diff --git a/packages/durably/src/durably.ts b/packages/durably/src/durably.ts
index 8b58edb..63d3212 100644
--- a/packages/durably/src/durably.ts
+++ b/packages/durably/src/durably.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import type { Dialect } from 'kysely'
-import { Kysely } from 'kysely'
+import { Kysely, sql } from 'kysely'
 import { monotonicFactory } from 'ulidx'
 import type { z } from 'zod'
 import type { JobDefinition } from './define-job'
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ function parseDuration(value: string): number {
 }
 
 const PURGE_INTERVAL_MS = 60_000
+const CHECKPOINT_INTERVAL_MS = 60_000
 
 /** Real wall-clock delegating to globalThis timers. */
 const realClock: RuntimeClock = {
@@ -462,6 +463,8 @@ interface DurablyState<
   preserveSteps: boolean
   migrating: Promise<void> | null
   migrated: boolean
+  walCheckpointSupported: boolean
+  probeWalCheckpoint: (() => Promise<void>) | null
   leaseMs: number
   leaseRenewIntervalMs: number
   pollingIntervalMs: number
@@ -885,8 +888,10 @@ function createDurablyInstance<
       }
 
       state.migrating = runMigrations(db)
-        .then(() => {
+        .then(async () => {
           state.migrated = true
+          await state.probeWalCheckpoint?.()
+          state.probeWalCheckpoint = null
         })
         .finally(() => {
           state.migrating = null
@@ -971,20 +976,44 @@ export function createDurably<
   const eventEmitter = createEventEmitter()
   const jobRegistry = createJobRegistry()
   let lastPurgeAt = 0
+  let lastCheckpointAt = 0
 
   const runIdleMaintenance = async (): Promise<void> => {
     try {
-      const now = new Date().toISOString()
-      await storage.releaseExpiredLeases(now)
+      const nowMs = Date.now()
+      await storage.releaseExpiredLeases(new Date(nowMs).toISOString())
 
       if (config.retainRunsMs !== null) {
-        const purgeNow = Date.now()
-        if (purgeNow - lastPurgeAt >= PURGE_INTERVAL_MS) {
-          lastPurgeAt = purgeNow
-          const cutoff = new Date(purgeNow - config.retainRunsMs).toISOString()
+        if (nowMs - lastPurgeAt >= PURGE_INTERVAL_MS) {
+          lastPurgeAt = nowMs
+          const cutoff = new Date(nowMs - config.retainRunsMs).toISOString()
           await storage.purgeRuns({ olderThan: cutoff, limit: 100 })
         }
       }
+
+      if (state.walCheckpointSupported) {
+        if (nowMs - lastCheckpointAt >= CHECKPOINT_INTERVAL_MS) {
+          lastCheckpointAt = nowMs
+          try {
+            const result = await sql`PRAGMA wal_checkpoint(TRUNCATE)`.execute(
+              db,
+            )
+            const row = result.rows[0] as
+              | { busy: number; log: number; checkpointed: number }
+              | undefined
+            if (row?.busy !== 0) {
+              // Retry sooner on next idle cycle (but not immediately)
+              lastCheckpointAt = nowMs - CHECKPOINT_INTERVAL_MS / 2
+            }
+          } catch (checkpointError) {
+            eventEmitter.emit({
+              type: 'worker:error',
+              error: getErrorMessage(checkpointError),
+              context: 'wal-checkpoint',
+            })
+          }
+        }
+      }
     } catch (error) {
       eventEmitter.emit({
         type: 'worker:error',
@@ -1021,6 +1050,8 @@ export function createDurably<
     preserveSteps: config.preserveSteps,
     migrating: null,
     migrated: false,
+    walCheckpointSupported: false,
+    probeWalCheckpoint: null,
     leaseMs: config.leaseMs,
     leaseRenewIntervalMs: config.leaseRenewIntervalMs,
     pollingIntervalMs: config.pollingIntervalMs,
@@ -1029,6 +1060,23 @@ export function createDurably<
     runIdleMaintenance,
   }
 
+  if (backend === 'generic' && !isBrowserLikeEnvironment()) {
+    state.probeWalCheckpoint = async () => {
+      try {
+        const result = await sql`PRAGMA wal_checkpoint(PASSIVE)`.execute(db)
+        const row = result.rows[0] as
+          | { busy: number; log: number; checkpointed: number }
+          | undefined
+        // log === -1 means WAL is not active (e.g. libSQL local uses DELETE mode)
+        if (row && row.log !== -1) {
+          state.walCheckpointSupported = true
+        }
+      } catch {
+        // Remote backends (e.g. Turso) reject checkpoint pragmas
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   const instance = createDurablyInstance<Record<string, never>, TLabels>(
     state,
     {},