13 files changed, 1886 insertions, 141 deletions

diff --git a/src/git/authorization.rs b/src/git/authorization.rs
index 4896fc0..fbeaf9e 100644
--- a/src/git/authorization.rs
+++ b/src/git/authorization.rs
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ use anyhow::{anyhow, Result};
 use nostr_relay_builder::prelude::*;
 use nostr_sdk::{EventId, ToBech32};
 use std::collections::{HashMap, HashSet};
-use tracing::debug;
+use tracing::{debug, info, warn};
 
 use crate::nostr::builder::SharedDatabase;
 use crate::nostr::events::{
@@ -325,26 +325,31 @@ pub async fn get_authorization_from_db(
 
 /// Get the authorization result for a repository scoped to a specific owner
 ///
-/// Unlike `get_authorization_from_db`, this function scopes the authorization
-/// to a specific owner's announcement. This is the correct approach for Git push
-/// authorization where the URL path specifies the owner.
+/// Push authorization checks ONLY purgatory for state events. The database represents
+/// the current git state, while purgatory holds the intended future state that pushes
+/// should be authorized against.
 ///
 /// A push to `alice/my-repo` should only consider authorization from alice's
 /// announcement, not bob's announcement for the same identifier.
 ///
 /// It:
-/// 1. Fetches all announcements and states for the identifier
-/// 2. Collects authorized maintainers from all announcements (grouped by owner)
-/// 3. Looks up the authorized set for the specific owner
-/// 4. Finds the latest state event from an authorized maintainer
+/// 1. Fetches announcements for the identifier
+/// 2. Collects authorized maintainers from owner's announcement
+/// 3. Checks purgatory for matching state events from authorized maintainers
 ///
 /// Returns an `AuthorizationResult` that indicates whether a push is authorized.
-pub async fn get_authorization_for_owner(
+pub async fn get_state_authorization_for_specific_owner_repo(
     database: &SharedDatabase,
     identifier: &str,
     owner_pubkey: &str,
+    purgatory: &std::sync::Arc<crate::purgatory::Purgatory>,
+    pushed_refs: &[(String, String, String)],
+    repo_path: &std::path::Path,
 ) -> Result<AuthorizationResult> {
-    // Fetch all repository data with a single query
+    use crate::git::list_refs;
+    use crate::purgatory::RefUpdate;
+
+    // Fetch announcements only - we don't need database states
     let repo_data = fetch_repository_data(database, identifier).await?;
 
     if repo_data.announcements.is_empty() {
@@ -380,16 +385,82 @@ pub async fn get_authorization_for_owner(
         owner_pubkey
     );
 
-    // Find the latest authorized state from owner's maintainer set
-    match find_latest_authorized_state(&repo_data.states, &authorized) {
-        Some(state) => Ok(AuthorizationResult::authorized(
-            state.clone(),
-            authorized.into_iter().collect(),
-        )),
-        None => Ok(AuthorizationResult::denied(
-            "No state event found from authorized publishers",
-        )),
+    // Check purgatory for matching state events
+    // Convert pushed refs to RefUpdate (filter out refs/nostr/* refs)
+    let pushed_updates: Vec<RefUpdate> = pushed_refs
+        .iter()
+        .filter(|(_, _, name)| !name.starts_with("refs/nostr/"))
+        .map(|(old_oid, new_oid, ref_name)| RefUpdate {
+            old_oid: old_oid.clone(),
+            new_oid: new_oid.clone(),
+            ref_name: ref_name.clone(),
+        })
+        .collect();
+
+    // Get local refs from repository
+    let local_refs_list = list_refs(repo_path).unwrap_or_default();
+    let local_refs: HashMap<String, String> = local_refs_list.into_iter().collect();
+
+    // Find matching state events in purgatory
+    let matching_events = purgatory.find_matching_states(identifier, &pushed_updates, &local_refs);
+
+    if !matching_events.is_empty() {
+        debug!(
+            "Found {} matching state event(s) in purgatory",
+            matching_events.len()
+        );
+
+        // Filter to authorized events and collect them
+        let authorized_events: Vec<Event> = matching_events
+            .into_iter()
+            .filter(|event| {
+                let author_hex = event.pubkey.to_hex();
+                authorized.contains(&author_hex)
+            })
+            .collect();
+
+        if !authorized_events.is_empty() {
+            // Find the latest event
+            let latest_authorized = authorized_events
+                .iter()
+                .max_by_key(|event| event.created_at)
+                .unwrap(); // Safe because we checked the vec is not empty
+
+            // Parse the event into RepositoryState
+            if let Ok(state) = RepositoryState::from_event(latest_authorized.clone()) {
+                info!(
+                    "Authorized by state event {} from purgatory (author: {})",
+                    latest_authorized.id,
+                    latest_authorized
+                        .pubkey
+                        .to_bech32()
+                        .unwrap_or_else(|_| latest_authorized.pubkey.to_hex())
+                );
+
+                return Ok(AuthorizationResult {
+                    authorized: true,
+                    reason: "Authorized by state event in purgatory".to_string(),
+                    state: Some(state),
+                    maintainers: authorized.into_iter().collect(),
+                    purgatory_events: vec![latest_authorized.clone()],
+                });
+            } else {
+                warn!(
+                    "Failed to parse purgatory event {} as RepositoryState",
+                    latest_authorized.id
+                );
+            }
+        } else {
+            debug!("Purgatory events found but none from authorized authors");
+        }
+    } else {
+        debug!("No matching state events found in purgatory");
     }
+
+    // No matching state found in purgatory
+    Ok(AuthorizationResult::denied(
+        "No state event found in purgatory from authorized publishers",
+    ))
 }
 
 /// Result of authorization check
@@ -403,6 +474,8 @@ pub struct AuthorizationResult {
     pub state: Option<RepositoryState>,
     /// The set of valid maintainers (authorized publishers)
     pub maintainers: Vec<String>,
+    /// Events from purgatory that authorized this push (state, PR, PR-update events)
+    pub purgatory_events: Vec<Event>,
 }
 
 impl AuthorizationResult {
@@ -413,6 +486,7 @@ impl AuthorizationResult {
             reason: "Push matches latest authorized state".to_string(),
             state: Some(state),
             maintainers,
+            purgatory_events: vec![],
         }
     }
 
