diff --git a/cmd/task-master/main.go b/cmd/task-master/main.go
index d05cbd8..e7c054d 100644
--- a/cmd/task-master/main.go
+++ b/cmd/task-master/main.go
@@ -48,7 +48,10 @@ func run() error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("ensure project: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	history := command.NewHistory()
+	history, err := command.OpenHistory(command.HistoryPath(cfg.DataDir), store)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("history: %w", err)
+	}
 	model := ui.New(cfg, store, projects, history)
 	prog := tea.NewProgram(model, tea.WithAltScreen())
 	if _, err := prog.Run(); err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/command/executor.go b/internal/command/executor.go
index 96d6d34..c4836ce 100644
--- a/internal/command/executor.go
+++ b/internal/command/executor.go
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"sync"
+
+	"task/internal/ticket"
 )
 
 // Executor runs commands and supports undo/redo of successful ones.
@@ -17,16 +19,36 @@ type Executor interface {
 	LastRedoName() string
 }
 
-// History is an in-memory undo/redo stack for Command values.
+// History is an undo/redo stack for Command values, optionally persisted to disk.
 type History struct {
 	mu    sync.Mutex
 	undoS []Command
 	redoS []Command
+	path  string
+	store ticket.Store
+	max   int
 }
 
-// NewHistory creates an empty command history.
+// NewHistory creates an empty in-memory command history (cap MaxHistory).
 func NewHistory() *History {
-	return &History{}
+	return &History{max: MaxHistory}
+}
+
+// OpenHistory loads a persisted history from path (DataDir/history.json) or
+// starts empty if the file is missing. Subsequent Do/Undo/Redo write back.
+func OpenHistory(path string, store ticket.Store) (*History, error) {
+	h := &History{
+		path:  path,
+		store: store,
+		max:   MaxHistory,
+	}
+	undo, redo, err := loadHistoryFile(path, store)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	h.undoS = undo
+	h.redoS = redo
+	return h, nil
 }
 
 // Do executes cmd and pushes it onto the undo stack. The redo stack is cleared.
@@ -37,8 +59,9 @@ func (h *History) Do(cmd Command) error {
 	h.mu.Lock()
 	defer h.mu.Unlock()
 	h.undoS = append(h.undoS, cmd)
+	h.undoS = trimStack(h.undoS, h.max)
 	h.redoS = nil
-	return nil
+	return h.persistLocked()
 }
 
 // Undo reverses the last successful command.
@@ -60,9 +83,10 @@ func (h *History) Undo() error {
 	}
 
 	h.mu.Lock()
+	defer h.mu.Unlock()
 	h.redoS = append(h.redoS, cmd)
-	h.mu.Unlock()
-	return nil
+	h.redoS = trimStack(h.redoS, h.max)
+	return h.persistLocked()
 }
 
 // Redo re-applies the last undone command.
@@ -84,9 +108,10 @@ func (h *History) Redo() error {
 	}
 
 	h.mu.Lock()
+	defer h.mu.Unlock()
 	h.undoS = append(h.undoS, cmd)
-	h.mu.Unlock()
-	return nil
+	h.undoS = trimStack(h.undoS, h.max)
+	return h.persistLocked()
 }
 
