diff --git a/plugins/docker/ingest.py b/plugins/docker/ingest.py
index cad4a6b..1e57619 100644
--- a/plugins/docker/ingest.py
+++ b/plugins/docker/ingest.py
@@ -2,16 +2,23 @@
 """Persist host-scoped Docker samples pushed by the host agent.
 
 Published as the "docker.persist_host_samples" capability (see __init__.setup),
-so the host_agent plugin can hand off the `docker` array from a sample WITHOUT
-importing the docker models — the coupling is opportunistic and degrades to a
-no-op when the docker plugin is disabled. Runs inside the caller's open
-transaction (the ingest handler's session); never opens or commits its own.
+so the host_agent plugin can hand off a sample's `docker` array (and, on a swarm
+manager, its `swarm` object) WITHOUT importing the docker models — the coupling
+is opportunistic and degrades to a no-op when the docker plugin is disabled.
+Runs inside the caller's open transaction (the ingest handler's SAVEPOINT);
+never opens or commits its own.
 """
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import json
 from datetime import datetime
 
+from sqlalchemy import delete, select
+
+
+# Stopped/terminal container states (anything not "running"/"paused"/"restarting").
+_STOPPED_STATES = {"exited", "dead", "stopped"}
+
 
 def _parse_started_at(value) -> datetime | None:
     """Parse the agent's ISO-8601 started_at string back to a datetime."""
@@ -23,18 +30,142 @@ def _parse_started_at(value) -> datetime | None:
         return None
 
 
-async def persist_host_docker(session, host, snapshots) -> None:
-    """Upsert containers + append time-series for one host's docker snapshots.
+def _derive_events(old_state: dict, new_containers: list) -> list:
+    """Diff a fresh snapshot against stored per-container state → lifecycle events.
+
+    Pure function (no DB) so it's unit-testable. `old_state` maps name → the
+    previously stored {status, health, oom_killed, exit_code}; `new_containers`
+    is the newest snapshot's list of container dicts. Returns a list of
+    (container_name, event, detail) tuples:
+
+      start         — a container transitions into running (or a genuinely new
+                      container appears already running)
+      stop          — running → not-running, or a running container is removed
+      die           — same as stop but with a non-zero exit code (abnormal)
+      oom           — OOMKilled flips False→True
+      health_change — HEALTHCHECK status string changes
+
+    The CALLER skips this entirely on a host's first-ever snapshot (empty
+    old_state) so the baseline doesn't emit a spurious "start" per existing
+    container — a later-appearing container still gets one because by then
+    old_state is populated and that container's prior entry is simply absent.
+    """
+    events: list = []
+    new_by_name = {c["name"]: c for c in new_containers if c.get("name")}
+
+    for name, c in new_by_name.items():
+        new_status = (c.get("status") or "").lower()
+        new_running = new_status == "running"
+        new_oom = bool(c.get("oom_killed"))
+        new_health = c.get("health")
+        new_exit = c.get("exit_code")
+        old = old_state.get(name)
+
+        if old is None:
+            # Newly observed container — only a start is meaningful (we have no
+            # prior state to diff a death against).
+            if new_running:
+                events.append((name, "start", c.get("image") or None))
+            continue
+
+        old_running = (old.get("status") or "").lower() == "running"
+        if new_running and not old_running:
+            events.append((name, "start", c.get("image") or None))
+        elif old_running and not new_running:
+            if new_exit not in (None, 0):
+                events.append((name, "die", f"exit {new_exit}"))
+            else:
+                events.append((name, "stop", None))
+
+        if new_oom and not bool(old.get("oom_killed")):
+            events.append((name, "oom", None))
+
+        if new_health != old.get("health") and (new_health or old.get("health")):
+            events.append((name, "health_change",
+                           f"{old.get('health') or '?'}→{new_health or '?'}"))
+
+    # A running container that vanished from the listing entirely (removed).
+    for name, old in old_state.items():
+        if name not in new_by_name and (old.get("status") or "").lower() == "running":
+            events.append((name, "stop", "removed"))
+
+    return events
+
+
+async def _persist_swarm(session, host, swarm: dict) -> None:
+    """Upsert this manager's swarm topology; drop rows no longer reported.
+
+    Current-state tables (not time-series): a manager re-reports its full
+    services/nodes set every sample, so we upsert what's present and delete what
+    isn't (scoped to this host so two managers don't clobber each other).