@@ -423,6 +497,7 @@ impl AuthorizationResult {
             reason: reason.into(),
             state: None,
             maintainers: vec![],
+            purgatory_events: vec![],
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/git/handlers.rs b/src/git/handlers.rs
index 8e5f5e1..df6f0e9 100644
--- a/src/git/handlers.rs
+++ b/src/git/handlers.rs
@@ -4,20 +4,23 @@
 
 use http_body_util::Full;
 use hyper::{body::Bytes, Response, StatusCode};
+use nostr_sdk::prelude::*;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
+use std::sync::Arc;
 use tokio::io::{AsyncReadExt, AsyncWriteExt};
 use tracing::{debug, error, info, warn};
 
 use super::authorization::{
-    get_authorization_for_owner, parse_pushed_refs, validate_nostr_ref_pushes, validate_push_refs,
-    AuthorizationResult,
+    get_state_authorization_for_specific_owner_repo, parse_pushed_refs, validate_nostr_ref_pushes,
+    validate_push_refs, AuthorizationResult,
 };
 use super::protocol::{GitService, PktLine};
 use super::subprocess::GitSubprocess;
 use super::try_set_head_if_available;
 
 use crate::nostr::builder::SharedDatabase;
-use crate::nostr::events::RepositoryState;
+use crate::nostr::events::{RepositoryState, KIND_PR, KIND_PR_UPDATE, KIND_REPOSITORY_STATE};
+use crate::purgatory::Purgatory;
 
 /// Handle GET /info/refs?service=git-{upload,receive}-pack
 ///
@@ -168,18 +171,24 @@ pub async fn handle_upload_pack(
 /// Also per GRASP-01: "MUST set repository HEAD per repository state announcement
 /// as soon as the git data related to that branch has been received."
 ///
+/// Also purgatory GRASP-01: "Accepted repo state announcements, PRs and PR Updates
+/// SHOULD be accepted with message "purgatory: won't be served until git data arrives"
+/// and kepted in purgatory (not served) until the related git data arrives and
+/// otherwise discarded after 30 minutes."
+///
 /// # Arguments
 /// * `repo_path` - Path to the bare git repository
 /// * `request_body` - The git pack data from the client
-/// * `database` - Optional database reference for authorization queries
+/// * `database` - Database reference for authorization queries
 /// * `identifier` - The repository identifier (d tag) for authorization lookup
 /// * `owner_pubkey` - The owner's public key (hex) from the URL path, scoping authorization
 pub async fn handle_receive_pack(
     repo_path: PathBuf,
     request_body: Bytes,
-    database: Option<SharedDatabase>,
+    database: SharedDatabase,
     identifier: &str,
     owner_pubkey: &str,
+    purgatory: Arc<Purgatory>,
 ) -> Result<Response<Full<Bytes>>, GitError> {
     debug!("Handling receive-pack for {:?}", repo_path);
 
@@ -187,37 +196,46 @@ pub async fn handle_receive_pack(
         return Err(GitError::RepositoryNotFound);
     }
 
-    // Keep track of state for HEAD setting after push
+    // Keep track of state and events for processing after push
     let mut authorized_state: Option<RepositoryState> = None;
+    let mut authorized_events: Vec<Event> = Vec::new();
 
-    // GRASP Authorization Check (if database is provided)
-    if let Some(ref db) = database {
-        info!(
-            "Authorizing push for {} owned by {} via database query",
-            identifier, owner_pubkey
-        );
+    // GRASP Authorization Check
+    info!(
+        "Authorizing push for {} owned by {} via database query",
+        identifier, owner_pubkey
+    );
 
-        match authorize_push(db, identifier, owner_pubkey, &request_body).await {
-            Ok(auth_result) => {
-                if !auth_result.authorized {
-                    warn!("Push rejected for {}: {}", identifier, auth_result.reason);
-                    return Err(GitError::Unauthorized);
-                }
-                info!(
-                    "Push authorized for {} - {} maintainers",
-                    identifier,
-                    auth_result.maintainers.len()
-                );
-                // Save the state for HEAD setting after push
-                authorized_state = auth_result.state;
-            }
-            Err(e) => {
-                warn!("Authorization check failed for {}: {}", identifier, e);
+    match authorize_push(
+        &database,
+        identifier,
+        owner_pubkey,
+        &request_body,
+        &purgatory,
+        &repo_path,
+    )
+    .await
+    {
+        Ok(auth_result) => {
+            if !auth_result.authorized {
+                warn!("Push rejected for {}: {}", identifier, auth_result.reason);
                 return Err(GitError::Unauthorized);
             }
+            info!(
+                "Push authorized for {} - {} maintainers, {} purgatory events",
+                identifier,
+                auth_result.maintainers.len(),
+                auth_result.purgatory_events.len()
+            );
+            // Save the state for HEAD setting after push
+            authorized_state = auth_result.state.clone();
+            // Save the purgatory events for database saving after push
+            authorized_events = auth_result.purgatory_events;
+        }
+        Err(e) => {
+            warn!("Authorization check failed for {}: {}", identifier, e);
+            return Err(GitError::Unauthorized);
         }
-    } else {
-        debug!("No database provided - accepting push without authorization");
     }
 
     // Spawn git receive-pack
@@ -265,7 +283,7 @@ pub async fn handle_receive_pack(
     // GRASP-01: Set HEAD after git data is received
     // "MUST set repository HEAD per repository state announcement
     // as soon as the git data related to that branch has been received."
-    if let Some(state) = authorized_state {
+    if let Some(ref state) = authorized_state {
         if let Some(head_ref) = &state.head {
             if let Some(branch_name) = state.get_head_branch() {
                 if let Some(commit) = state.get_branch_commit(branch_name) {
@@ -288,6 +306,43 @@ pub async fn handle_receive_pack(
         }
     }
 
