diff --git a/src/hqt/db/engine.py b/src/hqt/db/engine.py
index 55e9866..84cd2a7 100644
--- a/src/hqt/db/engine.py
+++ b/src/hqt/db/engine.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ from sqlalchemy import Engine, create_engine
 from sqlalchemy.orm import sessionmaker
 
 from hqt.config import Settings
-from hqt.db.models import Base
+from hqt.db.migrations import migrate
 
 
 def get_engine(settings: Settings) -> Engine:
@@ -16,5 +16,4 @@ def get_session_factory(engine: Engine) -> sessionmaker:
 
 def ensure_db(settings: Settings) -> None:
     settings.db_path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
-    engine = get_engine(settings)
-    Base.metadata.create_all(engine)
+    migrate(get_engine(settings))
diff --git a/src/hqt/db/migrations.py b/src/hqt/db/migrations.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7ee828c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/hqt/db/migrations.py
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+import logging
+from collections.abc import Callable
+
+from sqlalchemy import Connection, Engine, inspect
+
+from hqt.db.models import Base
+
+log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+# Ordered schema migrations. Each entry upgrades the schema from the previous
+# version to `version`. Version 1 (BASELINE_VERSION) is the schema produced by
+# Base.metadata.create_all, so entries here start at version 2, e.g.:
+#   (2, lambda conn: conn.exec_driver_sql(
+#       "ALTER TABLE sessions ADD COLUMN foo TEXT")),
+MIGRATIONS: list[tuple[int, Callable[[Connection], None]]] = []
+
+BASELINE_VERSION = 1
+LATEST_VERSION = MIGRATIONS[-1][0] if MIGRATIONS else BASELINE_VERSION
+
+
+def migrate(engine: Engine) -> None:
+    """Create or upgrade the database schema to LATEST_VERSION.
+
+    Fresh databases are created with create_all and stamped directly.
+    Databases at user_version 0 that already have tables predate versioning
+    and are treated as the baseline schema.
+    """
+    with engine.begin() as conn:
+        version = conn.exec_driver_sql("PRAGMA user_version").scalar() or 0
+        if version > LATEST_VERSION:
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                f"Database schema version {version} is newer than this hqt "
+                f"supports ({LATEST_VERSION}); upgrade hqt or use a fresh database."
+            )
+        if not inspect(conn).get_table_names():
+            Base.metadata.create_all(conn)
+            conn.exec_driver_sql(f"PRAGMA user_version = {LATEST_VERSION}")
+            return
+        if version == 0:
+            version = BASELINE_VERSION
+        for target, fn in MIGRATIONS:
+            if target > version:
+                log.info("Migrating database schema to version %d", target)
+                fn(conn)
+                version = target
+        conn.exec_driver_sql(f"PRAGMA user_version = {version}")
diff --git a/tests/test_db.py b/tests/test_db.py
index 4cdaf1d..fe0e085 100644
--- a/tests/test_db.py
+++ b/tests/test_db.py
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
 from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
 from sqlalchemy import inspect
 
 from hqt.config import Settings
+from hqt.db import migrations
 from hqt.db.engine import ensure_db, get_engine, get_session_factory
-from hqt.db.models import Harness, Project, Session
+from hqt.db.migrations import migrate
+from hqt.db.models import Base, Harness, Project, Session
 
 
 def _tmp_settings(tmp_path: Path) -> Settings:
@@ -69,3 +73,53 @@ def test_session_with_fk(tmp_path):
         assert s.project.name == "proj"
         assert s.harness.name == "claude-code"
         assert s in p.sessions
+
+
+def _user_version(engine) -> int:
+    with engine.connect() as conn:
+        return conn.exec_driver_sql("PRAGMA user_version").scalar() or 0
+
+
+def test_fresh_db_stamped_latest_version(tmp_path):
+    settings = _tmp_settings(tmp_path)
+    ensure_db(settings)
+    assert _user_version(get_engine(settings)) == migrations.LATEST_VERSION
+
+
+def test_unversioned_existing_db_stamped_baseline(tmp_path):
+    # Simulates a user DB created before versioning existed: tables present,
+    # user_version still 0.
+    settings = _tmp_settings(tmp_path)
+    settings.db_path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    engine = get_engine(settings)
+    Base.metadata.create_all(engine)
+    migrate(engine)
+    assert _user_version(engine) == migrations.BASELINE_VERSION
+
+
+def test_db_from_newer_hqt_raises(tmp_path):
+    settings = _tmp_settings(tmp_path)
+    ensure_db(settings)
+    engine = get_engine(settings)
+    with engine.begin() as conn:
+        conn.exec_driver_sql("PRAGMA user_version = 9999")
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="newer"):
+        migrate(engine)
+
+
+def test_pending_migrations_applied_in_order_once(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    settings = _tmp_settings(tmp_path)
+    ensure_db(settings)  # stamps BASELINE_VERSION
+    applied: list[int] = []
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        migrations,
+        "MIGRATIONS",
+        [(2, lambda conn: applied.append(2)), (3, lambda conn: applied.append(3))],
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(migrations, "LATEST_VERSION", 3)
+    engine = get_engine(settings)
+    migrate(engine)
+    assert applied == [2, 3]
+    assert _user_version(engine) == 3
+    migrate(engine)  # re-run is a no-op
+    assert applied == [2, 3]