+    """
+    from datetime import timezone
+    from .models import DockerSwarmNode, DockerSwarmService
+
+    now = datetime.now(timezone.utc)
+
+    services = swarm.get("services") or []
+    seen_services: set[str] = set()
+    for s in services:
+        name = s.get("service_name")
+        if not name:
+            continue
+        seen_services.add(name)
+        row = await session.get(DockerSwarmService, (host.id, name))
+        if row is None:
+            row = DockerSwarmService(host_id=host.id, service_name=name)
+            session.add(row)
+        row.mode = s.get("mode") or "replicated"
+        row.desired = int(s.get("desired") or 0)
+        row.running = int(s.get("running") or 0)
+        row.image = s.get("image")
+        row.placement_json = json.dumps(s.get("placement") or [])
+        row.updated_at = now
+    stale_services = delete(DockerSwarmService).where(
+        DockerSwarmService.host_id == host.id)
+    if seen_services:
+        stale_services = stale_services.where(
+            DockerSwarmService.service_name.notin_(seen_services))
+    await session.execute(stale_services)
+
+    nodes = swarm.get("nodes") or []
+    seen_nodes: set[str] = set()
+    for n in nodes:
+        nid = n.get("node_id")
+        if not nid:
+            continue
+        seen_nodes.add(nid)
+        row = await session.get(DockerSwarmNode, (host.id, nid))
+        if row is None:
+            row = DockerSwarmNode(host_id=host.id, node_id=nid)
+            session.add(row)
+        row.hostname = n.get("hostname") or ""
+        row.role = n.get("role") or "worker"
+        row.availability = n.get("availability") or "active"
+        row.status = n.get("status") or "unknown"
+        row.leader = bool(n.get("leader", False))
+        row.updated_at = now
+    stale_nodes = delete(DockerSwarmNode).where(DockerSwarmNode.host_id == host.id)
+    if seen_nodes:
+        stale_nodes = stale_nodes.where(DockerSwarmNode.node_id.notin_(seen_nodes))
+    await session.execute(stale_nodes)
+
+
+async def persist_host_docker(session, host, snapshots, swarm=None) -> None:
+    """Upsert containers + time-series + lifecycle events + swarm for one host.
 
     `snapshots` is a list of (recorded_at: datetime, containers: list[dict]) —
-    one entry per ingested sample carrying docker data (usually just one; more
-    when the agent flushes a backlog). Every snapshot contributes time-series
-    DockerMetric rows; the newest snapshot drives current container state and
-    the alert pipeline (record_metric writes "now", so feeding it stale buffered
-    snapshots would be misleading).
+    one entry per ingested sample carrying docker data (usually one; more when
+    the agent flushes a backlog). Every snapshot contributes time-series
+    DockerMetric rows; the newest snapshot drives current container state, the
+    alert pipeline, and lifecycle-event derivation. `swarm` is the newest
+    sample's swarm object (or None off managers) — persisted when present.
     """
     from steward.core.alerts import record_metric
-    from .models import DockerContainer, DockerMetric
+    from .models import DockerContainer, DockerEvent, DockerMetric
+
+    if swarm is not None:
+        await _persist_swarm(session, host, swarm)
 
     if not snapshots:
         return
@@ -54,6 +185,24 @@ async def persist_host_docker(session, host, snapshots) -> None:
                     mem_usage_bytes=c.get("mem_usage_bytes") or 0,
                 ))
 
+    # Snapshot of stored per-container state BEFORE the upsert overwrites it —
+    # used to diff lifecycle events. Skip event derivation on the host's first
+    # snapshot (empty state) so we don't emit a start per pre-existing container.
+    old_rows = (await session.execute(
+        select(DockerContainer).where(DockerContainer.host_id == host.id)
+    )).scalars().all()
+    old_state = {
+        r.name: {"status": r.status, "health": r.health,
+                 "oom_killed": r.oom_killed, "exit_code": r.exit_code}
+        for r in old_rows
+    }
+    if old_state:
+        for name, event, detail in _derive_events(old_state, latest_containers):
+            session.add(DockerEvent(
+                host_id=host.id, container_name=name,
+                event=event, detail=detail, at=latest_at,
+            ))
+
     # Current state + alerts from the newest snapshot only.
     for c in latest_containers:
         name = c.get("name")
@@ -90,8 +239,8 @@ async def persist_host_docker(session, host, snapshots) -> None:
 
         # Alert pipeline — resource is host-scoped so containers of the same name
         # on different hosts don't collide in the metric/alert namespace.
+        resource = f"{host.name}/{name}"
         if c.get("status") == "running" and c.get("cpu_pct") is not None:
-            resource = f"{host.name}/{name}"
             await record_metric(
                 session=session, source_module="docker",
                 resource_name=resource, metric_name="cpu_pct", value=c["cpu_pct"],
@@ -101,3 +250,20 @@ async def persist_host_docker(session, host, snapshots) -> None:
                     session=session, source_module="docker",
                     resource_name=resource, metric_name="mem_pct", value=c["mem_pct"],
                 )
+        # Restart count is alertable regardless of state (crash-looping matters
+        # most while the container is down/restarting).
