diff --git a/packages/core/src/__tests__/agent-store.test.ts b/packages/core/src/__tests__/agent-store.test.ts
index 841d1c52b8..a4b08795d6 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/__tests__/agent-store.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/__tests__/agent-store.test.ts
@@ -10,8 +10,9 @@
  * agent:heartbeat, agent:stateChanged), error paths, state transition
  * validation, concurrency locking, and SQLite persistence.
  */
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach, vi } from "vitest";
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach, beforeAll, afterAll, vi } from "vitest";
 import { AgentStore } from "../agent-store.js";
+import { installInMemoryDbSnapshot, clearInMemoryDbSnapshot } from "./store-test-helpers.js";
 import { TaskStore } from "../store.js";
 import { validateSnapshotEnvelope } from "../shared-mesh-state.js";
 import { rm } from "node:fs/promises";
@@ -31,6 +32,11 @@ function makeTmpDir(): string {
   return mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "fn-agent-store-test-"));
 }
 
+// FNXC:CoreTests 2026-06-25-16:30: amortize the ~129-migration db.init() cost
+// across this file's in-memory stores via one migrated-schema snapshot.
+beforeAll(() => installInMemoryDbSnapshot());
+afterAll(() => clearInMemoryDbSnapshot());
+
 describe("AgentStore", () => {
   let rootDir: string;
   let store: AgentStore;
diff --git a/packages/core/src/__tests__/mission-store.test.ts b/packages/core/src/__tests__/mission-store.test.ts
index bbcf67d8a4..c74e57e1ac 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/__tests__/mission-store.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/__tests__/mission-store.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from "vitest";
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach, beforeAll, afterAll } from "vitest";
 import { MissionStore, deriveMilestoneAcceptanceCriteriaFromFeatures } from "../mission-store.js";
+import { installInMemoryDbSnapshot, clearInMemoryDbSnapshot } from "./store-test-helpers.js";
 import { GoalStore } from "../goal-store.js";
 import { Database, SCHEMA_VERSION } from "../db.js";
 import type { MissionFeature } from "../mission-types.js";
@@ -13,6 +14,11 @@ function makeTmpDir(): string {
   return mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "kb-mission-test-"));
 }
 
+// FNXC:CoreTests 2026-06-25-16:30: amortize the ~129-migration db.init() cost
+// across this file's in-memory databases via one migrated-schema snapshot.
+beforeAll(() => installInMemoryDbSnapshot());
+afterAll(() => clearInMemoryDbSnapshot());
+
 function linearIr(name: string): WorkflowIr {
   return {
     version: "v1",
diff --git a/packages/core/src/__tests__/store-test-helpers.ts b/packages/core/src/__tests__/store-test-helpers.ts
index d9855dc7bd..98256dd457 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/__tests__/store-test-helpers.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/__tests__/store-test-helpers.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ vi.mock("../run-command.js", async (importOriginal) => {
 
 import { execSync } from "node:child_process";
 import { runCommandAsync } from "../run-command.js";
-import { Database } from "../db.js";
+import { Database, setInMemoryTemplateSnapshot } from "../db.js";
 import { DEFAULT_PROJECT_SETTINGS } from "../types.js";
 import { TaskStore, TaskHasDependentsError } from "../store.js";
 import type { Task } from "../types.js";
@@ -74,6 +74,49 @@ export function makeTmpDir(): string {
   return mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "kb-store-test-"));
 }
 
+/*
+ * FNXC:CoreTests 2026-06-25-16:30:
+ * Migrated in-memory DB snapshot for DB-backed test suites.
+ *
+ * db.init() replays SCHEMA_SQL + ~129 migrations on every fresh in-memory DB
+ * (~30-90ms each). Suites that build a new store per test (AgentStore,
+ * MissionStore, TaskStore, dashboard route stores, …) pay that cost hundreds of
+ * times. This harness migrates ONE in-memory DB per test file, serializes it,
+ * and registers the bytes via setInMemoryTemplateSnapshot so every later
+ * in-memory Database is restored from the snapshot instead of re-migrating.
+ *
+ * Isolation is unchanged: each test still constructs its own brand-new
+ * in-memory DB; only the migration work is amortized. Disk-backed stores
+ * (cross-instance persistence tests) are never touched by the snapshot.
+ *
+ * Usage:
+ *   beforeAll(() => installInMemoryDbSnapshot());
+ *   afterAll(() => clearInMemoryDbSnapshot());
+ * Leave existing per-test `new <Store>({ inMemoryDb: true }); init()` as-is.
+ */
+let cachedMigratedSnapshot: Uint8Array | null = null;
+
+export function installInMemoryDbSnapshot(): void {
+  if (process.env.FN_NO_SNAPSHOT === "1") return; // A/B benchmark escape hatch
+  if (!cachedMigratedSnapshot) {
+    // Build the template with the hook OFF so this DB runs real migrations once.
+    setInMemoryTemplateSnapshot(null);
+    const templateDir = makeTmpDir();
+    const template = new Database(templateDir, { inMemory: true });
+    try {
+      template.init();
+      cachedMigratedSnapshot = template.serializeSnapshot();
+    } finally {
+      template.close();
+    }
+  }
+  setInMemoryTemplateSnapshot(cachedMigratedSnapshot);
+}
+
+export function clearInMemoryDbSnapshot(): void {
+  setInMemoryTemplateSnapshot(null);
+}
+
 async function clearDirectoryContents(dir: string): Promise<void> {
   try {
     const entries = await readdir(dir);
diff --git a/packages/core/src/db.ts b/packages/core/src/db.ts
index f84d0c1e59..025f77e1bb 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/db.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/db.ts
@@ -1830,6 +1830,26 @@ export function integrityCheckSqliteFileAsync(
 
