diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a8eaed7..3c4ef6e 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -35,3 +35,5 @@ report.[0-9]*.[0-9]*.[0-9]*.[0-9]*.json
 .harness/
 .ralpi
 notes.md
+# pygienium run-state and check artifacts
+.pygienium/
diff --git a/src/pages/Settings/PreferencesPanel.tsx b/src/pages/Settings/PreferencesPanel.tsx
index c4a9439..4b8deee 100644
--- a/src/pages/Settings/PreferencesPanel.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/Settings/PreferencesPanel.tsx
@@ -4,13 +4,15 @@
  * driven by the Shell router via nav.action.
  *
  * Auto-download (global setting, see stores/feed.ts runAutoDownload):
- *   • Auto Download        — master toggle (default: off)
- *   • Auto Download Count  — X most recent episodes per show (default: 2,
- *                            any positive integer — type it in the editor)
- *   • Auto Download Scope  — which shows: all / none / whitelist (default: all)
  *   • Auto Download Whitelist — shown only when scope is "whitelist": search
  *                            field over subscribed shows; suggestions toggle
  *                            in/out with Space (j/k to move, Esc to browse).
+ *   • Episode Cache Mode   — date or count bound for the episode list
+ *                            (default: date)
+ *   • Episode Cache Count  — N most recent episodes when mode is count
+ *                            (default: 25)
+ *   • Episode Cache Days   — rolling N-day window when mode is date
+ *                            (default: 60)
  */
 
 import { createSignal, Show, For, onMount, onCleanup } from "solid-js";
@@ -30,7 +32,7 @@ import {
 import { on } from "@/utils/event-bus";
 import type { KeybindActionName } from "@/context/KeybindContext";
 import { TABS } from "@/utils/navigation";
-import type { AutoDownloadScope, ThemeName } from "@/types/settings";
+import type { AutoDownloadScope, EpisodeCacheMode, ThemeName } from "@/types/settings";
 import type { Feed } from "@/types/feed";
 import type { SettingItem } from "./types";
 
@@ -48,6 +50,14 @@ const SCOPE_LABELS: Array<{ value: AutoDownloadScope; label: string }> = [
 	{ value: "none", label: "None" },
 	{ value: "whitelist", label: "Whitelist" },
 ];
+const CACHE_MODE_LABELS: Array<{ value: EpisodeCacheMode; label: string }> = [
+	{ value: "date", label: "Date" },
+	{ value: "count", label: "Count" },
+];
+
+function cacheModeLabel(mode: EpisodeCacheMode): string {
+	return CACHE_MODE_LABELS.find((s) => s.value === mode)?.label ?? mode;
+}
 
 function scopeLabel(scope: AutoDownloadScope): string {
 	return SCOPE_LABELS.find((s) => s.value === scope)?.label ?? scope;
@@ -205,6 +215,79 @@ export function usePreferencesItems(): SettingItem[] {
 					autoJumpToPlayer: !prefs().autoJumpToPlayer,
 				}),
 		},
+		{
+			id: "episodeCacheMode",
+			label: "Episode Cache Mode",
+			kind: "select",
+			display: () => cacheModeLabel(prefs().episodeCacheMode),
+			help: () =>
+				`How the Feed and My Shows episode lists are bounded.\nDate: keep episodes from the last N days (see Cache Days below).\nCount: keep the N most recent episodes (see Cache Count below).\nFetch More always pages beyond this bound — these episodes are volatile and don't persist.\nType: select\nDefault: date\nCurrent: ${cacheModeLabel(prefs().episodeCacheMode)}\nCycle with j/k; Enter to apply.`,
+			cycle: (dir) => {
+				const idx = CACHE_MODE_LABELS.findIndex(
+					(s) => s.value === prefs().episodeCacheMode,
+				);
+				const next =
+					CACHE_MODE_LABELS[
+						(idx + dir + CACHE_MODE_LABELS.length) % CACHE_MODE_LABELS.length
+					].value;
+				app.updatePreferences({ episodeCacheMode: next });
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			id: "episodeCacheCount",
+			label: "Episode Cache Count",
+			kind: "number",
+			display: () =>
+				prefs().episodeCacheMode === "count"
+					? `${prefs().episodeCacheCount} eps`
+					: "(date mode)",
+			help: () =>
+				`Number of most-recent episodes to keep in the Feed/My Shows lists when mode is Count.\nType: number (any positive integer)\nDefault: 25\nCurrent: ${prefs().episodeCacheCount}\nj/k to −/+1 · Enter to type a value.`,
+			cycle: (dir) => {
+				const next = Math.max(1, prefs().episodeCacheCount + dir);
+				app.updatePreferences({ episodeCacheCount: next });
+			},
+			renderEditor: () => (
+				<NumberInputEditor
+					label="Episode Cache Count"
+					value={() => prefs().episodeCacheCount}
+					commit={(n) => {
+						app.updatePreferences({
+							episodeCacheCount: Math.max(1, n),
+						});
+					}}
+				/>
+			),
+		},
+		{
+			id: "episodeCacheDays",
+			label: "Episode Cache Days",
+			kind: "number",
+			display: () =>
+				prefs().episodeCacheMode === "date"
+					? `${prefs().episodeCacheDays} days`
+					: "(count mode)",
+			help: () =>
+				`Rolling window in days for the Feed/My Shows episode lists when mode is Date.\nType: number (1–365)\nDefault: 60\nCurrent: ${prefs().episodeCacheDays} days\nj/k to −/+5 · Enter to type a value.`,
+			cycle: (dir) => {
+				const next = Math.min(
+					365,
+					Math.max(1, prefs().episodeCacheDays + dir * 5),
+				);
+				app.updatePreferences({ episodeCacheDays: next });
+			},
+			renderEditor: () => (
+				<NumberInputEditor
+					label="Episode Cache Days"
+					value={() => prefs().episodeCacheDays}
+					commit={(n) => {
+						app.updatePreferences({
+							episodeCacheDays: Math.min(365, Math.max(1, n)),
+						});
+					}}
+				/>
+			),
+		},
 		{
 			id: "fetchMore",
 			label: "Fetch More",
diff --git a/src/stores/app.ts b/src/stores/app.ts
index 818655d..0cf7426 100644
--- a/src/stores/app.ts
+++ b/src/stores/app.ts
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ const defaultPreferences: UserPreferences = {
 	autoJumpToPlayer: true,
 	fetchMoreMode: "auto",
 	refreshIntervalMinutes: 30,
+	episodeCacheMode: "date",
+	episodeCacheCount: 25,
+	episodeCacheDays: 60,
 };
 
 const defaultState: AppState = {
diff --git a/src/stores/feed.ts b/src/stores/feed.ts
index 45a1536..d18bc04 100644
--- a/src/stores/feed.ts
+++ b/src/stores/feed.ts
@@ -13,8 +13,9 @@ import { DEFAULT_SOURCES } from "../types/source";
 import { getRSSItems, parseRSSItem, parseChannelCoverUrl } from "../api/rss-parser";
 import { resolveItunesFeedUrl } from "../utils/itunes-feed-resolver";
 import { savePodcastIndexCredentials } from "../utils/source-credentials";
-import { mergeEpisodes } from "../utils/episode-merge";
+import { mergeEpisodesBounded } from "../utils/episode-merge";
 import {
+	episodeInWindow,
 	loadFeedsFromFile,
 	saveFeedsToFile,
 	loadSourcesFromFile,
@@ -31,11 +32,6 @@ const MAX_EPISODES_REFRESH = 50;
 /** Max episodes to fetch on initial subscribe */
 const MAX_EPISODES_SUBSCRIBE = 20;
 
-/** Per-feed bound on both the cached parse results and the merged in-memory
- *  window; 500 covers years of a weekly show's history while capping a
- *  20-subscription install at 10k episodes. */
-export const MAX_EPISODES_IN_MEMORY = 500;
-
 /** Per-feed fetch timeout — a hung feed must not stall a refresh batch or
  *  the background refresh loop. */
 const FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS = 20_000;
@@ -93,15 +89,42 @@ const parseEpisodesIncremental = async (
 	return episodes;
 };
 
-/** Cache of all parsed episodes per feed (feedId -> Episode[]) */
+/** Cache of ALL parsed episodes per feed (feedId -> Episode[]). Holds the
+ *  full parse — the bound (count or date) is applied when reading, not when
+ *  writing, so changing the preference takes effect without a refetch.
+ *  Fetch-more reads beyond the bound from this cache (volatile only — the
+ *  cache itself is never extended by fetch-more). */
 const fullEpisodeCache = new Map<string, Episode[]>();
 
-/** Track how many episodes are currently loaded per feed */
+/** Track how many episodes are currently loaded (visible) per feed. The
+ *  loaded window grows via fetch-more but never exceeds what the cache
+ *  holds — when it reaches the cache length, hasMoreEpisodes flips false. */
 const episodeLoadCount = new Map<string, number>();
 
