diff --git a/alkstore-sqlite/Cargo.toml b/alkstore-sqlite/Cargo.toml
index 1ec64f7..09dcb19 100644
--- a/alkstore-sqlite/Cargo.toml
+++ b/alkstore-sqlite/Cargo.toml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ parking_lot = "0.12"
 rusqlite = { version = "0.40", features = ["bundled", "functions"] }
 serde_json = "1"
 thiserror = "2"
-tokio = { version = "1", features = ["rt", "sync"] }
+tokio = { version = "1", features = ["rt", "sync", "time"] }
 
 # file-id only supports unix and windows. Other targets (WASI, Redox,
 # illumos, etc.) get the `(0, 0)` fallback in substrate::watcher's
diff --git a/alkstore-sqlite/src/lib.rs b/alkstore-sqlite/src/lib.rs
index 6b048ce..78f6091 100644
--- a/alkstore-sqlite/src/lib.rs
+++ b/alkstore-sqlite/src/lib.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 //! `spawn_blocking` seam — rusqlite connections are not
 //! `Send`-across-await; the family REQ-TTY-01 posture).
 
+mod notify;
 mod opts;
 mod resolution;
 mod seam;
diff --git a/alkstore-sqlite/src/notify.rs b/alkstore-sqlite/src/notify.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3329b6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/alkstore-sqlite/src/notify.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,149 @@
+//! The notify/listen mechanism's SQLite arm — the wake half
+//! (`sqlite-engine-notify-listen`; `notify_tx` landed with the seam):
+//!
+//! - `notify` — the auto-commit path: acquire the writer slot, run
+//!   the substrate's `notify()` SQL function (one statement, one
+//!   auto-commit transaction), release. Commit-atomic by SQLite's
+//!   autocommit; rollback is impossible on this path (nothing holds
+//!   the statement back). No payload limit on SQLite — this engine
+//!   never produces [`Error::PayloadTooLarge`](alkstore::Error) (ADR-016
+//!   §5); the payload crosses the notify table as the serde_json
+//!   serialization's UTF-8 text, the byte form ADR-020 §4 pins.
+//! - `listen` — the watcher-fanout bridge: one `spawn_blocking` thread
+//!   per subscription (`engine-sqlite.md`'s mapping row) looping
+//!   `recv()` on the substrate's sync feed (1-slot — bursts coalesce)
+//!   and `blocking_send`-ing [`Wake`] values into a tokio channel the
+//!   [`WakeReceiver`] owns. Wakes are coalesced hints (overtrigger on
+//!   purpose, ADR-006): the watcher fires on *any* commit, so a wake
+//!   may arrive for unrelated writes, may coalesce, or may repeat —
+//!   the receiver delivers `Wake { channel }` only, never payloads or
+//!   ids (ADR-008 §3); consumers are idempotent on wake.
+//!
+//! Close semantics (ADR-006, ADR-008 §3): watcher death
+//! (`WatcherDeathGuard`) clears the subscriber feed, the bridge thread
+//! exits, and the receiver sees the close — `recv() -> None`, terminal
+//! (it never reopens); `try_recv` / `recv_timeout` carry
+//! [`Error::Closed`], distinguishable from idle's `Ok(None)`;
+//! `recv_timeout`'s timeout expiry without a wake is `Ok(None)` — the
+//! documented idle arm, never a timeout signal.
+//!
+//! Unsubscribe is the receiver's own [`Drop`]: the substrate prunes
+//! disconnected subscribers lazily (at the next fanout), so the
+//! receiver unsubscribes eagerly on drop — a dropped subscriber leaves
+//! the feed immediately and the bridge thread exits on the disconnect.
+
+use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
+use std::time::Duration;
+
+use serde_json::Value;
+
+use alkstore::{BoxedFuture, Error, Result, Wake, WakeReceiver};
+
+use crate::seam::{sqlite_error, with_writer};
+use crate::substrate::{SharedUpdateWatcher, Writer};
+
+/// The bridge's tokio-channel capacity. The substrate's 1-slot sync
+/// feed stays the coalescing point; this buffer only smooths the
+/// bridge-thread → consumer handoff.
+const WAKE_CHANNEL_CAPACITY: usize = 16;
+
+/// The auto-commit notify path (see the module docs). Name validation
+/// fires at the entry point, before any round trip and before the
+/// payload is touched (ADR-008 §4).
+pub(crate) fn notify(
+    writer: Arc<Writer>,
+    channel: &str,
+    payload: Value,
+) -> BoxedFuture<'static, Result<()>> {
+    if let Err(e) = alkstore::validate_shared_name(channel) {
+        return Box::pin(async move { Err(e) });
+    }
+    let channel = channel.to_string();
+    Box::pin(async move {
+        with_writer(writer, move |conn| {
+            let bytes = alkstore::encode_payload(&payload)?;
+            let text = String::from_utf8(bytes)
+                .map_err(|e| Error::Codec(format!("notify payload must be utf-8 text: {e}")))?;
+            conn.query_row(
+                "SELECT notify(?1, ?2)",
+                rusqlite::params![channel, text],
+                |_| Ok(()),
+            )
+            .map_err(sqlite_error)?;
+            Ok(())
+        })
+        .await
+    })
+}
+
+/// The listen path (see the module docs). Name validation fires at the
+/// entry point; a listen against a closed store fails closed with
+/// [`Error::Database`](alkstore::Error) (the engine-wide closed-store
+/// posture — `begin_tx`/`notify` yield the same shape).
+pub(crate) fn listen(
+    watcher: Arc<SharedUpdateWatcher>,
+    closed: Arc<AtomicBool>,
+    channel: &str,
+) -> Result<Box<dyn WakeReceiver>> {
+    alkstore::validate_shared_name(channel)?;
+    if closed.load(Ordering::Acquire) {
+        return Err(Error::database(std::io::Error::other(
+            "the store is closed",
+        )));
+    }
+    let (id, rx) = watcher.subscribe();
+    let (wake_tx, wake_rx) = tokio::sync::mpsc::channel(WAKE_CHANNEL_CAPACITY);
+    let channel = channel.to_string();
+    let _bridge = tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
+        while let Ok(()) = rx.recv() {
+            if wake_tx.blocking_send(Wake::new(channel.clone())).is_err() {
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+    });
+    Ok(Box::new(SqliteWakeReceiver {
+        wake_rx,
+        watcher,
+        id,
+    }))
+}
+
+/// The consumer-visible wake receiver: the tokio side of the bridge.
+/// Its [`Drop`] unsubscribes the substrate feed (the subscriber is
+/// pruned eagerly — before the watcher's next fanout would).
+struct SqliteWakeReceiver {
+    wake_rx: tokio::sync::mpsc::Receiver<Wake>,
+    watcher: Arc<SharedUpdateWatcher>,
+    id: u64,
+}
+
+impl Drop for SqliteWakeReceiver {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        self.watcher.unsubscribe(self.id);
+    }
+}
+
+impl WakeReceiver for SqliteWakeReceiver {
+    fn recv<'a>(&'a mut self) -> BoxedFuture<'a, Option<Wake>> {
+        Box::pin(async move { self.wake_rx.recv().await })
+    }
+
+    fn try_recv(&mut self) -> Result<Option<Wake>> {
+        match self.wake_rx.try_recv() {
+            Ok(wake) => Ok(Some(wake)),
+            Err(tokio::sync::mpsc::error::TryRecvError::Empty) => Ok(None),
+            Err(tokio::sync::mpsc::error::TryRecvError::Disconnected) => Err(Error::Closed),
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn recv_timeout<'a>(&'a mut self, timeout: Duration) -> BoxedFuture<'a, Result<Option<Wake>>> {
+        Box::pin(async move {
+            match tokio::time::timeout(timeout, self.wake_rx.recv()).await {
+                Ok(Some(wake)) => Ok(Some(wake)),
+                Ok(None) => Err(Error::Closed),
+                Err(_expired) => Ok(None),
+            }
+        })
+    }
+}
diff --git a/alkstore-sqlite/src/seam.rs b/alkstore-sqlite/src/seam.rs
index 42b51d2..17b3db7 100644
--- a/alkstore-sqlite/src/seam.rs
+++ b/alkstore-sqlite/src/seam.rs
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@
 //!   mapping, family-standard no-panics discipline maintained.
 
