diff --git a/config/example.toml b/config/example.toml
index a78eb62..830507f 100644
--- a/config/example.toml
+++ b/config/example.toml
@@ -102,6 +102,6 @@ trigger_labels = ["coven:fix", "coven:review"]  # Labels that trigger this famil
 # [memory]
 # enabled = false
 # approval_required = true   # learned facts stay pending until a maintainer approves
-# retention_days = 365
+# retention_days = 365      # forwarded to the runtime; also expires the adapter's memory audit
 # [memory.repos."acme/billing"]
 # enabled = true             # per-repo opt-in
diff --git a/crates/server/src/main.rs b/crates/server/src/main.rs
index 20a8c92..00dd1b0 100644
--- a/crates/server/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/server/src/main.rs
@@ -111,6 +111,27 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
                 worker::run(worker_config, worker_store, worker_notify).await;
             });
 
+            // Memory retention sweep (issue #6): when a retention horizon is
+            // configured, periodically expire audit rows older than it. The
+            // first tick fires immediately, so a stale audit is trimmed at boot.
+            if let Some(retention_days) = config.memory.retention_days {
+                let sweep_store = store.clone();
+                tokio::spawn(async move {
+                    let mut ticker =
+                        tokio::time::interval(std::time::Duration::from_secs(6 * 3600));
+                    loop {
+                        ticker.tick().await;
+                        match sweep_store.expire_memory_activity(retention_days).await {
+                            Ok(0) => {}
+                            Ok(expired) => {
+                                tracing::info!(expired, "expired memory activity past retention")
+                            }
+                            Err(e) => tracing::error!("memory retention sweep failed: {e:#}"),
+                        }
+                    }
+                });
+            }
+
             // Build router.
             let state = AppState {
                 config: config.clone(),
diff --git a/crates/store/src/lib.rs b/crates/store/src/lib.rs
index 352fdef..9df1fe3 100644
--- a/crates/store/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/store/src/lib.rs
@@ -608,12 +608,19 @@ impl Store {
             let mut conn = conn.lock().expect("store mutex poisoned");
             let tx = conn.transaction()?;
             for row in &rows {
+                // Honor an explicit timestamp when provided (tests/backfills);
+                // otherwise stamp the current time.
+                let at = if row.at.is_empty() {
+                    now_rfc3339()
+                } else {
+                    row.at.clone()
+                };
                 tx.execute(
                     "INSERT INTO memory_activity
                        (at, installation_id, repo, task_id, op, target, scope, outcome)
                      VALUES (?1, ?2, ?3, ?4, ?5, ?6, ?7, ?8)",
                     params![
-                        now_rfc3339(),
+                        at,
                         row.installation_id,
                         row.repo,
                         row.task_id,
@@ -739,6 +746,30 @@ impl Store {
         .await
         .expect("store task panicked")
     }
+
+    /// Deletes memory-activity audit rows older than `cutoff` (RFC 3339) —
+    /// retention expiry (issue #6). Revocations are active policy and are never
+    /// expired: an expired revocation would silently un-revoke memory.
+    pub async fn expire_memory_activity_before(&self, cutoff: &str) -> Result<usize> {
+        let conn = self.conn.clone();
+        let cutoff = cutoff.to_string();
+        tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
+            let conn = conn.lock().expect("store mutex poisoned");
+            let n = conn.execute(
+                "DELETE FROM memory_activity WHERE at < ?1",
+                params![cutoff],
+            )?;
+            Ok(n)
+        })
+        .await
+        .expect("store task panicked")
+    }
+
+    /// Deletes memory-activity audit rows older than `retention_days` from now.
+    pub async fn expire_memory_activity(&self, retention_days: u32) -> Result<usize> {
+        let cutoff = (chrono::Utc::now() - chrono::Duration::days(retention_days as i64)).to_rfc3339();
+        self.expire_memory_activity_before(&cutoff).await
+    }
 }
 
 /// One recorded memory operation for the inspect/audit trail (issue #6).
@@ -1099,6 +1130,36 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(store.revocations_for(2, "OpenCoven/billing").await.unwrap().is_empty());
     }
 
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn retention_expiry_removes_old_activity_but_keeps_revocations() {
+        let store = Store::open_in_memory().unwrap();
+        // An old audit row (explicit timestamp) and a fresh one (empty → now).
+        let mut old = memory_row(1, "OpenCoven/a", "repo/OpenCoven/a/old", "accepted");
+        old.at = "2020-01-01T00:00:00+00:00".to_string();
+        store.record_memory_activity(vec![old]).await.unwrap();
+        store
+            .record_memory_activity(vec![memory_row(1, "OpenCoven/a", "repo/OpenCoven/a/new", "accepted")])
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        // A revocation must survive the sweep.
+        store.record_revocation(1, "OpenCoven/a", "repo/OpenCoven/a/x").await.unwrap();
+
+        let removed = store
+            .expire_memory_activity_before("2021-01-01T00:00:00+00:00")
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(removed, 1, "only the 2020 row expires");
+
+        let remaining = store.list_memory(None).await.unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(remaining.len(), 1);
+        assert_eq!(remaining[0].target, "repo/OpenCoven/a/new");
+        // Revocation is untouched — expiring it would un-revoke memory.
+        assert_eq!(
+            store.revocations_for(1, "OpenCoven/a").await.unwrap(),
+            vec!["repo/OpenCoven/a/x"]
+        );
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn delete_on_uninstall_purges_activity_and_revocations() {
         let store = Store::open_in_memory().unwrap();
diff --git a/docs/memory-contract.md b/docs/memory-contract.md
index 6d4ab46..bb6de90 100644
--- a/docs/memory-contract.md
+++ b/docs/memory-contract.md
@@ -320,9 +320,9 @@ values are sane.
    prefix-addressable keys; `POST /api/github/memory/revoke` with adapter-side
    enforcement (revoked keys refused on future reads/writes) plus a denial list
    forwarded to the runtime; `delete_on_uninstall`; read citation on the review
-   surface. **Done**, except **retention expiry**, which needs a periodic sweep
-   (an operational enhancement, not a contract requirement) and remains a
-   follow-up.
+   surface; and **retention expiry** — a periodic server sweep drops audit rows
+   past `retention_days` (revocations are never expired), while the same horizon
+   is forwarded to the runtime for the memory bytes themselves. **Done.**
 
 The adapter side is complete. What is inherently bilateral — the runtime
 honoring the `denied` list and physically deleting revoked bytes — is the