diff --git a/.cursor/mcp.json b/.cursor/mcp.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2025e50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.cursor/mcp.json
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+  "_comment": "Echodo's own MCP server. Spawned per Cursor session over stdio. The 'mcp' script in apps/mcp-server/package.json invokes tsx with --env-file=../../.env so DATABASE_URL is read from the repo's .env without leaking it into this committed file. The -s/--silent flag on pnpm suppresses its progress output that would otherwise corrupt the MCP stdio protocol. If you fork the repo, copy .env.example → .env and fill in DATABASE_URL.",
+  "mcpServers": {
+    "echodo": {
+      "command": "pnpm",
+      "args": ["-s", "--filter", "@tasks/mcp-server", "mcp"]
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/apps/mcp-server/package.json b/apps/mcp-server/package.json
index 471a032..042e11c 100644
--- a/apps/mcp-server/package.json
+++ b/apps/mcp-server/package.json
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
     "dev": "tsx watch src/index.ts",
+    "mcp": "tsx --env-file=../../.env src/index.ts",
     "build": "tsup",
     "start": "node dist/index.js",
     "type-check": "tsc --noEmit"
diff --git a/packages/database/package.json b/packages/database/package.json
index 4a24a5a..2ad297f 100644
--- a/packages/database/package.json
+++ b/packages/database/package.json
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@
     "type-check": "tsc --noEmit",
     "test": "vitest run",
     "test:watch": "vitest",
-    "watch:markdown-backlog": "tsx src/scripts/watch-markdown-backlog.ts"
+    "watch:markdown-backlog": "tsx src/scripts/watch-markdown-backlog.ts",
+    "import:markdown-backlog": "tsx src/scripts/import-markdown-backlog.ts"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "drizzle-orm": "^0.38.0",
diff --git a/packages/database/src/scripts/import-markdown-backlog.ts b/packages/database/src/scripts/import-markdown-backlog.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..914d67d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/database/src/scripts/import-markdown-backlog.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+/**
+ * One-shot markdown backlog import.
+ *
+ * Sibling of `watch-markdown-backlog.ts` but runs ONE sweep and exits. Use
+ * this when you want to bootstrap or refresh the DB from `plans/**` without
+ * leaving a long-running file watcher in place — particularly important
+ * during agent sessions, because the watcher's upsert overwrites
+ * `markdown_backlog_items.status` from frontmatter on every sweep and would
+ * clobber `claim_task` / `complete_task` state.
+ *
+ * Until the DB → markdown export side ships (see follow-up task), the
+ * convention is:
+ *   - Edit `.md` files to author / refine intent.
+ *   - Run this script when you want the changes in the DB.
+ *   - Let agents drive runtime status via MCP tools BETWEEN syncs.
+ *
+ * Env:
+ *   - DATABASE_URL (required)
+ *   - MARKDOWN_BACKLOG_WORKSPACE_ID — UUID of the target workspace (required)
+ *   - MARKDOWN_BACKLOG_REPO_ROOT — absolute path to repo root (default: cwd)
+ */
+import { resolve } from "node:path";
+
+import { db } from "../client";
+import { syncMarkdownBacklogScan } from "../markdown-backlog/sync";
+
+const workspaceId = process.env.MARKDOWN_BACKLOG_WORKSPACE_ID?.trim();
+const repoRootAbs = resolve(
+  process.env.MARKDOWN_BACKLOG_REPO_ROOT?.trim() || process.cwd(),
+);
+
+if (!workspaceId) {
+  console.error(
+    "[import-markdown-backlog] Set MARKDOWN_BACKLOG_WORKSPACE_ID to your workspace UUID.",
+  );
+  process.exit(1);
+}
+
+void (async () => {
+  try {
+    const result = await syncMarkdownBacklogScan(db, {
+      workspaceId,
+      repoRootAbs,
+    });
+    console.log(
+      `[import-markdown-backlog] done — scanned ${result.scannedFiles} files, upserted ${result.upsertedRows} rows, deleted ${result.deletedRows} stale rows. Repo root: ${repoRootAbs}`,
+    );
+    process.exit(0);
+  } catch (e) {
+    console.error("[import-markdown-backlog] sync failed:", e);
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+})();
diff --git a/plans/Plan-agent-coordination/Epic-task-as-runnable-unit/Task-export-db-to-markdown-frontmatter.md b/plans/Plan-agent-coordination/Epic-task-as-runnable-unit/Task-export-db-to-markdown-frontmatter.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7b72098
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plans/Plan-agent-coordination/Epic-task-as-runnable-unit/Task-export-db-to-markdown-frontmatter.md
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+---
+kind: task
+slug: export-db-to-markdown-frontmatter
+title: Export DB state back to markdown frontmatter (close the sync loop)
+plan_slug: agent-coordination
+epic_slug: task-as-runnable-unit
+status: ready
+priority: P1
+tenant_id: global
+owner: unassigned
+cursor_todo_id: null
+updated_at: "2026-06-03"
+# agent_prompt: |
+#   Treat this task as a correctness-critical change to the sync layer. The
+#   importer writes one direction (md → DB); after this task the system MUST
+#   also write the other direction (DB → md frontmatter) so MCP-driven status
+#   transitions survive the next importer pass. Be careful with diff noise,
+#   trailing newlines, and YAML key ordering — the markdown files are
+#   human-authored.
