diff --git a/src/routes/entries.rs b/src/routes/entries.rs
index 23d6e7c..469c8e5 100644
--- a/src/routes/entries.rs
+++ b/src/routes/entries.rs
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ pub struct Entry {
     pub id: i64,
     pub title: String,
     pub body: String,
+    /// The same preview the list shows, so a client that has just saved can
+    /// patch its list row without re-reading the whole list.
+    pub excerpt: String,
     pub created_at: i64,
     pub updated_at: i64,
     pub shared: bool,
@@ -252,10 +255,12 @@ async fn load(state: &AppState, id: i64) -> AppResult<Entry> {
     .ok_or(AppError::NotFound)?;
 
     let share_token: Option<String> = row.get("share_token");
+    let body: String = row.get("body");
     Ok(Entry {
         id: row.get("id"),
         title: row.get("title"),
-        body: row.get("body"),
+        excerpt: excerpt(&body.chars().take(HEAD_CHARS).collect::<String>()),
+        body,
         created_at: row.get("created_at"),
         updated_at: row.get("updated_at"),
         shared: share_token.is_some(),
diff --git a/web/src/lib/Editor.svelte b/web/src/lib/Editor.svelte
index 7507fb4..21c4347 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/Editor.svelte
+++ b/web/src/lib/Editor.svelte
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@
       EditorView.updateListener.of((update) => {
         if (update.docChanged) {
           diary.draft.body = update.state.doc.toString()
-          diary.dirty = true
+          diary.touch()
         }
       }),
       EditorView.domEventHandlers({
diff --git a/web/src/lib/EntryPane.svelte b/web/src/lib/EntryPane.svelte
index 654bf45..91802d2 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/EntryPane.svelte
+++ b/web/src/lib/EntryPane.svelte
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
       class="title"
       placeholder="title (optional)"
       bind:value={diary.draft.title}
-      oninput={() => (diary.dirty = true)}
+      oninput={() => diary.touch()}
       onkeydown={(event) => {
         if (event.key === 'Enter') {
           event.preventDefault()
diff --git a/web/src/lib/api.ts b/web/src/lib/api.ts
index a3eca16..72b63df 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/api.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/api.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ export interface Entry {
   id: number
   title: string
   body: string
+  excerpt: string
   created_at: number
   updated_at: number
   shared: boolean
diff --git a/web/src/lib/commands.ts b/web/src/lib/commands.ts
index c34e87b..ea2e011 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/commands.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/commands.ts
@@ -107,7 +107,10 @@ export const commands: CommandSpec[] = [
         const open = diary.open
         diary.editing = false
         diary.dirty = false
-        if (open) await diary.guard(() => diary.openEntry(open.id))
+        if (open) {
+          diary.dropStash(open.id)
+          await diary.guard(() => diary.openEntry(open.id))
+        }
         hooks.focusList()
       },
     },
@@ -168,6 +171,7 @@ export const commands: CommandSpec[] = [
         const open = requireOpen()
         if (!open) return
         diary.dirty = false
+        diary.dropStash(open.id)
         await diary.guard(() => diary.openEntry(open.id, diary.editing))
         diary.say(`entry:${open.id} reloaded`)
       },
diff --git a/web/src/lib/store.svelte.ts b/web/src/lib/store.svelte.ts
index 380e0bb..2b0c028 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/store.svelte.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/store.svelte.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ class Diary {
   /** Mirror vim yanks and deletes into the system clipboard, like `set clipboard=unnamed`. */
   clipboard = $state(localStorage.getItem('diary:clipboard') !== 'off')
 
+  /** Pending debounced write, if the draft has changed since the last save. */
+  #autosave: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null = null
+
   get selected(): EntrySummary | undefined {
     return this.entries[this.cursor]
   }
@@ -51,6 +54,71 @@ class Diary {
     }
   }
 
