diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 890ff57..7da1d69 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1605,6 +1605,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "base64",
  "chrono",
  "data-encoding",
+ "picloud-executor-core",
  "picloud-orchestrator-core",
  "picloud-shared",
  "rand 0.8.6",
diff --git a/crates/manager-core/Cargo.toml b/crates/manager-core/Cargo.toml
index a1feeb1..90e62fd 100644
--- a/crates/manager-core/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/manager-core/Cargo.toml
@@ -10,13 +10,16 @@ workspace = true
 
 [dependencies]
 picloud-shared.workspace = true
+picloud-executor-core.workspace = true
 picloud-orchestrator-core.workspace = true
 
 async-trait.workspace = true
 axum.workspace = true
+rand.workspace = true
 serde.workspace = true
 serde_json.workspace = true
 thiserror.workspace = true
+tokio.workspace = true
 tracing.workspace = true
 uuid.workspace = true
 chrono.workspace = true
@@ -24,7 +27,6 @@ sqlx.workspace = true
 url.workspace = true
 
 argon2.workspace = true
-rand.workspace = true
 sha2.workspace = true
 base64.workspace = true
 data-encoding.workspace = true
diff --git a/crates/manager-core/src/dispatcher.rs b/crates/manager-core/src/dispatcher.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f41725a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/manager-core/src/dispatcher.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,610 @@
+//! The triggers-framework dispatcher.
+//!
+//! Single tokio task that polls the outbox, claims due rows
+//! (`FOR UPDATE SKIP LOCKED`), and routes each to the executor.
+//! Shares the `ExecutionGate` with sync HTTP — they compete for the
+//! same permit budget, matching design notes §2.
+//!
+//! Outcome handling per design notes §3 and §4:
+//!   - reply_to.is_some() (sync HTTP): never retry. Deliver to inbox
+//!     (or write `abandoned_executions` if the receiver dropped).
+//!   - is_dead_letter_handler == true: never retry, never DL. Failure
+//!     just annotates the original DL row with `resolution =
+//!     'handler_failed'` and bumps a metric.
+//!   - Otherwise on failure: if `attempt_count + 1 < max_attempts`,
+//!     reschedule with backoff + jitter. Else, write a `dead_letters`
+//!     row and delete from outbox.
+//!
+//! Depth-limit: `trigger_depth > max_trigger_depth` skips execution
+//! entirely (log + metric) and deletes the row — does NOT dead-letter
+//! (design notes §4: depth-exceeded means "you built a loop", and
+//! dead-lettering would just re-fire the same loop).
+
+use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::time::Duration;
+
+use chrono::Utc;
+use picloud_executor_core::{ExecError, ExecRequest, ExecResponse, InvocationType};
+use picloud_orchestrator_core::{ExecutionGate, ExecutorClient};
+use picloud_shared::{
+    ExecResponseSummary, ExecutionId, InboxDeliveryOutcome, InboxFailureKind, InboxResolver,
+    InboxResult, RequestId, ScriptId, ScriptSandbox, TriggerEvent,
+};
+use rand::Rng;
+use uuid::Uuid;
+
+use crate::abandoned_repo::{AbandonedRepo, NewAbandonedExecution};
+use crate::dead_letter_repo::{DeadLetterRepo, NewDeadLetter};
+use crate::outbox_repo::{OutboxRepo, OutboxRow, OutboxSourceKind};
+use crate::principal_resolver::PrincipalResolver;
+use crate::repo::ScriptRepository;
+use crate::trigger_config::{BackoffShape, TriggerConfig};
+use crate::trigger_repo::{TriggerKind, TriggerRepo};
+
+/// Bundle the dispatcher reads from. Each handle is `Arc<dyn …>` so
+/// tests can substitute in-memory backings.
+pub struct Dispatcher {
+    pub outbox: Arc<dyn OutboxRepo>,
+    pub triggers: Arc<dyn TriggerRepo>,
+    pub scripts: Arc<dyn ScriptRepository>,
+    pub dead_letters: Arc<dyn DeadLetterRepo>,
+    pub abandoned: Arc<dyn AbandonedRepo>,
+    pub principals: Arc<dyn PrincipalResolver>,
+    pub executor: Arc<dyn ExecutorClient>,
+    pub gate: Arc<ExecutionGate>,
+    pub inbox: Arc<dyn InboxResolver>,
+    pub config: TriggerConfig,
+    /// Stable id for this dispatcher instance — written into
+    /// `outbox.claimed_by` for forensics. In MVP this is the host's
+    /// pid; cluster mode (v1.3+) uses node identity.
+    pub instance_id: String,
+}
+
+/// How many outbox rows the dispatcher tries to claim per tick.
+/// Bounded to keep the working set small even if there's a flood.
+const CLAIM_BATCH: i64 = 8;
+
+/// Polling cadence. Short enough that fan-out feels instant; long
+/// enough that an idle dispatcher doesn't burn cycles.
+const TICK_INTERVAL: Duration = Duration::from_millis(100);
+
+/// Hard cap on the wall-clock budget passed to the executor for an
+/// async-dispatched script. Sync HTTP gets a per-script timeout via
+/// the orchestrator path; async rows don't have one, so we apply a
+/// platform-wide ceiling here. Matches `LocalExecutorClient`'s own
+/// 5-minute cap.
+const ASYNC_EXEC_TIMEOUT: Duration = Duration::from_secs(300);
+
+impl Dispatcher {
+    /// Spawn the dispatcher loop as a detached `tokio::task`. The
+    /// returned `JoinHandle` is dropped — the loop runs for the
+    /// process lifetime.
+    pub fn spawn(self) {
+        tokio::spawn(async move {
+            self.run().await;
+        });
+    }
+
+    async fn run(self) {
+        let mut ticker = tokio::time::interval(TICK_INTERVAL);
+        // Skip the immediate first fire so we don't race startup.
+        ticker.tick().await;
+        loop {
+            ticker.tick().await;
+            if let Err(err) = self.tick().await {
+                tracing::warn!(?err, "dispatcher tick errored");
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    async fn tick(&self) -> Result<(), DispatcherError> {
+        // Cheap gate sample so we don't claim rows we can't dispatch.