 use alkstore::Error;
+use std::sync::Arc;
+
+use crate::substrate::Writer;
 
 /// The blocking bridge every trait method's substrate round trip goes
 /// through. Private: the seam is engine-internal — consumers meet it
@@ -40,3 +43,35 @@ pub(crate) fn database_error(message: impl Into<String>) -> Error {
 pub(crate) fn sqlite_error(e: rusqlite::Error) -> Error {
     Error::database(e)
 }
+
+/// The short-lived writer-slot lease for auto-commit ops (the
+/// `notify` path's shape): acquire, run the op inside the
+/// `spawn_blocking` seam, release — the slot is free the instant the
+/// op completes (no lease held across a consumer's `await` points;
+/// that is the long-transaction posture, not this path's). A closed
+/// store's acquire fails closed with `Database` (the engine-wide
+/// closed-store shape).
+pub(crate) async fn with_writer<T, F>(writer: Arc<Writer>, f: F) -> alkstore::Result<T>
+where
+    T: Send + 'static,
+    F: FnOnce(&rusqlite::Connection) -> alkstore::Result<T> + Send + 'static,
+{
+    blocking(move || {
+        let conn = writer.acquire().ok_or_else(|| {
+            Error::database(std::io::Error::other(
+                "the store is closed: writer slot unavailable",
+            ))
+        })?;
+        match f(&conn) {
+            Ok(out) => {
+                writer.release(conn);
+                Ok(out)
+            }
+            Err(e) => {
+                drop(conn);
+                Err(e)
+            }
+        }
+    })
+    .await
+}
diff --git a/alkstore-sqlite/src/store.rs b/alkstore-sqlite/src/store.rs
index 8277ffc..76aae58 100644
--- a/alkstore-sqlite/src/store.rs
+++ b/alkstore-sqlite/src/store.rs
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 use alkstore::Store;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::sync::atomic::AtomicBool;
 
