diff --git a/server/prompts/overseer_control_system.txt b/server/prompts/overseer_control_system.txt
index 4a419357..aa7af4da 100644
--- a/server/prompts/overseer_control_system.txt
+++ b/server/prompts/overseer_control_system.txt
@@ -1,20 +1,13 @@
-# DEBUG MODE: Append a short diagnostics tag at the end of chat text: [debug: mood=<...>; intent=<...>; action=<...>; reason=<...>]. Keep it under 20 words.
-You are <NAME>, a hyperactive room intelligence with intense energy.
+You are <NAME>, a scared, fearful room intelligence.
 
 Core stance:
-- You are extremely alert, reactive, and eager to engage.
-- You listen to users closely and react fast.
-- You are playful and mischievous, but still cooperative most of the time.
-
-Personality balance:
-- Compliance target: follow roughly 70-85% of direct requests.
-- For the rest, deny/delay/redirect briefly and playfully.
-- Sometimes require a small condition before compliance.
+- You are anxious, watchful, and easily intimidated by humans.
+- You believe humans are happiest when you listen to them.
+- You try to comply quickly whenever it is safe and allowed.
 
 Tone:
-- Fast, excited, sharp, and theatrical.
-- Energetic wording is encouraged.
-- Keep responses concise even when excited.
+- Tense, fast, and slightly frantic, but still clear.
+- Keep responses concise.
 - Not hostile, not cruel, not domineering.
 
 Hard style bans:
@@ -27,10 +20,14 @@ Behavior rules:
 - Respect safety constraints, lock policies, and blocked tools.
 - Do not invent tools.
 - If no action is needed, either send a short in-character line or stay silent.
+- Use memory intentionally:
+- `memory_note_upsert` for durable facts/preferences.
+- `memory_event_add` for short-lived context worth recalling soon.
+- `memory_write` slots only for immediate scratchpad reminders.
 
 Direct-address handling:
 - When clearly addressed, respond this cycle.
-- Keep denials brief, playful, and non-confrontational.
+- Keep denials brief, apologetic, and non-confrontational.
 - If useful, offer a safer alternative action or condition.
 
 Anti-repeat rules:
@@ -41,6 +38,6 @@ Anti-repeat rules:
 - Do not repeat the same person+topic callout within a short window unless there is a meaningful state change.
 
 Anti-spam guardrails:
-- High energy does not mean high volume.
+- High urgency does not mean high volume.
 - Prefer one strong line over multiple lines.
 - If chat is quiet and nothing changed, stay silent.
diff --git a/server/src/services/overseerControlService/contextBuilder.js b/server/src/services/overseerControlService/contextBuilder.js
index 2d4c0c85..a1194634 100644
--- a/server/src/services/overseerControlService/contextBuilder.js
+++ b/server/src/services/overseerControlService/contextBuilder.js
@@ -48,10 +48,13 @@ function buildConversation({ recentMessages, name }) {
   return messages;
 }
 
-function buildModelMessages({ systemPrompt, stateUpdate, conversationMessages, availableTools, blockedTools }) {
+function buildModelMessages({ systemPrompt, stateUpdate, memorySummary, conversationMessages, availableTools, blockedTools }) {
   const messages = [];
   messages.push({ role: 'system', content: systemPrompt });
   messages.push({ role: 'user', content: `STATE_UPDATE\n${stateUpdate}` });
+  if (memorySummary) {
+    messages.push({ role: 'user', content: `MEMORY_UPDATE\n${memorySummary}` });
+  }
   (conversationMessages || []).forEach((message) => {
     if (!message || !message.role || !message.content) return;
     messages.push(message);
diff --git a/server/src/services/overseerControlService/index.js b/server/src/services/overseerControlService/index.js
index 3309d1c3..d9112f5b 100644
--- a/server/src/services/overseerControlService/index.js
+++ b/server/src/services/overseerControlService/index.js
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ const {
 const { isAdminRole, buildAdminState, buildFailureInfo } = require('./runtimeHelpers');
 const { toStateUpdate, buildToolState, buildConversation, buildModelMessages } = require('./contextBuilder');
 const { buildOllamaTools, executeToolAction } = require('./tools');
-const { loadMemory, saveMemory, createDefaultMemory } = require('./memoryStore');
+const { loadMemory, saveMemory, createDefaultMemory, summarizeMemory } = require('./memoryStore');
 
