diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 899c0a1..2ddfa15 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -8,3 +8,7 @@ Cargo.lock.orig
 
 # Session retrospectives are local-only run telemetry, not a repo artifact.
 /docs/postmortems/
+
+# `aura sweep` persists run records to ./runs/runs.jsonl by default; that store
+# is local run telemetry, not a repo artifact.
+/runs/
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 9b57048..467448f 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
  "aura-core",
  "aura-engine",
+ "aura-registry",
  "aura-std",
 ]
 
diff --git a/crates/aura-cli/Cargo.toml b/crates/aura-cli/Cargo.toml
index a5e4aae..9f36287 100644
--- a/crates/aura-cli/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/aura-cli/Cargo.toml
@@ -12,4 +12,5 @@ path = "src/main.rs"
 [dependencies]
 aura-core = { path = "../aura-core" }
 aura-engine = { path = "../aura-engine" }
+aura-registry = { path = "../aura-registry" }
 aura-std = { path = "../aura-std" }
diff --git a/crates/aura-cli/src/main.rs b/crates/aura-cli/src/main.rs
index fc1f79f..5175e2a 100644
--- a/crates/aura-cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/aura-cli/src/main.rs
@@ -11,8 +11,9 @@ mod render;
 use aura_core::{Firing, Scalar, ScalarKind, Timestamp};
 use aura_engine::{
     f64_field, summarize, sweep, BlueprintNode, Composite, Edge, FlatGraph, GridSpace, Harness,
-    OutField, ParamAlias, Role, RunManifest, RunReport, SourceSpec, Target,
+    OutField, ParamAlias, Role, RunManifest, RunReport, SourceSpec, SweepFamily, Target,
 };
+use aura_registry::{rank_by, Registry};
 use aura_std::{Ema, Exposure, Recorder, SimBroker, Sma, Sub};
 use std::sync::mpsc::{self, Receiver};
 
@@ -222,7 +223,7 @@ fn scalar_as_param_f64(s: &Scalar) -> f64 {
 /// the same report. Each point builds a fresh blueprint (fresh sink channels),
 /// bootstraps it under the point vector, runs it, and folds the drained sinks to
 /// metrics — the per-point closure the engine `sweep` drives disjointly.
-fn sweep_report() -> String {
+fn sweep_family() -> SweepFamily {
     let space = sample_blueprint_with_sinks().0.param_space();
     let grid = GridSpace::new(
         &space,
@@ -233,7 +234,7 @@ fn sweep_report() -> String {
         ],
     )
     .expect("the built-in grid matches the sample param-space");
-    let family = sweep(&grid, |point| {
+    sweep(&grid, |point| {
         let (bp, rx_eq, rx_ex) = sample_blueprint_with_sinks();
         let mut h = bp
             .bootstrap_with_params(point.to_vec())
@@ -261,15 +262,72 @@ fn sweep_report() -> String {
             },
             metrics: summarize(&equity, &exposure),
         }
-    });
+    })
+}
+
+/// Render a sweep family as one `RunReport` JSON line per point. Test helper:
+/// production (`run_sweep`) renders *and* persists per point.
+#[cfg(test)]
+fn sweep_report() -> String {
     let mut out = String::new();
-    for pt in &family.points {
+    for pt in &sweep_family().points {
         out.push_str(&pt.report.to_json());
         out.push('\n');
     }
     out
 }
 
