diff --git a/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/outbound_watch.rs b/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/outbound_watch.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2104480b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/outbound_watch.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+use super::*;
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+pub(in crate::storage_manager) struct PerNodeOutboundWatch {
+    /// The watch id returned from the watch node
+    pub id: u64,
+    /// The expiration of a successful watch
+    pub expiration_ts: Timestamp,
+    /// Which node accepted the watch
+    pub watch_node_id: TypedKey,
+    /// Resolved watch node reference
+    #[serde(skip)]
+    pub watch_node_ref: Option<NodeRef>,
+    /// How many value change notifications are left
+    pub count: u32,
+}
+
+/// Requested parameters for watch
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+pub(in crate::storage_manager) struct OutboundWatchParameters {
+    /// Requested expiration timestamp
+    pub expiration_ts: Timestamp,
+    /// How many notifications the requestor asked for
+    pub count: u32,
+    /// Subkeys requested for this watch
+    pub subkeys: ValueSubkeyRangeSet,
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+pub(in crate::storage_manager) struct OutboundWatchCurrent {
+    /// Requested parameters
+    pub params: OutboundWatchParameters,
+    /// Outbound watches per node
+    pub per_node: Vec<PerNodeOutboundWatch>,
+    /// Minimum expiration time for all our nodes
+    pub min_expiration_ts: Timestamp,
+    /// How many value change updates remain
+    pub remaining_count: u32,
+    /// Which private route is responsible for receiving ValueChanged notifications
+    pub opt_value_changed_route: Option<PublicKey>,
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+pub(in crate::storage_manager) struct OutboundWatch {
+    /// Current state
+    /// None means inactive/cancelled
+    pub current: Option<OutboundWatchCurrent>,
+
+    /// Desired parameters
+    /// None means cancelled
+    pub desired: Option<OutboundWatchParameters>,
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Eq, PartialEq, Ord, PartialOrd, Hash, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+pub(in crate::storage_manager) struct PerNodeKey {
+    /// Watched record key
+    pub record_key: TypedKey,
+    /// Watching node id
+    pub node_id: TypedKey,
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+pub(in crate::storage_manager) struct PerNodeState {
+    /// Watch Id
+    pub watch_id: u64,
+    /// SafetySpec used to contact the node
+    pub safety_spec: SafetySpec,
+    /// The expiration of a successful watch
+    pub expiration_ts: Timestamp,
+    /// How many value change notifications are left
+    pub count: u32,
+
+    /// Resolved watch node reference
+    #[serde(skip)]
+    pub watch_node_ref: Option<NodeRef>,
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+pub(in crate::storage_manager) struct OutboundWatchState {
+    /// Each watch per record key
+    pub outbound_watches: HashMap<TypedKey, OutboundWatch>,
+    /// Last known active watch per node+record
+    pub per_node_state: HashMap<PerNodeKey, PerNodeState>,
+}
+
+impl OutboundWatchCurrent {
+    pub fn new(
+        params: OutboundWatchParameters,
+        opt_value_changed_route: Option<CryptoKey>,
+    ) -> Self {
+        let remaining_count = params.count;
+        let min_expiration_ts = params.expiration_ts;
+
+        Self {
+            params,
+            per_node: vec![],
+            min_expiration_ts,
+            remaining_count,
+            opt_value_changed_route,
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn per_node_outbound_watch_by_id(&self, watch_id: u64) -> Option<&PerNodeOutboundWatch> {
+        self.per_node.iter().find(|x| x.id == watch_id)
+    }
+
+    pub fn per_node_outbound_watch_by_id_mut(
+        &mut self,
+        watch_id: u64,
+    ) -> Option<&mut PerNodeOutboundWatch> {
+        self.per_node.iter_mut().find(|x| x.id == watch_id)
+    }
+
+    pub fn remove_per_node_outbound_watch_by_id(&mut self, watch_id: u64) {
+        let Some(n) = self.per_node.iter().position(|x| x.id == watch_id) else {
+            return;
+        };
+        self.per_node.remove(n);
+
+        self.update_min_expiration_ts();
+    }
+
+    fn update_min_expiration_ts(&mut self) {
+        self.min_expiration_ts = self
+            .per_node
+            .iter()
+            .map(|x| x.expiration_ts)
+            .reduce(|a, b| a.min(b))
+            .unwrap_or(self.params.expiration_ts);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/record_store/inbound_watch.rs b/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/record_store/inbound_watch.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a9ab3cc5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/record_store/inbound_watch.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+use super::*;
+
+/// Watch parameters used to configure a watch
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+pub struct InboundWatchParameters {
+    /// The range of subkeys being watched, empty meaning full
+    pub subkeys: ValueSubkeyRangeSet,
+    /// When this watch will expire
+    pub expiration: Timestamp,
+    /// How many updates are left before forced expiration
+    pub count: u32,
+    /// The watching schema member key, or an anonymous key
+    pub watcher: PublicKey,
+    /// The place where updates are sent
+    pub target: Target,
+}
+
+/// Watch result to return with answer
+/// Default result is cancelled/expired/inactive/rejected
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+pub enum InboundWatchResult {
+    /// A new watch was created
+    Created {
+        /// The new id of the watch
+        id: u64,
+        /// The expiration timestamp of the watch. This should never be zero.
+        expiration: Timestamp,
+    },
+    /// An existing watch was modified
+    Changed {
+        /// The new expiration timestamp of the modified watch. This should never be zero.