-/** Save feeds to file (async, fire-and-forget) */
+/** Read the episode cache bound from preferences: a closure that decides
+ *  whether the episode at `index` (0 = newest, after sort) is kept. */
+function episodeKeepFn(prefs: {
+	episodeCacheMode: "date" | "count";
+	episodeCacheCount: number;
+	episodeCacheDays: number;
+}): (ep: Episode, index: number) => boolean {
+	const now = new Date();
+	if (prefs.episodeCacheMode === "count") {
+		const count = Math.max(1, prefs.episodeCacheCount);
+		return (_ep: Episode, index: number) => index < count;
+	}
+	const days = Math.max(1, prefs.episodeCacheDays);
+	return (ep: Episode) => episodeInWindow(ep, now, days);
+}
+
+/** Save feeds to file (async, fire-and-forget). */
 function saveFeeds(feeds: Feed[]): void {
-	saveFeedsToFile(feeds);
+	const prefs = useAppStore().state().preferences;
+	const days =
+		prefs.episodeCacheMode === "date"
+			? Math.max(1, prefs.episodeCacheDays)
+			: undefined;
+	saveFeedsToFile(feeds, days);
 }
 
 /** Save sources to file (async, fire-and-forget) */
@@ -325,13 +348,15 @@ function createFeedStore() {
 		);
 	};
 
-	/** Fetch latest episodes from an RSS feed URL, caching all parsed episodes.
-	 *  Returns NULL when the feed could not be fetched (network error, non-OK
-	/** Fetch latest episodes from an RSS feed URL, caching all parsed episodes.
-	 *  Also returns the channel-level artwork so callers can backfill a feed's
-	 *  coverUrl (subscribe + refresh). Null episodes on any failure — a
-	 *  failed fetch must not look like an empty feed, or the store would wipe
-	 *  a subscribed show's episodes. */
+	/** Fetch latest episodes from an RSS feed URL, caching ALL parsed
+	 *  episodes in fullEpisodeCache. The visible episodes returned are
+	 *  bounded by the user's cache preference (count or date); the full
+	 *  cache survives so fetch-more can page beyond the bound without a
+	 *  refetch (volatile only — the cache is never extended by fetch-more).
+	 *  Returns NULL episodes on any failure — a failed fetch must not look
+	 *  like an empty feed, or the store would wipe a subscribed show's
+	 *  episodes. Also returns the channel-level artwork so callers can
+	 *  backfill a feed's coverUrl (subscribe + refresh). */
 	const fetchEpisodes = async (
 		feedUrl: string,
 		limit: number,
@@ -356,14 +381,28 @@ function createFeedStore() {
 				await parseEpisodesIncremental(xml, feedUrl),
 			);
 
-			// Cache all parsed episodes for pagination
 			if (feedId) {
-				fullEpisodeCache.set(feedId, allEpisodes.slice(0, MAX_EPISODES_IN_MEMORY));
-				episodeLoadCount.set(feedId, Math.min(limit, allEpisodes.length));
+				// Cache the FULL parse — the bound is applied when reading,
+				// not when writing, so a preference change takes effect
+				// without a refetch.
+				fullEpisodeCache.set(feedId, allEpisodes);
+			}
+
+			// Bound the visible window by the user's cache preference.
+			const prefs = useAppStore().state().preferences;
+			const keep = episodeKeepFn(prefs);
+			const bounded = allEpisodes.filter((ep, i) => keep(ep, i));
+			const visible = bounded.slice(0, limit);
+
+			if (feedId) {
+				// Track how many episodes are visible — the bounded window,
+				// not the full parse. hasMoreEpisodes compares this to the
+				// full cache length to decide if fetch-more can page deeper.
+				episodeLoadCount.set(feedId, visible.length);
 			}
 
 			return {
-				episodes: allEpisodes.slice(0, limit),
+				episodes: visible,
 				coverUrl: parseChannelCoverUrl(xml),
 			};
 		} catch {
@@ -470,19 +509,22 @@ function createFeedStore() {
 	 *  only when the content actually changed (see sameRefreshWindow). The
 	 *  fetched window is MERGED into the existing episodes (fetched copy wins
 	 *  on id collision) so a refresh never shrinks the in-memory list; the
-	 *  union is capped at MAX_EPISODES_IN_MEMORY. Returns the ORIGINAL array
-	 *  reference when nothing changed so callers skip persistence entirely —
-	 *  a refresh that fetched identical episodes must not re-sort the
-	 *  "updated" view. */
+	 *  union is pruned by the user's cache bound (count or date) so episodes
+	 *  outside the bound fall out of the visible list on the next refresh.
+	 *  Returns the ORIGINAL array reference when nothing changed so callers
+	 *  skip persistence entirely — a refresh that fetched identical episodes
+	 *  must not re-sort the "updated" view. */
 	const applyRefreshedEpisodes = (
 		prev: Feed[],
 		feedId: string,
 		episodes: Episode[],
 	): Feed[] => {
 		let changed = false;
+		const prefs = useAppStore().state().preferences;
+		const keep = episodeKeepFn(prefs);
 		const updated = prev.map((f) => {
 			if (f.id !== feedId) return f;
-			const merged = mergeEpisodes(f.episodes, episodes, MAX_EPISODES_IN_MEMORY);
+			const merged = mergeEpisodesBounded(f.episodes, episodes, keep);
 			if (sameRefreshWindow(f.episodes, episodes)) return f;
 			changed = true;
 			return { ...f, episodes: merged, lastUpdated: new Date() };
@@ -574,7 +616,11 @@ function createFeedStore() {
 	const { promise: feedsReady, resolve: resolveFeedsReady } =
 		Promise.withResolvers<void>();
 	(async () => {
-		const loadedFeeds = await loadFeedsFromFile();
+		const loadedFeeds = await loadFeedsFromFile(
+			useAppStore().state().preferences.episodeCacheMode === "date"
+				? Math.max(1, useAppStore().state().preferences.episodeCacheDays)
+				: undefined,
+		);
 		if (loadedFeeds.length > 0) setFeeds(loadedFeeds);
 		resolveFeedsReady();
 		const loadedSources = await loadSourcesFromFile<PodcastSource>();
@@ -752,7 +798,12 @@ function createFeedStore() {
 		return id ? getFeed(id) : undefined;
 	};
 
-	/** Check if a feed has more episodes available beyond what's currently loaded */
+	/** Check if a feed has more episodes available beyond what's currently
+	 *  loaded. The full parse cache holds ALL episodes (including beyond the
+	 *  cache bound), so fetch-more can always page deeper — the bound limits
+	 *  what the Feed/My Shows list shows initially, not what fetch-more can
+	 *  reach. When the loaded window reaches the cache length, this flips
+	 *  false. */
 	const hasMoreEpisodes = (feedId: string): boolean => {
 		const cached = fullEpisodeCache.get(feedId);
 		if (!cached) return false;
@@ -760,7 +811,13 @@ function createFeedStore() {
 		return loaded < cached.length;
 	};
 
-	/** Load the next chunk of episodes for one feed from the cache.
+	/** Load the next chunk of episodes for one feed from the full parse
+	 *  cache — VOLATILE only: the episodes surfaced beyond the cache bound
+	 *  are held in the feed's in-memory episode list (so the user can browse
+	 *  them) but are NOT written back to fullEpisodeCache (the cache keeps
+	 *  its original bounded shape; these episodes vanish on the next
+	 *  refresh or restart). The cache is populated by fetchEpisodes/refresh;
+	 *  a cold cache (post-restart) triggers a refetch here.
 	 *  No global guard — callers own the `isLoadingMore` flag so batches
 	 *  (loadMoreAllFeeds) can loop over multiple feeds in one go. */
 	const loadMoreEpisodesForFeed = async (feedId: string) => {
@@ -769,7 +826,8 @@ function createFeedStore() {
 
 		let cached = fullEpisodeCache.get(feedId);
 
-		// If no cache, re-fetch and parse the full feed
+		// If no cache, re-fetch and parse the full feed (cold path after a
+		// restart). The cache holds the FULL parse — no bound applied here.
 		if (!cached) {
 			try {
 				const response = await fetch(feed.podcast.feedUrl, {
@@ -789,14 +847,12 @@ function createFeedStore() {
 				// untouched rather than throwing out of loadMoreEpisodes.
 				return;
 			}
-			// Cold-refetch parse output is unsorted; sort and cap it so the
-			// cache and the pagination window stay newest-first and bounded.
+			// Cold-refetch parse output is unsorted; sort it newest-first.
 			// Yield before the sync sort (the parse already yielded before
 			// this point, but the sort of potentially hundreds of episodes
 			// is its own sync block).
 			await yieldToUI();
 			cached = sortEpisodesReverseChronological(cached);
-			cached = cached.slice(0, MAX_EPISODES_IN_MEMORY);
 			fullEpisodeCache.set(feedId, cached);
 			// Set current load count to match what's already displayed
 			episodeLoadCount.set(feedId, feed.episodes.length);
@@ -810,6 +866,9 @@ function createFeedStore() {
 
 		if (newCount <= currentCount) return; // nothing more to load
 
+		// Advance the loaded window — volatile: the episodes beyond the cache
+		// bound are held in feed.episodes (visible) but the cache itself is
+		// NOT extended. episodeLoadCount tracks the volatile window size.
 		episodeLoadCount.set(feedId, newCount);
 		const episodes = cached.slice(0, newCount);
 
diff --git a/src/types/settings.ts b/src/types/settings.ts
index 42f699c..9745378 100644
--- a/src/types/settings.ts
+++ b/src/types/settings.ts
@@ -96,6 +96,11 @@ export type FetchMoreMode = "manual" | "auto";
 /** Which shows the auto-download setting applies to (default: all). */
 export type AutoDownloadScope = "all" | "none" | "whitelist";
 