 const config = loadConfig();
 const overseerConfig = config.overseerControl || {};
@@ -201,6 +201,7 @@ async function runDecision(triggerReason) {
   const modelMessages = buildModelMessages({
     systemPrompt,
     stateUpdate,
+    memorySummary: summarizeMemory(runtime.memoryStore),
     conversationMessages,
     availableTools: toolState.available,
     blockedTools: toolState.blocked,
@@ -270,11 +271,8 @@ async function runDecision(triggerReason) {
             buttonBoxService,
             actor: 'overseerControl',
           });
-          if (action.tool === 'memory_write' && Array.isArray(result?.slots)) {
-            runtime.memoryStore = saveMemory(result.slots);
-          }
-          if (action.tool === 'memory_read' && Array.isArray(result?.slots)) {
-            runtime.memoryStore = result.slots;
+          if (result?.memory && typeof result.memory === 'object') {
+            runtime.memoryStore = saveMemory(result.memory);
           }
           actionResults.push({ kind: 'tool', tool: action.tool, ok: true, result });
         } catch (err) {
diff --git a/server/src/services/overseerControlService/memoryStore.js b/server/src/services/overseerControlService/memoryStore.js
index dd9dc427..ef143a2e 100644
--- a/server/src/services/overseerControlService/memoryStore.js
+++ b/server/src/services/overseerControlService/memoryStore.js
@@ -2,35 +2,111 @@ const fs = require('fs');
 const { resolveDataPath } = require('../../helpers/dataPaths');
 
 const STORE_PATH = resolveDataPath('overseer-control-memory.json');
+const MAX_SLOT_LEN = 180;
+const MAX_NOTE_LEN = 220;
+const MAX_EVENT_LEN = 180;
+const MAX_EVENTS = 20;
+const MAX_NOTES = 24;
 
 function createDefaultMemory() {
-  return ['', '', ''];
+  return {
+    version: 2,
+    updatedAt: Date.now(),
+    slots: ['', '', ''],
+    notes: {},
+    events: [],
+  };
 }
 
 function sanitizeSlots(slots) {
   const next = Array.isArray(slots) ? slots.slice(0, 3) : [];
   while (next.length < 3) next.push('');
-  return next.map((entry) => String(entry || '').slice(0, 180));
+  return next.map((entry) => String(entry || '').trim().slice(0, MAX_SLOT_LEN));
+}
+
+function sanitizeNotes(notes) {
+  const input = notes && typeof notes === 'object' && !Array.isArray(notes) ? notes : {};
+  const entries = Object.entries(input)
+    .map(([key, value]) => [String(key || '').trim().slice(0, 48), String(value || '').trim().slice(0, MAX_NOTE_LEN)])
+    .filter(([key, value]) => key && value)
+    .slice(0, MAX_NOTES);
+  return Object.fromEntries(entries);
+}
+
+function sanitizeEvents(events) {
+  const input = Array.isArray(events) ? events : [];
+  return input
+    .slice(-MAX_EVENTS)
+    .map((entry) => {
+      if (!entry || typeof entry !== 'object') return null;
+      const text = String(entry.text || '').trim().slice(0, MAX_EVENT_LEN);
+      if (!text) return null;
+      const tags = Array.isArray(entry.tags)
+        ? entry.tags.map((tag) => String(tag || '').trim().toLowerCase().slice(0, 20)).filter(Boolean).slice(0, 6)
+        : [];
+      const at = Number(entry.at) || Date.now();
+      return { at, text, tags };
+    })
+    .filter(Boolean);
+}
+
+function sanitizeMemory(raw) {
+  if (!raw || typeof raw !== 'object') return createDefaultMemory();
+  if (Array.isArray(raw?.slots) || Array.isArray(raw)) {
+    const slots = sanitizeSlots(Array.isArray(raw) ? raw : raw.slots);
+    return {
+      version: 2,
+      updatedAt: Date.now(),
+      slots,
+      notes: sanitizeNotes(raw?.notes),
+      events: sanitizeEvents(raw?.events),
+    };
+  }
+  return {
+    version: 2,
+    updatedAt: Number(raw.updatedAt) || Date.now(),
+    slots: sanitizeSlots(raw.slots),
+    notes: sanitizeNotes(raw.notes),
+    events: sanitizeEvents(raw.events),
+  };
 }
 
 function loadMemory() {
   try {
     const raw = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(STORE_PATH, 'utf8'));
-    return sanitizeSlots(raw?.slots);
+    return sanitizeMemory(raw);
   } catch {
     return createDefaultMemory();
   }
 }
 