+        await record_metric(
+            session=session, source_module="docker",
+            resource_name=resource, metric_name="restart_count",
+            value=float(c.get("restart_count", 0) or 0),
+        )
+        # Health → 1.0/0.0 only for containers that actually define a HEALTHCHECK
+        # (health is None otherwise — recording 0 would false-alarm every plain
+        # container).
+        health = c.get("health")
+        if health in ("healthy", "unhealthy", "starting"):
+            await record_metric(
+                session=session, source_module="docker",
+                resource_name=resource, metric_name="is_healthy",
+                value=1.0 if health == "healthy" else 0.0,
+            )
diff --git a/plugins/docker/migrations/versions/docker_005_swarm_placement.py b/plugins/docker/migrations/versions/docker_005_swarm_placement.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0e90bd5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/docker/migrations/versions/docker_005_swarm_placement.py
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+"""Docker swarm service placement column
+
+Adds docker_swarm_services.placement_json — the task→node placement of a
+service's running replicas, captured from the agent's swarm payload (a manager
+sees every task, so this records cross-node placement the local container rows
+can't). Additive column; no DROP+recreate.
+
+Revision ID: docker_005_swarm_placement
+Revises: docker_004_events_swarm
+Create Date: 2026-06-19
+"""
+from typing import Sequence, Union
+from alembic import op
+import sqlalchemy as sa
+
+revision: str = "docker_005_swarm_placement"
+down_revision: Union[str, None] = "docker_004_events_swarm"
+branch_labels: Union[str, Sequence[str], None] = None
+depends_on: Union[str, Sequence[str], None] = None
+
+
+def upgrade() -> None:
+    op.add_column("docker_swarm_services",
+                  sa.Column("placement_json", sa.Text, nullable=False,
+                            server_default="[]"))
+
+
+def downgrade() -> None:
+    op.drop_column("docker_swarm_services", "placement_json")
diff --git a/plugins/docker/models.py b/plugins/docker/models.py
index cf83bed..fb3dd63 100644
--- a/plugins/docker/models.py
+++ b/plugins/docker/models.py
@@ -145,6 +145,10 @@ class DockerSwarmService(Base):
     desired: Mapped[int] = mapped_column(Integer, nullable=False, default=0)
     running: Mapped[int] = mapped_column(Integer, nullable=False, default=0)
     image: Mapped[str | None] = mapped_column(String(512), nullable=True)
+    # task→node placement of running replicas: [{"node_id", "running"}], JSON.
+    # A manager sees every task, so this captures cross-node placement that the
+    # local docker_containers rows (this host only) can't.
+    placement_json: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(Text, nullable=False, default="[]")
     updated_at: Mapped[datetime] = mapped_column(
         DateTime(timezone=True), nullable=False,
         default=lambda: datetime.now(timezone.utc),
diff --git a/plugins/host_agent/routes.py b/plugins/host_agent/routes.py
index 9670569..3e6c486 100644
--- a/plugins/host_agent/routes.py
+++ b/plugins/host_agent/routes.py
@@ -197,6 +197,8 @@ async def ingest():
         accepted = 0
         latest_ts: datetime | None = None
         docker_snapshots: list[tuple[datetime, list]] = []
+        latest_swarm: dict | None = None
+        latest_swarm_ts: datetime | None = None
         for sample in samples:
             try:
                 recorded_at = _parse_ts(sample["ts"])
@@ -208,6 +210,12 @@ async def ingest():
             docker = sample.get("docker")
             if isinstance(docker, list) and docker:
                 docker_snapshots.append((recorded_at, docker))
+            # Swarm is current-state, not time-series — keep only the newest
+            # sample's topology (a manager re-reports it every interval).