+        expiration: Timestamp,
+    },
+    /// An existing watch was cancelled
+    Cancelled,
+    /// The request was rejected due to invalid parameters or a missing watch
+    Rejected,
+}
+
+/// An individual watch
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+pub struct InboundWatch {
+    /// The configuration of the watch
+    pub params: InboundWatchParameters,
+    /// A unique id per record assigned at watch creation time. Used to disambiguate a client's version of a watch
+    pub id: u64,
+    /// What has changed since the last update
+    pub changed: ValueSubkeyRangeSet,
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Default, Clone)]
+/// A record being watched for changes
+pub struct InboundWatchList {
+    /// The list of active watches
+    pub watches: Vec<InboundWatch>,
+}
+
+/// How a watch gets updated when a value changes
+pub enum InboundWatchUpdateMode {
+    /// Update no watchers
+    NoUpdate,
+    /// Update all watchers
+    UpdateAll,
+    /// Update all watchers except ones that come from a specific target
+    ExcludeTarget(Target),
+}
diff --git a/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/tasks/check_inbound_watches.rs b/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/tasks/check_inbound_watches.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3c8638b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/tasks/check_inbound_watches.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+use super::*;
+
+impl StorageManager {
+    // Check if server-side watches have expired
+    #[instrument(level = "trace", target = "stor", skip_all, err)]
+    pub(super) async fn check_inbound_watches_task_routine(
+        &self,
+        _stop_token: StopToken,
+        _last_ts: Timestamp,
+        _cur_ts: Timestamp,
+    ) -> EyreResult<()> {
+        let mut inner = self.inner.lock().await;
+
+        if let Some(local_record_store) = &mut inner.local_record_store {
+            local_record_store.check_watched_records();
+        }
+        if let Some(remote_record_store) = &mut inner.remote_record_store {
+            remote_record_store.check_watched_records();
+        }
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
diff --git a/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/tasks/check_outbound_watches.rs b/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/tasks/check_outbound_watches.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dcb26038
--- /dev/null
+++ b/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/tasks/check_outbound_watches.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+use super::*;
+
+impl StorageManager {
+    async fn background_outbound_watch_cancel(
+        self,
+        watch_locked_key: AsyncTagLockGuard<TypedKey>,
+        safety_selection: SafetySelection,
+        opt_watcher: Option<KeyPair>,
+        mut outbound_watch: OutboundWatch,
+    ) {
+        let key = watch_locked_key.tag();
+
+        // Last ditch cancellation of per-node watches that may not be fully exhausted
+        let cancelled_ids = self
+            .outbound_watch_value_cancel_set(key, safety_selection, opt_watcher, &outbound_watch)
+            .await;
+
+        // Remove any fully cancelled watch ids
+        for cancelled_id in cancelled_ids {
+            outbound_watch.remove_per_node_outbound_watch_by_id(cancelled_id);
+        }
+
+        // Ensure the watch is put into cancelled state
+        outbound_watch.remaining_count = 0;
+
+        // Update the opened record
+        let mut inner = self.inner.lock().await;
+        let Some(opened_record) = inner.opened_records.get_mut(&key) else {
+            // Already closed
+            return;
+        };
+        opened_record.clear_outbound_watch();
+    }
+
+    // Check if client-side watches on opened records either have dead nodes or if the watch has expired
+    #[instrument(level = "trace", target = "stor", skip_all, err)]
+    pub(super) async fn check_outbound_watches_task_routine(
+        &self,
+        _stop_token: StopToken,
+        _last_ts: Timestamp,
+        _cur_ts: Timestamp,
+    ) -> EyreResult<()> {
+        let mut inner = self.inner.lock().await;
+
+        let routing_table = self.routing_table();
+        //let update_callback = self.update_callback();
+
+        let cur_ts = Timestamp::now();
+        for (k, v) in inner.opened_records.iter_mut() {
+            let Some(outbound_watch) = v.outbound_watch() else {
+                continue;
+            };
+
+            // See if the watch is expired or out of updates
+            if outbound_watch.min_expiration_ts <= cur_ts || outbound_watch.remaining_count == 0 {
+                // See if we can lock the outbound watch
+                let Some(watch_lock) = self.outbound_watch_lock_table.try_lock_tag(*k) else {
+                    // Watch is busy, come back later
+                    continue;
+                };
+
+                let outbound_watch = outbound_watch.clone();
+                let safety_selection = v.safety_selection();
+                let opt_watcher = v.writer().cloned();
+
+                self.background_operation_processor.add_future(
+                    self.clone().background_outbound_watch_cancel(
+                        watch_lock,
+                        safety_selection,
+                        opt_watcher,
+                        outbound_watch,
+                    ),
+                );
+
+                // Clear active watch
+                v.remove_active_watch(outbound_watch.id);
+
+                // // Send valuechange with dead count and no subkeys
+                // update_callback(VeilidUpdate::ValueChange(Box::new(VeilidValueChange {
+                //     key: *k,
+                //     subkeys: ValueSubkeyRangeSet::new(),
+                //     count: 0,
+                //     value: None,
+                // })));
+            }
+
+            // See if the private route we're using is dead
+            let mut is_dead = false;
+
+            if !is_dead {
+                if let Some(value_changed_route) = outbound_watch.opt_value_changed_route {
+                    if routing_table
+                        .route_spec_store()
+                        .get_route_id_for_key(&value_changed_route)
+                        .is_none()
+                    {
+                        // Route we would receive value changes on is dead
+                        is_dead = true;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
+            for outbound_watch in &outbound_watch.per_node {
+                // See if the active watch's node is dead
+                if !outbound_watch.watch_node.state(cur_ts).is_alive() {
+                    // Watched node is dead
+                    is_dead = true;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}