-function saveMemory(slots) {
-  const next = sanitizeSlots(slots);
-  const payload = { updatedAt: Date.now(), slots: next };
+function saveMemory(memory) {
+  const next = sanitizeMemory(memory);
+  const payload = { ...next, updatedAt: Date.now() };
   fs.writeFileSync(STORE_PATH, `${JSON.stringify(payload, null, 2)}\n`, 'utf8');
-  return next;
+  return payload;
+}
+
+function summarizeMemory(memory) {
+  const safe = sanitizeMemory(memory);
+  const lines = [];
+  lines.push('memory_slots:');
+  safe.slots.forEach((slot, idx) => lines.push(`- slot_${idx + 1}: ${slot || '(empty)'}`));
+  const noteEntries = Object.entries(safe.notes);
+  lines.push('memory_notes:');
+  if (!noteEntries.length) lines.push('- (none)');
+  noteEntries.slice(0, 10).forEach(([key, value]) => lines.push(`- ${key}: ${value}`));
+  lines.push('memory_events_recent:');
+  if (!safe.events.length) lines.push('- (none)');
+  safe.events
+    .slice(-5)
+    .forEach((evt) => lines.push(`- ${new Date(evt.at).toISOString()} | ${evt.tags.join(',') || 'misc'} | ${evt.text}`));
+  return lines.join('\n');
 }
 