+            swarm = sample.get("swarm")
+            if isinstance(swarm, dict) and (
+                    latest_swarm_ts is None or recorded_at > latest_swarm_ts):
+                latest_swarm, latest_swarm_ts = swarm, recorded_at
             accepted += 1
             if latest_ts is None or recorded_at > latest_ts:
                 latest_ts = recorded_at
@@ -220,7 +228,7 @@ async def ingest():
         # (opportunistic synergy via the capability registry — no hard import,
         # no-op when docker is disabled). A failure here must never sink the
         # whole ingest, so the metrics above still land.
-        if docker_snapshots:
+        if docker_snapshots or latest_swarm is not None:
             from steward.core.capabilities import has_capability, invoke_capability
             if has_capability("docker.persist_host_samples"):
                 try:
@@ -229,7 +237,7 @@ async def ingest():
                     async with session.begin_nested():
                         await invoke_capability(
                             "docker.persist_host_samples", UserRole.admin,
-                            session, host, docker_snapshots,
+                            session, host, docker_snapshots, latest_swarm,
                         )
                 except Exception:
                     current_app.logger.exception(
diff --git a/steward/alerts/routes.py b/steward/alerts/routes.py
index f1396d4..621c58a 100644
--- a/steward/alerts/routes.py
+++ b/steward/alerts/routes.py
@@ -24,7 +24,9 @@ METRIC_CATALOG: dict[str, list[str]] = {
     "traefik": ["request_rate", "error_rate", "latency_p50_ms", "latency_p95_ms",
                 "latency_p99_ms", "response_bytes_rate", "cert_expiry_days"],
     "unifi":   ["is_up", "latency_ms", "total_clients"],
-    "docker":  ["cpu_pct", "mem_pct"],
+    # restart_count = cumulative restarts (alert on crash-looping); is_healthy =
+    # 1.0 healthy / 0.0 unhealthy from the container HEALTHCHECK (alert on <1).
+    "docker":  ["cpu_pct", "mem_pct", "restart_count", "is_healthy"],
     "host_agent": [
         "cpu_pct", "mem_used_pct", "mem_available_bytes", "swap_used_bytes",
         "disk_used_pct_worst", "load_1m", "load_5m", "load_15m", "uptime_secs",
diff --git a/tests/integration/test_docker.py b/tests/integration/test_docker.py
index 2865d65..21accd5 100644
--- a/tests/integration/test_docker.py
+++ b/tests/integration/test_docker.py
@@ -139,3 +139,83 @@ def test_persist_scopes_containers_by_host(app):
     assert metric_hosts == 2      # time-series rows scoped per host
     assert resources == {"alpha/web", "beta/web"}
     assert enrich == ("healthy", 2, "web", 1000)   # enrichment round-trips
+
+
+@_NEEDS_DB
+def test_lifecycle_events_derived_across_snapshots(app):
+    from sqlalchemy import text
+    from steward.models.hosts import Host
+
+    persist = _persist_fn(app)
+    t1 = datetime(2026, 6, 19, 12, 0, 0, tzinfo=timezone.utc)
+    t2 = datetime(2026, 6, 19, 12, 0, 30, tzinfo=timezone.utc)
+    running = {"name": "web", "container_id": "abc", "image": "nginx",
+               "status": "running", "cpu_pct": 5.0, "mem_pct": 10.0,
+               "restart_count": 0, "exit_code": None, "oom_killed": False,
+               "health": "healthy"}
+    died = {**running, "status": "exited", "cpu_pct": None,
+            "exit_code": 137, "oom_killed": True, "health": None}
+
+    async def _go():
+        async with app.db_sessionmaker() as s:
+            async with s.begin():
+                await s.execute(text("DELETE FROM docker_events"))
+                await s.execute(text("DELETE FROM docker_metrics"))
+                await s.execute(text("DELETE FROM docker_containers"))
+                h = Host(id=str(uuid.uuid4()), name="evt", address="10.9.9.9")
+                s.add(h)
+                await s.flush()
+                # Baseline snapshot establishes state — must NOT emit a start.
+                await persist(s, h, [(t1, [running])])
+                # Second snapshot: the container OOM-died.
+                await persist(s, h, [(t2, [died])])
+                hid = h.id
+            rows = (await s.execute(text(
+                "SELECT event, detail FROM docker_events WHERE host_id = :h "
+                "ORDER BY event"), {"h": hid})).all()
+            return [(r[0], r[1]) for r in rows]
+
+    events = asyncio.run(_go())
+    # baseline emitted nothing; the death emitted both die (exit 137) and oom.
