diff --git a/packages/memory-service/src/episodic/index.js b/packages/memory-service/src/episodic/index.js
index 64c03cd..187413c 100644
--- a/packages/memory-service/src/episodic/index.js
+++ b/packages/memory-service/src/episodic/index.js
@@ -266,6 +266,19 @@ function deleteEpisode(id) {
   db.prepare(`DELETE FROM episodes WHERE id = ?`).run(id);
 }
 
+function touchEpisodes(ids) {
+  if (!ids.length) return;
+
+  const db = getDB();   // <-- missing in your version
+  const placeholders = ids.map(() => '?').join(',');
+  db.prepare(`
+    UPDATE episodes
+    SET access_count = access_count + 1,
+        last_accessed_at = ?
+    WHERE id IN (${placeholders})
+    `).run(Date.now(), ...ids);
+}
+
 /******** Embedding Helper ********/
 async function getEpisodeEmbedding(userMessage, aiResponse){
   const url = getEnv('EMBEDDING_SERVICE_URL', SERVICES.EMBEDDING_URL);
@@ -315,6 +328,7 @@ module.exports = {
   getEpisodesSince,
   searchEpisodes,
   deleteEpisode,
+  touchEpisodes,
   getEpisodesByProject,
   buildFtsQuery,
 };
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/memory-service/src/index.js b/packages/memory-service/src/index.js
index fc7263a..af2e644 100644
--- a/packages/memory-service/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/memory-service/src/index.js
@@ -139,6 +139,13 @@ app.get('/episodes/search', (req, res) => {
   res.json(episodic.searchEpisodes(q, Number(limit), parsedSessionIds));
 });
 
+app.post('/episodes/touch', (req, res) => {
+  const { ids } = req.body;
+  if(!Array.isArray(ids)) return res.status(400).json({error: 'ids must be an array'});
+  episodic.touchEpisodes(ids);
+  res.json({touched: ids.length});
+})
+
 app.get('/episodes/:id', (req, res) => {
   const episode = episodic.getEpisode(req.params.id);
   if (!episode) return res.status(404).json({ error: 'Episode not found' });
diff --git a/packages/orchestration-service/src/chat/index.js b/packages/orchestration-service/src/chat/index.js
index c655bc7..ada8be2 100644
--- a/packages/orchestration-service/src/chat/index.js
+++ b/packages/orchestration-service/src/chat/index.js
@@ -331,6 +331,9 @@ async function assembleContext(externalId, userMessage) {
     const scoredPool = buildScoredPool(fusedWithScores, recentEpisodes, entityBoostedIds, { entityWeight });
     const { guaranteed, selected } = selectWithinBudget(scoredPool, contextBudget, minRecentEpisodes, recentEpisodes);
 
+    const selectedIds = selected.map(ep => ep.id);
+    memory.touchEpisodes(selectedIds);
+
     // 7. Graph neighborhood expansion
     let neighborhood = { nodes: [], edges: [] };
     if (entityIds.length > 0) {
diff --git a/packages/orchestration-service/src/services/memory.js b/packages/orchestration-service/src/services/memory.js
index 4045605..a87bba5 100644
--- a/packages/orchestration-service/src/services/memory.js
+++ b/packages/orchestration-service/src/services/memory.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-const { getEnv, SERVICES, EPISODIC } = require('@nexusai/shared');
+const { getEnv, SERVICES, EPISODIC, logger } = require('@nexusai/shared');
 
 const BASE_URL = getEnv('MEMORY_SERVICE_URL', SERVICES.MEMORY_URL);
 
@@ -223,6 +223,16 @@ async function getEntityIdsBySession(sessionId){
     return entityIds;
 }
 
+// orchestration-service/src/services/memory.js
+async function touchEpisodes(ids) {
+    if (!ids.length) return;
+    fetch(`${BASE_URL}/episodes/touch`, {
+        method: 'POST',
+        headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
+        body: JSON.stringify({ ids }),
+    }).catch(err => logger.warn(`[memory] touch failed: ${err.message}`));
+}
+
 module.exports = {
     getSessionByExternalId,
     createSession,
@@ -250,4 +260,5 @@ module.exports = {
     searchEpisodes,
     getEpisodesByEntities,
     getEntityIdsBySession,
+    touchEpisodes,
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/migrations.test.js b/test/migrations.test.js
index 4220584..e537982 100644
--- a/test/migrations.test.js
+++ b/test/migrations.test.js
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ test('a fresh DB (user_version 0) is stamped to LATEST_VERSION', () => {
 test('an already-current DB is a no-op (no version writes)', () => {
   const db = fakeDb(LATEST_VERSION);
   const stubs = Array.from({ length: LATEST_VERSION }, () => () => {});
-  const result = migrate(stubs);
+  const result = migrate(db, stubs);   // fixed: db is now the first arg
   assert.strictEqual(result, LATEST_VERSION);
   assert.deepStrictEqual(db.setCalls, [], 'should not touch user_version when current');
 });