 // ── Database Class ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
+/**
+ * FNXC:CoreTests 2026-06-25-16:30:
+ * Test-only migrated-schema snapshot. db.init() replays the full schema plus
+ * ~129 migrations on every fresh in-memory DB (~30-90ms each), which is minutes
+ * of pure setup across thousands of DB-backed tests. The snapshot harness
+ * (store-test-helpers.ts → installInMemoryDbSnapshot) builds ONE migrated
+ * in-memory DB per test file, serializes it, and registers the bytes here.
+ * Any subsequent in-memory Database deserializes the snapshot at open time, so
+ * init() finds schemaVersion === SCHEMA_VERSION and the matching compat
+ * fingerprint and short-circuits all migration/backfill work. Each test still
+ * gets a brand-new, fully-isolated in-memory DB — only the migration cost is
+ * amortized. Never consulted for disk-backed (production) databases.
+ */
+let inMemoryTemplateSnapshot: Uint8Array | null = null;
+
+/** Register/clear the in-memory migrated-DB snapshot. Test harness only. */
+export function setInMemoryTemplateSnapshot(snapshot: Uint8Array | null): void {
+  inMemoryTemplateSnapshot = snapshot;
+}
+
 type SharedIntegrityCheckState = {
   timer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null;
   subscribers: Set<Database>;
@@ -1928,6 +1948,13 @@ export class Database {
     } else {
       // Wait up to the configured timeout for locks to clear before returning SQLITE_BUSY.
       this.db.exec(`PRAGMA busy_timeout = ${this.busyTimeoutMs}`);
+      // FNXC:CoreTests 2026-06-25-16:30:
+      // Restore the migrated-schema snapshot in place of replaying migrations.
+      // deserialize() swaps page content only; the connection-level pragmas set
+      // above/below (busy_timeout, foreign_keys) persist across the swap.
+      if (inMemoryTemplateSnapshot) {
+        this.db.deserialize(inMemoryTemplateSnapshot);
+      }
     }
     // Enable foreign key enforcement
     this.db.exec("PRAGMA foreign_keys = ON");
@@ -1935,6 +1962,15 @@ export class Database {
     this._fts5Available = probeFts5(this.db);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * FNXC:CoreTests 2026-06-25-16:30:
+   * Serialize the entire database to a byte buffer for the test snapshot
+   * harness (see setInMemoryTemplateSnapshot). Test-only.
+   */
+  serializeSnapshot(): Uint8Array {
+    return this.db.serialize();
+  }
+
   /**
    * True when the underlying SQLite build has FTS5 (`CREATE VIRTUAL TABLE … USING fts5`).
    * Node's bundled SQLite only exposes FTS5 when built with `SQLITE_ENABLE_FTS5`;
diff --git a/packages/core/src/index.ts b/packages/core/src/index.ts
index 398067b035..4df0f26a9e 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/index.ts
@@ -697,6 +697,9 @@ export {
   toJsonNullable,
   fromJson,
   SCHEMA_VERSION,
+  // FNXC:CoreTests 2026-06-25-16:30: test-only migrated-DB snapshot hook so
+  // cross-package suites (dashboard route tests) can amortize db.init() cost.
+  setInMemoryTemplateSnapshot,
 } from "./db.js";
 export {
   ProjectIdentityConflictError,
diff --git a/packages/core/src/sqlite-adapter.ts b/packages/core/src/sqlite-adapter.ts
index 733afb9999..e99b697ee5 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/sqlite-adapter.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/sqlite-adapter.ts
@@ -44,6 +44,11 @@ interface RawDatabase {
   exec(sql: string): void;
   prepare(sql: string): RawStatement;
   close(): void;
+  // Optional snapshot API (node:sqlite ≥ 22.x, bun:sqlite). Both runtimes
+  // expose `serialize()` → Uint8Array and `deserialize(buf)` that replaces the
+  // open database's contents in place. Used only by the test snapshot harness.
+  serialize?: () => Uint8Array;
+  deserialize?: (data: Uint8Array) => void;
 }
 
 type DatabaseCtor = new (path: string) => RawDatabase;
@@ -84,6 +89,31 @@ export class DatabaseSync {
     this.impl.close();
   }
 
