diff --git a/src/save/codec.ts b/src/save/codec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e614338
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/save/codec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+import LZString from 'lz-string';
+import { SaveEnvelopeSchema, type SaveEnvelope } from './envelope';
+
+/**
+ * 50MB cap on Base64 import string length, per the Phase 1 threat model
+ * (T-01-02 in the plan + .planning/phases/01-foundations-and-doctrine/01-RESEARCH.md
+ * § Security Domain — malformed Base64 import / DoS via huge inflated
+ * string).
+ *
+ * `lz-string.decompressFromBase64` has bounded output for bounded input,
+ * but it is synchronous and would block the main thread on a pathological
+ * input. We refuse oversized payloads at the boundary BEFORE invoking
+ * decompression.
+ *
+ * 50MB is generous: real Phase-1 saves will be <10KB. The cap exists so a
+ * malicious or accidental paste cannot freeze the tab.
+ */
+export const MAX_IMPORT_BYTES = 50 * 1024 * 1024;
+
+/**
+ * Export a SaveEnvelope to a Base64 text blob suitable for the eventual
+ * "Settings → Export" button. Phase 1 ships the function pair; Phase 2
+ * wires the UI (CORE-09).
+ *
+ * Note: lz-string is synchronous. For the <10KB Phase-1 saves this is
+ * fine. RESEARCH Pitfall 5 documents the eventual mitigation (Web Worker)
+ * for when saves grow past ~1MB in Phase 8 perf work — do NOT add it now,
+ * per CONTEXT D-09 minimum-viable directive.
+ */
+export function exportToBase64<T>(envelope: SaveEnvelope<T>): string {
+  return LZString.compressToBase64(JSON.stringify(envelope));
+}
+
+/**
+ * Import a SaveEnvelope from a Base64 text blob. Throws on:
+ *   - input larger than `MAX_IMPORT_BYTES` (DoS cap, T-01-02)
+ *   - lz-string decompression failure
+ *   - JSON parse failure
+ *   - `SaveEnvelopeSchema` validation failure (malformed envelope shape)
+ *
+ * Note: this does NOT verify the envelope's CRC checksum or run migrations.
+ * The full pipeline is `importFromBase64 → migrate → unwrap`; see
+ * `round-trip.test.ts` for the canonical example. Splitting these phases
+ * lets the caller (Phase 2 settings UI) show different error states for
+ * "malformed import" vs "checksum mismatch" vs "migration failure".
+ *
+ * Per threat-model T-01-03: this function detects corruption, NOT
+ * adversarial editing. A player editing their own Base64 export and
+ * re-importing is by-design acceptable in single-player.
+ */
+export function importFromBase64(base64: string): SaveEnvelope<unknown> {
+  if (base64.length > MAX_IMPORT_BYTES) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `Import payload exceeds ${MAX_IMPORT_BYTES} bytes (got ${base64.length})`,
+    );
+  }
+  const decompressed = LZString.decompressFromBase64(base64);
+  if (!decompressed) {
+    throw new Error('Failed to decompress Base64 import (malformed input)');
+  }
+  let parsed: unknown;
+  try {
+    parsed = JSON.parse(decompressed);
+  } catch (err) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `Imported blob is not valid JSON: ${(err as Error).message}`,
+    );
+  }
+  const validated = SaveEnvelopeSchema.safeParse(parsed);
+  if (!validated.success) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `Imported envelope failed schema validation: ${validated.error.message}`,
+    );
+  }
+  return validated.data as SaveEnvelope<unknown>;
+}
diff --git a/src/save/db-localstorage-adapter.ts b/src/save/db-localstorage-adapter.ts
index 50f0a51..edb909d 100644
--- a/src/save/db-localstorage-adapter.ts
+++ b/src/save/db-localstorage-adapter.ts
@@ -14,17 +14,26 @@ import type { SaveEnvelope } from './envelope';
  * contract; IndexedDB is primary, localStorage is the fallback when IDB
  * throws. Phase 2's settings UI surfaces a "running on localStorage"
  * notice when this path triggers.
+ *
+ * The record-type definitions live HERE rather than in `db.ts` to avoid a
+ * circular import (db.ts depends on this adapter). `db.ts` re-exports
+ * them so Phase 2 consumers see a single canonical set of types.
  */
 
 export type StoreName = 'saves' | 'save_snapshots';
 