+    // Save all events from purgatory that authorized this push and remove them from purgatory
+    // This includes state events, PR events, and PR-update events
+    if !authorized_events.is_empty() {
+        info!(
+            "Saving {} purgatory event(s) to database after successful push",
+            authorized_events.len()
+        );
+
+        for event in &authorized_events {
+            match database.save_event(event).await {
+                Ok(_) => {
+                    info!("Saved purgatory event {} to database", event.id);
+                    // TODO let broadcast_success = local_relay.notify_event(event.clone());
+                    warn!("TODO Here we need to broadcast on open websockets for live listeners. eventid; {}", event.id);
+                    // Remove from purgatory based on event kind
+                    if event.kind == Kind::from(KIND_REPOSITORY_STATE) {
+                        purgatory.remove_state_event(identifier, &event.id);
+                        info!("Removed state event {} from purgatory", event.id);
+                    } else if event.kind == Kind::from(KIND_PR)
+                        || event.kind == Kind::from(KIND_PR_UPDATE)
+                    {
+                        // Extract event ID from the event itself (it's the event.id)
+                        let event_id_hex = event.id.to_hex();
+                        purgatory.remove_pr(&event_id_hex);
+                        info!("Removed PR event {} from purgatory", event.id);
+                    }
+                }
+                Err(e) => {
+                    warn!(
+                        "Failed to save purgatory event {} to database: {}",
+                        event.id, e
+                    );
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     Ok(Response::builder()
         .status(StatusCode::OK)
         .header(
@@ -302,115 +357,175 @@ pub async fn handle_receive_pack(
 /// Perform GRASP authorization for a push operation
 ///
 /// This function queries the database directly (not via WebSocket):
-/// 1. Fetches announcement and state events for the identifier
-/// 2. Filters to the specific owner's announcement
-/// 3. Collects authorized publishers from that announcement (owner + maintainers)
-/// 4. Gets the latest authorized state from those publishers
-/// 5. Validates that pushed refs match the state
-/// 6. Validates refs/nostr/<event-id> has valid event id and if event exists, `c` tag matches ref
+/// 1. Parses the pushed refs from the git pack protocol
+/// 2. Separates refs/nostr/ refs from normal refs
+/// 3. For normal refs: validates against state events in purgatory
+/// 4. For refs/nostr/ refs: validates event ID format and collects PR/PR-update events from purgatory
+/// 5. Returns all authorizing events (state + PR/PR-update) in the result
 async fn authorize_push(
     database: &SharedDatabase,
     identifier: &str,
     owner_pubkey: &str,
     request_body: &Bytes,
+    purgatory: &Arc<Purgatory>,
+    repo_path: &std::path::Path,
 ) -> anyhow::Result<AuthorizationResult> {
     debug!(
         "Authorizing push for {} owned by {} via database query",
         identifier, owner_pubkey
     );
 
-    // Parse refs from the push request FIRST to check if this is a refs/nostr/ push
+    // Parse refs from the push request
     let pushed_refs = parse_pushed_refs(request_body);
     debug!("Parsed {} refs from push request", pushed_refs.len());
     for (old_oid, new_oid, ref_name) in &pushed_refs {
         debug!("  {} {} -> {}", ref_name, old_oid, new_oid);
     }
 
-    // Separate refs/nostr/ refs from other refs
-    // Per GRASP-01: "MUST accept pushes via this service to `refs/nostr/<event-id>`"
-    let (nostr_refs, other_refs): (Vec<_>, Vec<_>) = pushed_refs
+    // Separate refs/nostr/ refs from state refs
+    let (nostr_refs, state_refs): (Vec<_>, Vec<_>) = pushed_refs
         .iter()
         .partition(|(_, _, ref_name)| ref_name.starts_with("refs/nostr/"));
 
-    // Validate refs/nostr/ refs if any exist
+    // Collect all purgatory events that authorize this push
+    let mut purgatory_events = Vec::new();
+
+    // Handle refs/nostr/ refs - validate and collect PR/PR-update events from purgatory
     if !nostr_refs.is_empty() {
         debug!(
-            "Found {} refs/nostr/ refs - validating against events",
+            "Found {} refs/nostr/ refs - validating and collecting from purgatory",
             nostr_refs.len()
         );
 
-        // Validate refs/nostr/ pushes: checks event ID format and commit matching
-        let nostr_refs_owned: Vec<(String, String, String)> = nostr_refs
-            .into_iter()
-            .map(|(a, b, c)| (a.clone(), b.clone(), c.clone()))
-            .collect();
-        if let Err(e) = validate_nostr_ref_pushes(database, &nostr_refs_owned).await {
-            warn!("refs/nostr/ validation failed: {}", e);
-            return Ok(AuthorizationResult::denied(format!(
-                "refs/nostr/ validation failed: {}",
-                e
-            )));
+        for (_, new_oid, ref_name) in &nostr_refs {
+            // Extract event ID from ref name
+            if let Some(event_id_hex) = ref_name.strip_prefix("refs/nostr/") {
+                // Validate event ID format
+                if EventId::parse(event_id_hex).is_err() {
+                    warn!("Invalid event ID format in ref: {}", ref_name);
+                    return Ok(AuthorizationResult::denied(format!(
+                        "Invalid event ID format in ref: {}",
+                        ref_name
+                    )));
+                }
+
+                // Check purgatory for PR event
+                if let Some(entry) = purgatory.find_pr(event_id_hex) {
+                    if let Some(event) = entry.event {
+                        // Verify commit matches
+                        if entry.commit == *new_oid {
+                            debug!(
+                                "Found matching PR event {} in purgatory for ref {}",
+                                event_id_hex, ref_name
+                            );
+                            purgatory_events.push(event);
+                        } else {
+                            warn!(
+                                "PR event {} in purgatory has commit mismatch: expected {}, got {}",
+                                event_id_hex, entry.commit, new_oid
+                            );
+                            return Ok(AuthorizationResult::denied(format!(
+                                "PR event {} commit mismatch: expected {}, got {}",
+                                event_id_hex, entry.commit, new_oid
+                            )));
+                        }
+                    } else {
+                        // Placeholder exists - allow push (git-data-first scenario)
+                        debug!(
+                            "Found placeholder already for PR event {} in purgatory - as we dont have the event and therefore dont know the required commit_id we allow overwriting with a different commit_id",
+                            event_id_hex
+                        );
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    // No entry in purgatory - check database for existing event
+                    let nostr_refs_owned = vec![(String::new(), new_oid.clone(), ref_name.clone())];
+                    if let Err(e) = validate_nostr_ref_pushes(database, &nostr_refs_owned).await {
+                        warn!("refs/nostr/ validation failed: {}", e);
+                        return Ok(AuthorizationResult::denied(format!(
+                            "refs/nostr/ validation failed: {}",
+                            e
+                        )));
+                    }
+                    debug!(
+                        "No purgatory entry for {} - validated against database",
+                        event_id_hex
+                    );
+                }
+            }
         }
-        debug!("refs/nostr/ push validated successfully");
     }
 
