diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 6c64732..419c1c5 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -2075,6 +2075,15 @@ Rules:
   and enables them. Logs: `journalctl --user -u skatespots-archive`.
 - Commits touching only `scripts/`, `*.md`, `cvm-server/`, `skills/`, `.agents/`
   are **skipped by the deploy timer** → no Netlify credits spent.
+- **Dependency updates + vulnerability scan (2026-10-12):** `scripts/update-deps.sh`
+  runs `npm outdated` + `npm audit` (dated report in `~/.local/state/skatespots-deps/`),
+  applies **non-breaking** updates only (`npm update` + `npm audit fix`, never
+  `--force`), then gates on `npm test` + `smoke-test.mjs`: **green → commit + push**
+  (the deploy timer ships it); **red → restores the previous lockfile**. Self-gates
+  to one real run per **20 days** (`DEPS_INTERVAL_DAYS`), skips on a dirty tree, and
+  bounds the push (`timeout 180`) since the git remote signs via the remote signer.
+  Timer: `scripts/install-deps-timer.sh` → `skatespots-deps.timer` (daily tick).
+  Flags: `--scan-only`, `--no-push`, `--force`. Logs: `journalctl --user -u skatespots-deps`.
 
 ### Community relay — self-hosted Newlay (2026-10-12)
 
diff --git a/scripts/install-deps-timer.sh b/scripts/install-deps-timer.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..4437d54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/install-deps-timer.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# Install the dependency-update + vulnerability-scan systemd user timer.
+#   scripts/install-deps-timer.sh
+set -euo pipefail
+
+SRC="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/systemd" && pwd)"
+DEST="$HOME/.config/systemd/user"
+mkdir -p "$DEST"
+
+cp "$SRC/skatespots-deps.service" "$DEST/"
+cp "$SRC/skatespots-deps.timer" "$DEST/"
+
+systemctl --user daemon-reload
+systemctl --user enable --now skatespots-deps.timer
+systemctl --user list-timers skatespots-deps.timer --no-pager
diff --git a/scripts/systemd/skatespots-deps.service b/scripts/systemd/skatespots-deps.service
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..88c7513
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/systemd/skatespots-deps.service
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=SkateSpots scheduled dependency update + vulnerability scan
+
+[Service]
+Type=oneshot
+ExecStart=%h/SkateSpots/scripts/update-deps.sh
diff --git a/scripts/systemd/skatespots-deps.timer b/scripts/systemd/skatespots-deps.timer
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7b1e37d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/systemd/skatespots-deps.timer
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Daily tick for the SkateSpots dependency job (self-gated to ~20 days)
+
+[Timer]
+OnCalendar=daily
+Persistent=true
+RandomizedDelaySec=30min
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=timers.target
diff --git a/scripts/update-deps.sh b/scripts/update-deps.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..2948a76
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/update-deps.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# Scheduled dependency update + vulnerability scan (every ~20 days).
+#
+# Driven by the systemd user timer `skatespots-deps.timer` (a daily tick; this
+# script self-gates to one real run per INTERVAL_DAYS). What it does:
+#   1. bails if the working tree is dirty (never mixes with your own changes);
+#   2. scans `npm outdated` + `npm audit` into a dated report;
+#   3. applies NON-breaking updates (`npm update` + `npm audit fix` — never --force);
+#   4. runs the full test suite (`npm test`) AND the boot smoke test;
+#   5. on success commits + pushes the lockfile/package.json (the deploy timer then
+#      ships it); on failure it RESTORES the previous lockfile and reports.