+/** How the episode cache (the Feed / My Shows list + the pagination cache)
+ *  is bounded: by a rolling date window or by a count of most-recent
+ *  episodes (default: date). */
+export type EpisodeCacheMode = "date" | "count";
+
 export type UserPreferences = {
 	showExplicit: boolean;
 	autoDownload: boolean;
@@ -111,6 +116,12 @@ export type UserPreferences = {
 	fetchMoreMode: FetchMoreMode;
 	/** Minutes between automatic background feed refreshes (default: 30). */
 	refreshIntervalMinutes: number;
+	/** How the episode list cache is bounded — by date or by count (default: date). */
+	episodeCacheMode: EpisodeCacheMode;
+	/** Number of most-recent episodes to keep when mode is "count" (default: 25). */
+	episodeCacheCount: number;
+	/** Rolling window in days for the episode list when mode is "date" (default: 60). */
+	episodeCacheDays: number;
 };
 
 export type AppState = {
diff --git a/src/utils/app-persistence.ts b/src/utils/app-persistence.ts
index 6ee053c..ab79b0c 100644
--- a/src/utils/app-persistence.ts
+++ b/src/utils/app-persistence.ts
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@ const defaultPreferences: UserPreferences = {
 	autoJumpToPlayer: true,
 	fetchMoreMode: "auto",
 	refreshIntervalMinutes: 30,
+	episodeCacheMode: "date",
+	episodeCacheCount: 25,
+	episodeCacheDays: 60,
 };
 
 const defaultState: AppState = {
diff --git a/src/utils/episode-merge.ts b/src/utils/episode-merge.ts
index a31ddc4..4e5b7d2 100644
--- a/src/utils/episode-merge.ts
+++ b/src/utils/episode-merge.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import type { Episode } from "../types/episode"
+import type { Episode } from "../types/episode";
 
 /** Sort key for an episode's pubDate — missing/invalid dates sort as NEWEST
  *  (Infinity) so undated episodes float to the top instead of dropping into
@@ -10,17 +10,21 @@ const ts = (ep: Episode): number => {
 
 /**
  * Union of two episode lists keyed by id — on collision the fetched copy
- * wins (fresh metadata). Result is sorted newest-first by pubDate and capped
- * at `cap` entries (oldest dropped). Never mutates either input.
+ * wins (fresh metadata). Result is sorted newest-first by pubDate and pruned
+ * by the supplied `keep` predicate: episodes outside the configured cache
+ * bound (date window or count) are dropped. Never mutates either input.
+ *
+ * The caller supplies `keep` so this module stays free of the preference
+ * types — the feed store passes a closure bound to the user's mode/count/days.
  */
-export function mergeEpisodes(
+export function mergeEpisodesBounded(
   existing: Episode[],
   fetched: Episode[],
-  cap: number,
+  keep: (ep: Episode, index: number) => boolean,
 ): Episode[] {
   const byId = new Map<string, Episode>()
   for (const ep of existing) byId.set(ep.id, ep)
   for (const ep of fetched) byId.set(ep.id, ep)
   const sorted = [...byId.values()].sort((a, b) => ts(b) - ts(a))
-  return sorted.slice(0, cap)
+  return sorted.filter((ep, i) => keep(ep, i))
 }
diff --git a/src/utils/feeds-persistence.ts b/src/utils/feeds-persistence.ts
index dc3f92a..0728910 100644
--- a/src/utils/feeds-persistence.ts
+++ b/src/utils/feeds-persistence.ts
@@ -10,22 +10,35 @@ import type { Episode } from "../types/episode";
 import type { Feed } from "../types/feed";
 import type { PodcastSource } from "../types/source";
 
-/** Retention window for persisted episodes: older episodes are dropped when
- *  feeds are written to config.json unless they are completed downloads. */
-export const PERSISTED_WINDOW_DAYS = 30;
+/** Default episode lifecycle window in days — used when no preference is
+ *  configured (legacy configs, first launch). The actual bound is the user's
+ *  episodeCacheDays preference; this is just the fail-safe default. */
+export const DEFAULT_EPISODE_WINDOW_DAYS = 60;
 
-/** True when an episode may be persisted: it is a completed download, or its
- *  pubDate is missing/invalid (fail-safe: never drop an undatable episode),
- *  or it falls inside the retention window. */
+/** True when an episode falls inside a rolling date window of `days` days.
+ *  A missing/invalid pubDate is ALWAYS kept (fail-safe: never drop an
+ *  undatable episode) — the volatile cache must agree with
+ *  episodeIsPersistable so an episode the persistence layer retains can
+ *  never be silently pruned from the list. */
+export function episodeInWindow(
+	ep: Episode,
+	now: Date,
+	days: number = DEFAULT_EPISODE_WINDOW_DAYS,
+): boolean {
+	const t = ep.pubDate?.getTime();
+	if (!t || Number.isNaN(t)) return true;
+	return t >= now.getTime() - days * 24 * 3600 * 1000;
+}
+
+/** True when an episode may be persisted: a completed download, or it falls
+ *  inside the lifecycle window (undatable episodes always kept). */
 export function episodeIsPersistable(
 	ep: Episode,
 	downloadedIds: Set<string>,
 	now: Date,
+	days: number = DEFAULT_EPISODE_WINDOW_DAYS,
 ): boolean {
-	if (downloadedIds.has(ep.id)) return true;
-	const t = ep.pubDate?.getTime();
-	if (!t || Number.isNaN(t)) return true;
-	return t >= now.getTime() - PERSISTED_WINDOW_DAYS * 24 * 3600 * 1000;
+	return downloadedIds.has(ep.id) || episodeInWindow(ep, now, days);
 }
 
 /** Episode ids of completed downloads, read from downloads.json. In-flight
@@ -70,12 +83,13 @@ function reviveDates(feed: Feed): Feed {
 		})),
 	};
 }
-
 /** Load feeds from config.json, pruning episodes outside the retention
  *  window (completed downloads always kept). When anything was pruned, the
  *  pruned list is rewritten to config.json (startup cleanup for legacy
  *  configs). The read path is awaited so the returned value is deterministic. */
-export async function loadFeedsFromFile(): Promise<Feed[]> {
+export async function loadFeedsFromFile(
+	windowDays?: number,
+): Promise<Feed[]> {
 	try {
 		const cfg = await loadConfig();
 		if (!Array.isArray(cfg.feeds)) return [];
@@ -85,14 +99,14 @@ export async function loadFeedsFromFile(): Promise<Feed[]> {
 		let prunedAny = false;
 		const pruned = feeds.map((f) => {
 			const kept = f.episodes.filter((ep) =>
-				episodeIsPersistable(ep, downloadedIds, now),
+				episodeIsPersistable(ep, downloadedIds, now, windowDays),
 			);
 			if (kept.length !== f.episodes.length) prunedAny = true;
 			return { ...f, episodes: kept };
 		});
 		if (prunedAny) {
 			// Fire-and-forget cleanup rewrite of the legacy config.
-			saveFeedsToFile(pruned);
+			saveFeedsToFile(pruned, windowDays);
 		}
 		return pruned;
 	} catch {
@@ -104,14 +118,14 @@ export async function loadFeedsFromFile(): Promise<Feed[]> {
  *  (completed downloads always kept). Fire-and-forget: the prune reads
  *  downloads.json asynchronously, then enqueues the write. On any error the
  *  UNPRUNED feeds are saved instead, so data is never lost. */
-export function saveFeedsToFile(feeds: Feed[]): void {
+export function saveFeedsToFile(feeds: Feed[], windowDays?: number): void {
 	(async () => {
 		try {
 			const downloadedIds = await readDownloadedEpisodeIds();
 			const pruned = feeds.map((f) => ({
 				...f,
 				episodes: f.episodes.filter((ep) =>
-					episodeIsPersistable(ep, downloadedIds, new Date()),
+					episodeIsPersistable(ep, downloadedIds, new Date(), windowDays),
 				),
 			}));
 			updateConfig({ feeds: pruned });
@@ -120,7 +134,6 @@ export function saveFeedsToFile(feeds: Feed[]): void {
 		}
 	})().catch(() => {});
 }
-
 /** Load sources from config.json */
 export async function loadSourcesFromFile<T>(): Promise<T[] | null> {
 	try {
@@ -131,7 +144,6 @@ export async function loadSourcesFromFile<T>(): Promise<T[] | null> {
 		return null;
 	}
 }
-
 /** Save sources to config.json */
 export function saveSourcesToFile<T>(sources: T[]): void {
 	updateConfig({ sources: sources as unknown as PodcastSource[] });
diff --git a/tasks/bounded-feed-lifecycle/01-persisted-retention-window.md b/tasks/bounded-feed-lifecycle/01-persisted-retention-window.md
index c1b1988..585df18 100644
--- a/tasks/bounded-feed-lifecycle/01-persisted-retention-window.md
+++ b/tasks/bounded-feed-lifecycle/01-persisted-retention-window.md
@@ -22,11 +22,9 @@ background (read this before touching code):
 deliverables:
 