+    assert ("die", "exit 137") in events
+    assert ("oom", None) in events
+    assert not any(e[0] == "start" for e in events)
+
+
+@_NEEDS_DB
+def test_swarm_topology_persisted(app):
+    from sqlalchemy import text
+    from steward.models.hosts import Host
+
+    persist = _persist_fn(app)
+    swarm = {
+        "services": [{"service_name": "web", "mode": "replicated",
+                      "desired": 3, "running": 2, "image": "nginx",
+                      "placement": [{"node_id": "n1", "running": 2}]}],
+        "nodes": [{"node_id": "n1", "hostname": "mgr", "role": "manager",
+                   "availability": "active", "status": "ready", "leader": True}],
+    }
+
+    async def _go():
+        async with app.db_sessionmaker() as s:
+            async with s.begin():
+                await s.execute(text("DELETE FROM docker_swarm_services"))
+                await s.execute(text("DELETE FROM docker_swarm_nodes"))
+                h = Host(id=str(uuid.uuid4()), name="mgr", address="10.8.8.8")
+                s.add(h)
+                await s.flush()
+                # No containers in this sample — swarm must still persist.
+                await persist(s, h, [], swarm)
+                hid = h.id
+            svc = (await s.execute(text(
+                "SELECT mode, desired, running, image, placement_json "
+                "FROM docker_swarm_services WHERE host_id = :h"), {"h": hid})).first()
+            node = (await s.execute(text(
+                "SELECT role, availability, status, leader "
+                "FROM docker_swarm_nodes WHERE host_id = :h"), {"h": hid})).first()
+            return svc, node
+
+    svc, node = asyncio.run(_go())
+    assert svc[0] == "replicated" and svc[1] == 3 and svc[2] == 2 and svc[3] == "nginx"
+    assert "n1" in svc[4]  # placement JSON carries the node id
+    assert node[0] == "manager" and node[2] == "ready" and node[3] is True
diff --git a/tests/plugins/docker/__init__.py b/tests/plugins/docker/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/tests/plugins/docker/test_ingest_events.py b/tests/plugins/docker/test_ingest_events.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b5b50e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/plugins/docker/test_ingest_events.py
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+"""Unit tests for the docker plugin's lifecycle-event derivation.
+
+_derive_events is a pure function (no DB), and ingest.py imports its models
+lazily inside functions, so importing it here doesn't register ORM tables —
+safe for the no-DB unit lane.
+"""
+from plugins.docker.ingest import _derive_events
+
+
+def _c(name, status, **kw):
+    return {"name": name, "status": status, **kw}
+
+
+def test_start_on_running_after_stopped():
+    old = {"web": {"status": "exited", "health": None, "oom_killed": False, "exit_code": 0}}
+    events = _derive_events(old, [_c("web", "running", image="nginx")])
+    assert events == [("web", "start", "nginx")]
+
+
+def test_start_for_new_container_when_state_exists():
+    # old_state is non-empty (host already seen), a fresh container appears running.
+    old = {"other": {"status": "running", "health": None, "oom_killed": False, "exit_code": None}}
+    events = _derive_events(old, [
+        _c("other", "running"),
+        _c("new", "running", image="redis"),
+    ])
+    assert ("new", "start", "redis") in events
+    # the unchanged 'other' produces nothing
+    assert all(e[0] != "other" for e in events)
+
+
+def test_stop_on_clean_exit():
+    old = {"job": {"status": "running", "health": None, "oom_killed": False, "exit_code": None}}
+    events = _derive_events(old, [_c("job", "exited", exit_code=0)])
+    assert events == [("job", "stop", None)]
+
+
+def test_die_on_nonzero_exit():
+    old = {"job": {"status": "running", "health": None, "oom_killed": False, "exit_code": None}}
+    events = _derive_events(old, [_c("job", "exited", exit_code=137)])
+    assert events == [("job", "die", "exit 137")]
+
+
+def test_oom_on_flip_to_true():
+    old = {"hog": {"status": "running", "health": None, "oom_killed": False, "exit_code": None}}
+    # OOM-killed → also no longer running with a non-zero exit, so die + oom both fire.
+    events = _derive_events(old, [_c("hog", "exited", exit_code=137, oom_killed=True)])
+    assert ("hog", "oom", None) in events
+    assert ("hog", "die", "exit 137") in events
+
+
+def test_health_change_emitted():
+    old = {"svc": {"status": "running", "health": "healthy", "oom_killed": False, "exit_code": None}}
+    events = _derive_events(old, [_c("svc", "running", health="unhealthy")])
+    assert events == [("svc", "health_change", "healthy→unhealthy")]
+
+
+def test_removed_running_container_stops():
+    old = {"gone": {"status": "running", "health": None, "oom_killed": False, "exit_code": None}}
+    events = _derive_events(old, [])  # vanished from the listing entirely
+    assert events == [("gone", "stop", "removed")]
+
+
+def test_no_event_when_unchanged():
+    old = {"web": {"status": "running", "health": "healthy", "oom_killed": False, "exit_code": None}}
+    events = _derive_events(old, [_c("web", "running", health="healthy")])
+    assert events == []