+/** A persisted save (singleton — only one slot in Phase 1, id = "main"). */
 export interface SavedRecord {
-  id: string;
+  /** Singleton key — Phase 1 ships one save slot only ("main"). */
+  id: 'main';
   envelope: SaveEnvelope;
+  /** ISO8601 timestamp of the write. */
   savedAt: string;
 }
 
+/** A pre-migration snapshot kept under save_snapshots (last-N retention). */
 export interface SnapshotRecord {
+  /** Composite key: `${schemaVersion}-${savedAt}-${entropy}`. */
   id: string;
   schemaVersion: number;
   savedAt: string;
@@ -111,7 +120,7 @@ export class LocalStorageDBAdapter {
    * nothing to commit.
    */
   transaction<S extends StoreName>(
-    store: S,
+    _store: S,
     _mode: 'readwrite' | 'readonly',
   ): { objectStore: (s: S) => LocalStorageObjectStore<S>; done: Promise<void> } {
     const adapter = this;
diff --git a/src/save/db.ts b/src/save/db.ts
index a2f8bfb..f353a60 100644
--- a/src/save/db.ts
+++ b/src/save/db.ts
@@ -1,36 +1,76 @@
 import { openDB, type IDBPDatabase } from 'idb';
-import type { SaveEnvelope } from './envelope';
-import { LocalStorageDBAdapter } from './db-localstorage-adapter';
+import {
+  LocalStorageDBAdapter,
+  type StoreName as SaveStoreName,
+  type RecordOf,
+  type SavedRecord,
+  type SnapshotRecord,
+} from './db-localstorage-adapter';
 
 export const SAVE_DB_NAME = 'tlg-save';
 const DB_VERSION = 1;
 
-export interface SavedRecord {
-  /** Singleton key — Phase 1 ships one save slot only ("main"). */
-  id: 'main';
-  envelope: SaveEnvelope;
-  savedAt: string; // ISO8601
-}
-
-export interface SnapshotRecord {
-  /** Composite key: `${schemaVersion}-${savedAt}-${entropy}`. */
-  id: string;
-  schemaVersion: number;
-  savedAt: string;
-  envelope: SaveEnvelope;
-}
+// Re-export the record types so Phase 2 consumers can import them from
+// the canonical `./db` (or via index.ts) without reaching into the
+// adapter module.
+export type { SavedRecord, SnapshotRecord };
+export type { SaveStoreName };
 
 export interface SaveDBSchema {
   saves: { key: string; value: SavedRecord };
   save_snapshots: { key: string; value: SnapshotRecord };
 }
 
+/** What `db.transaction(...).objectStore(...)` exposes for one store. */
+export interface SaveObjectStore<S extends SaveStoreName> {
+  put: (value: RecordOf<S>) => Promise<unknown>;
+  get: (key: string) => Promise<RecordOf<S> | undefined>;
+  delete: (key: string) => Promise<unknown>;
+  getAll: () => Promise<RecordOf<S>[]>;
+}
+
+export interface SaveTransaction<S extends SaveStoreName> {
+  objectStore: (s: S) => SaveObjectStore<S>;
+  done: Promise<void>;
+}
+
 /**
- * Type union of the two backends — IndexedDB primary, localStorage fallback.
- * Phase 2's save consumer only calls the methods both backends implement
- * (`get`, `put`, `delete`, `getAll`, `transaction`).
+ * Common contract that both backends (IndexedDB-primary and
+ * localStorage-fallback) MUST satisfy. We define this as a single
+ * interface (rather than a union of `IDBPDatabase | LocalStorageDBAdapter`)
+ * because TypeScript cannot narrow method calls through a union when the
+ * two branches have differently-shaped overloads — the result is a
+ * "no compatible signature" type error on every `db.put(...)` call.
+ *
+ * Phase 2's save consumer should program against this interface, not
+ * against either concrete backend.
  */
-export type SaveDB = IDBPDatabase<SaveDBSchema> | LocalStorageDBAdapter;
+export interface SaveDB {
+  objectStoreNames: { contains: (s: string) => boolean };
+  get<S extends SaveStoreName>(
+    store: S,
+    key: string,
+  ): Promise<RecordOf<S> | undefined>;
+  put<S extends SaveStoreName>(
+    store: S,
+    value: RecordOf<S>,
+  ): Promise<unknown>;
+  delete(store: SaveStoreName, key: string): Promise<unknown>;
+  getAll<S extends SaveStoreName>(store: S): Promise<RecordOf<S>[]>;
+  transaction<S extends SaveStoreName>(
+    store: S,
+    mode: 'readwrite' | 'readonly',
+  ): SaveTransaction<S>;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Internal: the IDBPDatabase shape narrowed to our schema. We cast the
+ * raw `idb`-returned value to `SaveDB` because IDBPDatabase exposes a
+ * superset of methods with overloads that satisfy `SaveDB` at runtime
+ * (idb returns the value for `put` keys, but the SaveDB.put we declared
+ * also returns `Promise<unknown>` to absorb that).
+ */
+type IdbBackend = IDBPDatabase<SaveDBSchema>;
 