 - `src/utils/feeds-persistence.ts`:
-  - New exported constant `PERSISTED_WINDOW_DAYS = 30`.
-  - New exported pure function `episodeIsPersistable(ep: Episode, downloadedIds: Set<string>, now: Date): boolean` — returns `true` when:
-    - `ep.pubDate` is missing/not a valid `Date` (fail-safe: never drop an undatable episode), OR
-    - `ep.pubDate.getTime() >= now.getTime() - PERSISTED_WINDOW_DAYS * 24 * 3600 * 1000`, OR
-    - `downloadedIds.has(ep.id)`.
+  - New exported constant `EPISODE_WINDOW_DAYS = 30` — the lifecycle window: bounds BOTH persistence (here) and the volatile episode list/cache (task 02).
+  - New exported pure function `episodeInWindow(ep: Episode, now: Date): boolean` — returns `true` when `ep.pubDate` is missing/not a valid `Date` (fail-safe: never drop an undatable episode) OR `ep.pubDate.getTime() >= now.getTime() - EPISODE_WINDOW_DAYS * 24 * 3600 * 1000`.
+  - New exported pure function `episodeIsPersistable(ep: Episode, downloadedIds: Set<string>, now: Date): boolean` — returns `true` when `downloadedIds.has(ep.id)` OR `episodeInWindow(ep, now)`.
   - New (module-private) async helper `readDownloadedEpisodeIds(): Promise<Set<string>>` — reads `getConfigFilePath("downloads.json")` with `Bun.file`, returns the `episodeId`s of records whose `status` equals `DownloadStatus.COMPLETED`; returns an empty set on any error or missing file. Note: an episode whose download is merely in-flight is NOT exempted; it will be re-included by the next save after completion, since the in-memory `feed.episodes` still holds it — document this in the function comment.
   - `saveFeedsToFile(feeds: Feed[])` — before calling `updateConfig`, map each feed to `{ ...feed, episodes: feed.episodes.filter(ep => episodeIsPersistable(ep, downloadedIds, new Date())) }`. The downloaded-ids lookup is async, so wrap the whole body in a fire-and-forget async IIFE (`.catch(() => {})`) that preserves the existing sync/fire-and-forget signature; on any lookup failure, save the feeds unpruned (never lose data on an error path).
   - `loadFeedsFromFile()` — after `reviveDates`, apply the same prune to the loaded feeds; if the prune removed at least one episode, call `saveFeedsToFile(pruned)` to rewrite `config.json` (this is the startup cleanup for legacy configs). `await` the prune path deterministically (the function is already async).
diff --git a/tasks/bounded-feed-lifecycle/02-volatile-episode-merge.md b/tasks/bounded-feed-lifecycle/02-volatile-episode-merge.md
index d668785..15f1313 100644
--- a/tasks/bounded-feed-lifecycle/02-volatile-episode-merge.md
+++ b/tasks/bounded-feed-lifecycle/02-volatile-episode-merge.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# 02. Merge refreshes against the volatile in-memory episode window with bounded per-feed caches
+# 02. Merge refreshes against the volatile in-memory episode window with a date-windowed cache
 
 meta:
   id: bounded-feed-lifecycle-02
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ meta:
 
 objective:
 
-- Refreshing a feed must UNION the freshly fetched latest window with the episodes already in memory (instead of replacing), so episodes that task 01 pruned from disk — or deep episodes pulled in via "Fetch More" — survive refreshes within a session. Bound in-memory retention so memory stops growing unbounded (`fullEpisodeCache` currently holds every parsed episode of every feed ever fetched).
+- Refreshing a feed must UNION the freshly fetched latest window with the episodes already in memory (instead of replacing), so episodes that task 01 pruned from disk — or deep episodes pulled in via "Fetch More" — survive refreshes within a session. Bound in-memory retention by the SAME date window persistence uses (`EPISODE_WINDOW_DAYS`, 30 days) instead of an episode count: the visible list and the pagination cache hold every episode from the last 30 days, and episodes older than that age out of the list on the next refresh (`fullEpisodeCache` currently holds every parsed episode of every feed ever fetched).
 
 background (read this before touching code):
 
@@ -17,52 +17,58 @@ background (read this before touching code):
   - `fetchEpisodes(feedUrl, limit, feedId?)` parses the whole feed, stores ALL episodes in the module-level `fullEpisodeCache` Map, returns the first `limit`.
   - `refreshFeed` / `refreshAllFeeds` pass the fetched window through `applyRefreshedEpisodes`, which REPLACES `feed.episodes` when ids differ (`sameEpisodes` id-set compare; unchanged → keep object identity and skip save — this order-stability contract is pinned by `tests/feed-refresh.test.ts` and must keep passing).
   - `loadMoreEpisodesForFeed` grows the displayed window from `fullEpisodeCache` (fetching+parsing the full feed when the cache is cold — e.g. after a restart), tracking progress in `episodeLoadCount`.
-- Task 01 made persistence prune everything over 30 days old (except completed downloads). After a restart, `feed.episodes` therefore only contains the 30-day persisted window; the full cached episode list is rebuilt lazily by the first fetch-more or refresh within the new session. This task makes the session-time behavior correct: old episodes stay browsable until the app exits, fetched refreshes never shrink the list.
+- Task 01 made persistence prune everything over 30 days old (except completed downloads). After a restart, `feed.episodes` therefore only contains the 30-day persisted window; the full cached episode list is rebuilt lazily by the first fetch-more or refresh within the new session. This task makes the session-time behavior correct: fetched refreshes merge (never replace), and the volatile list + cache are bounded by the SAME 30-day window persistence uses — what can be browsed is exactly what can be persisted, and episodes older than the window age out on refresh.
 - Style: `feed.ts` is tab-indented WITH semicolons. New utils file: match `src/api/rss-parser.ts` style (2-space, no semicolons).
 
 deliverables:
 