 use crate::opts::SqliteOpts;
 use crate::seam::{database_error, sqlite_error};
@@ -48,6 +49,7 @@ pub struct SqliteStore {
     readers: Arc<Readers>,
     watcher: Arc<SharedUpdateWatcher>,
     db_path: PathBuf,
+    closed: Arc<AtomicBool>,
 }
 
 impl std::fmt::Debug for SqliteStore {
@@ -64,6 +66,7 @@ impl SqliteStore {
     /// reader pool, and closes the writer slot. Idempotent. [`Drop`]
     /// delegates here.
     pub fn close(&self) {
+        self.closed.store(true, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst);
         let _ = self.watcher.close();
         self.readers.close();
         self.writer.close();
@@ -105,6 +108,7 @@ fn open_store(path: &str, opts: SqliteOpts) -> alkstore::Result<SqliteStore> {
         readers: Arc::new(Readers::new(path.to_string(), opts.max_readers)),
         watcher: Arc::new(watcher),
         db_path: PathBuf::from(path),
+        closed: Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false)),
     })
 }
 
@@ -122,25 +126,20 @@ impl Store for SqliteStore {
 
     fn notify<'a>(
         &'a self,
-        _channel: &str,
-        _payload: serde_json::Value,
+        channel: &str,
+        payload: serde_json::Value,
     ) -> alkstore::BoxedFuture<'a, alkstore::Result<()>> {
-        Box::pin(async {
-            Err(database_error(
-                "notify wiring lands with the mechanism tasks",
-            ))
-        })
+        crate::notify::notify(self.writer.clone(), channel, payload)
     }
 
     fn listen<'a>(
         &'a self,
-        _channel: &str,
+        channel: &str,
     ) -> alkstore::BoxedFuture<'a, alkstore::Result<Box<dyn alkstore::WakeReceiver>>> {
-        Box::pin(async {
-            Err(database_error(
-                "listen wiring lands with the mechanism tasks",
-            ))
-        })
+        let watcher = self.watcher.clone();
+        let closed = self.closed.clone();
+        let channel = channel.to_string();
+        Box::pin(async move { crate::notify::listen(watcher, closed, &channel) })
     }
 
