diff --git a/tines-core/src/lib.rs b/tines-core/src/lib.rs
index 61587602..4d059052 100644
--- a/tines-core/src/lib.rs
+++ b/tines-core/src/lib.rs
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ pub use node::{Node, ObserveError};
 pub use observation::{
     Dest, NodeId, Observation, ObservationId, Payload, SigAlgo, Signature, Tick, Topic,
 };
-pub use store::{Store, StoreError, TrimPolicy};
+pub use store::{Store, StoreError, TrimPolicy, WallClockStore};
 pub use transport::{Event, FrameBuf, SendError, Transport};
 pub use wire::{frame_sender, Frame, WireError};
 
diff --git a/tines-core/src/node.rs b/tines-core/src/node.rs
index 9e924fa4..3187e729 100644
--- a/tines-core/src/node.rs
+++ b/tines-core/src/node.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 
 use crate::{
     consts, exchange::Exchange, BeliefPolicy, Dest, NodeEvent, NodeId, Observation, ObservationId,
-    Payload, Store, StoreError, Tick, Topic, Transport, TrimPolicy,
+    Payload, Store, StoreError, Tick, Topic, Transport, TrimPolicy, WallClockStore,
 };
 
 /// Errors returned by [`Node::observe`].
@@ -219,13 +219,22 @@ impl<S: Store, T: Transport> Node<S, T> {
         &self.store
     }
 
-    /// Mutable access to the backing store.
-    ///
-    /// Used by the host for the trusted-time state machine — peer-observation
-    /// time estimation (`LogStore::peer_time_estimate`) and, once trusted,
-    /// anchoring the wall clock (`LogStore::set_wall_clock`).
-    pub fn store_mut(&mut self) -> &mut S {
-        &mut self.store
+    /// Lift the quarantine on held observations once the host has trusted wall
+    /// time, by folding the wall clock into a [`WallClockStore`] backend.
+    pub fn set_wall_clock(&mut self, wall_now: u64, now: Tick) -> <S as WallClockStore>::FoldReport
+    where
+        S: WallClockStore,
+    {
+        self.store.set_wall_clock(wall_now, now)
+    }
+
+    /// Best estimate of trusted wall time from a peer's observation, if the
+    /// backend supports it (see [`WallClockStore`]).
+    pub fn peer_time_estimate(&self, now: Tick) -> Option<u64>
+    where
+        S: WallClockStore,
+    {
+        self.store.peer_time_estimate(now)
     }
 
     /// Best-effort durability flush, advancing each stored observation's age
diff --git a/tines-core/src/store.rs b/tines-core/src/store.rs
index 6ea9e91e..2315dfe5 100644
--- a/tines-core/src/store.rs
+++ b/tines-core/src/store.rs
@@ -127,3 +127,25 @@ pub trait Store {
 pub(crate) fn current_age(obs: &Observation, stored_at: Tick, now: Tick) -> u64 {
     obs.age_ms.saturating_add(now.saturating_sub(stored_at))
 }
+
+/// A [`Store`] that a host can feed trusted wall-clock time into.
+///
+/// tines-core itself never deals with wall time — this trait is a host-facing
+/// hook so a host can lift the quarantine on observations held across a
+/// power-off, and estimate trusted time from a peer's observation, without a
+/// general `&mut Store` backdoor (decision F in the spec). Only backends that
+/// support a wall-clock fold implement it; `MemStore` and other pure-tick
+/// stores do not.
+pub trait WallClockStore: Store {
+    /// Summary of a wall-clock fold, for the host's logs.
+    type FoldReport;
+
+    /// Fold trusted wall time into the store, lifting the quarantine on held
+    /// observations. The host calls this exactly once, on the first trusted
+    /// time.
+    fn set_wall_clock(&mut self, wall_now: u64, now: Tick) -> Self::FoldReport;
+
+    /// Best estimate of trusted wall time from a peer's observation stored
+    /// since the last open, if any. `None` means stay quarantined.
+    fn peer_time_estimate(&self, now: Tick) -> Option<u64>;
+}
diff --git a/tines-ros2/src/node.rs b/tines-ros2/src/node.rs
index 0031dc06..925645fa 100644
--- a/tines-ros2/src/node.rs
+++ b/tines-ros2/src/node.rs
@@ -223,10 +223,10 @@ impl TinesNode {
         if self.clock.is_trusted() {
             return;
         }
-        let Some(est) = self.tines.store_mut().peer_time_estimate(now) else {
+        let Some(est) = self.tines.peer_time_estimate(now) else {
             return;
         };
-        let report = self.tines.store_mut().set_wall_clock(est, now);
+        let report = self.tines.set_wall_clock(est, now);
         self.clock.anchor_wall(est, now);
         match report.downtime_ms {
             Some(ms) => println!("tines: trusted wall clock from peer (folded {ms} ms downtime)"),
diff --git a/tines-store/src/log.rs b/tines-store/src/log.rs
index 761898ca..ea35a8f5 100644
--- a/tines-store/src/log.rs
+++ b/tines-store/src/log.rs
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ use std::io::Write;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
-use tines_core::{Observation, ObservationId, Store, StoreError, Tick, TrimPolicy};
+use tines_core::{Observation, ObservationId, Store, StoreError, Tick, TrimPolicy, WallClockStore};
 