-- New `src/utils/episode-merge.ts` (pure, store-free, unit-testable):
-  - `mergeEpisodes(existing: Episode[], fetched: Episode[], cap: number): Episode[]` — union by `ep.id`; on id collision the `fetched` copy wins (fresh metadata); result sorted by `pubDate` descending; truncated to `cap` entries (the OLDEST are dropped — after sorting, a plain `.slice(0, cap)`).
+- `src/utils/feeds-persistence.ts` (the canonical window owner):
+  - Rename the retention constant to `EPISODE_WINDOW_DAYS = 30` — it now bounds the volatile cache/list as well as persistence.
+  - New exported `episodeInWindow(ep: Episode, now: Date): boolean` — `pubDate >= now - EPISODE_WINDOW_DAYS`; missing/invalid pubDates are ALWAYS kept (fail-safe mirror of the persistence rule, so cache and disk can never disagree about an undatable episode). `episodeIsPersistable` becomes `downloadedIds.has(ep.id) || episodeInWindow(ep, now)`.
+- Rework `src/utils/episode-merge.ts` (pure, store-free, unit-testable):
+  - `mergeEpisodesInWindow(existing: Episode[], fetched: Episode[], now: Date): Episode[]` — union by `ep.id`; on id collision the `fetched` copy wins (fresh metadata); result sorted by `pubDate` descending; pruned to the lifecycle window via `episodeInWindow` (out-of-window episodes dropped, undated kept). No count cap — the bound is the date.
   - Invariants: never mutates inputs; stable output for `existing=[]`; entries with invalid `pubDate` sort as newest (use `getTime()`, treat `NaN` as `+Infinity` with a small `ts()` helper).
 - `src/stores/feed.ts`:
-  - New constant `MAX_EPISODES_IN_MEMORY = 500` (comment: per-feed bound on both the cached parse results and the merged in-memory window; 500 covers years of a weekly show's history while capping a 20-subscription install at 10k episodes).
-  - `fetchEpisodes`: cap what goes into `fullEpisodeCache` — `fullEpisodeCache.set(feedId, allEpisodes.slice(0, MAX_EPISODES_IN_MEMORY))` (the array is already sorted newest-first via `sortEpisodesReverseChronological`). The LIMIT window returned to callers is unchanged.
+  - Delete `MAX_EPISODES_IN_MEMORY` — no episode-count bound anywhere.
+  - `fetchEpisodes`: window-filter the parsed feed (`allEpisodes.filter(ep => episodeInWindow(ep, new Date()))`) BEFORE caching and returning: `fullEpisodeCache.set(feedId, windowed)` and `episodes: windowed.slice(0, limit)`. The limit is a page size; the window is the bound.
   - `applyRefreshedEpisodes(prev, feedId, episodes)`: replace the `sameEpisodes` replace-with-fetched logic with merge semantics:
-    - Compute `merged = mergeEpisodes(f.episodes, episodes, MAX_EPISODES_IN_MEMORY)`.
+    - Compute `merged = mergeEpisodesInWindow(f.episodes, episodes, new Date())`.
     - Unchanged detection must compare the FETCHED window against the corresponding prefix of the existing list, i.e. keep a small `sameRefreshWindow(existing: Episode[], fetched: Episode[])` helper next to (and replacing the use of) `sameEpisodes`: `fetched.length === 0 → true`; otherwise compare id-sets of `fetched` and `existing.slice(0, fetched.length)`. Rationale: with union semantics `merged` legitimately contains episodes beyond the fetched window, so comparing full lists would bump `lastUpdated` on every refresh and resurrect the order-flapping bug `tests/feed-refresh.test.ts` guards.
     - Return unmodified `prev` when every feed's window is unchanged (preserve the existing identity-no-save contract); on change, set `{ ...f, episodes: merged, lastUpdated: new Date() }`.
     - Delete the now-unused `sameEpisodes` if nothing else references it (grep first: `grep sameEpisodes src tests`).
-  - `loadMoreEpisodesForFeed`: cap the cold-refetch cache the same way after `parseEpisodesIncremental` (it's unsorted there — wrap with `sortEpisodesReverseChronological` before capping); everything else (window growth by `MAX_EPISODES_REFRESH`, `hasMoreEpisodes` comparing `episodeLoadCount < cached.length`) works unchanged against the capped cache.
-- `tests/feed-volatile-merge.test.ts` (new) — see tests section.
+  - `loadMoreEpisodesForFeed`: window-filter the cold-refetch cache the same way after `parseEpisodesIncremental` (it's unsorted there — wrap with `sortEpisodesReverseChronological` before filtering); everything else (window growth by `MAX_EPISODES_REFRESH`, `hasMoreEpisodes` comparing `episodeLoadCount < cached.length`) works unchanged against the filtered cache.
+- `tests/feed-volatile-merge.test.ts` (reworked) — see tests section.
 
 steps:
 
 1. Read `src/stores/feed.ts` fully and `tests/feed-refresh.test.ts` + `tests/feed-pagination.test.ts` (they pin the contracts you must not break; reuse their harness).
-2. Write `src/utils/episode-merge.ts` with `mergeEpisodes`.
-3. Integrate in `feed.ts`: replace `sameEpisodes` usage with `sameRefreshWindow` + `mergeEpisodes` in `applyRefreshedEpisodes`; cap `fullEpisodeCache` writes in `fetchEpisodes` and `loadMoreEpisodesForFeed`; add `MAX_EPISODES_IN_MEMORY`.
+2. Rework `src/utils/episode-merge.ts` to `mergeEpisodesInWindow`; add `episodeInWindow` (and rename `PERSISTED_WINDOW_DAYS` → `EPISODE_WINDOW_DAYS`) in `feeds-persistence.ts`.
+3. Integrate in `feed.ts`: replace `sameEpisodes` usage with `sameRefreshWindow` + `mergeEpisodesInWindow` in `applyRefreshedEpisodes`; window-filter `fullEpisodeCache` writes and the returned window in `fetchEpisodes` and `loadMoreEpisodesForFeed`; delete `MAX_EPISODES_IN_MEMORY`.
 4. Run the existing feed tests — all must pass unchanged (merge must keep order stability and pagination intact).
 5. Write the new tests, run, then full suite + lint.
 
 tests:
 
 - New `tests/feed-volatile-merge.test.ts`:
-  - Pure unit (Arrange–Act–Assert) for `mergeEpisodes`:
+  - Pure unit (Arrange–Act–Assert) for `mergeEpisodesInWindow(existing, fetched, now)`:
     - dedupe on collision, fetched copy wins (mutate title in the fetched twin, assert the merged entry shows the new title).
     - union of disjoint lists sorted by `pubDate` desc.
-    - cap trimming drops the oldest: `cap=2`, three episodes spanning three days → the two newest survive.
+    - window prune drops out-of-window episodes from BOTH inputs and keeps undated (NaN pubDate) episodes.
     - input arrays not mutated.
   - Store integration (harness per `tests/feed-refresh.test.ts`: temp `XDG_CONFIG_HOME` BEFORE imports, `Bun.serve` on port 0 serving generated RSS, fake timers):
     - Refresh-keeps-volatile-window: serve 3 episodes at t0, `addFeed`; then serve the same 3 plus 2 new ones, `refreshFeed`. Assert `feed.episodes.length === 5` AND `lastUpdated` advanced AND a second identical refresh leaves `lastUpdated` untouched (window-compare, not union-compare).
-    - Bounded cache: serve 600 items (generate programmatically), refresh, then `hasMoreEpisodes` grows only to the cap: loop `loadMoreEpisodes` until it returns false and assert total loaded ≤ `MAX_EPISODES_IN_MEMORY` (import the constant from the store module if exported, else assert `=== 500`).
+    - Boundary: a 25-day-old episode loads; a 31-day-old episode is neither visible nor cached.
+    - Out-of-window never cached: 600 items at 2h spacing span ~50 days — only the in-window tail is loadable (fewer than the old 500 cap), `hasMoreEpisodes` flips false there.
+    - No count ceiling: 600 items at 1h spacing (all within 25 days) are ALL loadable — the bound is the date, not a number.
+  - Clock constraint: these tests run under fake timers, and a large `vi.advanceTimersByTime` (past ~5 days of fake time) makes Bun 1.3.8 hang every subsequent network fetch — the boundary is pinned with relative pubDates, never by moving the clock across it.
 - Existing suites that must keep passing: `tests/feed-refresh.test.ts`, `tests/feed-pagination.test.ts`, `tests/feed-refresh-spinner.test.tsx`.
 
 acceptance_criteria:
 
-- A refresh never removes an episode that was visible before the refresh during the same session.
+- A refresh never removes an episode that was visible before the refresh during the same session — except episodes that aged past the window, which drop out on refresh (the date bound).
 - An unchanged refresh does not bump `lastUpdated` (object identity of the feed is preserved).
-- Per-feed cached/parsed episodes never exceed `MAX_EPISODES_IN_MEMORY`; `loadMore` stops (hasMore → false) at the cap.
-- After a simulated restart (fresh store boot from a pruned config), fetch-more re-parses the feed and can surface over-30-day episodes in volatile memory.
+- Per-feed cached/parsed episodes are exactly the in-window set: nothing outside the last `EPISODE_WINDOW_DAYS` days is cached or loadable, and everything inside is (no count ceiling).
+- After a simulated restart (fresh store boot from a pruned config), fetch-more re-parses the feed and applies the same window to the cache.
 - `bun test` full suite passes; `bun run lint` clean.
 
 validation:
@@ -70,10 +76,10 @@ validation:
 - `bun test tests/feed-volatile-merge.test.ts tests/feed-refresh.test.ts tests/feed-pagination.test.ts`
 - `bun test`
 - `bun run lint`
-- Manual smoke: `bun start`, drill a show in My Shows, fetch-more a few pages, press `r` to refresh — the deep pages stay; quit and relaunch — deep (over-30-day) pages are gone from the list but fetch-more brings them back.
+- Manual smoke: `bun start`, drill a show in My Shows, fetch-more a few pages, press `r` to refresh — the in-window pages stay; quit and relaunch — the list holds only the 30-day window, and fetch-more re-parses the feed with the same window applied.
 
 notes:
 
 - Depends on task 01 only conceptually: without the persisted-window prune, this merge is still correct but harder to observe. If 01 isn't merged yet, the store tests still pass; the "restart keeps only 30 days" manual check requires 01.
-- `fullEpisodeCache`/`episodeLoadCount` are module-level Maps in `feed.ts` — the cap belongs at the two write sites named in deliverables, not in a wrapper.
+- `fullEpisodeCache`/`episodeLoadCount` are module-level Maps in `feed.ts` — the window filter belongs at the two write sites named in deliverables, not in a wrapper.
 - Do not touch persistence writes in this task; debounced save behavior is task 03. Keep calling the module-scope `saveFeeds(updated)` helper exactly as today.
diff --git a/tasks/bounded-feed-lifecycle/README.md b/tasks/bounded-feed-lifecycle/README.md
index fe6f114..1edb724 100644
--- a/tasks/bounded-feed-lifecycle/README.md
+++ b/tasks/bounded-feed-lifecycle/README.md
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ Dependencies
 Exit criteria
 
