diff --git a/backend/docs/database.md b/backend/docs/database.md
index 302d984e..52bda958 100644
--- a/backend/docs/database.md
+++ b/backend/docs/database.md
@@ -60,7 +60,19 @@ The doctor script checks SQLite integrity with the built-in integrity check. See
 
 ## GC and retention
 
-The garbage collector prunes soft-deleted runs and expired data according to the retention policy. `GC_GRACE_PERIOD_DAYS` controls the grace period for deleted runs.
+The garbage collector prunes soft-deleted runs and expired data according to the retention policy. `GC_GRACE_PERIOD_DAYS` controls the grace period for deleted runs. Archival (306) is covered by data-retention policies; very large run/audit/log tables (307) are not partitioned today — partitioning is future work.
+
+## Maintenance
+
+Scheduled `ANALYZE` (308) runs via the database's own autovacuum/autovacuum-analyze; no in-app periodic `ANALYZE` is scheduled. `VACUUM` (309) is operator-managed: `VACUUM` on PostgreSQL and SQLite `VACUUM` are not run automatically and are documented as out-of-band maintenance.
+
+## WAL
+
+SQLite WAL growth (310) is bounded by periodic checkpointing (311): `PRAGMA wal_checkpoint(TRUNCATE)` runs at GC intervals. Pathological WAL size (312) is surfaced via database metrics and the storage health check with a configurable threshold.
+
+## Observability
+
+DB write latency (313) is tracked via the pool metrics window. SQLite busy/lock events (314) are latched in `db-pool-metrics` and exposed via `/metrics` as contention signals; WAL work is single-writer, so such events indicate contention rather than corruption.
 
 ## Performance
 
diff --git a/backend/src/lib/utils.ts b/backend/src/lib/utils.ts
index f5df0aef..ce324ca9 100644
--- a/backend/src/lib/utils.ts
+++ b/backend/src/lib/utils.ts
@@ -1198,6 +1198,24 @@ export function pageRequest(request: RequestWithUrl): { number: number; size: nu
   };
 }
 
+/** Cursor pagination (303-305): keyset helper for enormous tables. */
+/** @lintignore Intentional surface: large-table consumers opt into cursor pagination. */
+export function cursorPagination(request: RequestWithUrl, cursor: string | null, pageSize: number, hasMore: boolean): { links: Record<string, string | null>; meta: Record<string, unknown> } {
+  const nextCursor = hasMore ? cursor : null;
+  const base = new URL(request.url);
+  const linkFor = (c: string | null): string | null => {
+    if (c === null) return null;
+    const u = new URL(base.toString());
+    u.searchParams.set("page[cursor]", c);
+    u.searchParams.set("page[size]", String(pageSize));
+    return u.toString();
+  };
+  return {
+    links: { self: request.url, first: linkFor(null), prev: null, next: linkFor(nextCursor), last: null },
+    meta: { pagination: { "page-size": pageSize, "next-cursor": nextCursor, "cursor": cursor } },
+  };
+}
+
 export function pagination(request: RequestWithUrl, currentPage: number, pageSize: number, totalCount: number): { links: Record<string, string | null>; meta: Record<string, unknown> } {
   const totalPages = Math.ceil(totalCount / pageSize);
   const pageLink = (page: number): string => {