+  /**
+   * FNXC:CoreTests 2026-06-25-16:30:
+   * Snapshot the entire database into a byte buffer. Backs the test-only
+   * migrated-DB snapshot harness so the 129-migration init() runs once per
+   * test file instead of once per test. Throws if the runtime lacks the API.
+   */
+  serialize(): Uint8Array {
+    if (typeof this.impl.serialize !== "function") {
+      throw new Error("SQLite runtime does not support serialize()");
+    }
+    return this.impl.serialize();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * FNXC:CoreTests 2026-06-25-16:30:
+   * Replace this (in-memory) database's contents with a previously serialized
+   * snapshot. Restores a fully-migrated schema without replaying migrations.
+   */
+  deserialize(data: Uint8Array): void {
+    if (typeof this.impl.deserialize !== "function") {
+      throw new Error("SQLite runtime does not support deserialize()");
+    }
+    this.impl.deserialize(data);
+  }
+
   prepare(sql: string): SqliteStatement {
     const stmt = this.impl.prepare(sql);
     // Both node:sqlite and bun:sqlite expose the same .all/.get/.run shape.
diff --git a/packages/dashboard/src/__tests__/db-snapshot-helper.ts b/packages/dashboard/src/__tests__/db-snapshot-helper.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8a1d12df3d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/dashboard/src/__tests__/db-snapshot-helper.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+/*
+ * FNXC:DashboardTests 2026-06-25-16:30:
+ * Migrated in-memory DB snapshot for dashboard route suites.
+ *
+ * Route tests build a fresh in-memory TaskStore/AgentStore per test, and each
+ * store.init() replays SCHEMA_SQL + ~129 migrations (~30-90ms). This helper
+ * migrates ONE in-memory DB per test file, serializes it, and registers the
+ * bytes via @fusion/core's setInMemoryTemplateSnapshot so every later in-memory
+ * Database is restored from the snapshot instead of re-migrating. Test
+ * isolation is unchanged — each test still gets its own fresh in-memory DB.
+ *
+ * Mirrors packages/core/src/__tests__/store-test-helpers.ts; kept separate
+ * because that file lives in @fusion/core's private __tests__ dir.
+ *
+ * Usage:
+ *   beforeAll(() => installInMemoryDbSnapshot());
+ *   afterAll(() => clearInMemoryDbSnapshot());
+ */
+import { mkdtempSync } from "node:fs";
+import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
+import { join } from "node:path";
+import { Database, setInMemoryTemplateSnapshot } from "@fusion/core";
+
+let cachedMigratedSnapshot: Uint8Array | null = null;
+
+export function installInMemoryDbSnapshot(): void {
+  if (process.env.FN_NO_SNAPSHOT === "1") return; // A/B benchmark escape hatch
+  if (!cachedMigratedSnapshot) {
+    // Build the template with the hook OFF so it runs real migrations once.
+    setInMemoryTemplateSnapshot(null);
+    const templateDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "fn-dash-db-snapshot-"));
+    const template = new Database(templateDir, { inMemory: true });
+    try {
+      template.init();
+      cachedMigratedSnapshot = template.serializeSnapshot();
+    } finally {
+      template.close();
+    }
+  }
+  setInMemoryTemplateSnapshot(cachedMigratedSnapshot);
+}
+
+export function clearInMemoryDbSnapshot(): void {
+  setInMemoryTemplateSnapshot(null);
+}
diff --git a/packages/dashboard/src/__tests__/workflow-routes.test.ts b/packages/dashboard/src/__tests__/workflow-routes.test.ts
index 637410b4b7..94578b705d 100644
--- a/packages/dashboard/src/__tests__/workflow-routes.test.ts
+++ b/packages/dashboard/src/__tests__/workflow-routes.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // @vitest-environment node
 
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach, vi } from "vitest";
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach, beforeAll, afterAll, vi } from "vitest";
 import express from "express";
 import { mkdtempSync, rmSync } from "node:fs";
 import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
@@ -11,11 +11,17 @@ import { registerWorkflowRoutes } from "../routes/register-workflow-routes.js";
 import { ApiError, sendErrorResponse } from "../api-error.js";
 import { request } from "../test-request.js";
 import { emitWorkflowSseEvent } from "../sse.js";
+import { installInMemoryDbSnapshot, clearInMemoryDbSnapshot } from "./db-snapshot-helper.js";
 
 vi.mock("../sse.js", () => ({
   emitWorkflowSseEvent: vi.fn(),
 }));
 
+// FNXC:DashboardTests 2026-06-25-16:30: amortize the ~129-migration store.init()
+// cost across this file's in-memory TaskStore/AgentStore via one snapshot.
+beforeAll(() => installInMemoryDbSnapshot());
+afterAll(() => clearInMemoryDbSnapshot());
+
 function linearIr(): WorkflowIr {
   return {
     version: "v1",