diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index b9f8d23..315d974 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@ yarn-error.log*
 # local env files
 .env*.local
 
+# SQLite database files
+/data/*.db
+/data/*.db-shm
+/data/*.db-wal
+
 # vercel
 .vercel
 
diff --git a/drizzle.app.config.ts b/drizzle.app.config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3e3ede5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drizzle.app.config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+import { defineConfig } from "drizzle-kit";
+
+export default defineConfig({
+  dialect: "sqlite",
+  schema: "./src/db/schema/index.ts",
+  out: "./src/db/migrations",
+  dbCredentials: {
+    url: process.env.APP_DB_PATH
+      ? `file:${process.env.APP_DB_PATH}`
+      : "file:./data/app.db",
+  },
+});
diff --git a/instrumentation.ts b/instrumentation.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e8982e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/instrumentation.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+export async function register() {
+  // Only run on the Node.js server, not in the Edge runtime or client
+  if (process.env.NEXT_RUNTIME === "nodejs") {
+    const { runMigrations } = await import("./src/db");
+    await runMigrations();
+  }
+}
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 75dd287..9301dc6 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -6,7 +6,11 @@
     "dev": "next dev",
     "build": "next build",
     "start": "next start -p ${PORT:=3000} -H ${HOST:=0.0.0.0}",
-    "lint": "next lint"
+    "lint": "next lint",
+    "db:generate": "drizzle-kit generate --config=drizzle.app.config.ts",
+    "db:migrate": "drizzle-kit migrate --config=drizzle.app.config.ts",
+    "db:studio": "drizzle-kit studio --config=drizzle.app.config.ts",
+    "db:push": "drizzle-kit push --config=drizzle.app.config.ts"
   },
   "author": {
     "name": "Varun Raj Manoharan",
diff --git a/src/db/index.ts b/src/db/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ea91391
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/db/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import { createClient } from "@libsql/client";
+import { drizzle } from "drizzle-orm/libsql";
+import { migrate } from "drizzle-orm/libsql/migrator";
+import path from "path";
+import * as schema from "./schema";
+
+const DB_PATH =
+  process.env.APP_DB_PATH || path.join(process.cwd(), "data", "app.db");
+
+const client = createClient({ url: `file:${DB_PATH}` });
+
+export const appDb = drizzle(client, { schema });
+
+// Run pending migrations automatically on startup.
+// migrate() is idempotent — safe to call on every boot.
+export async function runMigrations() {
+  await migrate(appDb, {
+    migrationsFolder: path.join(process.cwd(), "src", "db", "migrations"),
+  });
+}
diff --git a/src/db/migrations/meta/_journal.json b/src/db/migrations/meta/_journal.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7e7f287
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/db/migrations/meta/_journal.json
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{
+  "version": "5",
+  "dialect": "sqlite",
+  "entries": []
+}
diff --git a/src/db/schema/index.ts b/src/db/schema/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a58fe37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/db/schema/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export * from "./settings.schema";
diff --git a/src/db/schema/settings.schema.ts b/src/db/schema/settings.schema.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..463a2ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/db/schema/settings.schema.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+import { sqliteTable, text, integer } from "drizzle-orm/sqlite-core";
+
+export const settings = sqliteTable("settings", {
+  key: text("key").primaryKey(),
+  value: text("value").notNull(),
+  updatedAt: integer("updated_at", { mode: "timestamp" }).$onUpdate(
+    () => new Date()
+  ),
+});