 mod crc32c {
     //! A minimal, std-only CRC-32C (Castagnoli).
@@ -802,6 +802,18 @@ impl LogStore {
     }
 }
 
+impl WallClockStore for LogStore {
+    type FoldReport = FoldReport;
+
+    fn set_wall_clock(&mut self, wall_now: u64, now: Tick) -> FoldReport {
+        LogStore::set_wall_clock(self, wall_now, now)
+    }
+
+    fn peer_time_estimate(&self, now: Tick) -> Option<u64> {
+        LogStore::peer_time_estimate(self, now)
+    }
+}
+
 /// Write the log header: `magic ‖ format_version ‖ reserved`.
 fn write_header(file: &mut File) -> Result<(), StoreError> {
     file.write_all(&MAGIC).map_err(|_| StoreError::Backend)?;
diff --git a/tines/src/ipc.rs b/tines/src/ipc.rs
index cb2a103b..f2a2fdd0 100644
--- a/tines/src/ipc.rs
+++ b/tines/src/ipc.rs
@@ -238,8 +238,8 @@ where
     // quarantined — the robot's own fail-safe is outside tines.
     if !clock.is_trusted() {
         let now = clock.now();
-        if let Some(est) = node.store_mut().peer_time_estimate(now) {
-            node.store_mut().set_wall_clock(est, now);
+        if let Some(est) = node.peer_time_estimate(now) {
+            node.set_wall_clock(est, now);
             clock.anchor_wall(est, now);
             eprintln!("tines: trusted wall clock from peer (estimate {est} ms)");
         }
diff --git a/tines/tests/ipc.rs b/tines/tests/ipc.rs
index 68f1626e..0567ce96 100644
--- a/tines/tests/ipc.rs
+++ b/tines/tests/ipc.rs
@@ -691,7 +691,6 @@ fn smallest_age_wins() {
 
     let now = t;
     let est = node_b
-        .store_mut()
         .peer_time_estimate(now)
         .expect("peer_time_estimate should find both observations");
     // The young observation's observed_at (wall + 5000) is newer, so the
@@ -744,7 +743,6 @@ fn time_from_peer() {
     // which is A's broadcast.
     let now_b = t;
     let est = node_b
-        .store_mut()
         .peer_time_estimate(now_b)
         .expect("peer_time_estimate should find A's broadcast");
 
@@ -763,7 +761,7 @@ fn time_from_peer() {
     // (unknown) downtime B is in, the fold ages its held observation past
     // lifetime and lifts its quarantine (the "becomes visible" event): the fold
     // report counts exactly that one addressed observation expiring.
-    let report = node_b.store_mut().set_wall_clock(est, now_b);
+    let report = node_b.set_wall_clock(est, now_b);
     assert_eq!(
         report.downtime_ms, None,
         "unknown downtime for a fresh store"