-    // If only refs/nostr/ refs, we're done - return success
-    if other_refs.is_empty() {
-        debug!("Only refs/nostr/ refs in push - authorization complete");
-        return Ok(AuthorizationResult {
-            authorized: true,
-            reason: "Push to refs/nostr/ validated against events".to_string(),
-            state: None,
-            maintainers: vec![],
-        });
-    }
+    // Handle normal refs - validate against state events
+    if !state_refs.is_empty() {
+        debug!(
+            "Found {} non-refs/nostr/ refs - checking state authorization",
+            state_refs.len()
+        );
 
-    // For non-refs/nostr/ refs, require state validation
-    debug!(
-        "Found {} non-refs/nostr/ refs - checking state authorization",
-        other_refs.len()
-    );
-    let auth_result = get_authorization_for_owner(database, identifier, owner_pubkey).await?;
+        let auth_result = get_state_authorization_for_specific_owner_repo(
+            database,
+            identifier,
+            owner_pubkey,
+            purgatory,
+            &pushed_refs, //it would be better to accept state_refs but thats in different format
+            repo_path,
+        )
+        .await?;
 
-    if !auth_result.authorized {
-        return Ok(auth_result);
-    }
+        if !auth_result.authorized {
+            return Ok(auth_result);
+        }
 
-    // Convert other_refs for validation
-    let other_refs_owned: Vec<(String, String, String)> = other_refs
-        .into_iter()
-        .map(|(a, b, c)| (a.clone(), b.clone(), c.clone()))
-        .collect();
+        // Collect state events from purgatory
+        purgatory_events.extend(auth_result.purgatory_events);
 
-    // Validate non-refs/nostr/ refs against state
-    if let Some(ref state) = auth_result.state {
-        debug!(
-            "Validating against state with {} branches",
-            state.branches.len()
-        );
+        // Validate refs against state
+        let other_refs_owned: Vec<(String, String, String)> = state_refs
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(|(a, b, c)| (a.clone(), b.clone(), c.clone()))
+            .collect();
 
-        // If we have a state event but couldn't parse any refs, reject the push.
-        // This protects against parsing failures allowing unauthorized pushes.
-        if other_refs_owned.is_empty() && !state.branches.is_empty() {
-            warn!("No refs parsed from push request but state event has branches - rejecting");
-            return Ok(AuthorizationResult::denied(
-                "Failed to parse refs from push request - cannot validate against state",
-            ));
-        }
+        if let Some(ref state) = auth_result.state {
+            debug!(
+                "Validating against state with {} branches",
+                state.branches.len()
+            );
+
+            if other_refs_owned.is_empty() && !state.branches.is_empty() {
+                warn!("No refs parsed from push request but state event has branches - rejecting");
+                return Ok(AuthorizationResult::denied(
+                    "Failed to parse refs from push request - cannot validate against state",
+                ));
+            }
 
-        if let Err(e) = validate_push_refs(state, &other_refs_owned) {
-            warn!("Ref validation failed: {}", e);
-            return Ok(AuthorizationResult::denied(format!(
-                "Ref validation failed: {}",
-                e
-            )));
+            if let Err(e) = validate_push_refs(state, &other_refs_owned) {
+                warn!("Ref validation failed: {}", e);
+                return Ok(AuthorizationResult::denied(format!(
+                    "Ref validation failed: {}",
+                    e
+                )));
+            }
+            debug!("Ref validation passed");
         }
-        debug!("Ref validation passed");
-    } else {
-        warn!("No state in auth_result - cannot validate refs");
+
+        // Return result with purgatory events
+        return Ok(AuthorizationResult {
+            authorized: true,
+            reason: auth_result.reason,
+            state: auth_result.state,
+            maintainers: auth_result.maintainers,
+            purgatory_events,
+        });
     }
 
-    Ok(auth_result)
+    // Only refs/nostr/ refs - return success with collected events
+    Ok(AuthorizationResult {
+        authorized: true,
+        reason: "Push to refs/nostr/ validated".to_string(),
+        state: None,
+        maintainers: vec![],
+        purgatory_events,
+    })
 }
 
 /// Errors that can occur in Git handlers
diff --git a/src/git/mod.rs b/src/git/mod.rs
index 599a94b..5c99b3e 100644
--- a/src/git/mod.rs
+++ b/src/git/mod.rs
@@ -340,6 +340,74 @@ pub fn validate_nostr_ref(
     Ok(true)
 }
 
+/// Clean up placeholder refs from all repositories on shutdown.
+///
+/// Walks through all git repositories in the git_data_path and deletes
+/// `refs/nostr/<event-id>` refs for the given event IDs. This is called
+/// on shutdown to clean up placeholders created when git data arrived
+/// before the corresponding PR event.
+///
+/// # Arguments
+/// * `git_data_path` - Base directory containing git repositories
+/// * `event_ids` - Event IDs whose refs/nostr/ refs should be deleted
+///
+/// # Returns
+/// Number of refs successfully deleted
+pub fn cleanup_placeholder_refs(git_data_path: &str, event_ids: &[String]) -> usize {
+    if event_ids.is_empty() {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    let git_path = PathBuf::from(git_data_path);
+    if !git_path.exists() {
+        debug!("Git data path does not exist: {}", git_data_path);
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    let mut deleted_count = 0;
+
+    // Walk through all repositories (npub/repo.git structure)
+    if let Ok(npub_entries) = std::fs::read_dir(&git_path) {
+        for npub_entry in npub_entries.flatten() {
+            if !npub_entry.path().is_dir() {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            // For each npub directory, check repos
+            if let Ok(repo_entries) = std::fs::read_dir(npub_entry.path()) {
+                for repo_entry in repo_entries.flatten() {
+                    let repo_path = repo_entry.path();
+                    if !repo_path.is_dir() || !repo_path.to_string_lossy().ends_with(".git") {
+                        continue;
+                    }
+
+                    // Try to delete refs/nostr/<event-id> for each placeholder event
+                    for event_id in event_ids {
+                        let ref_name = format!("refs/nostr/{}", event_id);
+                        if delete_ref(&repo_path, &ref_name).is_ok() {
+                            deleted_count += 1;
+                            info!(
+                                "Cleaned up placeholder ref {} from {}",
+                                ref_name,
+                                repo_path.display()
+                            );
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    if deleted_count > 0 {
+        info!(
+            "Shutdown cleanup: removed {} placeholder refs from git repositories",
+            deleted_count
+        );
+    }
+
+    deleted_count
+}
+
 /// Get the current HEAD ref from a repository
 ///
 /// # Arguments
diff --git a/src/http/mod.rs b/src/http/mod.rs
index 91a6067..d62cc4a 100644
--- a/src/http/mod.rs
+++ b/src/http/mod.rs
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ use crate::config::Config;
 use crate::git;
 use crate::metrics::Metrics;
 use crate::nostr::builder::SharedDatabase;
+use crate::purgatory::Purgatory;
 