+---
+
+# Task summary
+
+The markdown importer at `packages/database/src/markdown-backlog/sync.ts` is one-way: it reads `plans/**/*.md` and upserts into `markdown_backlog_items`. There is no path back from the DB to the markdown frontmatter. As soon as an agent calls `complete_task` (status → `done`), running the importer would clobber that transition back to whatever the markdown still says.
+
+For now we paper over this by running the importer once at bootstrap and ad-hoc thereafter (`pnpm --filter @tasks/database import:markdown-backlog`). That's tolerable for a single-operator dogfood loop, but it doesn't scale and it's a correctness bug: any change made through the app — status flips, prompt edits, new tasks created in the UI — is at risk of being silently reverted.
+
+This task closes that loop by adding a DB → markdown export.
+
+## Description
+
+### Scope
+
+Implement `exportBacklogItemToMarkdown(db, { workspaceId, backlogItemId })` that:
+
+1. Loads the `markdown_backlog_items` row.
+2. Locates the corresponding `.md` file on disk using `repo_relative_path`.
+3. Reads the existing file (must preserve the body verbatim).
+4. Rewrites the YAML frontmatter so the canonical fields match the DB row:
+   - `status`
+   - `priority`
+   - `title` (only when changed; titles are usually human-authored)
+   - `updated_at` (bumped to today on any rewrite)
+   - `workflow_prompt` → frontmatter `agent_prompt:` (omit if null; serialize as a block scalar `|` if multi-line)
+5. Preserves every other frontmatter key untouched, in the original order.
+6. Writes the file back atomically (write to tmp, rename) to avoid half-written reads from any watcher.
+
+Wire it into:
+- `complete_task` (after the status transition commits): export the touched row.
+- `claim_task`: optional — probably yes when status flipped to `in_progress`.
+- `backlog.updateWorkflowPrompt` tRPC mutation (`apps/web/server/routers/backlog.ts`).
+- Maybe `workspaces.archive` cascade for backlog items (lower priority — archive is a UI-driven verb and the markdown may not need to reflect it).
+
+Out of scope:
+- Creating brand-new `.md` files from DB rows (we never UI-create backlog items today; punt to a separate task).
+- Two-way conflict resolution. If someone edits both the file and the DB row between importer runs we just take the DB. Document this clearly in `config/CursorSync.md`.
+
+### Implementation notes
+
+- Use a small, well-tested YAML rewriter, not a regex. The `yaml` package (already a dep of `@tasks/database`) supports preserving comments and key order via `Document` parsing. Use `Document.parse(source)`, mutate scalar values in place, and `String(doc)` to serialize.
+- File I/O lives in `packages/database/src/markdown-backlog/export.ts`. Keep this module free of tRPC / Next imports so the MCP server can call it directly.
+- Add Vitest cases covering:
+  - Round-trip: read → no change → write produces identical bytes.
+  - Status update: `ready` → `done` only mutates `status` and `updated_at`.
+  - Setting `agent_prompt: null` removes the key (does not write `agent_prompt: null`).
+  - Block-scalar serialization for multi-line prompts.
+  - Preserves trailing newline and body separator (`---\n\n` vs `---\n`).
+- Behind a workspace-level setting `markdown_export_enabled` (default `true`). Some operators may not want the app rewriting their `plans/` tree; let them opt out.
+
+### Acceptance
+
+1. After calling `complete_task` with `finalStatus: done`, the corresponding `.md` file's frontmatter status reads `done` on disk.
+2. Running `pnpm --filter @tasks/database import:markdown-backlog` immediately after produces zero new upserts (the file already matches the DB).
+3. Vitest coverage of the export helper.
+4. `config/CursorSync.md` is updated to describe the new two-way contract and the conflict policy (DB wins on conflict between importer runs).
+5. No diff noise: re-exporting an unchanged row leaves the file byte-identical.
+
+### Risks
+
+- YAML formatting is finicky; agents may produce huge accidental diffs the first time this runs. Mitigate with the round-trip test and an `--dry-run` flag on the export helper for first verification.
+- Concurrent writes: an operator editing the `.md` in their editor at the moment of export could lose changes. The atomic write helps but doesn't fully solve it. Document the contract: while agents are running, treat the `.md` files as derived state.