+/// The default run registry: an append-only JSONL store under the current
+/// working directory. (A project-configured runs-dir via `Aura.toml` is a later
+/// refinement.)
+fn default_registry() -> Registry {
+    Registry::open("runs/runs.jsonl")
+}
+
+/// `aura sweep`: run the built-in sweep, persist each point's `RunReport` to the
+/// registry (the run record, queryable over time — C18), and print each as one
+/// JSON line.
+fn run_sweep() {
+    let reg = default_registry();
+    for pt in &sweep_family().points {
+        if let Err(e) = reg.append(&pt.report) {
+            eprintln!("aura: {e}");
+            std::process::exit(2);
+        }
+        println!("{}", pt.report.to_json());
+    }
+}
+
+/// `aura runs list`: print every stored run record, in store (over-time) order.
+fn runs_list() {
+    for report in &load_runs_or_exit() {
+        println!("{}", report.to_json());
+    }
+}
+
+/// `aura runs rank <metric>`: print the stored runs best-first by `metric`.
+fn runs_rank(metric: &str) {
+    match rank_by(load_runs_or_exit(), metric) {
+        Ok(ranked) => {
+            for report in &ranked {
+                println!("{}", report.to_json());
+            }
+        }
+        Err(e) => {
+            eprintln!("aura: {e}");
+            std::process::exit(2);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Load the registry or exit 2 with the error. A missing registry loads empty.
+fn load_runs_or_exit() -> Vec<RunReport> {
+    default_registry().load().unwrap_or_else(|e| {
+        eprintln!("aura: {e}");
+        std::process::exit(2);
+    })
+}
+
 // --- MACD proof-of-concept (a richer, nested indicator + strategy) -----------
 
 /// The MACD signal as a named composite: price → fast/slow `Ema` → the MACD line
@@ -426,7 +484,8 @@ fn run_macd() -> RunReport {
     }
 }
 
-const USAGE: &str = "usage: aura run [--macd] | aura graph | aura sweep";
+const USAGE: &str =
+    "usage: aura run [--macd] | aura graph | aura sweep | aura runs list | aura runs rank <metric>";
 
 fn main() {
     // Collect argv and match the whole vector: every accepted form is exhaustive,
@@ -437,7 +496,9 @@ fn main() {
         ["run"] => println!("{}", run_sample().to_json()),
         ["run", "--macd"] => println!("{}", run_macd().to_json()),
         ["graph"] => print!("{}", render::render_html(&sample_blueprint())),
-        ["sweep"] => print!("{}", sweep_report()),
+        ["sweep"] => run_sweep(),
+        ["runs", "list"] => runs_list(),
+        ["runs", "rank", metric] => runs_rank(metric),
         ["--help"] | ["-h"] => println!("{USAGE}"),
         _ => {
             eprintln!("aura: {USAGE}");
diff --git a/crates/aura-cli/tests/cli_run.rs b/crates/aura-cli/tests/cli_run.rs
index 7febbc8..5f72a51 100644
--- a/crates/aura-cli/tests/cli_run.rs
+++ b/crates/aura-cli/tests/cli_run.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,16 @@ use std::process::Command;
 /// crate; the binary is named `aura` in `Cargo.toml`).
 const BIN: &str = env!("CARGO_BIN_EXE_aura");
 
+/// A fresh, unique working directory for a process test that persists run
+/// records (so `aura sweep`'s `./runs/runs.jsonl` never dirties the repo).
+/// Unique per test + per process; no external tempfile dependency.
+fn temp_cwd(name: &str) -> std::path::PathBuf {
+    let dir = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("aura-cli-{}-{}", std::process::id(), name));
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(&dir).expect("create temp cwd");
+    dir
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn run_prints_json_and_exits_zero() {
     let out = Command::new(BIN).arg("run").output().expect("spawn aura run");
@@ -190,12 +200,11 @@ fn graph_emits_self_contained_html_viewer() {
 
