diff --git a/cmd/ax/harness.go b/cmd/ax/harness.go
index c028007b..1edf14db 100644
--- a/cmd/ax/harness.go
+++ b/cmd/ax/harness.go
@@ -70,6 +70,9 @@ func setHarnessWorkDir() error {
 	if dir == "" {
 		return nil
 	}
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(dir, 0755); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("create harness working directory %q: %w", dir, err)
+	}
 	if err := os.Chdir(dir); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("set harness working directory %q: %w", dir, err)
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/ax/harness_test.go b/cmd/ax/harness_test.go
index 599f5abb..cabe160f 100644
--- a/cmd/ax/harness_test.go
+++ b/cmd/ax/harness_test.go
@@ -65,10 +65,14 @@ func TestSetHarnessWorkDir(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	})
 
-	t.Run("missing directory returns an error", func(t *testing.T) {
-		t.Setenv("AX_HARNESS_WORKDIR", filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "does-not-exist"))
-		if err := setHarnessWorkDir(); err == nil {
-			t.Error("expected an error for a missing directory, got nil")
+	t.Run("missing directory is created", func(t *testing.T) {
+		dir := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "created", "workdir")
+		t.Setenv("AX_HARNESS_WORKDIR", dir)
+		if err := setHarnessWorkDir(); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("setHarnessWorkDir: %v", err)
+		}
+		if _, err := os.Stat(dir); err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("working directory %q was not created: %v", dir, err)
 		}
 	})
 }
diff --git a/internal/config/config.go b/internal/config/config.go
index 58ec5008..ec89b8b1 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/config/config.go
@@ -324,6 +324,9 @@ func (c *Config) Validate() error {
 }
 
 func AXAssetsDir() (string, error) {
+	if dir := os.Getenv("AX_DURABLE_DIR"); dir != "" {
+		return filepath.Join(dir, ".ax"), nil
+	}
 	home, err := os.UserHomeDir()
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("resolving home directory: %w", err)
diff --git a/internal/config/config_test.go b/internal/config/config_test.go
index baebb037..cdcda582 100644
--- a/internal/config/config_test.go
+++ b/internal/config/config_test.go
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 package config
 
 import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -345,3 +347,32 @@ func TestValidate_SkillsSelectionOneof(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	})
 }
+
+func TestAXAssetsDir(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("durable-dir env roots the .ax tree on the volume", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Setenv("AX_DURABLE_DIR", "/mnt/durable")
+		got, err := AXAssetsDir()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("AXAssetsDir: %v", err)
+		}
+		want := filepath.Join("/mnt/durable", ".ax")
+		if got != want {
+			t.Errorf("AXAssetsDir() = %q, want %q", got, want)
+		}
+	})
+	t.Run("unset roots under the home directory", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Setenv("AX_DURABLE_DIR", "")
+		home, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Skipf("no home directory: %v", err)
+		}
+		got, err := AXAssetsDir()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("AXAssetsDir: %v", err)
+		}
+		want := filepath.Join(home, ".ax")
+		if got != want {
+			t.Errorf("AXAssetsDir() = %q, want %q", got, want)
+		}
+	})
+}
diff --git a/internal/harness/antigravityinteractions/antigravityinteractions.go b/internal/harness/antigravityinteractions/antigravityinteractions.go
index cb84faf8..56c9f3fb 100644
--- a/internal/harness/antigravityinteractions/antigravityinteractions.go
+++ b/internal/harness/antigravityinteractions/antigravityinteractions.go
@@ -159,12 +159,12 @@ func cloudLocation() string {
 	return defaultLocation
 }
 
-// DefaultStateDir returns the default resume-cursor directory, ~/.ax/antigravityinteractions/cursors,
-// used when a caller does not set StateDir explicitly. It lives outside the
-// agent's working directory on purpose: the working directory is the agent's
-// operating surface (it reads and edits files there), so AX's internal state is
-// kept separate to avoid the agent seeing or clobbering it. New still requires a
-// non-empty StateDir; callers apply this default.
+// DefaultStateDir returns the default resume-cursor directory,
+// <AXAssetsDir>/antigravityinteractions/cursors, used when a caller does not set
+// StateDir explicitly. Locally that is ~/.ax/...; on a substrate actor
+// AX_DURABLE_DIR points AXAssetsDir at a durable volume (e.g. /durable/.ax), kept
+// outside the agent's working directory so the agent does not see or modify it.
+// New still requires a non-empty StateDir; callers apply this default.
 func DefaultStateDir() (string, error) {
 	axDir, err := config.AXAssetsDir()
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/manifests/ax-deployment.yaml b/manifests/ax-deployment.yaml
index fda42868..072682ff 100644
--- a/manifests/ax-deployment.yaml
+++ b/manifests/ax-deployment.yaml
@@ -97,7 +97,9 @@ spec:
         - name: GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT
           value: "${GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT}"
         - name: AX_HARNESS_WORKDIR
-          value: "/workspace"
+          value: "/durable/workspace"
+        - name: AX_DURABLE_DIR
+          value: "/durable"
         # Content of manifests/ax.yaml
         - name: AX_CONFIG_CONTENT
           value: "${AX_CONFIG_CONTENT}"
@@ -105,8 +107,16 @@ spec:
         httpGet:
           path: /readyz
           port: 8081
+      volumeMounts:
+        - name: durable
+          mountPath: /durable
+  volumes:
+    - name: durable
+      durableDir: {}
   snapshotsConfig:
     location: gs://${AX_SNAPSHOTS_BUCKET}/axinteractions/
+    onPause: Data
+    onCommit: Data
 ---
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------