 /// CORS headers required by GRASP-01 specification (lines 40-47)
 const CORS_ALLOW_ORIGIN: &str = "*";
@@ -94,6 +95,8 @@ struct HttpService {
     database: SharedDatabase,
     /// Optional metrics for Prometheus endpoint
     metrics: Option<Arc<Metrics>>,
+    /// Purgatory for event/git coordination
+    purgatory: Arc<Purgatory>,
 }
 
 impl HttpService {
@@ -103,6 +106,7 @@ impl HttpService {
         remote: SocketAddr,
         database: SharedDatabase,
         metrics: Option<Arc<Metrics>>,
+        purgatory: Arc<Purgatory>,
     ) -> Self {
         Self {
             relay,
@@ -110,6 +114,7 @@ impl HttpService {
             remote,
             database,
             metrics,
+            purgatory,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -126,6 +131,7 @@ impl Service<Request<Incoming>> for HttpService {
         let method = req.method().clone();
         let git_data_path = self.config.effective_git_data_path();
         let database = self.database.clone();
+        let purgatory = self.purgatory.clone();
 
         // Handle OPTIONS preflight requests (CORS)
         // GRASP-01 spec line 47: Respond to OPTIONS with 204 No Content
@@ -225,9 +231,10 @@ impl Service<Request<Incoming>> for HttpService {
                         let result = git::handlers::handle_receive_pack(
                             repo_path,
                             body_bytes.clone(),
-                            Some(database.clone()),
+                            database.clone(),
                             &identifier,
                             &owner_pubkey_hex,
+                            purgatory.clone(),
                         )
                         .await;
 
@@ -497,6 +504,7 @@ pub async fn run_server(
     relay: LocalRelay,
     database: SharedDatabase,
     metrics: Option<Arc<Metrics>>,
+    purgatory: Arc<Purgatory>,
 ) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     let bind_addr: SocketAddr = config.bind_address.parse()?;
 
@@ -515,6 +523,7 @@ pub async fn run_server(
             addr,
             database.clone(),
             metrics.clone(),
+            purgatory.clone(),
         );
 
         tokio::spawn(async move {
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index a1306c4..8befd6f 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -3,4 +3,5 @@ pub mod git;
 pub mod http;
 pub mod metrics;
 pub mod nostr;
+pub mod purgatory;
 pub mod sync;
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index ddb198e..e39c1ab 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,14 +1,17 @@
 use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::time::Duration;
 
 use anyhow::Result;
+use tokio::signal;
 use tracing::{info, Level};
 use tracing_subscriber::FmtSubscriber;
 
 use ngit_grasp::{
     config::{Config, DatabaseBackend},
-    http,
+    git, http,
     metrics::Metrics,
     nostr,
+    purgatory::Purgatory,
     sync::SyncManager,
 };
 
@@ -45,9 +48,13 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
         None
     };
 
+    // Create purgatory for event/git coordination
+    let purgatory = Arc::new(Purgatory::new());
+    info!("Purgatory initialized for event coordination");
+
     // Create Nostr relay with NIP-34 validation
     // Returns both the relay and database for direct queries in handlers
-    if let Ok(relay_with_db) = nostr::builder::create_relay(&config).await {
+    if let Ok(relay_with_db) = nostr::builder::create_relay(&config, purgatory.clone()).await {
         info!(
             "Relay created with NIP-34 validation for domain: {}",
             config.domain
@@ -79,9 +86,57 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
             sync_manager.run().await;
         });
 
+        // Spawn background cleanup task
+        let cleanup_purgatory = purgatory.clone();
+        tokio::spawn(async move {
+            let mut interval = tokio::time::interval(Duration::from_secs(60));
+            loop {
+                interval.tick().await;
+                let (state_removed, pr_removed) = cleanup_purgatory.cleanup();
+                if state_removed > 0 || pr_removed > 0 {
+                    info!(
+                        "Purgatory cleanup: removed {} state events, {} PR events",
+                        state_removed, pr_removed
+                    );
+                }
+            }
+        });
+        info!("Purgatory cleanup task started (60s interval)");
+
+        // Setup shutdown handler for purgatory cleanup
+        let shutdown_purgatory = purgatory.clone();
+        let git_data_path = config.effective_git_data_path();
+
         // Start HTTP server with integrated relay and database
         info!("Starting HTTP server on {}", config.bind_address);
-        http::run_server(config, relay_with_db.relay, relay_with_db.database, metrics).await?;
+
+        // Run server until shutdown signal, then cleanup
+        tokio::select! {
+            result = http::run_server(
+                config,
+                relay_with_db.relay,
+                relay_with_db.database,
+                metrics,
+                purgatory,
+            ) => {
+                if let Err(e) = result {
+                    return Err(e);
+                }
+            }
+            _ = signal::ctrl_c() => {
+                info!("Received shutdown signal, cleaning up...");
+            }
+        }
+
+        // Cleanup placeholder refs on shutdown
+        let placeholder_ids = shutdown_purgatory.get_placeholder_event_ids();
+        if !placeholder_ids.is_empty() {
+            info!(
+                "Cleaning up {} placeholder refs/nostr/ refs on shutdown",
+                placeholder_ids.len()
+            );
+            git::cleanup_placeholder_refs(&git_data_path, &placeholder_ids);
+        }
     }
 