 // CanUndo reports whether Undo would succeed.
diff --git a/internal/command/persist.go b/internal/command/persist.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b4cb67c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/command/persist.go
@@ -0,0 +1,181 @@
+package command
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+
+	"task/internal/ticket"
+)
+
+const (
+	historyFileName = "history.json"
+	// MaxHistory is the maximum number of undo (and redo) entries kept.
+	MaxHistory = 20
+)
+
+type persistedFile struct {
+	Undo []persistedCmd `json:"undo"`
+	Redo []persistedCmd `json:"redo"`
+}
+
+type persistedCmd struct {
+	Type     string         `json:"type"`
+	Ticket   *ticket.Ticket `json:"ticket,omitempty"`
+	Snapshot *ticket.Ticket `json:"snapshot,omitempty"`
+	Before   *ticket.Ticket `json:"before,omitempty"`
+	After    *ticket.Ticket `json:"after,omitempty"`
+}
+
+const (
+	typeCreate = "create"
+	typeDelete = "delete"
+	typeUpdate = "update"
+)
+
+// HistoryPath returns DataDir/history.json.
+func HistoryPath(dataDir string) string {
+	return filepath.Join(dataDir, historyFileName)
+}
+
+func encodeCmd(cmd Command) (persistedCmd, error) {
+	switch c := cmd.(type) {
+	case *CreateTicket:
+		t := c.Ticket
+		if c.created.ID != "" {
+			t = c.created
+		}
+		cp := t
+		return persistedCmd{Type: typeCreate, Ticket: &cp}, nil
+	case *DeleteTicket:
+		cp := c.Snapshot
+		return persistedCmd{Type: typeDelete, Snapshot: &cp}, nil
+	case *UpdateTicket:
+		b, a := c.Before, c.After
+		return persistedCmd{Type: typeUpdate, Before: &b, After: &a}, nil
+	default:
+		return persistedCmd{}, fmt.Errorf("unsupported command type %T", cmd)
+	}
+}
+
+func decodeCmd(rec persistedCmd, store ticket.Store) (Command, error) {
+	switch rec.Type {
+	case typeCreate:
+		if rec.Ticket == nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("create record missing ticket")
+		}
+		return &CreateTicket{Store: store, Ticket: *rec.Ticket, created: *rec.Ticket}, nil
+	case typeDelete:
+		if rec.Snapshot == nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("delete record missing snapshot")
+		}
+		return &DeleteTicket{Store: store, Snapshot: *rec.Snapshot}, nil
+	case typeUpdate:
+		if rec.Before == nil || rec.After == nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("update record missing before/after")
+		}
+		return &UpdateTicket{Store: store, Before: *rec.Before, After: *rec.After}, nil
+	default:
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unknown command type %q", rec.Type)
+	}
+}
+
+func encodeStack(cmds []Command) ([]persistedCmd, error) {
+	out := make([]persistedCmd, 0, len(cmds))
+	for _, cmd := range cmds {
+		rec, err := encodeCmd(cmd)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		out = append(out, rec)
+	}
+	return out, nil
+}
+
+func decodeStack(recs []persistedCmd, store ticket.Store) ([]Command, error) {
+	out := make([]Command, 0, len(recs))
+	for _, rec := range recs {
+		cmd, err := decodeCmd(rec, store)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		out = append(out, cmd)
+	}
+	return out, nil
+}
+
+func trimStack(cmds []Command, max int) []Command {
+	if max <= 0 || len(cmds) <= max {
+		return cmds
+	}
+	return cmds[len(cmds)-max:]
+}
+
+func (h *History) persistLocked() error {
+	if h.path == "" || h.store == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	undo, err := encodeStack(h.undoS)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	redo, err := encodeStack(h.redoS)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	data, err := json.MarshalIndent(persistedFile{Undo: undo, Redo: redo}, "", "  ")
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("marshal history: %w", err)
+	}
+	data = append(data, '\n')
+
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(h.path), 0o755); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("create history dir: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	tmp, err := os.CreateTemp(filepath.Dir(h.path), "history-*.tmp")
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("create temp history: %w", err)
+	}
+	tmpName := tmp.Name()
+	defer func() { _ = os.Remove(tmpName) }()
+
+	if _, err := tmp.Write(data); err != nil {
+		_ = tmp.Close()
+		return fmt.Errorf("write temp history: %w", err)
+	}
+	if err := tmp.Close(); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("close temp history: %w", err)
+	}
+	if err := os.Rename(tmpName, h.path); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("rename history: %w", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func loadHistoryFile(path string, store ticket.Store) (undo, redo []Command, err error) {
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+			return nil, nil, nil
+		}
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("read history: %w", err)
+	}
+	if len(data) == 0 {
+		return nil, nil, nil
+	}
+	var file persistedFile
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(data, &file); err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("parse history: %w", err)
+	}
+	undo, err = decodeStack(file.Undo, store)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, err
+	}
+	redo, err = decodeStack(file.Redo, store)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, err
+	}
+	return trimStack(undo, MaxHistory), trimStack(redo, MaxHistory), nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/command/persist_test.go b/internal/command/persist_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5e2b383
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/command/persist_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+package command_test
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"task/internal/command"
+	"task/internal/ticket"
+)
+
+func TestHistoryPersistsAcrossOpen(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	store := ticket.NewJSONStore(dir)
+	path := command.HistoryPath(dir)
+
+	h1, err := command.OpenHistory(path, store)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := h1.Do(&command.CreateTicket{
+		Store: store,
+		Ticket: ticket.Ticket{
+			Title: "Persist me", ProjectID: "inbox", Status: ticket.StatusTodo,
+		},
+	}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if _, err := os.Stat(path); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("history file missing: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	h2, err := command.OpenHistory(path, store)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if !h2.CanUndo() {
+		t.Fatal("expected undo after reload")
+	}
+	if err := h2.Undo(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	list, err := store.List("inbox")
+	if err != nil || len(list) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("after persistent undo: %v len=%d", err, len(list))
+	}
+}
+
+func TestHistoryCapsAtMax(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	store := ticket.NewJSONStore(dir)
+	h, err := command.OpenHistory(filepath.Join(dir, "history.json"), store)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	for i := 0; i < command.MaxHistory+5; i++ {
+		if err := h.Do(&command.CreateTicket{
+			Store: store,
+			Ticket: ticket.Ticket{
+				Title: "t", ProjectID: "inbox", Status: ticket.StatusTodo,
+			},
+		}); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+	// Count undos available
+	n := 0
+	for h.CanUndo() {
+		if err := h.Undo(); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		n++
+		if n > command.MaxHistory+1 {
+			t.Fatal("undo stack larger than cap")
+		}
+	}
+	if n != command.MaxHistory {
+		t.Fatalf("undo count = %d, want %d", n, command.MaxHistory)
+	}
+}