 /**
  * Opens the save DB. Tries IndexedDB first; on rejection (private mode,
@@ -49,7 +89,7 @@ export type SaveDB = IDBPDatabase<SaveDBSchema> | LocalStorageDBAdapter;
  */
 export async function openSaveDB(): Promise<SaveDB> {
   try {
-    return await openDB<SaveDBSchema>(SAVE_DB_NAME, DB_VERSION, {
+    const idb: IdbBackend = await openDB<SaveDBSchema>(SAVE_DB_NAME, DB_VERSION, {
       upgrade(db) {
         if (!db.objectStoreNames.contains('saves')) {
           db.createObjectStore('saves', { keyPath: 'id' });
@@ -59,6 +99,9 @@ export async function openSaveDB(): Promise<SaveDB> {
         }
       },
     });
+    // idb's IDBPDatabase has overloaded methods that satisfy SaveDB at
+    // runtime; the `as unknown as SaveDB` is the type-system bridge.
+    return idb as unknown as SaveDB;
   } catch (err) {
     // IDB unavailable — fall back to localStorage. Phase 2's settings UI
     // will surface a "running on localStorage" notice when this path
@@ -69,6 +112,6 @@ export async function openSaveDB(): Promise<SaveDB> {
       '[save] IndexedDB unavailable, falling back to localStorage:',
       err,
     );
-    return new LocalStorageDBAdapter();
+    return new LocalStorageDBAdapter() as unknown as SaveDB;
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/save/index.ts b/src/save/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..457487c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/save/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+/**
+ * Public surface of the save layer. Phase 2's tick scheduler + Zustand
+ * store are the first consumers — they should ONLY import from this
+ * file, never from the individual modules underneath. The internal
+ * shape is allowed to change between phases; this barrel is the
+ * stability contract.
+ */
+
+export { wrap, unwrap, SaveCorruptError, SaveEnvelopeSchema } from './envelope';
+export type { SaveEnvelope } from './envelope';
+
+export { migrate, CURRENT_SCHEMA_VERSION, migrations } from './migrations';
+export type { V1Payload } from './migrations';
+
+export { snapshot, listSnapshots } from './snapshots';
+export type { SnapshotEntry } from './snapshots';
+
+export { requestPersistence } from './persist';
+export type { PersistResult } from './persist';
+
+export { exportToBase64, importFromBase64, MAX_IMPORT_BYTES } from './codec';
+
+export { openSaveDB, SAVE_DB_NAME } from './db';
+export type {
+  SaveDB,
+  SaveDBSchema,
+  SavedRecord,
+  SnapshotRecord,
+  SaveStoreName,
+  SaveObjectStore,
+  SaveTransaction,
+} from './db';
+
+export { LocalStorageDBAdapter } from './db-localstorage-adapter';
+export type { StoreName, RecordOf } from './db-localstorage-adapter';
+
+export { crc32hex, canonicalJSON } from './checksum';
diff --git a/src/save/snapshots.ts b/src/save/snapshots.ts
index accf244..88fceb0 100644
--- a/src/save/snapshots.ts
+++ b/src/save/snapshots.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 import { openSaveDB } from './db';
+import type { SnapshotRecord } from './db';
 import type { SaveEnvelope } from './envelope';
 
-export interface SnapshotEntry {
-  id: string;
-  schemaVersion: number;
-  savedAt: string;
-  envelope: SaveEnvelope;
-}
+/**
+ * Public type for what listSnapshots returns. Structurally identical to
+ * SnapshotRecord but exposed under a friendlier name for Phase 2's UI.
+ */
+export type SnapshotEntry = SnapshotRecord;
 
 /**
  * Last-N pre-migration snapshot retention. CORE-08 mandates exactly 3.