+#
+# Flags:
+#   --scan-only   report only (no apply, no commit)
+#   --no-push     apply + test + commit locally, but don't push
+#   --force       ignore the interval gate
+#
+# Env: DEPS_INTERVAL_DAYS (default 20), DEPS_STATE_DIR (default ~/.local/state/skatespots-deps)
+set -uo pipefail
+
+REPO="/home/sovereignsk8/SkateSpots"
+export PATH="/home/sovereignsk8/.nvm/versions/node/v22.23.1/bin:$PATH"
+cd "$REPO"
+
+INTERVAL_DAYS="${DEPS_INTERVAL_DAYS:-20}"
+STATE_DIR="${DEPS_STATE_DIR:-$HOME/.local/state/skatespots-deps}"
+mkdir -p "$STATE_DIR"
+LAST="$STATE_DIR/last-run"
+REPORT="$STATE_DIR/report-$(LC_ALL=C date +%F).txt"
+
+SCAN_ONLY=0; NO_PUSH=0; FORCE=0
+for a in "$@"; do
+  case "$a" in
+    --scan-only) SCAN_ONLY=1 ;;
+    --no-push) NO_PUSH=1 ;;
+    --force) FORCE=1 ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+log() { echo "[$(date -Is)] $*"; }
+notify() {
+  command -v notify-send >/dev/null 2>&1 && notify-send -a SkateSpots "Dependency job" "$1" 2>/dev/null || true
+}
+finish_timer() { date +%s > "$LAST"; }
+
+# ── interval gate ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+if [ "$FORCE" -eq 0 ] && [ "$SCAN_ONLY" -eq 0 ] && [ -f "$LAST" ]; then
+  last=$(cat "$LAST" 2>/dev/null || echo 0)
+  now=$(date +%s)
+  elapsed=$(( now - last ))
+  if [ "$elapsed" -lt $(( INTERVAL_DAYS * 86400 )) ]; then
+    log "not due yet ($(( (INTERVAL_DAYS * 86400 - elapsed) / 86400 ))d left)"
+    exit 0
+  fi
+fi
+
+# ── scan ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+{
+  echo "=== SkateSpots dependency scan — $(date -Is) ==="
+  echo
+  echo "=== npm outdated ==="
+  npm outdated 2>&1 || true
+  echo
+  echo "=== npm audit ==="
+  npm audit 2>&1 || true
+} | tee "$REPORT"
+
+if [ "$SCAN_ONLY" -eq 1 ]; then
+  log "scan-only; report: $REPORT"
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+# ── never mix with the user's uncommitted work ──────────────────────────────
+if [ -n "$(git status --porcelain)" ]; then
+  log "working tree is dirty — skipping (commit or stash first)"
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+cp package.json "$STATE_DIR/package.json.bak" 2>/dev/null || true
+cp package-lock.json "$STATE_DIR/package-lock.json.bak" 2>/dev/null || true
+
+# ── apply non-breaking updates ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+log "applying non-breaking updates (npm update + npm audit fix)…"
+npm update 2>&1 | tail -3
+npm audit fix 2>&1 | tail -3
+{
+  echo; echo "=== post-update npm audit ==="; npm audit 2>&1 || true
+} | tee -a "$REPORT"
+
+# ── gate: full tests + boot smoke ───────────────────────────────────────────
+log "running tests + smoke…"
+if npm test >"$STATE_DIR/test.log" 2>&1 && node scripts/smoke-test.mjs >"$STATE_DIR/smoke.log" 2>&1; then
+  if [ -n "$(git status --porcelain package.json package-lock.json)" ]; then
+    git add package.json package-lock.json
+    git commit -m "chore(deps): scheduled dependency update + audit ($(LC_ALL=C date +%F))" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+    if [ "$NO_PUSH" -eq 0 ]; then
+      # Bound the push: the git remote signs via the remote signer and can stall.
+      if timeout 180 git push origin main >"$STATE_DIR/push.log" 2>&1; then
+        log "pushed dependency update"
+        notify "Dependency update applied, tests pass, pushed."
+      else
+        log "push failed/skipped (see $STATE_DIR/push.log)"
+        notify "Dependency update committed locally but the push failed."
+      fi
+    else
+      log "committed locally (--no-push)"
+      notify "Dependency update applied and committed locally."
+    fi
+  else
+    log "no dependency changes to commit"
+    notify "Dependency scan complete: nothing to update."
+  fi
+  finish_timer
+  log "done"
+else
+  log "tests FAILED — restoring the previous lockfile"
+  cp "$STATE_DIR/package.json.bak" package.json 2>/dev/null || true
+  cp "$STATE_DIR/package-lock.json.bak" package-lock.json 2>/dev/null || true
+  npm i --silent >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+  notify "Dependency update REVERTED — tests failed (see $STATE_DIR/test.log)."
+  finish_timer
+  exit 1
+fi