diff --git a/server/config.js b/server/config.js
index 6a146a0..1051a04 100644
--- a/server/config.js
+++ b/server/config.js
@@ -134,4 +134,13 @@ module.exports = {
   reconnectWarmupMs: parseInt(process.env.RECONNECT_WARMUP_MS) || 30000,
   reconnectBandElevatedMult: parseFloat(process.env.RECONNECT_BAND_ELEVATED_MULT) || 2,
   reconnectBandCriticalMult: parseFloat(process.env.RECONNECT_BAND_CRITICAL_MULT) || 4,
+
+  // #142 device_status_log retention. A GLOBAL scheduled sweep (pruneStatusLog in
+  // db/database.js, run on startup + the heartbeat interval) deletes rows older
+  // than this across ALL devices — covering what the per-device insert-time prune
+  // in deviceSocket.js misses: removed/idle devices that never insert again, and
+  // the heartbeat.js offline_timeout insert that bypasses logDeviceStatus. Default
+  // is LOWER than the old hardcoded 7 days (the reporter's bloat happened under 7d);
+  // 2-3 days is plenty for the dashboard's 24h uptime view + diagnostics.
+  statusLogRetentionDays: parseFloat(process.env.STATUS_LOG_RETENTION_DAYS) || 3,
 };
diff --git a/server/db/database.js b/server/db/database.js
index 5d5c72f..cd0f920 100644
--- a/server/db/database.js
+++ b/server/db/database.js
@@ -750,6 +750,21 @@ const { applyTenantDeleteCascade } = require('../lib/tenant-cascade-migration');
   }
 })();
 
+// #142 GLOBAL device_status_log retention sweep across ALL devices. Run on startup
+// and on the heartbeat interval (services/heartbeat.js). This covers the rows the
+// per-device insert-time prune in deviceSocket.js misses: removed/idle devices that
+// never insert again, and the heartbeat offline_timeout insert that bypasses
+// logDeviceStatus. A plain time-range delete (like the play_logs prune) — runs off
+// the hot path; after the first sweep the table is small, so the cost is negligible.
+function pruneStatusLog() {
+  try {
+    const maxAgeSec = Math.round(config.statusLogRetentionDays * 86400);
+    const n = db.prepare("DELETE FROM device_status_log WHERE timestamp < strftime('%s','now') - ?").run(maxAgeSec).changes;
+    if (n > 0) console.log(`[status-log] pruned ${n} row(s) older than ${config.statusLogRetentionDays}d`);
+    return n;
+  } catch (_) { return 0; }
+}
+
 // Prune old telemetry (keep last 24h worth at 15s intervals = ~5760, cap at 6000)
 function pruneTelemetry(deviceId) {
   db.prepare(`
@@ -822,4 +837,4 @@ try {
 const { verifyAndRepairSchema } = require('../lib/schema-check');
 verifyAndRepairSchema(db);
 
-module.exports = { db, pruneTelemetry, pruneScreenshots };
+module.exports = { db, pruneTelemetry, pruneScreenshots, pruneStatusLog };
diff --git a/server/services/heartbeat.js b/server/services/heartbeat.js
index e881120..7d0778e 100644
--- a/server/services/heartbeat.js
+++ b/server/services/heartbeat.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-const { db } = require('../db/database');
+const { db, pruneStatusLog } = require('../db/database');
 const config = require('../config');
 const { deviceRoom, emitToWorkspace } = require('../lib/socket-rooms');
 
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ const { deviceRoom, emitToWorkspace } = require('../lib/socket-rooms');
 const deviceConnections = new Map();
 
 function startHeartbeatChecker(io) {
+  // #142: sweep stale device_status_log rows once at startup (recovers a bloated
+  // table immediately after a deploy), then again on each interval below.
+  pruneStatusLog();
+
   setInterval(() => {
     const now = Date.now();
     const dashboardNs = io.of('/dashboard');
@@ -49,6 +53,10 @@ function startHeartbeatChecker(io) {
       DELETE FROM play_logs WHERE started_at < strftime('%s','now') - (90 * 86400)
     `).run();
 
+    // #142: global device_status_log retention sweep (all devices, incl. removed/idle
+    // and the offline_timeout insert path that bypasses the per-device prune).
+    pruneStatusLog();
+
     // Cleanup: expired team invites
     db.prepare(`
       DELETE FROM team_invites WHERE expires_at < strftime('%s','now')
diff --git a/server/test/status-log-prune.test.js b/server/test/status-log-prune.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4e7ef35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/test/status-log-prune.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+'use strict';
+
+// #142 step 4 — global device_status_log retention sweep. Deterministic, in-process
+// (no server/port). Isolate the DB and set retention BEFORE requiring the module
+// (config reads env at load; database.js initialises a DB on load).
+
+const os = require('node:os');
+const path = require('node:path');
+const crypto = require('node:crypto');
+process.env.DATA_DIR = path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'st-statusprune-' + crypto.randomBytes(4).toString('hex'));
+process.env.STATUS_LOG_RETENTION_DAYS = '2';
+
+const { test } = require('node:test');
+const assert = require('node:assert/strict');
+const { db, pruneStatusLog } = require('../db/database');
+
+test('global sweep deletes rows older than retention across ALL devices, keeps recent', () => {
+  db.exec('DELETE FROM device_status_log'); // clean slate
+  const old = db.prepare("INSERT INTO device_status_log (device_id, status, timestamp) VALUES (?, ?, strftime('%s','now') - ?)");
+
+  // 5 days old (> 2d retention): an active device, a device NOT in the devices
+  // table (removed/idle — what the per-device insert-time prune never revisits),
+  // and the heartbeat offline_timeout status that bypasses logDeviceStatus.
+  old.run('live-dev', 'online', 5 * 86400);
+  old.run('removed-idle-dev', 'offline', 5 * 86400);
+  old.run('hb-dev', 'offline_timeout', 5 * 86400);
+  // recent (< retention): must survive, regardless of device existence / status.
+  old.run('live-dev', 'online', 0);
+  old.run('hb-dev', 'offline_timeout', 3600);
+
+  assert.equal(db.prepare('SELECT COUNT(*) c FROM device_status_log').get().c, 5, 'seeded 5 rows');
+
+  const deleted = pruneStatusLog();
+  assert.equal(deleted, 3, 'the 3 over-retention rows pruned (incl. removed-idle + offline_timeout paths)');
+
+  const remaining = db.prepare('SELECT device_id, status FROM device_status_log ORDER BY device_id').all();
+  assert.equal(remaining.length, 2);
+  // both survivors are the recent rows; no old row of any device/status survived
+  assert.deepEqual(remaining.map(r => r.device_id).sort(), ['hb-dev', 'live-dev']);
+  const oldestNow = db.prepare("SELECT MIN(timestamp) m FROM device_status_log").get().m;
+  const cutoff = Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000) - 2 * 86400;
+  assert.ok(oldestNow >= cutoff, 'no surviving row is older than the retention cutoff');
+});
+
+test('sweep is safe and idempotent on an empty/already-clean table', () => {
+  db.exec('DELETE FROM device_status_log');
+  assert.equal(pruneStatusLog(), 0, 'nothing to delete -> 0, no throw');
+});