diff --git a/hermes_cli/kanban_db.py b/hermes_cli/kanban_db.py
index c89e697c98d..9ad61f87817 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/kanban_db.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/kanban_db.py
@@ -1181,8 +1181,16 @@ def connect(
             # See hermes_state._WAL_INCOMPAT_MARKERS for detection logic.
             from hermes_state import apply_wal_with_fallback
             apply_wal_with_fallback(conn, db_label=f"kanban.db ({path.name})")
-            conn.execute("PRAGMA synchronous=NORMAL")
+            # FULL (was NORMAL): fsync before each checkpoint to narrow the
+            # crash window that can leave a b-tree page header torn.
+            conn.execute("PRAGMA synchronous=FULL")
             conn.execute("PRAGMA foreign_keys=ON")
+            # Zero freed pages so a later torn write cannot expose stale
+            # cell content; persisted in the DB header for new DBs.
+            conn.execute("PRAGMA secure_delete=ON")
+            # Surface corrupt cells as read errors instead of silent
+            # wrong-data returns.
+            conn.execute("PRAGMA cell_size_check=ON")
             needs_init = resolved not in _INITIALIZED_PATHS
             if needs_init:
                 # Idempotent: runs CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS + the additive
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_db.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_db.py
index 883cf8f4d5d..c90fa4582b7 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_db.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_db.py
@@ -3339,3 +3339,67 @@ def test_maybe_emit_scratch_tip_skips_non_scratch_workspaces(kanban_home, caplog
             ).fetchall()
             assert "tip_scratch_workspace" not in [e["kind"] for e in events]
 
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Connection pragmas (secure_delete, cell_size_check, synchronous=FULL)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_connect_sets_secure_delete_on(tmp_path):
+    """secure_delete=ON must be active on every new connection."""
+    db_path = tmp_path / "kanban.db"
+    kb._INITIALIZED_PATHS.discard(str(db_path.resolve()))
+    with kb.connect(db_path=db_path) as conn:
+        row = conn.execute("PRAGMA secure_delete").fetchone()
+    assert row[0] == 1, f"expected secure_delete=1, got {row[0]}"
+
+
+def test_connect_sets_cell_size_check_on(tmp_path):
+    """cell_size_check=ON must be active on every new connection."""
+    db_path = tmp_path / "kanban.db"
+    kb._INITIALIZED_PATHS.discard(str(db_path.resolve()))
+    with kb.connect(db_path=db_path) as conn:
+        row = conn.execute("PRAGMA cell_size_check").fetchone()
+    assert row[0] == 1, f"expected cell_size_check=1, got {row[0]}"
+
+
+def test_connect_sets_synchronous_full(tmp_path):
+    """synchronous must be FULL (=2), not NORMAL (=1)."""
+    db_path = tmp_path / "kanban.db"
+    kb._INITIALIZED_PATHS.discard(str(db_path.resolve()))
+    with kb.connect(db_path=db_path) as conn:
+        row = conn.execute("PRAGMA synchronous").fetchone()
+    assert row[0] == 2, f"expected synchronous=2 (FULL), got {row[0]}"
+
+
+def test_connect_pragmas_applied_on_reconnect(tmp_path):
+    """All three pragmas must be re-applied on every connect(), not just the first."""
+    db_path = tmp_path / "kanban.db"
+    kb._INITIALIZED_PATHS.discard(str(db_path.resolve()))
+    # First connection: write a task and close.
+    with kb.connect(db_path=db_path) as conn:
+        kb.create_task(conn, title="reconnect-check")
+    # Force re-init path by discarding path cache.
+    kb._INITIALIZED_PATHS.discard(str(db_path.resolve()))
+    # Second connection: pragmas must still be applied.
+    with kb.connect(db_path=db_path) as conn:
+        assert conn.execute("PRAGMA secure_delete").fetchone()[0] == 1
+        assert conn.execute("PRAGMA cell_size_check").fetchone()[0] == 1
+        assert conn.execute("PRAGMA synchronous").fetchone()[0] == 2
+
+
+
+def test_pragmas_not_accidentally_disabled_by_migrate_path(tmp_path):
+    """Migration path must not reset connection pragmas."""
+    db_path = tmp_path / "legacy.db"
+    kb._INITIALIZED_PATHS.discard(str(db_path.resolve()))
+    # Initialise with a fresh connect so schema + init run.
+    with kb.connect(db_path=db_path) as conn:
+        kb.create_task(conn, title="pre-migration-task")
+    # Simulate a re-entry through the init/migration path by discarding path cache.
+    kb._INITIALIZED_PATHS.discard(str(db_path.resolve()))
+    with kb.connect(db_path=db_path) as conn:
+        assert conn.execute("PRAGMA secure_delete").fetchone()[0] == 1
+        assert conn.execute("PRAGMA cell_size_check").fetchone()[0] == 1
+        assert conn.execute("PRAGMA synchronous").fetchone()[0] == 2
+