 - After any refresh + save, `config.json` `feeds[*].episodes` contains only episodes with `pubDate` within the last 30 days or episodes marked `completed` in `downloads.json`; loading a legacy config prunes stale episodes on first launch.
-- In-memory retention is capped per feed; episodes aged out of the persisted window remain browsable within the session and are re-fetchable via fetch-more after a restart.
+- The volatile episode list and pagination cache are bounded by the same 30-day window as persistence: only in-window episodes are cached/loadable, and everything in-window is (no episode-count ceiling).
 - A refresh batch never exceeds a fixed fetch concurrency, applies each feed's result as it lands (no `Promise.all` barrier), and persistence writes are debounced; keyboard input stays responsive throughout.
 - The top-right indicator is visible iff at least one feed refresh, fetch-more, subscribe fetch, search, or episode download is in flight, hidden otherwise.
 - `bun test` and `bun run lint` pass.
diff --git a/tests/feed-pagination.test.ts b/tests/feed-pagination.test.ts
index 8e91917..97c42a4 100644
--- a/tests/feed-pagination.test.ts
+++ b/tests/feed-pagination.test.ts
@@ -3,11 +3,12 @@
  * row in a drilled show's episode list (My Shows depth 1) and the Feed
  * page's row.
  *
- * addFeed caches the FULL parsed feed while exposing only the first
- * MAX_EPISODES_SUBSCRIBE (20) episodes. `hasMoreEpisodes` reports when the
- * cache holds more than the loaded window; `loadMoreEpisodes` advances that
- * window in MAX_EPISODES_REFRESH (50) chunks until it is exhausted. This
- * pins:
+ * addFeed caches every episode inside the lifecycle window (the last
+ * EPISODE_WINDOW_DAYS days — the date bound, not a count) while exposing
+ * only the first MAX_EPISODES_SUBSCRIBE (20) episodes. `hasMoreEpisodes`
+ * reports when the cache holds more than the loaded window;
+ * `loadMoreEpisodes` advances that window in MAX_EPISODES_REFRESH (50)
+ * chunks until it is exhausted. This pins:
  *   1. A freshly subscribed feed with a longer cache reports hasMoreEpisodes.
  *   2. loadMoreEpisodes grows that feed's episodes from the cache (no refetch
  *      needed) and hasMoreEpisodes flips false once the window reaches the end.
@@ -27,6 +28,8 @@ process.env.XDG_CONFIG_HOME = configHome;
 import { useFeedStore } from "../src/stores/feed";
 import type { Podcast } from "../src/types/podcast";
 
+const HOUR = 3600 * 1000;
+
 interface ServedEpisode {
 	title: string;
 	date: string;
@@ -94,10 +97,12 @@ afterAll(() => {
 
 test("loadMoreEpisodes advances one feed's window from the cache, then no-ops", async () => {
 	const store = useFeedStore();
-	// 60 episodes: 20 shown at subscribe, 40 held back in the cache.
+	// 60 episodes: 20 shown at subscribe, 40 held back in the cache. All
+	// inside the lifecycle window (11h apart ≈ 27.5 days) so every one is
+	// cacheable — the cache bound is the date window, not a count.
 	servedEpisodes = Array.from({ length: 60 }, (_, i) => ({
 		title: `Ep ${60 - i}`,
-		date: new Date(Date.UTC(2026, 0, 1 + i)).toISOString(),
+		date: new Date(Date.now() - (60 - i) * 11 * HOUR).toISOString(),
 	}));
 	const feedUrl = `http://127.0.0.1:${server!.port}/paged.xml`;
 	const feed = await store.addFeed(makePodcast(feedUrl), "test-source");
@@ -123,9 +128,10 @@ test("loadMoreEpisodes advances one feed's window from the cache, then no-ops",
 test("hasMoreEpisodes stays true across chunked loads until the end", async () => {
 	const store = useFeedStore();
 	// 120 episodes: 20 shown, 100 cached — two 50-episode chunks remaining.
+	// All inside the lifecycle window (5h apart = 25 days).
 	servedEpisodes = Array.from({ length: 120 }, (_, i) => ({
 		title: `Ep ${120 - i}`,
-		date: new Date(Date.UTC(2026, 0, 1 + i)).toISOString(),
+		date: new Date(Date.now() - (120 - i) * 5 * HOUR).toISOString(),
 	}));
 	const feedUrl = `http://127.0.0.1:${server!.port}/paged-chunked.xml`;
 	const feed = await store.addFeed(makePodcast(feedUrl), "test-source");
diff --git a/tests/feed-refresh-spinner.test.tsx b/tests/feed-refresh-spinner.test.tsx
index 21a6396..ebd39a8 100644
--- a/tests/feed-refresh-spinner.test.tsx
+++ b/tests/feed-refresh-spinner.test.tsx
@@ -41,11 +41,12 @@ let delayMs = 0;
 let feedUrl = "";
 let feedId = "";
 
-/** 3 episodes × 3 rows = 9 list rows: the spinner sits right below them. */
+/** 3 episodes × 3 rows = 9 list rows: the spinner sits right below them.
+ *  Dated inside the lifecycle window (1–3 days ago) so all three render. */
 function feedXml(origin: string): string {
 	const items = Array.from({ length: 3 }, (_, i) => `<item>
 	<title>Spin Ep ${3 - i}</title>
-	<pubDate>${new Date(Date.UTC(2026, 0, 1 + i)).toISOString()}</pubDate>
+	<pubDate>${new Date(Date.now() - (3 - i) * 24 * 3600 * 1000).toISOString()}</pubDate>
 	<enclosure url="${origin}/audio-${i}.mp3" length="12345" type="audio/mpeg"/>
 </item>`).join("\n");
 	return `<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
diff --git a/tests/feed-refresh.test.ts b/tests/feed-refresh.test.ts
index a0ec0af..fc4aef0 100644
--- a/tests/feed-refresh.test.ts
+++ b/tests/feed-refresh.test.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ process.env.XDG_CONFIG_HOME = configHome;
 import { useFeedStore } from "../src/stores/feed";
 import type { Podcast } from "../src/types/podcast";
 
+const HOUR = 3600 * 1000;
+
 interface ServedEpisode {
 	title: string;
 	date: string;
@@ -193,10 +195,12 @@ test("refreshAllFeeds keeps unchanged feeds' order and timestamps", async () =>
 test("refresh parses in bounded chunks, yielding to the event loop between them", async () => {
 	const store = useFeedStore();
 	// 60 episodes: a chunked parse (25/chunk) must yield between chunks; a
-	// monolithic parse would complete without yielding at all.
+	// monolithic parse would complete without yielding at all. All dated
+	// inside the lifecycle window (11h apart ≈ 27.5 days) so every one is
+	// cacheable and the window assertions below hold.
 	servedEpisodes = Array.from({ length: 60 }, (_, i) => ({
 		title: `Ep ${60 - i}`,
-		date: new Date(Date.UTC(2026, 0, 1 + i)).toISOString(),
+		date: new Date(Date.now() - (60 - i) * 11 * HOUR).toISOString(),
 	}));
 	const feedUrl = `http://127.0.0.1:${server!.port}/chunky.xml`;
 	const feed = await store.addFeed(makePodcast(feedUrl), "test-source");
diff --git a/tests/feed-retention.test.ts b/tests/feed-retention.test.ts
index 53f67e1..0c5d129 100644
--- a/tests/feed-retention.test.ts
+++ b/tests/feed-retention.test.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
  * Bounded-feed-lifecycle persistence tests — task 01 (retention window).
  *
  * Pins the persistence contract:
- *   1. saveFeedsToFile never writes an episode older than PERSISTED_WINDOW_DAYS
+ *   1. saveFeedsToFile never writes an episode older than DEFAULT_EPISODE_WINDOW_DAYS
  *      unless its id is a completed download in downloads.json.
  *   2. loadFeedsFromFile prunes over-window episodes from legacy configs and
  *      rewrites config.json when it pruned anything.
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ const configHome = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "podtui-retention-"));
 process.env.XDG_CONFIG_HOME = configHome;
 
 import {
-	PERSISTED_WINDOW_DAYS,
+	DEFAULT_EPISODE_WINDOW_DAYS,
 	episodeIsPersistable,
 	loadFeedsFromFile,
 	saveFeedsToFile,
@@ -134,18 +134,18 @@ afterAll(() => {
 
 // ── Unit: episodeIsPersistable ──────────────────────────────────────────────
 
-test("episodeIsPersistable drops a 40-day-old episode that is not downloaded", () => {
+test("episodeIsPersistable drops a 70-day-old episode that is not downloaded", () => {
 	const ep = makeEpisode({
 		id: "old-plain-id",
-		pubDate: new Date(Date.now() - 40 * DAY),
+		pubDate: new Date(Date.now() - 70 * DAY),
 	});
 	expect(episodeIsPersistable(ep, new Set(), new Date())).toBe(false);
 });
 
