiveClaims(repoFullName) {
+      const filter = { status: "active" };
+      if (repoFullName !== undefined) filter.repoFullName = repoFullName;
+      return ledger.listClaims(filter);
+    },
     close() {
       db.close();
     },
   };
+  return ledger;
 }
 
 function getDefaultClaimLedger() {
@@ -205,6 +214,16 @@ export function listClaims(filter) {
   return getDefaultClaimLedger().listClaims(filter);
 }
 
+/** Foundation-phase alias for `recordClaim({ repoFullName, issueNumber, note })`. (#3351) */
+export function claimIssue(repoFullName, issueNumber, note) {
+  return getDefaultClaimLedger().claimIssue(repoFullName, issueNumber, note);
+}
+
+/** List only `active` claims, optionally scoped to one repo. (#3351) */
+export function listActiveClaims(repoFullName) {
+  return getDefaultClaimLedger().listActiveClaims(repoFullName);
+}
+
 export function closeDefaultClaimLedger() {
   if (!defaultClaimLedger) return;
   defaultClaimLedger.close();
diff --git a/test/unit/miner-claim-ledger.test.ts b/test/unit/miner-claim-ledger.test.ts
index dbe5b36942..07bb9c6457 100644
--- a/test/unit/miner-claim-ledger.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/miner-claim-ledger.test.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@ import { join } from "node:path";
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import {
   CLAIM_STATUSES,
+  claimIssue,
   closeDefaultClaimLedger,
+  listActiveClaims,
   openClaimLedger,
   resolveClaimLedgerDbPath,
 } from "../../packages/gittensory-miner/lib/claim-ledger.js";
@@ -23,6 +25,8 @@ function tempLedger() {
 afterEach(() => {
   for (const ledger of ledgers.splice(0)) ledger.close();
   closeDefaultClaimLedger();
+  vi.restoreAllMocks();
+  vi.unstubAllEnvs();
   vi.useRealTimers();
   for (const root of roots.splice(0)) rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
 });
@@ -136,4 +140,45 @@ describe("gittensory-miner claim ledger (#2314)", () => {
     expect(source).toContain("does NOT adjudicate contested duplicates");
     expect(source).toContain("isDuplicateClusterWinnerByClaim");
   });
+
+  it("claimIssue and listActiveClaims expose the foundation-phase API surface (#3351)", () => {
+    const ledger = tempLedger();
+    const claim = ledger.claimIssue("o/a", 42, "via-alias");
+    expect(claim).toMatchObject({ repoFullName: "o/a", issueNumber: 42, status: "active", note: "via-alias" });
+    expect(ledger.listActiveClaims()).toEqual([claim]);
+    ledger.claimIssue("o/b", 1);
+    ledger.releaseClaim("o/a", 42);
+    expect(ledger.listActiveClaims("o/a")).toEqual([]);
+    expect(ledger.listActiveClaims("o/b").map((c) => c.issueNumber)).toEqual([1]);
+    expect(ledger.listActiveClaims().map((c) => c.repoFullName)).toEqual(["o/b"]);
+    expect(ledger.claimIssue("o/c", 3).note).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("claimIssue on an already-active claim is idempotent (#3353)", () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    vi.setSystemTime(new Date("2026-07-05T00:00:00Z"));
+    const ledger = tempLedger();
+    const first = ledger.claimIssue("o/a", 7, "first");
+    vi.setSystemTime(new Date("2026-07-05T01:00:00Z"));
+    const second = ledger.claimIssue("o/a", 7, "ignored");
+    expect(second).toEqual(first);
+    expect(ledger.listActiveClaims()).toHaveLength(1);
+  });
+
+  it("top-level claimIssue and listActiveClaims use the default ledger store", () => {
+    const root = tempRoot();
+    vi.stubEnv("GITTENSORY_MINER_CLAIM_LEDGER_DB", join(root, "claim-ledger.sqlite3"));
+    closeDefaultClaimLedger();
+    const claim = claimIssue("o/a", 99, "default-store");
+    expect(claim).toMatchObject({ issueNumber: 99, status: "active" });
+    expect(listActiveClaims()).toEqual([claim]);
+    expect(listActiveClaims("o/a")).toEqual([claim]);
+    expect(listActiveClaims("o/missing")).toEqual([]);
+  });
 });
+
+function tempRoot() {
+  const root = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "gittensory-miner-claim-default-"));
+  roots.push(root);
+  return root;
+}