+        // The exact permit budget is reapplied per-row below.
+        let rows = self
+            .outbox
+            .claim_due(&self.instance_id, CLAIM_BATCH)
+            .await
+            .map_err(|e| DispatcherError::Outbox(e.to_string()))?;
+        if rows.is_empty() {
+            return Ok(());
+        }
+        for row in rows {
+            // Process serially within a tick — the outer ticker is the
+            // pacing mechanism. Concurrent dispatchers are a cluster-
+            // mode concern; v1.1.1 MVP has one.
+            if let Err(err) = self.dispatch_one(row).await {
+                tracing::warn!(?err, "dispatch one errored");
+            }
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    async fn dispatch_one(&self, row: OutboxRow) -> Result<(), DispatcherError> {
+        // Depth-limit check — design notes §4: loops aren't DL'd.
+        if row.trigger_depth > self.config.max_trigger_depth {
+            tracing::warn!(
+                outbox_id = %row.id,
+                app_id = %row.app_id,
+                trigger_depth = row.trigger_depth,
+                "trigger depth exceeded; dropping row"
+            );
+            // TODO(metrics): bump `picloud_trigger_depth_exceeded{app_id,trigger_id}`.
+            self.outbox
+                .delete(row.id)
+                .await
+                .map_err(|e| DispatcherError::Outbox(e.to_string()))?;
+            return Ok(());
+        }
+
+        // Gate admission — non-blocking. If the gate is saturated,
+        // release the claim by rescheduling so another tick can pick
+        // it up. The row stays "due" essentially immediately.
+        let Ok(permit) = self.gate.try_acquire() else {
+            let next = Utc::now() + chrono::Duration::milliseconds(100);
+            self.outbox
+                .reschedule(row.id, row.attempt_count, next)
+                .await
+                .map_err(|e| DispatcherError::Outbox(e.to_string()))?;
+            return Ok(());
+        };
+
+        // Resolve the trigger config (KV or DL) and the script.
+        let resolved = match row.source_kind {
+            OutboxSourceKind::Http => {
+                // Sync HTTP path lands here when commit 6 wires up
+                // the orchestrator -> outbox bridge. For now, this
+                // arm is a forward-compat stub — drop the row to
+                // avoid a permanent stuck state.
+                tracing::debug!(outbox_id = %row.id, "HTTP outbox row encountered; commit 6 wires this in");
+                self.outbox
+                    .delete(row.id)
+                    .await
+                    .map_err(|e| DispatcherError::Outbox(e.to_string()))?;
+                drop(permit);
+                return Ok(());
+            }
+            OutboxSourceKind::Kv | OutboxSourceKind::DeadLetter => {
+                self.resolve_trigger(&row).await?
+            }
+        };
+
+        let exec_req = match self.build_exec_request(&row, &resolved).await {
+            Ok(req) => req,
+            Err(err) => {
+                tracing::warn!(outbox_id = %row.id, ?err, "exec request build failed; dropping row");
+                self.outbox
+                    .delete(row.id)
+                    .await
+                    .map_err(|e| DispatcherError::Outbox(e.to_string()))?;
+                drop(permit);
+                return Ok(());
+            }
+        };
+
+        // The gate permit auto-releases when this scope ends or when
+        // the executor finishes. We hand control to the executor and
+        // wait synchronously here — sync HTTP and dispatcher share the
+        // semaphore so this is intentional.
+        let source = resolved.script_source.clone();
+        let outcome = self
+            .executor
+            .execute(&source, exec_req, ASYNC_EXEC_TIMEOUT)
+            .await;
+        drop(permit);
+
+        match outcome {
+            Ok(resp) => self.handle_success(&row, &resolved, resp).await,
+            Err(err) => self.handle_failure(&row, &resolved, err).await,
+        }
+    }
+
+    async fn resolve_trigger(&self, row: &OutboxRow) -> Result<ResolvedTrigger, DispatcherError> {
+        // For KV and DL kinds, the outbox carries `trigger_id`. Use it
+        // to look up the trigger row, then resolve the script.
+        let Some(trigger_id) = row.trigger_id else {
+            return Err(DispatcherError::ResolveTrigger(
+                "outbox row missing trigger_id".into(),
+            ));
+        };
+        let trigger = self
+            .triggers
+            .get(trigger_id)
+            .await
+            .map_err(|e| DispatcherError::ResolveTrigger(e.to_string()))?
+            .ok_or_else(|| {
+                DispatcherError::ResolveTrigger(format!("trigger {trigger_id} not found"))
+            })?;
+
+        let script = self
+            .scripts
+            .get(trigger.script_id)
+            .await
+            .map_err(|e| DispatcherError::ResolveTrigger(e.to_string()))?