 #[test]
 fn sweep_prints_four_json_lines_and_exits_zero() {
-    let out = Command::new(BIN).arg("sweep").output().expect("spawn aura sweep");
+    let cwd = temp_cwd("sweep4");
+    let out = Command::new(BIN).arg("sweep").current_dir(&cwd).output().expect("spawn aura sweep");
     assert!(out.status.success(), "exit status: {:?}", out.status);
 
     let stdout = String::from_utf8(out.stdout).expect("utf-8 stdout");
-    // one JSON line per grid point (4-point built-in grid), each terminated by a
-    // newline from `sweep_report`.
     assert_eq!(stdout.lines().count(), 4, "stdout was: {stdout:?}");
     let first = stdout.lines().next().unwrap();
     // each line is a full RunReport; commit is the real git HEAD (volatile), so
@@ -205,6 +214,7 @@ fn sweep_prints_four_json_lines_and_exits_zero() {
         first.contains("\"params\":{\"sma_cross.fast\":2,\"sma_cross.slow\":4,\"scale\":0.5}"),
         "got: {stdout}"
     );
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&cwd);
 }
 
 #[test]
@@ -213,3 +223,59 @@ fn sweep_with_trailing_token_is_strict_and_exits_two() {
     let out = Command::new(BIN).args(["sweep", "extra"]).output().expect("spawn aura");
     assert_eq!(out.status.code(), Some(2), "exit status: {:?}", out.status);
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn runs_list_and_rank_across_invocations() {
+    let cwd = temp_cwd("runs-flow");
+    // two sweeps accumulate 8 records over time
+    for _ in 0..2 {
+        let out = Command::new(BIN).arg("sweep").current_dir(&cwd).output().expect("spawn sweep");
+        assert!(out.status.success(), "sweep exit: {:?}", out.status);
+    }
+
+    // `runs list` shows all 8 stored records
+    let list = Command::new(BIN).args(["runs", "list"]).current_dir(&cwd).output().expect("spawn list");
+    assert!(list.status.success(), "list exit: {:?}", list.status);
+    let list_out = String::from_utf8(list.stdout).expect("utf-8");
+    assert_eq!(list_out.lines().count(), 8, "list: {list_out:?}");
+    assert!(list_out.lines().all(|l| l.starts_with("{\"manifest\":{")), "list shape: {list_out:?}");
+
+    // `runs rank total_pips`: 8 lines, highest total_pips first
+    let rank = Command::new(BIN).args(["runs", "rank", "total_pips"]).current_dir(&cwd).output().expect("spawn rank");
+    assert!(rank.status.success(), "rank exit: {:?}", rank.status);
+    let rank_out = String::from_utf8(rank.stdout).expect("utf-8");
+    assert_eq!(rank_out.lines().count(), 8, "rank: {rank_out:?}");
+    let pips: Vec<f64> = rank_out
+        .lines()
+        .map(|l| {
+            let key = "\"total_pips\":";
+            let start = l.find(key).expect("line has total_pips") + key.len();
+            let tail = &l[start..];
+            let end = tail.find([',', '}']).expect("token end");
+            tail[..end].parse().expect("total_pips is an f64")
+        })
+        .collect();
+    assert!(pips.windows(2).all(|w| w[0] >= w[1]), "rank not descending: {pips:?}");
+
+    // unknown metric is a usage error
+    let bogus = Command::new(BIN).args(["runs", "rank", "bogus"]).current_dir(&cwd).output().expect("spawn bogus");
+    assert_eq!(bogus.status.code(), Some(2), "bogus exit: {:?}", bogus.status);
+
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&cwd);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn runs_list_on_empty_registry_is_zero_lines_exit_zero() {
+    let cwd = temp_cwd("runs-empty");
+    let out = Command::new(BIN).args(["runs", "list"]).current_dir(&cwd).output().expect("spawn list");
+    assert!(out.status.success(), "list exit: {:?}", out.status);
+    assert_eq!(out.stdout.len(), 0, "expected no output, got: {:?}", out.stdout);
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&cwd);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn runs_bare_subcommand_is_strict_and_exits_two() {
+    // `aura runs` with no/unknown sub-subcommand is a usage error (#16 strict).
+    let out = Command::new(BIN).arg("runs").output().expect("spawn aura runs");
+    assert_eq!(out.status.code(), Some(2), "exit status: {:?}", out.status);
+}