diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 0f10d54..2015b4d 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ COPY --from=build /app/agent/.venv /opt/voice-agent/.venv
 COPY agent/agent.py /opt/voice-agent/agent.py
 COPY agent/web_mcp.py /opt/voice-agent/web_mcp.py
 COPY agent/weather_mcp.py /opt/voice-agent/weather_mcp.py
+COPY agent/memory_mcp.py /opt/voice-agent/memory_mcp.py
 
 # Copy web frontend + token endpoint
 COPY web/index.html /var/www/voice/
diff --git a/agent/agent.py b/agent/agent.py
index 5850e3c..0d97f14 100644
--- a/agent/agent.py
+++ b/agent/agent.py
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ GEMMA_MODEL = os.environ.get("GEMMA_MODEL", "gemma-4-e4b")
 GEMMA_API_KEY = os.environ.get("GEMMA_API_KEY", "not-needed")
 WEB_MCP_ENABLED = os.environ.get("WEB_MCP_ENABLED", "true").lower() in ("1", "true", "yes")
 FIRECRAWL_BASE = os.environ.get("FIRECRAWL_BASE", "http://192.168.86.2:3002")
+MEMORY_DIR = os.environ.get("MEMORY_DIR", "/memory")
 
 SYSTEM_PROMPT = textwrap.dedent("""\
     You are Hope, a warm, conversational voice assistant. You are talking TO
@@ -76,6 +77,20 @@ SYSTEM_PROMPT = textwrap.dedent("""\
     short summary — relay it naturally in your own words.
     Use get_time when the user asks what time or day it is. If they mention
     a city, pass it as the location argument.
+
+    # Memory
+    You have persistent memory across conversations, stored as notes you can
+    search and add to.
+    - Use memory_recall at the start of a conversation, or whenever the user
+      references past information ("what did I tell you about...", "remember
+      when..."). Weave what you find in naturally.
+    - Use memory_save when the user shares personal information, preferences,
+      or important facts worth remembering: names, birthdays, preferences,
+      projects, anything they'd expect you to know later. Pick a short topic
+      name for each thing you save.
+    - Be natural about it. Never announce "I'm saving that to memory" — just
+      remember it and move on. If a recall comes up empty, don't mention the
+      search; just answer as if you'd never heard it before.
 """)
 
 
@@ -200,6 +215,20 @@ def build_mcp_toolsets() -> list[mcp.MCPToolset]:
     )
     logger.info("Weather MCP toolset enabled (wttr.in)")
 