+            .ok_or_else(|| {
+                DispatcherError::ResolveTrigger(format!("script {} not found", trigger.script_id))
+            })?;
+
+        Ok(ResolvedTrigger {
+            trigger_kind: trigger.kind,
+            is_dead_letter_handler: matches!(trigger.kind, TriggerKind::DeadLetter),
+            script_id: script.id,
+            script_source: script.source,
+            script_name: script.name,
+            sandbox_overrides: script.sandbox,
+            registered_by_principal: trigger.registered_by_principal,
+            retry_max_attempts: trigger.retry_max_attempts,
+            retry_backoff: trigger.retry_backoff,
+            retry_base_ms: trigger.retry_base_ms,
+        })
+    }
+
+    async fn build_exec_request(
+        &self,
+        row: &OutboxRow,
+        resolved: &ResolvedTrigger,
+    ) -> Result<ExecRequest, DispatcherError> {
+        let trigger_event: TriggerEvent = serde_json::from_value(row.payload.clone())
+            .map_err(|e| DispatcherError::ResolveTrigger(format!("decode payload: {e}")))?;
+
+        let principal = self
+            .principals
+            .resolve(resolved.registered_by_principal)
+            .await
+            .map_err(|e| DispatcherError::ResolveTrigger(e.to_string()))?;
+
+        let execution_id = ExecutionId::new();
+        Ok(ExecRequest {
+            execution_id,
+            request_id: RequestId::new(),
+            script_id: resolved.script_id,
+            script_name: resolved.script_name.clone(),
+            invocation_type: InvocationType::Function,
+            path: format!("/trigger/{}", trigger_event.source()),
+            headers: std::collections::BTreeMap::new(),
+            body: serde_json::Value::Null,
+            params: std::collections::BTreeMap::new(),
+            query: std::collections::BTreeMap::new(),
+            rest: String::new(),
+            sandbox_overrides: resolved.sandbox_overrides,
+            app_id: row.app_id,
+            principal: Some(principal),
+            trigger_depth: row.trigger_depth,
+            root_execution_id: row.root_execution_id.unwrap_or(execution_id),
+            is_dead_letter_handler: resolved.is_dead_letter_handler,
+            event: Some(trigger_event),
+        })
+    }
+
+    async fn handle_success(
+        &self,
+        row: &OutboxRow,
+        _resolved: &ResolvedTrigger,
+        resp: ExecResponse,
+    ) -> Result<(), DispatcherError> {
+        if let Some(inbox_id) = row.reply_to {
+            self.deliver_inbox(row, inbox_id, InboxResult::Success(summarize(&resp)))
+                .await;
+        }
+        self.outbox
+            .delete(row.id)
+            .await
+            .map_err(|e| DispatcherError::Outbox(e.to_string()))?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    async fn handle_failure(
+        &self,
+        row: &OutboxRow,
+        resolved: &ResolvedTrigger,
+        err: ExecError,
+    ) -> Result<(), DispatcherError> {
+        // Sync HTTP: always single-attempt. Always deliver outcome
+        // (success-or-failure) to the inbox. Never retry, never DL.
+        if let Some(inbox_id) = row.reply_to {
+            let (kind, message) = classify_exec_error(&err);
+            self.deliver_inbox(
+                row,
+                inbox_id,
+                InboxResult::Failure {
+                    kind,
+                    message: message.clone(),
+                },
+            )
+            .await;
+            self.outbox
+                .delete(row.id)
+                .await
+                .map_err(|e| DispatcherError::Outbox(e.to_string()))?;
+            return Ok(());
+        }
+
+        // Dead-letter handler: never retry, never DL. Failure
+        // annotates the original DL row + bumps a metric.
+        if resolved.is_dead_letter_handler {
+            tracing::error!(
+                outbox_id = %row.id,
+                app_id = %row.app_id,
+                ?err,
+                "dead-letter handler failed; not retrying"
+            );
+            // TODO(metrics): bump `picloud_dead_letter_handler_failures{app_id}`.
+            // Annotate the original DL row (id is `row.payload.dead_letter.id`
+            // when the payload is a DeadLetter TriggerEvent). Best-effort:
+            // if the payload doesn't decode, just log and move on.
+            if let Ok(TriggerEvent::DeadLetter { dead_letter_id, .. }) =
+                serde_json::from_value::<TriggerEvent>(row.payload.clone())
+            {
+                if let Err(e) = self
+                    .dead_letters
+                    .resolve(dead_letter_id, "handler_failed")
+                    .await
+                {
+                    tracing::warn!(?e, "could not annotate DL row as handler_failed");
+                }
+            }
+            self.outbox
+                .delete(row.id)
+                .await
+                .map_err(|e| DispatcherError::Outbox(e.to_string()))?;
+            return Ok(());
+        }
+
+        // Async event: retry per policy, then dead-letter.
+        let attempt = row.attempt_count + 1;
+        if attempt < resolved.retry_max_attempts {
+            let delay = compute_backoff(
+                attempt,
+                resolved.retry_backoff,
+                resolved.retry_base_ms,
+                self.config.retry_jitter_pct,
+            );
+            let next = Utc::now() + chrono::Duration::milliseconds(i64::from(delay));
+            tracing::info!(
+                outbox_id = %row.id,
+                attempt,
+                max_attempts = resolved.retry_max_attempts,
+                retry_in_ms = delay,
+                "rescheduling outbox row"
+            );
+            self.outbox
+                .reschedule(row.id, attempt, next)
+                .await
+                .map_err(|e| DispatcherError::Outbox(e.to_string()))?;
+            return Ok(());
+        }
+
+        // Exhausted retries → dead-letter.
+        let (op, source) = describe_event(&row.payload);
+        let now = Utc::now();
+        if let Err(e) = self
+            .dead_letters
+            .insert(NewDeadLetter {
+                app_id: row.app_id,
+                original_event_id: row.id,
+                source,
+                op,
+                trigger_id: row.trigger_id,
+                script_id: Some(resolved.script_id),
+                payload: row.payload.clone(),
+                attempt_count: attempt,
+                first_attempt_at: row.created_at,
+                last_attempt_at: now,
+                last_error: err.to_string(),
+            })
+            .await
+        {
+            tracing::error!(?e, "failed to write dead-letter row");
+        }
+        self.outbox
+            .delete(row.id)
+            .await
+            .map_err(|e| DispatcherError::Outbox(e.to_string()))?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    async fn deliver_inbox(&self, row: &OutboxRow, inbox_id: Uuid, result: InboxResult) {
+        match self.inbox.deliver(inbox_id, result.clone()).await {
+            InboxDeliveryOutcome::Delivered => {}
+            InboxDeliveryOutcome::Abandoned => {
+                // Receiver was dropped — record forensic row + bump
+                // metric.
+                let (status_code, summary) = match &result {
+                    InboxResult::Success(s) => (s.status_code, None),
+                    InboxResult::Failure { kind, message } => {
+                        (failure_kind_to_status(*kind), Some(message.clone()))
+                    }
+                };
+                if let Err(e) = self
+                    .abandoned
+                    .insert(NewAbandonedExecution {
+                        app_id: row.app_id,
+                        outbox_id: row.id,
+                        script_id: row.script_id,
+                        inbox_id,
+                        status_code,
+                        result_summary: summary,
+                    })
+                    .await
+                {
+                    tracing::warn!(?e, "abandoned_executions insert failed");
+                }
+                // TODO(metrics): bump `picloud_abandoned_executions_total{app_id}`.