     Ok(())
diff --git a/src/nostr/builder.rs b/src/nostr/builder.rs
index 8dd6291..2b4d524 100644
--- a/src/nostr/builder.rs
+++ b/src/nostr/builder.rs
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ use nostr_relay_builder::prelude::*;
 
 use crate::config::{Config, DatabaseBackend};
 use crate::nostr::events::{
-    RepositoryAnnouncement, RepositoryState, KIND_PR, KIND_PR_UPDATE, KIND_REPOSITORY_ANNOUNCEMENT,
+    RepositoryAnnouncement, KIND_PR, KIND_PR_UPDATE, KIND_REPOSITORY_ANNOUNCEMENT,
     KIND_REPOSITORY_STATE, KIND_USER_GRASP_LIST,
 };
 use crate::nostr::policy::{
@@ -57,8 +57,9 @@ impl Nip34WritePolicy {
         domain: impl Into<String>,
         database: SharedDatabase,
         git_data_path: impl Into<std::path::PathBuf>,
+        purgatory: std::sync::Arc<crate::purgatory::Purgatory>,
     ) -> Self {
-        let ctx = PolicyContext::new(domain, database, git_data_path);
+        let ctx = PolicyContext::new(domain, database, git_data_path, purgatory);
         Self {
             announcement_policy: AnnouncementPolicy::new(ctx.clone()),
             state_policy: StatePolicy::new(ctx.clone()),
@@ -143,21 +144,50 @@ impl Nip34WritePolicy {
 
         match self.state_policy.validate(event) {
             StateResult::Accept => {
-                // Parse state to get HEAD and branch info
-                match RepositoryState::from_event(event.clone()) {
-                    Ok(_state) => {
-                        // Process state alignment asynchronously
-                        if let Err(e) = self.state_policy.process_state_event(event).await {
-                            tracing::warn!("Failed to process state event {}: {}", event_id_str, e);
+                // Parse state to get identifier for purgatory message
+                let identifier = event
+                    .tags
+                    .iter()
+                    .find_map(|tag| {
+                        let tag_vec = tag.clone().to_vec();
+                        if tag_vec.len() >= 2 && tag_vec[0] == "d" {
+                            Some(tag_vec[1].clone())
+                        } else {
+                            None
                         }
+                    })
+                    .unwrap_or_else(|| "unknown".to_string());
 
-                        tracing::debug!("Accepted repository state: {}", event_id_str);
+                // Process state alignment asynchronously
+                match self.state_policy.process_state_event(event).await {
+                    Ok(0) => {
+                        // No repos aligned - event was added to purgatory
+                        tracing::info!(
+                            "State event {} added to purgatory: waiting for git data for identifier {}",
+                            event_id_str,
+                            identifier
+                        );
+                        WritePolicyResult::Reject {
+                            status: true, // Client sees OK
+                            message: format!(
+                                "purgatory: state event stored, waiting for git push for {}",
+                                identifier
+                            )
+                            .into(),
+                        }
+                    }
+                    Ok(count) => {
+                        // Successfully aligned repos
+                        tracing::debug!(
+                            "Accepted repository state {}: aligned {} repo(s)",
+                            event_id_str,
+                            count
+                        );
                         WritePolicyResult::Accept
                     }
                     Err(e) => {
-                        tracing::warn!("Failed to parse repository state {}: {}", event_id_str, e);
-                        // Still accept the event even if we can't parse it
-                        // The validation passed, so it's structurally valid
+                        tracing::warn!("Failed to process state event {}: {}", event_id_str, e);
+                        // Still accept the event even if processing failed
                         WritePolicyResult::Accept
                     }
                 }
@@ -173,6 +203,58 @@ impl Nip34WritePolicy {
     async fn handle_pr_event(&self, event: &Event) -> WritePolicyResult {
         let event_id_str = event.id.to_bech32().unwrap_or_else(|_| event.id.to_hex());
 
+        // Check if git data exists (checks placeholders and commit existence)
+        match self.pr_event_policy.check_git_data_exists(event).await {
+            Ok(false) => {
+                // No git data exists - add to purgatory
+                let commit = event
+                    .tags
+                    .iter()
+                    .find_map(|tag| {
+                        let tag_vec = tag.clone().to_vec();
+                        if tag_vec.len() >= 2 && tag_vec[0] == "c" {
+                            Some(tag_vec[1].clone())
+                        } else {
+                            None
+                        }
+                    })
+                    .unwrap_or_else(|| "unknown".to_string());
+
+                tracing::info!(
+                    "PR event {} added to purgatory: waiting for git push with commit {}",
+                    event_id_str,
+                    commit
+                );
+
+                // Add to purgatory
+                self.ctx
+                    .purgatory
+                    .add_pr(event.clone(), event.id.to_hex(), commit.clone());
+
+                return WritePolicyResult::Reject {
+                    status: true, // Client sees OK
+                    message: format!(
+                        "purgatory: PR event stored, waiting for git push with commit {}",
+                        commit
+                    )
+                    .into(),
+                };
+            }
+            Ok(true) => {
+                // Git data exists - proceed with normal validation
+                tracing::debug!("Git data exists for PR event {}", event_id_str);
+            }
+            Err(e) => {
+                // Error checking git data - reject event
+                tracing::warn!(
+                    "Failed to check git data for PR event {}: {}",
+                    event_id_str,
+                    e
+                );
+                return WritePolicyResult::reject(format!("Failed to check git data: {}", e));
+            }
+        }
+
         // Validate refs/nostr refs for this PR event
         // This deletes any refs/nostr/<event-id> that points to wrong commit
         if let Err(e) = self.pr_event_policy.validate_nostr_ref(event).await {
@@ -289,7 +371,10 @@ pub struct RelayWithDatabase {
 /// Returns a `RelayWithDatabase` struct containing:
 /// - The `LocalRelay` for handling WebSocket connections
 /// - The `SharedDatabase` for direct database queries (e.g., push authorization)
-pub async fn create_relay(config: &Config) -> Result<RelayWithDatabase> {
+pub async fn create_relay(
+    config: &Config,
+    purgatory: Arc<crate::purgatory::Purgatory>,
+) -> Result<RelayWithDatabase> {
     tracing::info!("Configuring nostr relay with GRASP-01 validation...");
 