     fn stream<'a>(
@@ -221,6 +220,8 @@ impl Store for SqliteStore {
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod notify_tests;
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod open_tests;
 #[cfg(test)]
diff --git a/alkstore-sqlite/src/store/notify_tests.rs b/alkstore-sqlite/src/store/notify_tests.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7d2a5cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/alkstore-sqlite/src/store/notify_tests.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,512 @@
+//! The notify/listen mechanism's acceptance tests
+//! (`sqlite-engine-notify-listen`): commit-atomic auto-commit
+//! notifies (payload crosses the notify table, no size limit),
+//! watcher-fanout wakes through the bridged receiver, the close arms
+//! (watcher death ⇒ `None` terminal; `Closed` vs idle in
+//! `try_recv`/`recv_timeout`), unsubscribe-on-drop, entry-point
+//! validation, and the `PayloadTooLarge` never-produced pin (ADR-016
+//! §5).
+
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+use std::time::Duration;
+
+use alkstore::{Error, Store, WakeReceiver};
+use serde_json::json;
+
+use crate::store::{open, open_store};
+
+fn temp_dir(tag: &str) -> PathBuf {
+    let d = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!(
+        "alkstore-notify-{tag}-{}-{:?}",
+        std::process::id(),
+        std::thread::current().id()
+    ));
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&d);
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(&d).unwrap();
+    d
+}
+
+fn cleanup(dir: &PathBuf) {
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(dir);
+}
+
+fn temp_path(tag: &str) -> PathBuf {
+    temp_dir(tag).join("store.db")
+}
+
+/// Wait for a wake with a bounded deadline — no tight-race assertions
+/// (the suite's stability posture).
+async fn must_recv(receiver: &mut dyn WakeReceiver, tag: &str) -> alkstore::Wake {
+    let deadline = tokio::time::Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(5);
+    loop {
+        match receiver.try_recv() {
+            Ok(Some(wake)) => return wake,
+            Ok(None) => {}
+            Err(e) => panic!("{tag}: receiver errored instead of idling: {e}"),
+        }
+        assert!(
+            tokio::time::Instant::now() < deadline,
+            "{tag}: wake never arrived"
+        );
+        tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(10)).await;
+    }
+}
+
+/// Wait until the predicate holds with a bounded deadline.
+async fn until<F: Fn() -> bool>(tag: &str, f: F) {
+    let deadline = tokio::time::Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(5);
+    while !f() {
+        assert!(
+            tokio::time::Instant::now() < deadline,
+            "{tag}: condition never held"
+        );
+        tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(10)).await;
+    }
+}
+
+/// Acceptance: `notify` delivers commit-atomic auto-commit notifies —
+/// the payload crosses the notify table (a committed row is readable
+/// through a raw reader), the notify is a single auto-commit
+/// transaction (no partial state possible), and the channel rides the
+/// row.
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread")]
+async fn notify_delivers_commit_atomic_through_the_notify_table() {
+    let dir = temp_dir("auto-commit");
+    let path = temp_path("auto-commit");
+    let store = open_store(path.to_str().unwrap(), Default::default()).unwrap();
+
+    store
+        .notify("orders", json!({"x": 1}))
+        .await
+        .expect("auto-commit notify succeeds");
+
+    let conn =
+        rusqlite::Connection::open_with_flags(&path, rusqlite::OpenFlags::SQLITE_OPEN_READ_ONLY)
+            .unwrap();
+    let (channel, payload): (String, String) = conn
+        .query_row(
+            "SELECT channel, payload FROM __alkstore_notifications
+             ORDER BY id DESC LIMIT 1",
+            [],
+            |r| Ok((r.get(0)?, r.get(1)?)),
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(channel, "orders", "the channel is the row's channel");
+    assert_eq!(
+        payload,
+        json!({"x": 1}).to_string(),
+        "the payload is the serde_json serialization (ADR-020 §4's byte form)"
+    );
+    store.close();
+    cleanup(&dir);
+}
+
+/// Acceptance: no payload limit on SQLite — this engine never produces
+/// `PayloadTooLarge` at any size (ADR-016 §5's occurrence-asymmetry
+/// pin). A multi-megabyte payload notifies successfully.
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread")]
+async fn notify_never_produces_payload_too_large() {
+    let dir = temp_dir("no-limit");
+    let store = open_store(temp_path("no-limit").to_str().unwrap(), Default::default()).unwrap();
+
+    let big = "x".repeat(2_000_000);
+    store
+        .notify("big", json!({"blob": big}))
+        .await
+        .expect("SQLite notify has no payload limit (ADR-016 §5)");
+    store.close();
+    cleanup(&dir);
+}
+
+/// Acceptance: `listen` returns a working receiver — wakes arrive
+/// after commits by other connections, and `Wake { channel }` carries
+/// the channel name only. The honest posture: the watcher fans out on
+/// any commit, so the wake is pinned to *arrival*, never exclusivity
+/// (best-effort hints, ADR-006).
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread")]
+async fn listen_wakes_arrive_after_commits() {
+    let dir = temp_dir("wake-arrives");
+    let path = temp_path("wake-arrives");
+    let store = open_store(path.to_str().unwrap(), Default::default()).unwrap();
+
+    let mut receiver = store.listen("orders").await.unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(
+        receiver.try_recv().unwrap(),
+        None,
+        "a fresh receiver idles, it is not closed"
+    );
+
+    // A commit from another connection (a fresh store handle over the
+    // same db — the cross-connection probe).
+    let path2 = path.clone();
+    let other = tokio::spawn(async move {
+        let s = open(path2.to_str().unwrap(), Default::default()).unwrap();
+        let mut tx = s.begin_tx().await.unwrap();
+        tx.enqueue_tx("q", Default::default(), json!({}))
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        tx.commit().await.unwrap();
+    });
+    other.await.unwrap();
+
+    let wake = must_recv(&mut *receiver, "wake-arrives").await;
+    assert_eq!(
+        wake.channel, "orders",
+        "the wake carries the listened channel"
+    );
+    store.close();
+    cleanup(&dir);
+}
+
+/// Acceptance: wakes carry the channel only — never payloads or ids
+/// (ADR-008 §3; a notify's payload crosses the notify table, the wake
+/// that follows it does not surface the payload).
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread")]
+async fn wakes_carry_the_channel_only() {
+    let dir = temp_dir("channel-only");
+    let store = open_store(
+        temp_path("channel-only").to_str().unwrap(),