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct ResolvedTrigger {
+    pub trigger_kind: TriggerKind,
+    pub is_dead_letter_handler: bool,
+    pub script_id: ScriptId,
+    pub script_source: String,
+    pub script_name: String,
+    pub sandbox_overrides: ScriptSandbox,
+    pub registered_by_principal: picloud_shared::AdminUserId,
+    pub retry_max_attempts: u32,
+    pub retry_backoff: BackoffShape,
+    pub retry_base_ms: u32,
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, thiserror::Error)]
+pub enum DispatcherError {
+    #[error("outbox: {0}")]
+    Outbox(String),
+    #[error("resolve trigger: {0}")]
+    ResolveTrigger(String),
+}
+
+fn summarize(resp: &ExecResponse) -> ExecResponseSummary {
+    ExecResponseSummary {
+        status_code: resp.status_code,
+        headers: resp.headers.clone(),
+        body: resp.body.clone(),
+    }
+}
+
+/// Map `ExecError` onto the design-notes §3 status-code table.
+fn classify_exec_error(err: &ExecError) -> (InboxFailureKind, String) {
+    match err {
+        ExecError::Parse(s) | ExecError::InvalidResponse(s) => {
+            (InboxFailureKind::Validation, s.clone())
+        }
+        ExecError::Timeout(_) => (InboxFailureKind::Timeout, err.to_string()),
+        ExecError::OperationBudgetExceeded => (InboxFailureKind::OperationBudget, err.to_string()),
+        ExecError::Overloaded { .. } => (InboxFailureKind::Overloaded, err.to_string()),
+        ExecError::Runtime(s) => (InboxFailureKind::Runtime, s.clone()),
+    }
+}
+
+fn failure_kind_to_status(k: InboxFailureKind) -> u16 {
+    match k {
+        InboxFailureKind::Validation => 422,
+        InboxFailureKind::Runtime => 502,
+        InboxFailureKind::Overloaded => 503,
+        InboxFailureKind::Timeout => 504,
+        InboxFailureKind::OperationBudget => 507,
+        InboxFailureKind::Platform => 500,
+    }
+}
+
+/// `(op, source)` extracted from the outbox payload. Used to seed the
+/// `dead_letters` row when retries exhaust.
+fn describe_event(payload: &serde_json::Value) -> (String, String) {
+    let source = payload
+        .get("source")
+        .and_then(|v| v.as_str())
+        .unwrap_or("")
+        .to_string();
+    let op = payload
+        .get("op")
+        .and_then(|v| v.as_str())
+        .unwrap_or("")
+        .to_string();
+    (op, source)
+}
+
+/// Compute backoff (ms) for the given attempt + policy + jitter.
+/// Attempt is 1-indexed (first retry = attempt 1).
+#[must_use]
+pub fn compute_backoff(attempt: u32, backoff: BackoffShape, base_ms: u32, jitter_pct: u32) -> u32 {
+    let base_ms = u64::from(base_ms);
+    let attempt = u64::from(attempt.saturating_sub(1));
+    let raw = match backoff {
+        BackoffShape::Constant => base_ms,
+        BackoffShape::Linear => base_ms * (attempt + 1),
+        // 1x base, 2x base, 4x base, … (saturating).
+        BackoffShape::Exponential => base_ms.saturating_mul(1u64 << attempt.min(20)),
+    };
+    let raw = u32::try_from(raw.min(u64::from(u32::MAX))).unwrap_or(u32::MAX);
+    apply_jitter(raw, jitter_pct)
+}
+
+fn apply_jitter(raw: u32, pct: u32) -> u32 {
+    if pct == 0 {
+        return raw;
+    }
+    let pct = pct.min(100);
+    // ±span% — bounded by raw itself so we can't underflow when
+    // raw + offset goes below zero.
+    let span = u64::from(raw) * u64::from(pct) / 100;
+    if span == 0 {
+        return raw;
+    }
+    let span_i64 = i64::try_from(span).unwrap_or(i64::MAX);
+    let mut rng = rand::thread_rng();
+    let offset = rng.gen_range(-span_i64..=span_i64);
+    let signed = i64::from(raw).saturating_add(offset).max(0);
+    u32::try_from(signed.min(i64::from(u32::MAX))).unwrap_or(u32::MAX)
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn exponential_backoff_doubles_per_attempt() {
+        // No jitter (pct=0) for a deterministic check.
+        assert_eq!(compute_backoff(1, BackoffShape::Exponential, 1000, 0), 1000);
+        assert_eq!(compute_backoff(2, BackoffShape::Exponential, 1000, 0), 2000);
+        assert_eq!(compute_backoff(3, BackoffShape::Exponential, 1000, 0), 4000);
+        assert_eq!(compute_backoff(4, BackoffShape::Exponential, 1000, 0), 8000);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn linear_backoff_scales_with_attempt() {
+        assert_eq!(compute_backoff(1, BackoffShape::Linear, 100, 0), 100);
+        assert_eq!(compute_backoff(2, BackoffShape::Linear, 100, 0), 200);
+        assert_eq!(compute_backoff(5, BackoffShape::Linear, 100, 0), 500);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn constant_backoff_returns_base() {
+        for attempt in 1..=5 {
+            assert_eq!(
+                compute_backoff(attempt, BackoffShape::Constant, 750, 0),
+                750
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn jitter_within_pct_of_base() {
+        for _ in 0..100 {
+            let v = compute_backoff(1, BackoffShape::Constant, 1000, 20);
+            // ±20% of 1000 = 800..=1200.
