diff --git a/codec_claim_check.py b/codec_claim_check.py
index de9a637..6939976 100644
--- a/codec_claim_check.py
+++ b/codec_claim_check.py
@@ -85,7 +85,38 @@ class Claim(NamedTuple):
 
 # ── 2. Real capabilities that require a real action ───────────────────────────
 # (pattern, human label, skills that would legitimately back the claim)
+# Skills that genuinely persist something across sessions. A persistence claim
+# is TRUE when one of these ran — which is the whole point of building them.
+_PERSISTENCE_SKILLS = {"standing_rules", "memory_save", "auto_memorize", "thread_note"}
+
 _NEEDS_ACTION = [
+    # "I've logged this in your persistent preferences." Caught live: asked to
+    # remember a preference, the model claimed a preference store it had not
+    # written to. Deliberately NEEDS_ACTION rather than impossible — CODEC really
+    # can persist now (standing_rules / memory_save), so the claim is true when
+    # one of them actually ran, and false only when nothing did.
+    # The noun must be POSSESSIVE (your/my preferences) or unambiguous on its own
+    # (memory, standing rule). A bare "default"/"settings" is ordinary
+    # engineering talk — "I've updated the code to use the new default" must not
+    # trip this.
+    (re.compile(r"\bI(?:'ve| have|'ll| will)?\s*(?:just\s+|now\s+)?"
+                r"(?:logged|saved|stored|recorded|noted|added|updated|set)\b[^.]{0,45}"
+                r"(?:\b(?:your|my)\s+(?:\w+\s+){0,2}"
+                r"(?:preference|setting|profile|memory|default)s?\b"
+                r"|\b(?:to|in|into)\s+(?:long[- ]term\s+)?memory\b"
+                r"|\bstanding rules?\b)",
+                re.I),
+     "saving a preference",
+     _PERSISTENCE_SKILLS),
+    # "It'll be applied automatically to every future session." A promise about
+    # future sessions is only true if something was actually persisted.
+    (re.compile(r"\b(?:it|this|that|they)\b[^.]{0,25}"
+                r"(?:will|'ll|is going to|are going to)\b[^.]{0,35}"
+                r"(?:applied|remembered|used|carried over|persist\w*)\b[^.]{0,35}"
+                r"\b(?:future|subsequent|later|every|all)\b[^.]{0,20}"
+                r"\b(?:session|conversation|chat|interaction|time)s?\b", re.I),
+     "persisting across sessions",
+     _PERSISTENCE_SKILLS),
     (re.compile(r"\bI(?:'ve| have)?\s*(?:just\s+)?"
                 r"(?:saved|written|wrote|created|exported)\b[^.]{0,40}"
                 r"\b(?:to|in|at)\b[^.]{0,40}"
diff --git a/tests/test_claim_check.py b/tests/test_claim_check.py
index 7914c90..ec6cddd 100644
--- a/tests/test_claim_check.py
+++ b/tests/test_claim_check.py
@@ -151,3 +151,56 @@ def test_stative_variants(reply):
 ])
 def test_stative_false_positive_guard(reply):
     assert cc.find_unbacked_claims(reply, actions_taken=set()) == [], reply
+
+
+# ── preference-persistence claims (caught live, 2026-07-22) ───────────────────
+# Asked to remember a favourite colour "for every future session", CODEC replied
+# "I've logged this in your persistent preferences. It'll be applied
+# automatically to every future session." Nothing was written. The earlier
+# patterns only covered rules/instructions phrasing, so this sailed through.
+#
+# Modelled as NEEDS_ACTION, not impossible: CODEC genuinely CAN persist now
+# (standing_rules / memory_save), so the claim is true when one of them ran.
+
+def test_the_live_preference_claim_is_caught():
+    reply = ("Noted. Orange is now your default. I've logged this in your persistent "
+             "preferences. It'll be applied automatically to every future session.")
+    claims = cc.find_unbacked_claims(reply, actions_taken=set())
+    assert len(claims) >= 2
+    assert all(c.kind == "needs_action" for c in claims)
+
+
+def test_preference_claim_is_fine_when_actually_persisted():
+    """The point of building standing_rules: this claim becomes TRUE."""
+    reply = ("I've logged this in your persistent preferences. It'll be applied "
+             "automatically to every future session.")
+    assert cc.find_unbacked_claims(reply, actions_taken={"standing_rules"}) == []
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("reply", [
+    "I've logged this in your persistent preferences.",
+    "I've saved that to memory.",
+    "I've added a standing rule for that.",
+    "It'll be remembered in every future conversation.",
+    "I've updated your profile with that.",
+])
+def test_persistence_claims_caught(reply):
+    assert cc.find_unbacked_claims(reply, actions_taken=set()), reply
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("reply", [
+    # Ordinary engineering talk — a bare "default"/"settings" must not trip it
+    "I've updated the code to use the new default.",
+    "I've set the timeout to 30 seconds.",
+    "I've updated the config defaults in the repo.",
+    "I've reviewed the settings file.",
+    # Descriptions and offers, not claims of completion
+    "Your preferences are stored in the Settings tab.",
+    "Would you like me to save this as a preference?",
+    "I've noted that.",
+    "The default is orange.",
+    "This will be useful in future projects.",
+    "It will be applied to the current document.",
+])
+def test_persistence_false_positive_guard(reply):
+    assert cc.find_unbacked_claims(reply, actions_taken=set()) == [], reply