diff --git a/tests/test_vaultstore_codec.py b/tests/test_vaultstore_codec.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c5e909fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_vaultstore_codec.py
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+"""VaultStore round-trip — Shape B+ Phase B.
+
+Exit gate: exact CGA recall is identical after a save/load cycle, and the
+restored versors are BIT-IDENTICAL to the originals — which proves the load path
+did NOT reproject/normalize them (``vault/store.py`` is a CLAUDE.md forbidden
+normalization site; persistence must be pure (de)serialization). The derived
+``_exact_index`` is rebuilt on load and the lazy ``_matrix_cache`` stays None.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+
+import numpy as np
+
+from teaching.epistemic import EpistemicStatus
+from vault.store import VaultStore
+
+
+def _versors(n: int = 6) -> list[np.ndarray]:
+    out = []
+    for i in range(n):
+        v = np.zeros(32, dtype=np.float32)
+        v[0] = 1.0
+        v[(i % 31) + 1] = 0.1 * (i + 1)  # distinct, near-identity
+        out.append(v)
+    return out
+
+
+def _populated_store() -> VaultStore:
+    store = VaultStore(reproject_interval=0)  # no auto-reproject; isolate persistence
+    for i, v in enumerate(_versors()):
+        store.store(
+            v,
+            {"turn": i, "role": "user" if i % 2 == 0 else "assistant"},
+            epistemic_status=EpistemicStatus.SPECULATIVE,
+        )
+    return store
+
+
+def test_vaultstore_round_trip_preserves_exact_recall() -> None:
+    store = _populated_store()
+    query = _versors()[2]
+    before = store.recall(query, top_k=5)
+
+    restored = VaultStore.from_dict(store.to_dict())
+    after = restored.recall(query, top_k=5)
+
+    assert [(r["index"], r["score"]) for r in before] == [
+        (r["index"], r["score"]) for r in after
+    ]
+    assert [r["metadata"] for r in before] == [r["metadata"] for r in after]
+    assert [r["versor"].tobytes() for r in before] == [
+        r["versor"].tobytes() for r in after
+    ]
+
+
+def test_vaultstore_restore_does_not_reproject_versors() -> None:
+    # Bit-identical versors prove the load path called no null_project/normalizer.
+    store = _populated_store()
+    restored = VaultStore.from_dict(store.to_dict())
+    assert len(restored) == len(store)
+    for original, recovered in zip(store._versors, restored._versors):
+        assert recovered.tobytes() == original.tobytes()
+        assert recovered.dtype == np.float32
+
+
+def test_vaultstore_round_trip_is_json_safe_and_preserves_scalars() -> None:
+    store = _populated_store()
+    restored = VaultStore.from_dict(json.loads(json.dumps(store.to_dict())))
+    assert len(restored) == len(store)
+    assert restored.store_count == store.store_count
+    assert restored.reproject_interval == store.reproject_interval
+
+
+def test_vaultstore_restore_rebuilds_exact_match_index() -> None:
+    # The exact-match short-circuit (score == inf) must work after restore,
+    # which requires _exact_index to be rebuilt over the restored bytes.
+    store = _populated_store()
+    restored = VaultStore.from_dict(store.to_dict())
+    exact_query = _versors()[3]
+    hits = restored.recall(exact_query, top_k=3)
+    assert hits[0]["score"] == float("inf")  # exact match found via rebuilt index
+
+
+def test_empty_vaultstore_round_trips() -> None:
+    store = VaultStore(reproject_interval=50, max_entries=10)
+    restored = VaultStore.from_dict(store.to_dict())
+    assert len(restored) == 0
+    assert restored.reproject_interval == 50
+    assert restored.recall(_versors()[0], top_k=3) == []
diff --git a/vault/store.py b/vault/store.py
index 54ad614d..ee762c50 100644
--- a/vault/store.py
+++ b/vault/store.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 import numpy as np
 from algebra.backend import vault_recall, vault_recall_batch
 from algebra.cga import null_project
+from core.array_codec import decode_array, encode_array
 from core.epistemic_state import EpistemicState
 from core.physics.energy import EnergyClass, EnergyProfile
 from teaching.epistemic import ADMISSIBLE_AS_EVIDENCE, EpistemicStatus
@@ -387,3 +388,49 @@ class VaultStore:
 
     def __len__(self) -> int:
         return len(self._versors)
+
+    def to_dict(self) -> dict:
+        """Serialize the vault to a bit-exact, JSON-safe dict (Shape B+ Phase B).
+
+        Pure (de)serialization, NOT normalization (``vault/store.py`` is a
+        CLAUDE.md forbidden normalization site): the persisted versors are the
+        exact bytes currently in the store — already null-projected at their last
+        reproject boundary during the live session — encoded losslessly via the
+        array codec. The derived ``_exact_index`` and the lazy ``_matrix_cache``
+        are NOT persisted; they are rebuilt deterministically on load. Metadata
+        is assumed JSON-safe (it is, by construction: primitives only).
+        """
+        return {
+            "versors": [encode_array(v) for v in self._versors],
+            "metadata": [dict(m) for m in self._metadata],
+            "store_count": int(self._store_count),
+            "reproject_interval": int(self._reproject_interval),
+            "max_entries": self._max_entries,
+        }
+
+    @classmethod
+    def from_dict(cls, payload: dict) -> "VaultStore":
+        """Reconstruct a VaultStore from ``to_dict`` output.
+
+        The load path performs NO reprojection / normalization / repair: it
+        restores the exact persisted versors (bit-identical, so exact CGA recall
+        is preserved) and rebuilds only the derived ``_exact_index``. The lazy
+        ``_matrix_cache`` is left None and rebuilt on the first recall. This is
+        the bright line — restoring bytes is not a normalization site.
+        """
+        store = cls(
+            reproject_interval=int(payload["reproject_interval"]),
+            max_entries=payload["max_entries"],
+        )
+        store._versors = deque(
+            (decode_array(v) for v in payload["versors"]),
+            maxlen=store._max_entries,
+        )
+        store._metadata = deque(
+            (dict(m) for m in payload["metadata"]),
+            maxlen=store._max_entries,
+        )
+        store._store_count = int(payload["store_count"])
+        store._rebuild_index()  # pure: key -> indices over the restored exact bytes
+        store._matrix_cache = None  # derived; lazily rebuilt on first recall
+        return store