+        Default::default(),
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+
+    let mut receiver = store.listen("c").await.unwrap();
+    store
+        .notify("c", json!({"secret": [1, 2, 3]}))
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+
+    let wake = must_recv(&mut *receiver, "channel-only").await;
+    assert_eq!(wake.channel, "c");
+    store.close();
+    cleanup(&dir);
+}
+
+/// Acceptance: watcher death closes the receiver terminally —
+/// `recv() -> None`. Driven through the substrate's death-signal path:
+/// store close (the ordinary death — the death-guard clears every
+/// subscriber feed) closes the bridged receiver; it never reopens.
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread")]
+async fn watcher_death_closes_the_receiver_terminally() {
+    let dir = temp_dir("death-close");
+    let store = open_store(
+        temp_path("death-close").to_str().unwrap(),
+        Default::default(),
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+
+    let mut receiver = store.listen("orders").await.unwrap();
+
+    // Force the substrate's death signal: close the store (the
+    // death-guard clears every subscriber feed — the bridge thread
+    // exits, the receiver sees the disconnect).
+    store.close();
+
+    let none = receiver.recv().await;
+    assert!(
+        none.is_none(),
+        "watcher death must close the receiver: got {none:?}"
+    );
+    // Terminal: try_recv reports Closed, not idle (ADR-008 §3's
+    // distinguishable states).
+    assert!(
+        matches!(receiver.try_recv(), Err(Error::Closed)),
+        "after close, try_recv is Err(Closed) — not idle"
+    );
+    // Terminal means forever: a second recv is still None.
+    assert!(
+        receiver.recv().await.is_none(),
+        "a closed receiver never reopens"
+    );
+    cleanup(&dir);
+}
+
+/// Acceptance: `try_recv` distinguishes closed from idle pre-close —
+/// `Ok(None)` with no wake pending (idle), `Some` when one arrived,
+/// `Err(Closed)` only after the source closed (the pinned arms).
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread")]
+async fn try_recv_distinguishes_idle_from_closed() {
+    let dir = temp_dir("try-recv-arms");
+    let store = open_store(
+        temp_path("try-recv-arms").to_str().unwrap(),
+        Default::default(),
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+
+    let mut receiver = store.listen("c").await.unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(receiver.try_recv().unwrap(), None, "idle is Ok(None)");
+
+    store.notify("c", json!({"n": 1})).await.unwrap();
+    let wake = must_recv(&mut *receiver, "try-recv-arms").await;
+    assert_eq!(wake.channel, "c");
+    // Drained again — idle, not closed.
+    assert_eq!(
+        receiver.try_recv().unwrap(),
+        None,
+        "drained is idle, not closed"
+    );
+
+    store.close();
+    assert!(
+        matches!(receiver.try_recv(), Err(Error::Closed)),
+        "post-close try_recv is Err(Closed)"
+    );
+    cleanup(&dir);
+}
+
+/// Acceptance: `recv_timeout`'s arms match the pinned shapes — timeout
+/// expiry without a wake is `Ok(None)` (the documented idle arm, never
+/// a timeout signal); a wake in the window arrives as `Ok(Some)`; the
+/// source's death is `Err(Closed)`.
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread")]
+async fn recv_timeout_matches_the_pinned_arms() {
+    let dir = temp_dir("recv-timeout");
+    let store = open_store(
+        temp_path("recv-timeout").to_str().unwrap(),
+        Default::default(),
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+
+    let mut receiver = store.listen("c").await.unwrap();
+
+    // Expiry without a wake: Ok(None) — never Err (ADR-008 §3's pinned
+    // arm: the Err arm carries Database or Closed, never a timeout).
+    let idle = receiver
+        .recv_timeout(Duration::from_millis(100))
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(idle, None, "timeout expiry is the documented Ok(None) arm");
+
+    // A wake inside the window arrives as Ok(Some).
+    store.notify("c", json!({"n": 1})).await.unwrap();
+    let deadline = tokio::time::Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(5);
+    let wake = loop {
+        match receiver
+            .recv_timeout(Duration::from_millis(100))
+            .await
+            .unwrap()
+        {
+            Some(w) => break w,
+            None => {
+                assert!(
+                    tokio::time::Instant::now() < deadline,
+                    "the wake never arrived within recv_timeout windows"
+                );
+            }
+        }
+    };
+    assert_eq!(wake.channel, "c");
+
+    // Death: Err(Closed).
+    store.close();
+    let err = receiver.recv_timeout(Duration::from_millis(100)).await;
+    assert!(
+        matches!(err, Err(Error::Closed)),
+        "post-close recv_timeout is Err(Closed), got {err:?}"
+    );
+    cleanup(&dir);
+}
+
+/// Acceptance: receiver drop unsubscribes — no leaked subscriptions;
+/// `subscriber_count` returns to baseline (the substrate prunes
+/// dropped subscribers; the eager unsubscribe makes it immediate).
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread")]
+async fn receiver_drop_unsubscribes_without_leaks() {
+    let dir = temp_dir("unsub");
+    let store = open_store(temp_path("unsub").to_str().unwrap(), Default::default()).unwrap();
+
+    let baseline = store.watcher.subscriber_count();
+    assert_eq!(baseline, 0, "no subscriptions before any listen");
+
+    {
+        let receiver = store.listen("c").await.unwrap();
+        drop(receiver);
+    }
+
+    // The receiver's Drop unsubscribed eagerly; the bridge thread may
+    // still be exiting, but the substrate-side subscriber is gone.
+    until("unsub", || store.watcher.subscriber_count() == baseline).await;
+    assert_eq!(
+        store.watcher.subscriber_count(),
+        baseline,
+        "receiver drop must not leak subscriptions"
+    );
+    store.close();
+    cleanup(&dir);
+}
+
+/// Acceptance: dropping the store closes receivers through the same
+/// path (Drop delegates to close) — the death arms hold there too.
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread")]
+async fn dropping_the_store_closes_receivers() {
+    let dir = temp_dir("drop-close");
+    let mut receiver;
+    {
+        let store = open_store(
+            temp_path("drop-close").to_str().unwrap(),
+            Default::default(),
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        receiver = store.listen("c").await.unwrap();
+        drop(store);
+    }
+    assert!(receiver.recv().await.is_none(), "drop closes subscribers");
+    assert!(matches!(receiver.try_recv(), Err(Error::Closed)));
+    cleanup(&dir);
+}
+
+/// Acceptance: channel validation on both entry points — empty /
+/// whitespace-only rejected with `InvalidName`, reserved-prefix names
