diff --git a/src/agent/tools/memory.rs b/src/agent/tools/memory.rs
index b525925..55c6447 100644
--- a/src/agent/tools/memory.rs
+++ b/src/agent/tools/memory.rs
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ memory_tool!(memory_links, ref -> Vec<LinkInfo>, key: [str]);
 pub use crate::hippocampus::local::JournalEntry;
 
 memory_tool!(journal_tail, ref -> Vec<JournalEntry>, count: [Option<u64>], level: [Option<u64>], after: [Option<&str>]);
-memory_tool!(journal_new, mut, name: [str], title: [str], body: [str], level: [Option<i64>]);
+memory_tool!(journal_new, mut, name: [str], title: [str], body: [str], level: [Option<i64>], date: [Option<&str>]);
 memory_tool!(journal_update, mut, body: [str], level: [Option<i64>]);
 
 // ── Graph tools ───────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -363,7 +363,8 @@ pub fn journal_tools() -> [super::Tool; 3] {
                 "name": {"type": "string"},
                 "title": {"type": "string"},
                 "body": {"type": "string"},
-                "level": {"type": "integer"}
+                "level": {"type": "integer"},
+                "date": {"type": "string", "description": "Override timestamp (YYYY-MM-DD or YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM)"}
             },
             "required": ["name", "title", "body"]
         }"#),
diff --git a/src/cli/journal.rs b/src/cli/journal.rs
index 52436fc..f5f6417 100644
--- a/src/cli/journal.rs
+++ b/src/cli/journal.rs
@@ -82,14 +82,14 @@ pub async fn cmd_journal_tail(n: usize, full: bool, level: u8) -> Result<()> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
-pub async fn cmd_journal_write(name: &str, text: &[String]) -> Result<()> {
+pub async fn cmd_journal_write(name: &str, date: Option<&str>, text: &[String]) -> Result<()> {
     if text.is_empty() {
         bail!("journal write requires text");
     }
     super::check_dry_run();
     let body = text.join(" ");
 
-    let result = memory::journal_new(None, name, name, &body, Some(0)).await?;
+    let result = memory::journal_new(None, name, name, &body, Some(0), date).await?;
     println!("{}", result);
     Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/src/hippocampus/local.rs b/src/hippocampus/local.rs
index 66b4803..0577811 100644
--- a/src/hippocampus/local.rs
+++ b/src/hippocampus/local.rs
@@ -315,9 +315,13 @@ fn level_to_node_type(level: i64) -> crate::store::NodeType {
     }
 }
 
-pub fn journal_new(store: &Store, provenance: &str, name: &str, title: &str, body: &str, level: Option<i64>) -> Result<String> {
+pub fn journal_new(store: &Store, provenance: &str, name: &str, title: &str, body: &str, level: Option<i64>, date: Option<&str>) -> Result<String> {
     let level = level.unwrap_or(0);
-    let ts = chrono::Local::now().format("%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M");
+    let ts = if let Some(d) = date {
+        d.to_string()
+    } else {
+        chrono::Local::now().format("%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M").to_string()
+    };
     let content = format!("## {} — {}\n\n{}", ts, title, body);
 
     let base_key: String = name.split_whitespace()
@@ -340,6 +344,12 @@ pub fn journal_new(store: &Store, provenance: &str, name: &str, title: &str, bod
         base_key.to_string()
     };
     let mut node = crate::store::new_node(&key, &content);
+    if let Some(d) = date {
+        if let Some(epoch) = parse_date_to_epoch(d) {
+            node.timestamp = epoch;
+            node.created_at = epoch;
+        }
+    }
     node.node_type = level_to_node_type(level);
     node.provenance = provenance.to_string();
     store.upsert_node(node).map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("{}", e))?;
@@ -348,6 +358,18 @@ pub fn journal_new(store: &Store, provenance: &str, name: &str, title: &str, bod
     Ok(format!("New entry '{}' ({} words)", title, word_count))
 }
 
+fn parse_date_to_epoch(date: &str) -> Option<i64> {
+    use chrono::NaiveDate;
+    use chrono::NaiveDateTime;
+    if let Ok(dt) = NaiveDateTime::parse_from_str(date, "%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M") {
+        Some(dt.and_local_timezone(chrono::Local).single()?.timestamp())
+    } else if let Ok(d) = NaiveDate::parse_from_str(date, "%Y-%m-%d") {
+        Some(d.and_hms_opt(12, 0, 0)?.and_local_timezone(chrono::Local).single()?.timestamp())
+    } else {
+        None
+    }
+}
+
 pub fn journal_update(store: &Store, provenance: &str, body: &str, level: Option<i64>) -> Result<String> {
     let level = level.unwrap_or(0);
     let node_type = level_to_node_type(level);
diff --git a/src/hippocampus/mod.rs b/src/hippocampus/mod.rs
index d79640d..32a243a 100644
--- a/src/hippocampus/mod.rs
+++ b/src/hippocampus/mod.rs
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ memory_tool!(memory_links, ref -> Vec<LinkInfo>, key: [str]);
 // ── Journal tools ──────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 memory_tool!(journal_tail, ref -> Vec<JournalEntry>, count: [Option<u64>], level: [Option<u64>], after: [Option<&str>]);
-memory_tool!(journal_new, mut, name: [str], title: [str], body: [str], level: [Option<i64>]);
+memory_tool!(journal_new, mut, name: [str], title: [str], body: [str], level: [Option<i64>], date: [Option<&str>]);
 memory_tool!(journal_update, mut, body: [str], level: [Option<i64>]);
 
 // ── Graph tools ───────────────────────────────────────────────
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index f13448c..d12ce9e 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -195,6 +195,9 @@ enum JournalCmd {
     Write {
         /// Entry name (becomes the node key)
         name: String,
+        /// Override timestamp (YYYY-MM-DD or YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM)
+        #[arg(long)]
+        date: Option<String>,
         /// Entry text
         text: Vec<String>,
     },
@@ -415,7 +418,7 @@ impl Run for NodeCmd {
 impl Run for JournalCmd {
     async fn run(self) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         match self {
-            Self::Write { name, text }                    => cli::journal::cmd_journal_write(&name, &text).await,
+            Self::Write { name, date, text }               => cli::journal::cmd_journal_write(&name, date.as_deref(), &text).await,
             Self::Tail { n, full, level }                => cli::journal::cmd_journal_tail(n, full, level).await,
         }
     }