     // Determine database path
@@ -337,7 +422,10 @@ pub async fn create_relay(config: &Config) -> Result<RelayWithDatabase> {
     // Build relay with GRASP-01 validation
     // Clone Arc for the write policy so both relay and policy can access the database
     let git_data_path = config.effective_git_data_path();
-    let write_policy = Nip34WritePolicy::new(&config.domain, database.clone(), &git_data_path);
+
+    // Create write policy with purgatory integration
+    let write_policy =
+        Nip34WritePolicy::new(&config.domain, database.clone(), &git_data_path, purgatory);
 
     let relay = LocalRelayBuilder::default()
         .database(database.clone())
diff --git a/src/nostr/policy/mod.rs b/src/nostr/policy/mod.rs
index 19db5f6..2a446fe 100644
--- a/src/nostr/policy/mod.rs
+++ b/src/nostr/policy/mod.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ pub use related::{ReferenceResult, RelatedEventPolicy};
 pub use state::{AlignmentResult, StatePolicy, StateResult};
 
 use super::SharedDatabase;
+use crate::purgatory::Purgatory;
+use std::sync::Arc;
 
 /// Shared context for all sub-policies
 #[derive(Clone)]
@@ -23,6 +25,7 @@ pub struct PolicyContext {
     pub domain: String,
     pub database: SharedDatabase,
     pub git_data_path: std::path::PathBuf,
+    pub purgatory: Arc<Purgatory>,
 }
 
 impl PolicyContext {
@@ -30,11 +33,13 @@ impl PolicyContext {
         domain: impl Into<String>,
         database: SharedDatabase,
         git_data_path: impl Into<std::path::PathBuf>,
+        purgatory: Arc<Purgatory>,
     ) -> Self {
         Self {
             domain: domain.into(),
             database,
             git_data_path: git_data_path.into(),
+            purgatory,
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/nostr/policy/pr_event.rs b/src/nostr/policy/pr_event.rs
index 53da369..c7602b0 100644
--- a/src/nostr/policy/pr_event.rs
+++ b/src/nostr/policy/pr_event.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,155 @@ impl PrEventPolicy {
         Self { ctx }
     }
 
+    /// Check if git data exists for a PR event
+    ///
+    /// This checks:
+    /// 1. If a placeholder exists (git-data-first scenario)
+    /// 2. If the commit exists in any relevant repository
+    ///
+    /// # Returns
+    /// - `Ok(true)` if git data ready (either placeholder found or commit exists)
+    /// - `Ok(false)` if git data missing (should add to purgatory)
+    /// - `Err(msg)` on errors
+    pub async fn check_git_data_exists(&self, event: &Event) -> Result<bool, String> {
+        let event_id = event.id.to_hex();
+
+        // Extract the `c` tag (commit hash) from the PR event
+        let commit = event.tags.iter().find_map(|tag| {
+            let tag_vec = tag.clone().to_vec();
+            if tag_vec.len() >= 2 && tag_vec[0] == "c" {
+                Some(tag_vec[1].clone())
+            } else {
+                None
+            }
+        });
+
+        let commit = match commit {
+            Some(c) => c,
+            None => {
+                return Err(format!("PR event {} has no 'c' tag", event_id));
+            }
+        };
+
+        // Check for placeholder first (git-data-first scenario)
+        if let Some(placeholder_commit) = self.ctx.purgatory.find_pr_placeholder(&event_id) {
+            if placeholder_commit == commit {
+                // Perfect match - git data arrived first with matching commit
+                tracing::debug!(
+                    "Found matching placeholder for PR event {} with commit {}",
+                    event_id,
+                    commit
+                );
+                // Remove placeholder - event processing will continue normally
+                self.ctx.purgatory.remove_pr(&event_id);
+                return Ok(true);
+            } else {
+                // Placeholder has different commit - incoming event supersedes
+                tracing::info!(
+                    "PR event {} supersedes placeholder: event expects commit {}, placeholder has {}",
+                    event_id,
+                    commit,
+                    placeholder_commit
+                );
+                // Remove placeholder with old commit data
+                self.ctx.purgatory.remove_pr(&event_id);
+                // TODO: Also remove git data (refs/nostr/<event-id>) - Phase 5
+                // Fall through to check if new commit exists
+            }
+        }
+
+        // Check if commit exists in any repository referenced by this PR
+        // Extract ALL `a` tags (repository references) from the PR event
+        let repo_refs: Vec<String> = event
+            .tags
+            .iter()
+            .filter_map(|tag| {
+                let tag_vec = tag.clone().to_vec();
+                if tag_vec.len() >= 2 && tag_vec[0] == "a" && tag_vec[1].starts_with("30617:") {
+                    Some(tag_vec[1].clone())
+                } else {
+                    None
+                }
+            })
+            .collect();
+
+        if repo_refs.is_empty() {
+            // No repo references - cannot check git data
+            // This is unusual but let it through (other validation will catch issues)
+            return Ok(true);
+        }
+
+        // Check each repository to see if commit exists
+        for repo_ref in repo_refs {
+            // Parse the repo reference: 30617:<pubkey>:<identifier>
+            let parts: Vec<&str> = repo_ref.split(':').collect();
+            if parts.len() < 3 {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            let repo_pubkey = match PublicKey::from_hex(parts[1]) {
+                Ok(pk) => pk,
+                Err(_) => continue,
+            };
+            let identifier = parts[2];
+
+            // Look up repository announcement to get the npub for path
+            let filter = Filter::new()
+                .kind(Kind::from(KIND_REPOSITORY_ANNOUNCEMENT))
+                .author(repo_pubkey)
+                .custom_tag(
+                    SingleLetterTag::lowercase(Alphabet::D),
+                    identifier.to_string(),
+                );
+
+            let announcements: Vec<Event> = match self.ctx.database.query(filter).await {
+                Ok(events) => events.into_iter().collect(),
+                Err(e) => {
+                    tracing::warn!(
+                        "Failed to query for repository announcement for PR {}: {}",
+                        event_id,
+                        e
+                    );
+                    continue;
+                }
+            };
+
+            if announcements.is_empty() {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            // Check each matching announcement
+            for announcement_event in announcements {
+                let announcement = match RepositoryAnnouncement::from_event(announcement_event) {
+                    Ok(a) => a,
+                    Err(_) => continue,
+                };
+
+                // Build repository path
+                let repo_path = self.ctx.git_data_path.join(announcement.repo_path());
+
+                // Check if commit exists
+                if git::commit_exists(&repo_path, &commit) {
+                    tracing::debug!(
+                        "Found commit {} for PR event {} in repository {}",
+                        commit,
+                        event_id,
+                        repo_path.display()
+                    );
+                    return Ok(true);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        // No git data found - should add to purgatory
+        tracing::debug!(
+            "No git data found for PR event {} with commit {}",
+            event_id,
+            commit
+        );
+        Ok(false)
+    }
+
     /// Validate refs/nostr/<event-id> ref against a PR or PR Update event's `c` tag
     ///
     /// When a PR event (kind 1618) or PR Update event (kind 1619) is received,
diff --git a/src/nostr/policy/state.rs b/src/nostr/policy/state.rs
index 43349e2..5e749ed 100644
--- a/src/nostr/policy/state.rs
+++ b/src/nostr/policy/state.rs
@@ -66,6 +66,24 @@ impl StatePolicy {
         let state = RepositoryState::from_event(event.clone())
             .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to parse state: {}", e))?;
 