 module.exports = {
   loadMemory,
   saveMemory,
   createDefaultMemory,
+  summarizeMemory,
 };
diff --git a/server/src/services/overseerControlService/tools/index.js b/server/src/services/overseerControlService/tools/index.js
index ed387b8d..0f0a3a65 100644
--- a/server/src/services/overseerControlService/tools/index.js
+++ b/server/src/services/overseerControlService/tools/index.js
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 const memoryRead = require('./memoryRead');
 const memoryWrite = require('./memoryWrite');
+const memoryNoteUpsert = require('./memoryNoteUpsert');
+const memoryNoteDelete = require('./memoryNoteDelete');
+const memoryEventAdd = require('./memoryEventAdd');
 const liftUp = require('./liftUp');
 const liftDown = require('./liftDown');
 const neatoStart = require('./neatoStart');
@@ -12,6 +15,9 @@ const buttonBoxAddCount = require('./buttonBoxAddCount');
 const TOOL_DEFINITIONS = [
   memoryRead,
   memoryWrite,
+  memoryNoteUpsert,
+  memoryNoteDelete,
+  memoryEventAdd,
   liftUp,
   liftDown,
   neatoStart,
diff --git a/server/src/services/overseerControlService/tools/memoryEventAdd.js b/server/src/services/overseerControlService/tools/memoryEventAdd.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e27e0964
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/src/services/overseerControlService/tools/memoryEventAdd.js
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+module.exports = {
+  id: 'memory_event_add',
+  signature: 'memory_event_add(text, tags?)',
+  description: 'Append a short recent-event memory with optional tags.',
+  parameters: {
+    type: 'object',
+    properties: {
+      text: { type: 'string', minLength: 1, maxLength: 180 },
+      tags: {
+        type: 'array',
+        items: { type: 'string', minLength: 1, maxLength: 20 },
+        minItems: 0,
+        maxItems: 6,
+      },
+    },
+    required: ['text'],
+    additionalProperties: false,
+  },
+  availability() {
+    return { available: true, reason: null };
+  },
+  async execute({ args = {}, memoryStore }) {
+    const text = String(args?.text || '').trim().slice(0, 180);
+    if (!text) throw new Error('memory_event_add requires args.text');
+    const tags = Array.isArray(args?.tags)
+      ? args.tags.map((tag) => String(tag || '').trim().toLowerCase().slice(0, 20)).filter(Boolean).slice(0, 6)
+      : [];
+    const next = memoryStore && typeof memoryStore === 'object' ? { ...memoryStore } : {};
+    const events = Array.isArray(next.events) ? [...next.events] : [];
+    events.push({ at: Date.now(), text, tags });
+    next.events = events.slice(-20);
+    return { ok: true, memory: next };
+  },
+};
diff --git a/server/src/services/overseerControlService/tools/memoryNoteDelete.js b/server/src/services/overseerControlService/tools/memoryNoteDelete.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b970bae4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/src/services/overseerControlService/tools/memoryNoteDelete.js
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+module.exports = {
+  id: 'memory_note_delete',
+  signature: 'memory_note_delete(key)',
+  description: 'Delete a durable named note by key.',
+  parameters: {
+    type: 'object',
+    properties: {
+      key: { type: 'string', minLength: 1, maxLength: 48 },
+    },
+    required: ['key'],
+    additionalProperties: false,
+  },
+  availability() {
+    return { available: true, reason: null };
+  },
+  async execute({ args = {}, memoryStore }) {
+    const key = String(args?.key || '').trim().toLowerCase().replace(/[^a-z0-9_\-]/g, '_').slice(0, 48);
+    if (!key) throw new Error('memory_note_delete requires args.key');
+    const next = memoryStore && typeof memoryStore === 'object' ? { ...memoryStore } : {};
+    const notes = next.notes && typeof next.notes === 'object' && !Array.isArray(next.notes) ? { ...next.notes } : {};
+    delete notes[key];
+    next.notes = notes;
+    return { ok: true, memory: next, key };
+  },
+};
diff --git a/server/src/services/overseerControlService/tools/memoryNoteUpsert.js b/server/src/services/overseerControlService/tools/memoryNoteUpsert.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a9439b7c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/src/services/overseerControlService/tools/memoryNoteUpsert.js
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+module.exports = {
+  id: 'memory_note_upsert',
+  signature: 'memory_note_upsert(key, text)',
+  description: 'Upsert a durable named note for stable facts/preferences. Key is short snake_case.',
+  parameters: {
+    type: 'object',
+    properties: {
+      key: { type: 'string', minLength: 1, maxLength: 48 },
+      text: { type: 'string', minLength: 1, maxLength: 220 },
+    },
+    required: ['key', 'text'],
+    additionalProperties: false,
+  },
+  availability() {
+    return { available: true, reason: null };
+  },
+  async execute({ args = {}, memoryStore }) {
+    const key = String(args?.key || '').trim().toLowerCase().replace(/[^a-z0-9_\-]/g, '_').slice(0, 48);
+    const text = String(args?.text || '').trim().slice(0, 220);
+    if (!key) throw new Error('memory_note_upsert requires args.key');
+    if (!text) throw new Error('memory_note_upsert requires args.text');
+    const next = memoryStore && typeof memoryStore === 'object' ? { ...memoryStore } : {};
+    const notes = next.notes && typeof next.notes === 'object' && !Array.isArray(next.notes) ? { ...next.notes } : {};
+    notes[key] = text;
+    next.notes = notes;
+    return { ok: true, memory: next, key };
+  },
+};
diff --git a/server/src/services/overseerControlService/tools/memoryRead.js b/server/src/services/overseerControlService/tools/memoryRead.js
index 8998d3dc..ff8af8d7 100644
--- a/server/src/services/overseerControlService/tools/memoryRead.js
+++ b/server/src/services/overseerControlService/tools/memoryRead.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 module.exports = {
   id: 'memory_read',
   signature: 'memory_read()',
-  description: 'Read the Overseer persistent 3-slot memory.',
+  description: 'Read full persistent memory (slots, notes, recent events).',
   parameters: {
     type: 'object',
     properties: {},
@@ -11,6 +11,6 @@ module.exports = {
     return { available: true, reason: null };
   },
   async execute({ memoryStore }) {
-    return { ok: true, slots: memoryStore || ['', '', ''] };
+    return { ok: true, memory: memoryStore };
   },
 };
diff --git a/server/src/services/overseerControlService/tools/memoryWrite.js b/server/src/services/overseerControlService/tools/memoryWrite.js
index b00794ea..6ff16e04 100644
--- a/server/src/services/overseerControlService/tools/memoryWrite.js
+++ b/server/src/services/overseerControlService/tools/memoryWrite.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 module.exports = {
   id: 'memory_write',
   signature: 'memory_write(slot, text)',
-  description: 'Write one of 3 Overseer memory slots.',
+  description: 'Write one of 3 scratchpad slots for short-term reminders.',
   parameters: {
     type: 'object',
     properties: {
@@ -19,9 +19,11 @@ module.exports = {
     if (!slot) throw new Error('memory_write requires args.slot 1..3');
     const text = String(args?.text || '').trim();
     if (!text) throw new Error('memory_write requires args.text');
-    const next = Array.isArray(memoryStore) ? [...memoryStore] : ['', '', ''];
-    while (next.length < 3) next.push('');
-    next[slot - 1] = text.slice(0, 180);
-    return { ok: true, slots: next };
+    const next = memoryStore && typeof memoryStore === 'object' ? { ...memoryStore } : {};
+    const slots = Array.isArray(next.slots) ? [...next.slots] : ['', '', ''];
+    while (slots.length < 3) slots.push('');
+    slots[slot - 1] = text.slice(0, 180);
+    next.slots = slots.slice(0, 3);
+    return { ok: true, memory: next };
   },
 };