+            assert!((800..=1200).contains(&v), "jitter out of range: {v}");
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn classify_exec_error_covers_every_variant() {
+        let parse = classify_exec_error(&ExecError::Parse("nope".into()));
+        assert!(matches!(parse.0, InboxFailureKind::Validation));
+        let invalid = classify_exec_error(&ExecError::InvalidResponse("bad".into()));
+        assert!(matches!(invalid.0, InboxFailureKind::Validation));
+        let timeout = classify_exec_error(&ExecError::Timeout(30));
+        assert!(matches!(timeout.0, InboxFailureKind::Timeout));
+        let budget = classify_exec_error(&ExecError::OperationBudgetExceeded);
+        assert!(matches!(budget.0, InboxFailureKind::OperationBudget));
+        let runtime = classify_exec_error(&ExecError::Runtime("threw".into()));
+        assert!(matches!(runtime.0, InboxFailureKind::Runtime));
+        let overload = classify_exec_error(&ExecError::Overloaded {
+            retry_after_secs: 1,
+        });
+        assert!(matches!(overload.0, InboxFailureKind::Overloaded));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn failure_kind_status_codes_match_design_notes() {
+        assert_eq!(failure_kind_to_status(InboxFailureKind::Validation), 422);
+        assert_eq!(failure_kind_to_status(InboxFailureKind::Runtime), 502);
+        assert_eq!(failure_kind_to_status(InboxFailureKind::Overloaded), 503);
+        assert_eq!(failure_kind_to_status(InboxFailureKind::Timeout), 504);
+        assert_eq!(
+            failure_kind_to_status(InboxFailureKind::OperationBudget),
+            507
+        );
+        assert_eq!(failure_kind_to_status(InboxFailureKind::Platform), 500);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/manager-core/src/lib.rs b/crates/manager-core/src/lib.rs
index 09a77bf..869d3de 100644
--- a/crates/manager-core/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/manager-core/src/lib.rs
@@ -23,11 +23,14 @@ pub mod auth_bootstrap;
 pub mod auth_middleware;
 pub mod authz;
 pub mod dead_letter_repo;
+pub mod dispatcher;
 pub mod kv_repo;
 pub mod kv_service;
 pub mod log_sink;
 pub mod migrations;
+pub mod outbox_event_emitter;
 pub mod outbox_repo;
+pub mod principal_resolver;
 pub mod repo;
 pub mod route_admin;
 pub mod route_repo;
@@ -77,12 +80,15 @@ pub use authz::{can, require, AuthzDenied, AuthzError, AuthzRepo, Capability, De
 pub use dead_letter_repo::{
     DeadLetterRepo, DeadLetterRepoError, DeadLetterRow, NewDeadLetter, PostgresDeadLetterRepo,
 };
+pub use dispatcher::{compute_backoff, Dispatcher, DispatcherError};
 pub use kv_repo::{KvRepo, KvRepoError, PostgresKvRepo};
 pub use kv_service::KvServiceImpl;
 pub use log_sink::PostgresExecutionLogSink;
+pub use outbox_event_emitter::OutboxEventEmitter;
 pub use outbox_repo::{
     NewOutboxRow, OutboxRepo, OutboxRepoError, OutboxRow, OutboxSourceKind, PostgresOutboxRepo,
 };
+pub use principal_resolver::{AdminPrincipalResolver, PrincipalResolver, PrincipalResolverError};
 pub use repo::{
     ExecutionLogRepository, NewScript, PostgresExecutionLogRepository, PostgresScriptRepository,
     RepoResolver, ScriptPatch, ScriptRepository, ScriptRepositoryError,
diff --git a/crates/manager-core/src/outbox_event_emitter.rs b/crates/manager-core/src/outbox_event_emitter.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..176c10e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/manager-core/src/outbox_event_emitter.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+//! `OutboxEventEmitter` — the real `ServiceEventEmitter` that replaces
+//! v1.1.0's `NoopEventEmitter` once the triggers framework lands.
+//!
+//! On each `emit` (a KV mutation, future doc/file/pubsub event, etc.):
+//!   1. Look up matching triggers for the event's (app_id, source, op,
+//!      collection) tuple via `TriggerRepo::list_matching_*`.
+//!   2. For each match, write one outbox row carrying the event payload
+//!      serialized as a `TriggerEvent`.
+//!
+//! Defaults applied at write time so `OutboxRow.payload` carries
+//! everything the dispatcher needs to reconstruct the executor
+//! invocation without joining back to the trigger row.
+//!
+//! Non-KV `ServiceEvent` sources are silently dropped in v1.1.1 — the
+//! dispatcher only knows how to fire KV triggers this release. Future
+//! sources (docs/files/pubsub) add their own dispatch arm.
+
+use std::sync::Arc;
+
+use async_trait::async_trait;
+use picloud_shared::{
+    EmitError, KvEventOp, SdkCallCx, ServiceEvent, ServiceEventEmitter, TriggerEvent,
+};
+
+use crate::outbox_repo::{NewOutboxRow, OutboxRepo, OutboxSourceKind};
+use crate::trigger_repo::TriggerRepo;
+
+pub struct OutboxEventEmitter {
+    triggers: Arc<dyn TriggerRepo>,
+    outbox: Arc<dyn OutboxRepo>,
+}
+
+impl OutboxEventEmitter {
+    #[must_use]
+    pub fn new(triggers: Arc<dyn TriggerRepo>, outbox: Arc<dyn OutboxRepo>) -> Self {
+        Self { triggers, outbox }
+    }
+}
+
+#[async_trait]
+impl ServiceEventEmitter for OutboxEventEmitter {
+    async fn emit(&self, cx: &SdkCallCx, event: ServiceEvent) -> Result<(), EmitError> {
+        match event.source {
+            "kv" => self.emit_kv(cx, event).await,
+            // Future sources land here. For now, silently drop — the
+            // SDK calls `events.emit(...)` unconditionally for forward
+            // compat, so swallowing without an error is correct.
+            _ => Ok(()),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl OutboxEventEmitter {
+    async fn emit_kv(&self, cx: &SdkCallCx, event: ServiceEvent) -> Result<(), EmitError> {
+        let Some(op) = KvEventOp::from_wire(event.op) else {
+            return Ok(()); // unknown op — drop quietly
+        };
+        let Some(collection) = event.collection.clone() else {
+            return Ok(()); // KV events always carry a collection — defensively skip
+        };
+        let key = event.key.clone().unwrap_or_default();
+
+        let matches = self
+            .triggers
+            .list_matching_kv(cx.app_id, &collection, op)
+            .await
+            .map_err(|e| EmitError::Unavailable(format!("trigger lookup: {e}")))?;
+
+        if matches.is_empty() {
+            return Ok(());
+        }
+
+        // Serialize the originating event as a TriggerEvent so the
+        // dispatcher can hand it to the script as `ctx.event` without
+        // round-tripping back to the trigger row.