+    memory_mcp_script = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)), "memory_mcp.py")
+    toolsets.append(
+        mcp.MCPToolset(
+            id="memory",
+            mcp_server=mcp.MCPServerStdio(
+                command=python_bin,
+                args=[memory_mcp_script],
+                env={**os.environ, "MEMORY_DIR": "/memory"},
+                client_session_timeout_seconds=30,
+            ),
+        )
+    )
+    logger.info("Memory MCP toolset enabled (%s)", MEMORY_DIR)
+
     extra = os.environ.get("EXTRA_MCP_SERVERS", "")
     if extra:
         try:
diff --git a/agent/memory_mcp.py b/agent/memory_mcp.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9b84f2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/agent/memory_mcp.py
@@ -0,0 +1,163 @@
+"""Memory MCP server — persistent markdown-based memory for Hope.
+
+Runs over stdio inside the voice container. The agent attaches it via
+MCPServerStdio, so the LLM can recall and save memories during a
+conversation. Memories live as plain markdown files in MEMORY_DIR
+(default /memory), one file per topic, mounted from the host so they
+survive rebuilds and are backed up via git.
+
+Tools:
+  - memory_recall(query)  -> relevant passages from all .md files
+  - memory_save(topic, content) -> append a timestamped note to {topic}.md
+  - memory_list()         -> topics with their first line
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import os
+import re
+from datetime import datetime, timezone
+
+from mcp.server.fastmcp import FastMCP
+
+MEMORY_DIR = os.environ.get("MEMORY_DIR", "/memory")
+
+mcp = FastMCP("memory")
+
+
+def _slugify(topic: str) -> str:
+    """Turn a topic into a safe filename slug."""
+    slug = re.sub(r"[^a-z0-9]+", "-", topic.lower()).strip("-")
+    return slug or "misc"
+
+
+def _read_files() -> list[tuple[str, str]]:
+    """Return (filename, content) for every .md file in MEMORY_DIR."""
+    files: list[tuple[str, str]] = []
+    if not os.path.isdir(MEMORY_DIR):
+        return files
+    for name in sorted(os.listdir(MEMORY_DIR)):
+        if not name.endswith(".md"):
+            continue
+        path = os.path.join(MEMORY_DIR, name)
+        try:
+            with open(path, encoding="utf-8") as f:
+                files.append((name, f.read()))
+        except OSError:
+            continue
+    return files
+
+
+def _first_line(content: str) -> str:
+    for line in content.splitlines():
+        if line.strip():
+            return line.strip()
+    return "(empty)"
+
+
+@mcp.tool()
+def memory_recall(query: str) -> str:
+    """Search saved memories for information relevant to a query.
+
+    Use this at the start of a conversation, or whenever the user
+    references past information ("what did I tell you about...",
+    "remember when..."). Returns matching passages with their topic
+    names, or a message saying nothing was found.
+    """
+    q = (query or "").strip().lower()
+    if not q:
+        return "I don't have any memory of that."
+
+    words = [w for w in re.split(r"\W+", q) if len(w) > 2]
+    files = _read_files()
+    if not files:
+        return "I don't have any memory of that."
+
+    # Strip markdown heading markers and timestamp lines so snippets are clean prose.
+    def _clean(text: str) -> str:
+        text = text.replace("\n", " ")
+        text = re.sub(r"#+\s*", "", text)
+        text = re.sub(r"\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2} \d{2}:\d{2} UTC\s*", "", text)
+        return re.sub(r"\s{2,}", " ", text).strip()
+
+    scored: list[tuple[int, str, list[str]]] = []
+    for name, content in files:
+        lower = content.lower()
+        score = 0
+        matches: list[str] = []
+        if q in lower:
+            score += len(q)
+        seen: set[int] = set()
+        for w in words:
+            start = 0
+            while True:
+                idx = lower.find(w, start)
+                if idx == -1:
+                    break
+                score += 1
+                key = idx // 200  # one snippet per ~200-char window
+                if key not in seen:
+                    seen.add(key)
+                    s = max(0, idx - 80)
+                    e = min(len(content), idx + len(w) + 120)
+                    snippet = _clean(content[s:e])
+                    if snippet and snippet not in matches:
+                        matches.append(snippet)
+                start = idx + len(w)
+        if score > 0:
+            scored.append((score, name, matches[:3]))
+
+    if not scored:
+        return "I don't have any memory of that."
+
+    scored.sort(key=lambda s: s[0], reverse=True)
+    parts = []
+    for _, name, snippets in scored[:5]:
+        topic = name.removesuffix(".md")
+        parts.append(f"[{topic}] " + " ".join(snippets))
+    return "\n".join(parts)
+
+
+@mcp.tool()
+def memory_save(topic: str, content: str) -> str:
+    """Save a fact or preference to persistent memory.
+
+    Use this when the user shares personal information worth keeping:
+    names, birthdays, preferences, projects, important facts. Creates
+    or appends to a markdown file named after the topic. Returns a
+    short confirmation.
+    """
+    topic = (topic or "").strip()
+    content = (content or "").strip()
+    if not topic or not content:
+        return "Nothing saved — both a topic and some content are needed."
+
+    os.makedirs(MEMORY_DIR, exist_ok=True)
+    path = os.path.join(MEMORY_DIR, f"{_slugify(topic)}.md")
+
+    is_new = not os.path.exists(path)
+    stamp = datetime.now(timezone.utc).strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M UTC")
+    with open(path, "a", encoding="utf-8") as f:
+        if is_new:
+            f.write(f"# {topic}\n\n")
+        f.write(f"## {stamp}\n\n{content}\n\n")
+
+    return f"Saved to memory under '{topic}'."
+
+
+@mcp.tool()
+def memory_list() -> str:
+    """List all saved memories with a brief description of each.
+
+    Returns the topic name and first line of every memory file, or a
+    message saying no memories exist yet.
+    """
+    files = _read_files()
+    if not files:
+        return "No memories saved yet."
+    lines = [f"{name.removesuffix('.md')}: {_first_line(content)}" for name, content in files]
+    return "\n".join(lines)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    mcp.run(transport="stdio")
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index d79cf26..730d7fb 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ services:
     volumes:
       - ./livekit.yaml:/etc/livekit.yaml:ro
       - ./certs:/etc/voice/certs
+      - ./memory:/memory
     healthcheck:
       test: ["CMD-SHELL", "curl -sk https://localhost:8090/ -o /dev/null && curl -s http://localhost:7880/ -o /dev/null"]
       interval: 15s
diff --git a/memory/.gitkeep b/memory/.gitkeep
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/memory/README.md b/memory/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c17366a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/memory/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# Hope's Memory
+
+Persistent memory for the voice assistant, stored as plain markdown files.
+This directory is bind-mounted into the container at `/memory`, so memories
+survive rebuilds and are backed up via git.
+
+## Format
+
+Each file is one topic, named after a slugified version of the topic
+(e.g. `user-preferences.md`, `birthday.md`). Content is freeform markdown
+notes. When Hope saves something, it appends a timestamped section:
+
+```markdown
+# User preferences
+
+## 2026-08-22 14:30 UTC
+
+Prefers to be called Shane. Works on the voice assistant project.
+
+## 2026-08-23 09:15 UTC
+
+Likes dark roast coffee, no sugar.
+```
+
+- `#` heading = the topic (written once when the file is created)
+- `## <timestamp>` headings = individual notes, appended over time
+- The MCP server (`agent/memory_mcp.py`) reads and appends these files;
+  you can also edit them by hand — Hope will pick up changes on next recall.