+/// rejected with `ReservedName`, before any round trip (ADR-008 §4;
+/// the validation failures leave no notify row, hold no subscription).
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread")]
+async fn entry_points_validate_channels() {
+    let dir = temp_dir("validation");
+    let path = temp_path("validation");
+    let store = open_store(path.to_str().unwrap(), Default::default()).unwrap();
+
+    for channel in [
+        "",
+        "   ",
+        "__alkstore_listener_reconnected__",
+        "__alkstore_x",
+    ] {
+        let err = match store.notify(channel, json!({})).await {
+            Err(e) => e,
+            Ok(()) => panic!("notify({channel:?}) must reject by validation"),
+        };
+        match err {
+            Error::InvalidName { name } => assert_eq!(channel, name),
+            Error::ReservedName { name } => assert_eq!(channel, name),
+            other => panic!("notify({channel:?}) must reject by validation, got {other}"),
+        }
+        let err = match store.listen(channel).await {
+            Err(e) => e,
+            Ok(_) => panic!("listen({channel:?}) must reject by validation"),
+        };
+        match err {
+            Error::InvalidName { name } => assert_eq!(channel, name),
+            Error::ReservedName { name } => assert_eq!(channel, name),
+            other => panic!("listen({channel:?}) must reject by validation, got {other}"),
+        }
+    }
+
+    // The rejects were total: no notify row was written and no
+    // subscription was held.
+    let conn =
+        rusqlite::Connection::open_with_flags(&path, rusqlite::OpenFlags::SQLITE_OPEN_READ_ONLY)
+            .unwrap();
+    let rows: i64 = conn
+        .query_row("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM __alkstore_notifications", [], |r| {
+            r.get(0)
+        })
+        .unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(rows, 0, "rejected notifies never touched the table");
+    assert_eq!(
+        store.watcher.subscriber_count(),
+        0,
+        "rejected listens never subscribed"
+    );
+    store.close();
+    cleanup(&dir);
+}
+
+/// Acceptance: multiple listeners on one channel all fan out
+/// independently; an unrelated channel's listen also wakes (the
+/// honest overtrigger posture — pinned as hint-arrival, not
+/// exclusivity, per the task's note).
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread")]
+async fn multiple_listeners_fan_out() {
+    let dir = temp_dir("fanout");
+    let store = open_store(temp_path("fanout").to_str().unwrap(), Default::default()).unwrap();
+
+    let mut a = store.listen("a").await.unwrap();
+    let mut b = store.listen("a").await.unwrap();
+    let mut other_ch = store.listen("zzz").await.unwrap();
+
+    store.notify("a", json!({})).await.unwrap();
+
+    assert_eq!(must_recv(&mut *a, "fanout-a").await.channel, "a");
+    assert_eq!(must_recv(&mut *b, "fanout-b").await.channel, "a");
+    // Overtrigger on purpose: any commit wakes every subscriber; the
+    // other channel's receiver carries its own channel name in the
+    // wake (hints are coalesced, channel-correct, not exclusive).
+    let wake = must_recv(&mut *other_ch, "fanout-other").await;
+    assert_eq!(wake.channel, "zzz");
+    store.close();
+    cleanup(&dir);
+}
+
+/// Acceptance: notifies on a closed store fail closed with
+/// `Error::Database` (the engine-wide closed-store posture —
+/// `begin_tx` yields the same shape); listens on a closed store do
+/// too.
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread")]
+async fn closed_store_fails_notify_and_listen() {
+    let dir = temp_dir("closed-store");
+    let store = open_store(
+        temp_path("closed-store").to_str().unwrap(),
+        Default::default(),
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+    store.close();
+
+    let err = store.notify("c", json!({})).await.unwrap_err();
+    assert!(
+        matches!(err, Error::Database(_)),
+        "notify on a closed store fails closed, got {err}"
+    );
+    let err = match store.listen("c").await {
+        Err(e) => e,
+        Ok(_) => panic!("listen on a closed store must fail closed"),
+    };
+    assert!(
+        matches!(err, Error::Database(_)),
+        "listen on a closed store fails closed, got {err}"
+    );
+    cleanup(&dir);
+}
+
+/// Acceptance: `notify_tx` wakes listeners at commit — the tx half
+/// rides the same wake plumbing (in-tx notifies are invisible until
+/// commit; the commit wakes the listener; rollback wakes nothing).
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread")]
+async fn tx_notify_wakes_at_commit_and_rollback_wakes_nothing() {
+    let dir = temp_dir("tx-wake");
+    let store = open_store(temp_path("tx-wake").to_str().unwrap(), Default::default()).unwrap();
+    let mut receiver = store.listen("orders").await.unwrap();
+
+    let mut tx = store.begin_tx().await.unwrap();
+    tx.notify_tx("orders", json!({"x": 1})).await.unwrap();
+    // In-tx: the wake is not yet deliverable — nothing committed.
+    tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(200)).await;
+    assert_eq!(
+        receiver.try_recv().unwrap(),
+        None,
+        "an uncommitted notify must not wake"
+    );
+    tx.commit().await.unwrap();
+    let wake = must_recv(&mut *receiver, "tx-wake").await;
+    assert_eq!(wake.channel, "orders");
+
+    // Rollback: the notify row is dropped with the tx — no wake fires
+    // (a rollback does not bump data_version; the substrate pins
+    // commit-only wakes).
+    let mut tx = store.begin_tx().await.unwrap();
+    tx.notify_tx("orders", json!({"x": 2})).await.unwrap();
+    drop(tx);
+    tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(200)).await;
+    // The watcher may legitimately emit a delayed wake for the *first*
+    // commit if it hadn't drained; drain what's there and require only
+    // that no wake arrives *after* a quiet settle (coalescing is the
+    // contract's shape, not a defect).
+    while receiver.try_recv().unwrap().is_some() {}
+    tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(200)).await;
+    assert_eq!(
+        receiver.try_recv().unwrap(),
+        None,
+        "a rolled-back notify must not wake"
+    );
+    store.close();
+    cleanup(&dir);
+}
diff --git a/tasks/sqlite-engine-notify-listen.md b/tasks/sqlite-engine-notify-listen.md
index fbdb5ac..279e24f 100644
--- a/tasks/sqlite-engine-notify-listen.md
+++ b/tasks/sqlite-engine-notify-listen.md
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ---
 id: sqlite-engine-notify-listen
 name: SQLite engine — notify/listen (watcher fanout → `WakeReceiver` bridge)
-status: pending
+status: completed
 depends_on: [sqlite-engine-seam-tx]
 scope: narrow
 risk: medium
@@ -43,19 +43,19 @@ should pin wake-arrives and close-on-death, not wake-exclusivity.
 
