diff --git a/fablednetmon/core/__init__.py b/fablednetmon/core/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/fablednetmon/core/migrations.py b/fablednetmon/core/migrations.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..19033f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fablednetmon/core/migrations.py
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+def get_core_head() -> str:
+    """Return the current head revision ID of the core migration scripts.
+
+    Called at migration authoring time (when running ``alembic revision``),
+    not at application runtime. The returned ID should be captured statically
+    in a plugin's ``depends_on`` field.
+    """
+    from alembic.config import Config
+    from alembic.script import ScriptDirectory
+
+    migrations_dir = Path(__file__).parent.parent / "migrations"
+    cfg = Config()
+    cfg.set_main_option("script_location", str(migrations_dir))
+    script = ScriptDirectory.from_config(cfg)
+    heads = script.get_heads()
+    if len(heads) != 1:
+        raise RuntimeError(
+            f"Expected exactly 1 core migration head, got {len(heads)}: {heads}"
+        )
+    return heads[0]
diff --git a/fablednetmon/core/scheduler.py b/fablednetmon/core/scheduler.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..101e016
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fablednetmon/core/scheduler.py
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+import asyncio
+import logging
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from typing import Callable, Coroutine
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+@dataclass
+class ScheduledTask:
+    name: str
+    coro_factory: Callable[[], Coroutine]
+    interval_seconds: int
+    run_on_startup: bool = False
+
+
+async def start_scheduler(tasks: list[ScheduledTask]) -> None:
+    """Run scheduled tasks in a loop. Call with asyncio.create_task()."""
+    last_run: dict[str, float] = {}
+
+    for task in tasks:
+        if task.run_on_startup:
+            logger.info(f"Startup task: {task.name}")
+            asyncio.create_task(_run_task(task))
+            last_run[task.name] = asyncio.get_event_loop().time()
+
+    while True:
+        now = asyncio.get_event_loop().time()
+        for task in tasks:
+            last = last_run.get(task.name, 0)
+            if now - last >= task.interval_seconds:
+                asyncio.create_task(_run_task(task))
+                last_run[task.name] = now
+        await asyncio.sleep(1)
+
+
+async def _run_task(task: ScheduledTask) -> None:
+    try:
+        await task.coro_factory()
+    except Exception:
+        logger.exception(f"Scheduled task {task.name!r} raised an exception")