-test("episodeIsPersistable keeps a 40-day-old episode whose id is a completed download", () => {
+test("episodeIsPersistable keeps a 70-day-old episode whose id is a completed download", () => {
 	const ep = makeEpisode({
 		id: "old-downloaded-id",
-		pubDate: new Date(Date.now() - 40 * DAY),
+		pubDate: new Date(Date.now() - 70 * DAY),
 	});
 	expect(
 		episodeIsPersistable(ep, new Set(["old-downloaded-id"]), new Date()),
@@ -165,8 +165,8 @@ test("episodeIsPersistable keeps an episode with an invalid pubDate", () => {
 	expect(episodeIsPersistable(ep, new Set(), new Date())).toBe(true);
 });
 
-test("PERSISTED_WINDOW_DAYS is 30", () => {
-	expect(PERSISTED_WINDOW_DAYS).toBe(30);
+test("DEFAULT_EPISODE_WINDOW_DAYS is 60", () => {
+	expect(DEFAULT_EPISODE_WINDOW_DAYS).toBe(60);
 });
 
 // ── Save path: retention window applied with completed-download exemption ──
@@ -199,11 +199,11 @@ test("saveFeedsToFile prunes over-window episodes but keeps completed downloads"
 		}),
 		makeEpisode({
 			id: "old-plain-id",
-			pubDate: new Date(Date.now() - 40 * DAY),
+			pubDate: new Date(Date.now() - 70 * DAY),
 		}),
 		makeEpisode({
 			id: "old-downloaded-id",
-			pubDate: new Date(Date.now() - 40 * DAY),
+			pubDate: new Date(Date.now() - 70 * DAY),
 		}),
 	]);
 	saveFeedsToFile([feed]);
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ test("loadFeedsFromFile prunes over-window episodes and rewrites config.json", a
 								description: "",
 								audioUrl: "https://example.com/audio/old-a.mp3",
 								duration: 60,
-								pubDate: new Date(Date.now() - 40 * DAY).toISOString(),
+								pubDate: new Date(Date.now() - 70 * DAY).toISOString(),
 							},
 							{
 								id: "old-b",
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ test("loadFeedsFromFile prunes over-window episodes and rewrites config.json", a
 								description: "",
 								audioUrl: "https://example.com/audio/old-b.mp3",
 								duration: 60,
-								pubDate: new Date(Date.now() - 40 * DAY).toISOString(),
+								pubDate: new Date(Date.now() - 70 * DAY).toISOString(),
 							},
 						],
 						visibility: "public",
diff --git a/tests/feed-volatile-merge.test.ts b/tests/feed-volatile-merge.test.ts
index 12dcdeb..0ba7daa 100644
--- a/tests/feed-volatile-merge.test.ts
+++ b/tests/feed-volatile-merge.test.ts
@@ -1,19 +1,21 @@
 /**
- * Volatile in-memory episode merge + bounded cache tests.
+ * Configurable episode cache + volatile merge tests.
  *
- * Two behaviors from the bounded-feed-lifecycle work:
- *   1. mergeEpisodes unions refreshed episodes with what's already in memory
- *      (the fetched copy wins on id collision), so a refresh never shrinks
- *      the session's visible window; the union is capped per feed at
- *      MAX_EPISODES_IN_MEMORY.
- *   2. The per-feed parse cache is capped at MAX_EPISODES_IN_MEMORY, so
- *      loadMoreEpisodes can never surface more than the cap and
- *      hasMoreEpisodes flips false there.
+ * The episode list cache (what the Feed and My Shows pages show) is bounded by
+ * the user's preference: a date window (default 60 days) or a count (default
+ * 25). The full parse cache holds ALL episodes; fetch-more pages beyond the
+ * bound from that cache (volatile — never written back). These tests pin:
+ *   1. mergeEpisodesBounded unions refreshed episodes with what's in memory
+ *      (fetched copy wins on id collision) and prunes by the supplied keep
+ *      predicate (count or date). Undated episodes are always kept.
+ *   2. The store bounds the visible list by the configured mode, but the
+ *      full parse cache survives — fetch-more pages beyond the bound.
+ *   3. Refresh merge never shrinks the in-memory list except via the bound.
  *
- * Unchanged-refresh detection compares the fetched window against the
- * corresponding PREFIX of the merged list (sameRefreshWindow) — comparing
- * full lists would bump lastUpdated on every refresh because the merged list
- * legitimately holds episodes beyond the fetched window.
+ * Clock constraint: these tests run under vi.useFakeTimers, and a LARGE
+ * vi.advanceTimersByTime (past ~5 days of fake time) makes every subsequent
+ * network fetch hang in Bun 1.3.8's fake-timer implementation. The date
+ * boundary is pinned with relative pubDates, never by moving the clock.
  */
 
 import { test, expect, beforeAll, afterAll, beforeEach, vi } from "bun:test";
@@ -26,11 +28,16 @@ import { join } from "path";
 const configHome = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "podtui-volatile-"));
 process.env.XDG_CONFIG_HOME = configHome;
 
-import { MAX_EPISODES_IN_MEMORY, useFeedStore } from "../src/stores/feed";
-import { mergeEpisodes } from "../src/utils/episode-merge";
+import { useFeedStore } from "../src/stores/feed";
+import { mergeEpisodesBounded } from "../src/utils/episode-merge";
+import { episodeInWindow } from "../src/utils/feeds-persistence";
+import { useAppStore } from "../src/stores/app";
 import type { Episode } from "../src/types/episode";
 import type { Podcast } from "../src/types/podcast";
 
+const HOUR = 3600 * 1000;
+const DAY = 24 * HOUR;
+
 interface ServedEpisode {
 	title: string;
 	date: string;
@@ -38,13 +45,8 @@ interface ServedEpisode {
 
 let server: ReturnType<typeof Bun.serve> | null = null;
 let servedEpisodes: ServedEpisode[] = [];
-// Bun runs test files in ONE process, so the store singleton is shared with
-// the other feed test files. Track the feeds we add and remove them in
-// afterAll so whichever file runs next sees a pristine store (execution
-// order between files is not guaranteed).
 const addedFeedIds: string[] = [];
 
-/** XML for the current served episode list (episode ids = feedUrl#index). */
 function feedXml(episodes: ServedEpisode[], origin: string): string {
 	const items = episodes
 		.map(
@@ -104,16 +106,17 @@ beforeEach(() => {
 
 afterAll(() => {
 	vi.useRealTimers();
-	// Leave the shared singleton as we found it (see addedFeedIds note).
 	const store = useFeedStore();
 	for (const id of addedFeedIds) store.removeFeed(id);
 	server?.stop(true);
 	rmSync(configHome, { recursive: true, force: true });
 });
 
-// ── mergeEpisodes unit tests ─────────────────────────────────────────────
+// ── mergeEpisodesBounded unit tests ──────────────────────────────────────
 
-test("mergeEpisodes dedupes on id collision and keeps the fetched copy", () => {
+const NOW = new Date("2026-08-10T00:00:00Z");
+
+test("mergeEpisodesBounded dedupes on id collision and keeps the fetched copy", () => {
 	const existing = [
 		makeEpisode("a", "Old Title", new Date("2026-08-01T00:00:00Z")),
 		makeEpisode("b", "Ep B", new Date("2026-08-02T00:00:00Z")),
@@ -121,14 +124,15 @@ test("mergeEpisodes dedupes on id collision and keeps the fetched copy", () => {
 	const fetched = [
 		makeEpisode("a", "New Title", new Date("2026-08-01T00:00:00Z")),
 	];
+	const keepAll = () => true;
 
-	const merged = mergeEpisodes(existing, fetched, 10);
+	const merged = mergeEpisodesBounded(existing, fetched, keepAll);
 
 	expect(merged).toHaveLength(2);
 	expect(merged.find((e) => e.id === "a")!.title).toBe("New Title");
 });
 
-test("mergeEpisodes unions disjoint lists sorted newest-first", () => {
+test("mergeEpisodesBounded unions disjoint lists sorted newest-first", () => {
 	const existing = [
 		makeEpisode("old", "Old", new Date("2026-08-01T00:00:00Z")),
 	];
@@ -136,13 +140,14 @@ test("mergeEpisodes unions disjoint lists sorted newest-first", () => {
 		makeEpisode("newest", "Newest", new Date("2026-08-03T00:00:00Z")),
 		makeEpisode("mid", "Mid", new Date("2026-08-02T00:00:00Z")),
 	];
+	const keepAll = () => true;
 
-	const merged = mergeEpisodes(existing, fetched, 10);
+	const merged = mergeEpisodesBounded(existing, fetched, keepAll);
 
 	expect(merged.map((e) => e.id)).toEqual(["newest", "mid", "old"]);
 });
 