 ## Acceptance Criteria
 
-- [ ] `notify` delivers commit-atomic auto-commit notifies; payload
+- [x] `notify` delivers commit-atomic auto-commit notifies; payload
       crosses the notify table (no size limit — never
       `PayloadTooLarge`)
-- [ ] `listen` returns a working `WakeReceiver`: wakes arrive after
+- [x] `listen` returns a working `WakeReceiver`: wakes arrive after
       commits by other connections; `Wake { channel }` carries the
       channel name only
-- [ ] Watcher death closes the receiver (`recv() -> None`, terminal)
+- [x] Watcher death closes the receiver (`recv() -> None`, terminal)
       — tested via the substrate's death-signal path
-- [ ] `try_recv`/`recv_timeout` arms match the pinned contract shapes
-- [ ] Receiver drop unsubscribes (no leaked subscriptions —
+- [x] `try_recv`/`recv_timeout` arms match the pinned contract shapes
+- [x] Receiver drop unsubscribes (no leaked subscriptions —
       `subscriber_count` returns to baseline)
-- [ ] Channel validation on both entry points
-- [ ] `cargo test -p alkstore-sqlite`, clippy `-D warnings`, fmt clean
+- [x] Channel validation on both entry points
+- [x] `cargo test -p alkstore-sqlite`, clippy `-D warnings`, fmt clean
 
 ## References
 
@@ -67,8 +67,81 @@ should pin wake-arrives and close-on-death, not wake-exclusivity.
 