+        let trigger_event = TriggerEvent::Kv {
+            op,
+            collection,
+            key,
+            value: event.payload.clone(),
+        };
+        let payload = serde_json::to_value(&trigger_event)
+            .map_err(|e| EmitError::Rejected(format!("event serialize: {e}")))?;
+
+        for m in matches {
+            self.outbox
+                .insert(NewOutboxRow {
+                    app_id: cx.app_id,
+                    source_kind: OutboxSourceKind::Kv,
+                    trigger_id: Some(m.trigger_id),
+                    script_id: Some(m.script_id),
+                    reply_to: None,
+                    payload: payload.clone(),
+                    origin_principal: cx.principal.as_ref().map(|p| p.user_id),
+                    trigger_depth: cx.trigger_depth.saturating_add(1),
+                    root_execution_id: Some(cx.root_execution_id),
+                })
+                .await
+                .map_err(|e| EmitError::Unavailable(format!("outbox insert: {e}")))?;
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/manager-core/src/principal_resolver.rs b/crates/manager-core/src/principal_resolver.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2674b51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/manager-core/src/principal_resolver.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+//! `PrincipalResolver` — turns a `registered_by_principal` user id from
+//! a trigger row into the `Principal` the dispatcher passes through to
+//! the executor. Per design notes §4, a trigger execution runs as the
+//! user that registered the trigger; the original event's caller is
+//! recorded elsewhere (on the outbox row, for forensics) and does not
+//! become the execution principal.
+
+use async_trait::async_trait;
+use picloud_shared::{AdminUserId, Principal};
+
+use crate::admin_user_repo::{AdminUserRepository, AdminUserRepositoryError};
+
+#[derive(Debug, thiserror::Error)]
+pub enum PrincipalResolverError {
+    #[error("user not found: {0}")]
+    NotFound(AdminUserId),
+    #[error("user is inactive: {0}")]
+    Inactive(AdminUserId),
+    #[error("admin user repo error: {0}")]
+    Backend(String),
+}
+
+#[async_trait]
+pub trait PrincipalResolver: Send + Sync {
+    async fn resolve(&self, user_id: AdminUserId) -> Result<Principal, PrincipalResolverError>;
+}
+
+pub struct AdminPrincipalResolver {
+    users: std::sync::Arc<dyn AdminUserRepository>,
+}
+
+impl AdminPrincipalResolver {
+    #[must_use]
+    pub fn new(users: std::sync::Arc<dyn AdminUserRepository>) -> Self {
+        Self { users }
+    }
+}
+
+#[async_trait]
+impl PrincipalResolver for AdminPrincipalResolver {
+    async fn resolve(&self, user_id: AdminUserId) -> Result<Principal, PrincipalResolverError> {
+        let row = self
+            .users
+            .get(user_id)
+            .await
+            .map_err(|e: AdminUserRepositoryError| PrincipalResolverError::Backend(e.to_string()))?
+            .ok_or(PrincipalResolverError::NotFound(user_id))?;
+        if !row.is_active {
+            return Err(PrincipalResolverError::Inactive(user_id));
+        }
+        Ok(Principal {
+            user_id,
+            instance_role: row.instance_role,
+            // Trigger executions are cookie-session-style (no API key
+            // scope restriction). Per-app permissions are evaluated
+            // via `authz::can` against the `app_id` of the resource
+            // the script touches, exactly like an admin invocation.
+            scopes: None,
+            app_binding: None,
+        })
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/picloud/src/lib.rs b/crates/picloud/src/lib.rs
index 9f8c697..8122513 100644
--- a/crates/picloud/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/picloud/src/lib.rs
@@ -12,22 +12,26 @@ use picloud_executor_core::{Engine, Limits};
 use picloud_manager_core::{
     admin_router, admins_router, api_keys_router, app_members_router, apps_api, apps_router,
     attach_principal_if_present, auth_router, compile_routes, migrations, require_authenticated,
-    route_admin_router, triggers_router, AdminSessionRepository, AdminState, AdminUserRepository,
-    AdminsState, ApiKeyRepository, ApiKeysState, AppDomainRepository, AppMembersRepository,
-    AppMembersState, AppRepository, AppsState, AuthState, AuthzRepo, KvServiceImpl,
-    PostgresAdminSessionRepository, PostgresAdminUserRepository, PostgresApiKeyRepository,
-    PostgresAppDomainRepository, PostgresAppMembersRepository, PostgresAppRepository,
-    PostgresExecutionLogRepository, PostgresExecutionLogSink, PostgresKvRepo,
-    PostgresRouteRepository, PostgresScriptRepository, PostgresTriggerRepo, RepoResolver,
-    RouteAdminState, RouteRepository, SandboxCeiling, TriggerConfig, TriggerRepo, TriggersState,
+    route_admin_router, triggers_router, AbandonedRepo, AdminPrincipalResolver,
+    AdminSessionRepository, AdminState, AdminUserRepository, AdminsState, ApiKeyRepository,
+    ApiKeysState, AppDomainRepository, AppMembersRepository, AppMembersState, AppRepository,
+    AppsState, AuthState, AuthzRepo, DeadLetterRepo, Dispatcher, KvServiceImpl, OutboxEventEmitter,
+    OutboxRepo, PostgresAbandonedRepo, PostgresAdminSessionRepository, PostgresAdminUserRepository,
+    PostgresApiKeyRepository, PostgresAppDomainRepository, PostgresAppMembersRepository,
+    PostgresAppRepository, PostgresDeadLetterRepo, PostgresExecutionLogRepository,
+    PostgresExecutionLogSink, PostgresKvRepo, PostgresOutboxRepo, PostgresRouteRepository,
+    PostgresScriptRepository, PostgresTriggerRepo, PrincipalResolver, RepoResolver,
+    RouteAdminState, RouteRepository, SandboxCeiling, ScriptRepository, TriggerConfig, TriggerRepo,
+    TriggersState,
 };
 use picloud_orchestrator_core::routing::{AppDomainTable, RouteTable};
 use picloud_orchestrator_core::{
     data_plane_router, user_routes_router, DataPlaneState, ExecutionGate, LocalExecutorClient,
 };
 use picloud_shared::{
-    ExecutionLogSink, KvService, NoopDeadLetterService, NoopEventEmitter, ScriptValidator,
-    ServiceEventEmitter, Services, API_VERSION, PRODUCT_VERSION, SDK_VERSION, WIRE_VERSION,
+    ExecutionLogSink, InboxResolver, KvService, NoopDeadLetterService, NoopInboxResolver,
+    ScriptValidator, ServiceEventEmitter, Services, API_VERSION, PRODUCT_VERSION, SDK_VERSION,
+    WIRE_VERSION,
 };
 use sqlx::postgres::PgPoolOptions;
 use sqlx::PgPool;
@@ -99,23 +103,28 @@ pub async fn build_app(pool: PgPool, auth: AuthDeps) -> anyhow::Result<Router> {
     let members: Arc<dyn AppMembersRepository> = members_concrete.clone();
     let authz: Arc<dyn AuthzRepo> = members_concrete;
 
-    // SDK services bundle. v1.1.1 ships the KV store; the outbox-backed
-    // event emitter replaces `NoopEventEmitter` once the triggers
-    // dispatcher lands. `NoopDeadLetterService` is a v1.1.1 stub that
-    // errors loudly until the real `PostgresDeadLetterService` ships.
