diff --git a/scripts/dev-start.sh b/scripts/dev-start.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..f49b1fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/dev-start.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Start local dev stack: node backend (sqlite) + react frontend, ws storage mode.
+# Usage: ./scripts/dev-start.sh
+# Stop:  ./scripts/dev-stop.sh
+set -euo pipefail
+cd "$(dirname "$0")/.."
+mkdir -p tmp data
+
+# kill anything on the ports (zombies)
+for port in 3999 4001; do
+  pids=$(lsof -ti :$port 2>/dev/null || true)
+  if [ -n "$pids" ]; then
+    echo "port $port in use by: $pids — leaving as-is."
+    echo "  (run ./scripts/dev-stop.sh first to restart clean)"
+  fi
+done
+
+# backend: better-sqlite3, :4001
+if ! lsof -ti :4001 >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  echo "starting backend :4001..."
+  DB_PATH=$(pwd)/data/tracker.sqlite PORT=4001 \
+    nohup npm run server:dev > tmp/server.log 2>&1 &
+  echo $! > tmp/server.pid
+else
+  echo "backend already on :4001"
+fi
+
+# frontend: ws storage, :3999
+if ! lsof -ti :3999 >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  echo "starting frontend :3999..."
+  REACT_APP_STORAGE=ws \
+  REACT_APP_BACKEND_URL=http://127.0.0.1:4001 \
+  REACT_APP_BACKEND_WS=ws://127.0.0.1:4001/ws \
+  BROWSER=none PORT=3999 \
+    nohup npm start > tmp/fe.log 2>&1 &
+  echo $! > tmp/fe.pid
+else
+  echo "frontend already on :3999"
+fi
+
+# wait for ports to listen
+echo "waiting for ports..."
+for port in 4001 3999; do
+  for i in {1..30}; do
+    lsof -ti :$port >/dev/null 2>&1 && break
+    sleep 1
+  done
+done
+
+echo ""
+echo "backend  : http://127.0.0.1:4001   (curl http://127.0.0.1:4001/health)"
+echo "frontend : http://127.0.0.1:3999   (admin /  player /display)"
+echo "logs     : tmp/server.log tmp/fe.log"
+echo "stop     : ./scripts/dev-stop.sh"
diff --git a/scripts/dev-stop.sh b/scripts/dev-stop.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..4e67595
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/dev-stop.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Stop local dev stack. Usage: ./scripts/dev-stop.sh
+set -uo pipefail
+cd "$(dirname "$0")/.."
+
+stopped=0
+for port in 3999 4001; do
+  pids=$(lsof -ti :$port 2>/dev/null || true)
+  if [ -n "$pids" ]; then
+    echo "stopping :$port (pid: $pids)"
+    kill $pids 2>/dev/null || true
+    stopped=1
+  fi
+done
+
+# also kill recorded pids
+for f in tmp/server.pid tmp/fe.pid; do
+  if [ -f "$f" ]; then
+    pid=$(cat "$f")
+    kill "$pid" 2>/dev/null || true
+    rm -f "$f"
+  fi
+done
+
+# node --watch spawns children — sweep by port pattern
+pids=$(pgrep -f "node --watch index.js|react-scripts start" 2>/dev/null || true)
+if [ -n "$pids" ]; then
+  echo "sweeping node dev procs: $pids"
+  kill $pids 2>/dev/null || true
+fi
+
+if [ "$stopped" = "0" ]; then
+  echo "nothing running."
+fi
+echo "stopped."