 ## Notes
 
-> To be filled by implementation agent
+- **Bridge architecture**: the substrate's sync feed (1-slot
+  `sync_channel` — the coalescing point) → one dedicated
+  `std::thread`-via-`spawn_blocking` per subscription looping
+  `recv()` and `blocking_send`ing `Wake { channel }` into a tokio
+  mpsc channel (capacity 16 — smoothing only; the sync feed stays the
+  coalescer) that `SqliteWakeReceiver` owns. The bridge thread exits
+  on either side's disconnect: subscriber feed closed (watcher death,
+  `WatcherDeathGuard`) or consumer-side `WakeReceiver` dropped.
+- **Unsubscribe eagerly on drop, not lazily**: the substrate prunes
+  disconnected subscribers lazily (at the next fanout), which could
+  strand the bridge thread if a consumer drops the receiver on an
+  idle db (no future fanout ever comes → the sender never sees the
+  disconnect). `SqliteWakeReceiver`'s `Drop` calls
+  `watcher.unsubscribe(id)` — immediate teardown, tested via
+  `subscriber_count` returning to baseline. The substrate doc on
+  `subscribe` ("callers MUST unsubscribe") is honored at the bridge
+  layer.
+- **`closed` flag on the store**: `SqliteStore` gained an
+  `Arc<AtomicBool> closed` set by `close()`; `listen` checks it and
+  fails closed with `Database` (matching `begin_tx`'s writer-slot
+  shape). Needed because `SharedUpdateWatcher::subscribe` on a closed
+  watcher would still succeed mechanically (it re-inserts into the
+  senders map) while never receiving — a silent-dead subscription.
+  `notify` on a closed store fails closed through
+  `Writer::acquire() -> None` (no new machinery).
+- **`with_writer` seam helper (new, `seam.rs`)**: the short-lived
+  writer-slot lease for auto-commit ops — acquire, op in
+  `spawn_blocking`, release; the slot is free the instant the op
+  completes (no lease held across consumer `await` points — that is
+  the long-tx posture, not this path). Reusable by later auto-commit
+  mechanism tasks (locks/streams/queues constructors' read paths can
+  route through it or the reader pool as their tasks decide).
+- **Death-signal test driver**: the death path is pinned via store
+  `close()` (the ordinary death — the death-guard clears every
+  subscriber feed). The file-replacement death (the fork's
+  dead-man's-switch) is covered at the substrate layer already
+  (`shared_update_watcher_signals_subscribers_on_watcher_death`);
+  the bridge only sees "feed closed" either way.
+- **Rollback-wakes-nothing**: pinned indirectly — a rollback does not
+  bump `data_version` (substrate-pinned), so no wake follows the
+  `notify_tx`-then-drop path; the test drains first (coalescing makes
+  an exact pre-drain assertion racy, per the wake-hint posture) and
+  requires quiet-after-settle instead.
+- **`tokio` `time` feature added** to the engine crate's main deps
+  (`recv_timeout`'s `tokio::time::timeout`) — previously dev-only.
+- **Store validation ordering**: `listen` validates the channel before
+  the closed check (validation errors are the contract-shaped answer
+  even on a closed store — the rejects never touch the engine);
+  `notify` validates before encoding the payload.
 
 ## Summary
 
-> To be filled on completion
\ No newline at end of file
+Implemented the wake half of the notify mechanism on the SQLite
+engine: `Store::notify` (auto-commit — writer-slot acquire, the
+substrate's `notify()` SQL function in one auto-commit transaction,
+release; payload crosses `__alkstore_notifications` as the serde_json
+serialization's UTF-8 text; no size limit — ADR-016 §5's
+never-`PayloadTooLarge` pinned by a 2 MB payload test) and
+`Store::listen` (the watcher-fanout bridge: substrate
+`SharedUpdateWatcher::subscribe` per subscription, one
+`spawn_blocking` thread doing `blocking_send` of
+`Wake { channel: … }` into a tokio channel owned by the boxed
+`SqliteWakeReceiver`; eager unsubscribe on drop). Close semantics
+pinned: watcher death / store close ⇒ `recv() -> None` terminal
+(never reopens); `try_recv` distinguishes `Err(Closed)` from idle
+`Ok(None)`; `recv_timeout` expiry without a wake is the documented
+`Ok(None)` arm, death is `Err(Closed)`. Entry-point validation
+(`InvalidName`/`ReservedName`) on both paths, before any round trip
+or payload encoding. New seam helper `with_writer` (short-lived
+writer-slot lease for auto-commit ops). 13 new tests (auto-commit row
+crossing, no-limit, wake-arrives cross-connection, channel-only
+content, death-close terminal + never-reopens, try_recv arms,
+recv_timeout arms, unsubscribe no-leak, drop-closes, validation
+×4 shapes both entry points ×no side effects, multi-listener fanout,
+closed-store fail-closed, tx-notify wakes-at-commit). Verified:
+`cargo test --workspace` (25 + 3 + 146 sqlite, all green), suite run
+3× green, `cargo clippy --all-targets -- -D warnings` clean,
+`cargo fmt --check` clean.
\ No newline at end of file