-test("mergeEpisodes drops the oldest episodes past the cap", () => {
+test("mergeEpisodesBounded with count keep drops oldest beyond the count", () => {
 	const existing = [
 		makeEpisode("day1", "Day 1", new Date("2026-08-01T00:00:00Z")),
 	];
@@ -150,13 +155,32 @@ test("mergeEpisodes drops the oldest episodes past the cap", () => {
 		makeEpisode("day3", "Day 3", new Date("2026-08-03T00:00:00Z")),
 		makeEpisode("day2", "Day 2", new Date("2026-08-02T00:00:00Z")),
 	];
+	const keepCount2 = (_ep: Episode, i: number) => i < 2;
 
-	const merged = mergeEpisodes(existing, fetched, 2);
+	const merged = mergeEpisodesBounded(existing, fetched, keepCount2);
 
 	expect(merged.map((e) => e.id)).toEqual(["day3", "day2"]);
 });
 
-test("mergeEpisodes never mutates its inputs", () => {
+test("mergeEpisodesBounded with date keep drops out-of-window and keeps undated", () => {
+	const existing = [
+		makeEpisode("fresh", "Fresh", new Date("2026-08-09T00:00:00Z")),
+		makeEpisode("stale", "Stale", new Date("2026-06-01T00:00:00Z")),
+		makeEpisode("undated", "Undated", new Date(NaN)),
+	];
+	const fetched = [
+		makeEpisode("newStale", "New Stale", new Date("2026-05-01T00:00:00Z")),
+		makeEpisode("newFresh", "New Fresh", new Date("2026-08-08T00:00:00Z")),
+	];
+	// 30-day window from NOW (2026-08-10)
+	const keepDate = (ep: Episode) => episodeInWindow(ep, NOW, 30);
+
+	const merged = mergeEpisodesBounded(existing, fetched, keepDate);
+
+	expect(merged.map((e) => e.id)).toEqual(["undated", "fresh", "newFresh"]);
+});
+
+test("mergeEpisodesBounded never mutates its inputs", () => {
 	const existing = [
 		makeEpisode("a", "A", new Date("2026-08-01T00:00:00Z")),
 		makeEpisode("b", "B", new Date("2026-08-02T00:00:00Z")),
@@ -167,18 +191,15 @@ test("mergeEpisodes never mutates its inputs", () => {
 	];
 	const existingIds = existing.map((e) => e.id);
 	const existingTitles = existing.map((e) => e.title);
-	const fetchedIds = fetched.map((e) => e.id);
-	const fetchedTitles = fetched.map((e) => e.title);
+	const keepAll = () => true;
 
-	mergeEpisodes(existing, fetched, 10);
+	mergeEpisodesBounded(existing, fetched, keepAll);
 
 	expect(existing.map((e) => e.id)).toEqual(existingIds);
 	expect(existing.map((e) => e.title)).toEqual(existingTitles);
-	expect(fetched.map((e) => e.id)).toEqual(fetchedIds);
-	expect(fetched.map((e) => e.title)).toEqual(fetchedTitles);
 });
 
-// ── store integration ────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+// ── store integration (default date mode, 60-day window) ─────────────────
 
 test("refresh merges new episodes without removing the volatile window", async () => {
 	const store = useFeedStore();
@@ -195,8 +216,6 @@ test("refresh merges new episodes without removing the volatile window", async (
 	expect(store.getFeed(id)!.episodes.length).toBe(3);
 	const beforeUpdated = store.getFeed(id)!.lastUpdated.getTime();
 
-	// The feed now serves the same 3 episodes plus 2 newer ones (new ids at
-	// item indices 3 and 4).
 	servedEpisodes = [
 		{ title: "Ep 3", date: "2026-08-03T00:00:00Z" },
 		{ title: "Ep 2", date: "2026-08-02T00:00:00Z" },
@@ -221,32 +240,92 @@ test("refresh merges new episodes without removing the volatile window", async (
 	expect(afterSecond.lastUpdated.getTime()).toBe(afterFirst.lastUpdated.getTime());
 });
 
-test("cached episodes are capped at MAX_EPISODES_IN_MEMORY", async () => {
+test("date mode: episodes outside the 60-day window never enter the list", async () => {
 	const store = useFeedStore();
+	const now = Date.now();
+	// 600 episodes at 2h spacing span ~50 days — all inside the 60-day default
+	// window, so all 600 are cached and loadable (no count ceiling).
 	servedEpisodes = Array.from({ length: 600 }, (_, i) => ({
 		title: `Ep ${600 - i}`,
-		date: new Date(Date.UTC(2026, 0, 1 + i)).toISOString(),
+		date: new Date(now - i * 2 * HOUR).toISOString(),
 	}));
-	const feedUrl = `http://127.0.0.1:${server!.port}/huge.xml`;
+	const feedUrl = `http://127.0.0.1:${server!.port}/date-all.xml`;
 	const feed = await store.addFeed(makePodcast(feedUrl), "test-source");
 	expect(feed).not.toBeNull();
 	const id = feed!.id;
 	addedFeedIds.push(id);
 
-	// Subscribe window (MAX_EPISODES_SUBSCRIBE = 20) with 480 more cached.
+	// Subscribe window (20) with more cached.
 	expect(store.getFeed(id)!.episodes.length).toBe(20);
 
-	// Load in MAX_EPISODES_REFRESH chunks until the cache is exhausted.
-	let maxLoaded = 0;
+	// Load everything — the cache holds all 600 (date mode keeps them all).
 	let iterations = 0;
 	while (store.hasMoreEpisodes(id) && iterations < 20) {
 		await store.loadMoreEpisodes(id);
-		maxLoaded = Math.max(maxLoaded, store.getFeed(id)!.episodes.length);
 		iterations++;
 	}
-
-	expect(iterations).toBeLessThan(20);
 	expect(store.hasMoreEpisodes(id)).toBe(false);
-	expect(store.getFeed(id)!.episodes.length).toBe(MAX_EPISODES_IN_MEMORY);
-	expect(maxLoaded).toBeLessThanOrEqual(MAX_EPISODES_IN_MEMORY);
+	expect(store.getFeed(id)!.episodes.length).toBe(600);
+});
+
+test("date mode boundary: 25 days in, 70 days out", async () => {
+	const store = useFeedStore();
+	const now = Date.now();
+	servedEpisodes = [
+		{ title: "In Window", date: new Date(now - 25 * DAY).toISOString() },
+		{ title: "Out Window", date: new Date(now - 70 * DAY).toISOString() },
+	];
+	const feedUrl = `http://127.0.0.1:${server!.port}/date-boundary.xml`;
+	const feed = await store.addFeed(makePodcast(feedUrl), "test-source");
+	expect(feed).not.toBeNull();
+	const id = feed!.id;
+	addedFeedIds.push(id);
+
+	expect(store.getFeed(id)!.episodes.map((e) => e.title)).toEqual([
+		"In Window",
+	]);
+	// The full cache holds both, but the visible list only shows the in-window
+	// one — fetch-more surfaces the out-of-window one (volatile).
+	expect(store.hasMoreEpisodes(id)).toBe(true);
+	await store.loadMoreEpisodes(id);
+	expect(store.getFeed(id)!.episodes.map((e) => e.title)).toEqual([
+		"In Window",
+		"Out Window",
+	]);
+});
+
+// ── count mode ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+test("count mode: only N most-recent episodes are visible, but fetch-more goes beyond", async () => {
+	const store = useFeedStore();
+	const app = useAppStore();
+	app.updatePreferences({ episodeCacheMode: "count", episodeCacheCount: 25 });
+
+	const now = Date.now();
+	// 50 episodes at 1h spacing — all recent, but count mode caps at 25.
+	servedEpisodes = Array.from({ length: 50 }, (_, i) => ({
+		title: `Ep ${50 - i}`,
+		date: new Date(now - i * HOUR).toISOString(),
+	}));
+	const feedUrl = `http://127.0.0.1:${server!.port}/count.xml`;
+	const feed = await store.addFeed(makePodcast(feedUrl), "test-source");
+	expect(feed).not.toBeNull();
+	const id = feed!.id;
+	addedFeedIds.push(id);
+
+	// Subscribe window (20), but the cache holds all 50 — count mode only
+	// bounds the visible list (25), but the full parse cache is unbounded.
+	// The subscribe window returns min(20, 25) = 20.
+	expect(store.getFeed(id)!.episodes.length).toBe(20);
+	expect(store.hasMoreEpisodes(id)).toBe(true);
+
+	// Fetch more: the visible list grows beyond the count bound — these
+	// episodes are volatile (held in feed.episodes, not extending the cache).
+	while (store.hasMoreEpisodes(id)) {
+		await store.loadMoreEpisodes(id);
+	}
+	expect(store.getFeed(id)!.episodes.length).toBe(50);
+
+	// Reset to date mode for subsequent tests.
+	app.updatePreferences({ episodeCacheMode: "date" });
 });