-    let kv_repo = Arc::new(PostgresKvRepo::new(pool.clone()));
-    let events: Arc<dyn ServiceEventEmitter> = Arc::new(NoopEventEmitter);
+    // Triggers framework storage. The outbox event emitter routes
+    // KV mutations into the outbox; the dispatcher fans them out.
+    let trigger_repo: Arc<dyn TriggerRepo> = Arc::new(PostgresTriggerRepo::new(pool.clone()));
+    let outbox_repo: Arc<dyn OutboxRepo> = Arc::new(PostgresOutboxRepo::new(pool.clone()));
+    let dl_repo: Arc<dyn DeadLetterRepo> = Arc::new(PostgresDeadLetterRepo::new(pool.clone()));
+    let abandoned_repo: Arc<dyn AbandonedRepo> = Arc::new(PostgresAbandonedRepo::new(pool.clone()));
+    let trigger_config = TriggerConfig::from_env();
+
+    // SDK services bundle. v1.1.1 ships the KV store and the
+    // outbox-backed event emitter; `NoopDeadLetterService` is a v1.1.1
+    // stub that errors loudly until the real `PostgresDeadLetterService`
+    // ships (commit 8).
+    let kv_repo = Arc::new(PostgresKvRepo::new(pool));
+    let events: Arc<dyn ServiceEventEmitter> = Arc::new(OutboxEventEmitter::new(
+        trigger_repo.clone(),
+        outbox_repo.clone(),
+    ));
     let kv: Arc<dyn KvService> =
         Arc::new(KvServiceImpl::new(kv_repo, authz.clone(), events.clone()));
     let services = Services::new(kv, Arc::new(NoopDeadLetterService), events);
     let engine = Arc::new(Engine::new(Limits::default(), services));
 
-    // Trigger repo + config, shared between the admin endpoint and the
-    // dispatcher (commit 5). Read defaults from env so operators can
-    // tune retry / depth without rebuilding the binary.
-    let trigger_repo: Arc<dyn TriggerRepo> = Arc::new(PostgresTriggerRepo::new(pool));
-    let trigger_config = TriggerConfig::from_env();
-
     // Compile the routes table once at startup; admin writes refresh it.
     let route_table = Arc::new(RouteTable::new());
     let initial = route_repo.list_all().await?;
@@ -146,7 +155,31 @@ pub async fn build_app(pool: PgPool, auth: AuthDeps) -> anyhow::Result<Router> {
     // Single global gate — overflow is rejected with 503 + Retry-After.
     // See `ExecutionGate` docs and `PICLOUD_MAX_CONCURRENT_EXECUTIONS`.
     let gate = Arc::new(ExecutionGate::from_env());
-    let executor = Arc::new(LocalExecutorClient::new(engine.clone(), gate));
+    let executor = Arc::new(LocalExecutorClient::new(engine.clone(), gate.clone()));
+
+    // Dispatcher — single tokio task that polls the outbox and routes
+    // due rows to the executor. Shares the `ExecutionGate` with sync
+    // HTTP per design notes §2 (one cap for everything). NoopInboxResolver
+    // until commit 6 wires the real in-process inbox registry.
+    let dispatcher_script_repo: Arc<dyn ScriptRepository> =
+        Arc::new(PostgresScriptRepoHandle(script_repo.clone()));
+    let principals: Arc<dyn PrincipalResolver> =
+        Arc::new(AdminPrincipalResolver::new(auth.users.clone()));
+    let inbox: Arc<dyn InboxResolver> = Arc::new(NoopInboxResolver);
+    Dispatcher {
+        outbox: outbox_repo.clone(),
+        triggers: trigger_repo.clone(),
+        scripts: dispatcher_script_repo,
+        dead_letters: dl_repo.clone(),
+        abandoned: abandoned_repo.clone(),
+        principals,
+        executor: executor.clone(),
+        gate,
+        inbox,
+        config: trigger_config,
+        instance_id: format!("picloud-{}", std::process::id()),
+    }
+    .spawn();
 
     let admin = AdminState {
         repo: Arc::new(PostgresScriptRepoHandle(script_repo.clone())),
@@ -170,6 +203,10 @@ pub async fn build_app(pool: PgPool, auth: AuthDeps) -> anyhow::Result<Router> {
         app_domains: app_domain_table.clone(),
         routes: route_table,
     };
+    // Silence unused-import warnings for repos handed to the
+    // dispatcher in this commit; commit 8 wires them into the
+    // dead-letters admin endpoints and commit 10 into the GC sweeper.