+  /*
+   * Autosave. Typing is where work gets lost, so a draft goes to localStorage
+   * on every change — cheap, synchronous, survives a killed tab — and to the
+   * server a couple of seconds after typing stops.
+   */
+
+  static readonly AUTOSAVE_MS = 2500
+
+  #stashKey(id: number) {
+    return `diary:draft:${id}`
+  }
+
+  /** Call whenever the draft changes. Replaces a bare `dirty = true`. */
+  touch() {
+    this.dirty = true
+    this.stash()
+    if (this.#autosave) clearTimeout(this.#autosave)
+    this.#autosave = setTimeout(() => void this.#writeBack(), Diary.AUTOSAVE_MS)
+  }
+
+  stash() {
+    if (!this.open) return
+    try {
+      localStorage.setItem(this.#stashKey(this.open.id), JSON.stringify(this.draft))
+    } catch {
+      /* a full or disabled localStorage must not stop the typing */
+    }
+  }
+
+  dropStash(id: number) {
+    try {
+      localStorage.removeItem(this.#stashKey(id))
+    } catch {
+      /* nothing to do */
+    }
+  }
+
+  #readStash(id: number): typeof this.draft | null {
+    try {
+      const raw = localStorage.getItem(this.#stashKey(id))
+      return raw ? JSON.parse(raw) : null
+    } catch {
+      return null
+    }
+  }
+
+  async #writeBack() {
+    this.#autosave = null
+    if (!this.open || !this.dirty) return
+    await this.guard(() => this.save({ quiet: true }))
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Write out a pending draft before doing something that would replace it.
+   * Without this, clicking another entry in the list discarded unsaved work
+   * without a word.
+   */
+  async flush() {
+    if (this.#autosave) {
+      clearTimeout(this.#autosave)
+      this.#autosave = null
+    }
+    if (this.open && this.dirty) await this.guard(() => this.save({ quiet: true }))
+  }
+
   async boot() {
     try {
       const { user } = await api.me()
@@ -96,6 +164,8 @@ class Diary {
   }
 
   async openEntry(id: number, edit = false) {
+    if (this.open?.id !== id) await this.flush()
+
     const entry = await api.getEntry(id)
     this.open = entry
     this.draft = { title: entry.title, body: entry.body, created_at: entry.created_at }
@@ -104,6 +174,17 @@ class Diary {
     this.pane = 'entry'
     const index = this.entries.findIndex((e) => e.id === id)
     if (index >= 0) this.cursor = index
+
+    // A stash that differs from what the server has is work the last session
+    // did not manage to write. Vim would call this a swap file.
+    const stashed = this.#readStash(id)
+    if (stashed && (stashed.body !== entry.body || stashed.title !== entry.title)) {
+      this.draft = stashed
+      this.dirty = true
+      this.say('recovered an unsaved draft — :w to keep it, :e! to discard', 'error')
+    } else {
+      this.dropStash(id)
+    }
   }
 
   async openSelected(edit = false) {
@@ -121,20 +202,45 @@ class Diary {
     this.say(`new entry #${entry.id}`)
   }
 
-  async save() {
+  async save({ quiet = false } = {}) {
     if (!this.open) return
-    const saved = await api.updateEntry(this.open.id, {
-      title: this.draft.title.trim(),
-      body: this.draft.body,
-      created_at: this.draft.created_at,
-    })
+    // Snapshot what goes over the wire: an autosave races the typing that
+    // triggered it, and anything typed since must stay marked unsaved.
+    const sent = { ...this.draft, title: this.draft.title.trim() }
+    const saved = await api.updateEntry(this.open.id, sent)
+
     this.open = saved
-    this.dirty = false
-    await this.refresh()
-    this.say(`"entry:${saved.id}" ${saved.body.split('\n').length}L written`)
+    this.dirty =
+      this.draft.body !== sent.body ||
+      this.draft.title.trim() !== sent.title ||
+      this.draft.created_at !== sent.created_at
+    if (this.dirty) this.touch()
+    else this.dropStash(saved.id)
+    // The response carries the same excerpt the list query builds, so the row
+    // can usually be patched in place rather than re-reading the whole list.
+    if (!this.patch(saved)) await this.refresh()
+    if (!quiet) this.say(`"entry:${saved.id}" ${saved.body.split('\n').length}L written`)
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Fold a freshly saved entry back into its list row. Returns false when the
+   * row cannot be patched in place — a new entry, or one whose date moved it
+   * somewhere else in the order — and the caller should re-read the list.
+   */
+  patch(entry: Entry): boolean {
+    const index = this.entries.findIndex((e) => e.id === entry.id)
+    if (index < 0 || this.entries[index].created_at !== entry.created_at) return false
+    const { id, title, excerpt, created_at, updated_at, shared, share_token } = entry
+    this.entries[index] = { id, title, excerpt, created_at, updated_at, shared, share_token }
+    return true
   }
 
   async deleteEntry(id: number) {
+    if (this.#autosave) {
+      clearTimeout(this.#autosave)
+      this.#autosave = null
+    }
+    this.dropStash(id)
     await api.deleteEntry(id)
     if (this.open?.id === id) {
       this.open = null