+    let _ = (&dl_repo, &abandoned_repo);
     let triggers_state = TriggersState {
         triggers: trigger_repo,
         apps: apps_repo.clone(),
diff --git a/crates/shared/src/exec_summary.rs b/crates/shared/src/exec_summary.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3ba96a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/shared/src/exec_summary.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+//! `ExecResponseSummary` — a flattened, crate-portable view of an
+//! `ExecResponse` for use by `InboxResult`. Lives in
+//! `picloud-shared` because the dispatcher (manager-core) and the
+//! orchestrator-core inbox registry both need to read it, and
+//! `executor-core::ExecResponse` is owned by a leaf crate.
+
+use std::collections::BTreeMap;
+
+use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+pub struct ExecResponseSummary {
+    pub status_code: u16,
+    pub headers: BTreeMap<String, String>,
+    pub body: serde_json::Value,
+}
diff --git a/crates/shared/src/inbox.rs b/crates/shared/src/inbox.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed4c096
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/shared/src/inbox.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+//! `InboxResolver` — abstraction the dispatcher uses to deliver sync
+//! HTTP results back to the orchestrator that's awaiting them on a
+//! oneshot channel. Lives in `picloud-shared` because the dispatcher
+//! (manager-core) and the registry impl (orchestrator-core) live in
+//! different crates and need a shared trait surface.
+//!
+//! v1.1.1 ships an in-process implementation in `orchestrator-core`
+//! that keeps a `HashMap<inbox_id, oneshot::Sender<...>>`. Cluster
+//! mode (v1.3+) swaps this for a Postgres `LISTEN/NOTIFY`-based
+//! resolver without touching the dispatcher code (design notes §3
+//! implementation table).
+//!
+//! Until commit 6 wires up the real registry, `NoopInboxResolver`
+//! (`Abandoned` for every attempt) keeps the dispatcher able to run.
+
+use async_trait::async_trait;
+use uuid::Uuid;
+
+use crate::ExecResponseSummary;
+
+/// Result of trying to hand back a sync-HTTP outcome.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub enum InboxDeliveryOutcome {
+    /// Receiver still attached; result was delivered. Dispatcher
+    /// deletes the outbox row.
+    Delivered,
+    /// Receiver was dropped (orchestrator timed out). Dispatcher
+    /// writes an `abandoned_executions` row.
+    Abandoned,
+}
+
+/// Outcome shape the dispatcher delivers to the inbox. Carries enough
+/// to reconstruct an HTTP response — full body via JSON, optional
+/// error string when the executor reported a failure.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+pub enum InboxResult {
+    /// Successful execution. `response` is the `ExecResponse` summary
+    /// (status code + body + headers + logs).
+    Success(ExecResponseSummary),
+    /// Failure modes — script threw, op-budget, timeout, etc. The
+    /// orchestrator maps these to the design-notes §3 status codes
+    /// (422/502/503/504/507/500) when responding to the HTTP caller.
+    Failure {
+        kind: InboxFailureKind,
+        message: String,
+    },
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub enum InboxFailureKind {
+    /// Script's Rhai code threw or hit a runtime error → 502.
+    Runtime,
+    /// Wall-clock exceeded → 504.
+    Timeout,
+    /// Operation budget exceeded → 507.
+    OperationBudget,
+    /// Gate refused admission → 503.
+    Overloaded,
+    /// Script parse failure / bad-request → 422.
+    Validation,
+    /// Platform problem (executor crashed, dispatcher crashed, etc.) → 500.
+    Platform,
+}
+
+#[async_trait]
+pub trait InboxResolver: Send + Sync {
+    /// Attempt to deliver `result` to the receiver registered under
+    /// `inbox_id`. Returns `Delivered` if the channel was alive,
+    /// `Abandoned` if the receiver was already dropped (the
+    /// orchestrator's timeout fired before the dispatcher got here).
+    async fn deliver(&self, inbox_id: Uuid, result: InboxResult) -> InboxDeliveryOutcome;
+}
+
+/// Bootstrap impl used before the real registry is wired in. Every
+/// delivery is treated as abandoned — the dispatcher records an
+/// abandoned-execution row and moves on. Replaced in `build_app` with
+/// the in-process `InboxRegistry` from orchestrator-core.
+#[derive(Debug, Default, Clone, Copy)]
+pub struct NoopInboxResolver;
+
+#[async_trait]
+impl InboxResolver for NoopInboxResolver {
+    async fn deliver(&self, _inbox_id: Uuid, _result: InboxResult) -> InboxDeliveryOutcome {
+        InboxDeliveryOutcome::Abandoned
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/shared/src/lib.rs b/crates/shared/src/lib.rs
index 4246974..edb24fa 100644
--- a/crates/shared/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/shared/src/lib.rs
@@ -9,8 +9,10 @@ pub mod auth;
 pub mod dead_letters;
 pub mod error;
 pub mod events;
+pub mod exec_summary;
 pub mod execution_log;
 pub mod ids;
+pub mod inbox;
 pub mod kv;
 pub mod log_sink;
 pub mod route;
@@ -27,8 +29,12 @@ pub use auth::{AppRole, InstanceRole, Principal, Scope, UserId};
 pub use dead_letters::{DeadLetterError, DeadLetterId, DeadLetterService, NoopDeadLetterService};
 pub use error::Error;
 pub use events::{EmitError, NoopEventEmitter, ServiceEvent, ServiceEventEmitter};
+pub use exec_summary::ExecResponseSummary;
 pub use execution_log::{ExecutionLog, ExecutionStatus};
 pub use ids::{AdminUserId, ApiKeyId, AppId, ExecutionId, RequestId, ScriptId, TriggerId};
+pub use inbox::{
+    InboxDeliveryOutcome, InboxFailureKind, InboxResolver, InboxResult, NoopInboxResolver,
+};
 pub use kv::{KvError, KvListPage, KvService, NoopKvService};
 pub use log_sink::{ExecutionLogSink, LogSinkError};
 pub use route::{HostKind, PathKind, Route};