+        // Check if ANY git repositories exist for this identifier (regardless of authorization)
+        // This helps us distinguish "no git data yet" from "not authorized" or "not latest"
+        let has_any_git_data = self.has_git_data_for_identifier(&state.identifier);
+
+        if !has_any_git_data {
+            // No git data exists yet - add to purgatory
+            tracing::debug!(
+                "No git data found for identifier {}, adding state event {} to purgatory",
+                state.identifier,
+                event.id.to_hex()
+            );
+            self.ctx
+                .purgatory
+                .add_state(event.clone(), state.identifier.clone(), event.pubkey);
+            // Return 0 repos aligned, but this is not an error
+            return Ok(0);
+        }
+
         // Identify owner repositories for which this is the latest authorized state
         let owner_repos = self.identify_owner_repositories(&state).await?;
         let repo_count = owner_repos.len();
@@ -97,13 +115,48 @@ impl StatePolicy {
             );
         } else {
             tracing::debug!(
-                "No owner repos to align for state - git data not available yet or not latest"
+                "No owner repos to align for state - git data exists but author not authorized or not latest"
             );
         }
 
         Ok(total_aligned)
     }
 
+    /// Check if any git repositories exist for the given identifier
+    ///
+    /// Scans the git_data_path for any directories matching the pattern:
+    /// `<any-npub>/<identifier>.git`
+    ///
+    /// This is used to distinguish "no git data yet" from "not authorized".
+    fn has_git_data_for_identifier(&self, identifier: &str) -> bool {
+        let git_data_path = &self.ctx.git_data_path;
+
+        // Check if git_data_path exists
+        if !git_data_path.exists() {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        // Scan for any npub directories
+        let read_dir = match std::fs::read_dir(git_data_path) {
+            Ok(dir) => dir,
+            Err(_) => return false,
+        };
+
+        for entry in read_dir.flatten() {
+            if let Ok(file_type) = entry.file_type() {
+                if file_type.is_dir() {
+                    // Check if <npub>/<identifier>.git exists
+                    let repo_path = entry.path().join(format!("{}.git", identifier));
+                    if repo_path.exists() {
+                        return true;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        false
+    }
+
     /// Check if this state event is the latest for its identifier among authorized authors
     ///
     /// A state is considered "latest" if no other state event in the database
diff --git a/src/purgatory/helpers.rs b/src/purgatory/helpers.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5df6cc8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/purgatory/helpers.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,435 @@
+//! Helper functions for purgatory state event processing.
+//!
+//! These functions handle the late-binding extraction and matching of git refs
+//! from state events. Refs are extracted at git push time rather than event
+//! arrival time to enable flexible matching logic.
+
+use super::{RefPair, RefUpdate};
+use nostr_sdk::prelude::*;
+use std::collections::HashMap;
+
+/// Extract ref pairs from a state event (kind 30618).
+///
+/// Parses all `refs/heads/*` and `refs/tags/*` tags from the event,
+/// creating RefPair instances with the full ref name and target object SHA.
+///
+/// # Arguments
+/// * `event` - The state event to extract refs from
+///
+/// # Returns
+/// Vector of RefPair instances, one for each ref tag found
+///
+/// # Tag Format
+/// State events use custom tags where the tag kind is the ref name:
+/// - Tag kind: "refs/heads/main" or "refs/tags/v1.0"
+/// - First value: commit SHA or annotated tag SHA
+///
+/// # Example
+/// ```ignore
+/// // Event with tags:
+/// // ["refs/heads/main", "abc123..."]
+/// // ["refs/tags/v1.0", "def456..."]
+/// let refs = extract_refs_from_state(&event);
+/// // Returns: [
+/// //   RefPair { ref_name: "refs/heads/main", object_sha: "abc123..." },
+/// //   RefPair { ref_name: "refs/tags/v1.0", object_sha: "def456..." }
+/// // ]
+/// ```
+pub fn extract_refs_from_state(event: &Event) -> Vec<RefPair> {
+    event
+        .tags
+        .iter()
+        .filter_map(|tag| {
+            // Check if this is a custom tag with a ref name
+            if let TagKind::Custom(ref_name) = tag.kind() {
+                let ref_str = ref_name.as_ref();
+
+                // Only process refs/heads/* and refs/tags/*
+                if ref_str.starts_with("refs/heads/") || ref_str.starts_with("refs/tags/") {
+                    // Get the object SHA (first value in tag)
+                    let parts = tag.clone().to_vec();
+                    if parts.len() >= 2 {
+                        return Some(RefPair {
+                            ref_name: ref_str.to_string(),
+                            object_sha: parts[1].clone(),
+                        });
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            None
+        })
+        .collect()
+}
+
+/// Check if a state event can be satisfied by ref updates plus local refs.
+///
+/// Returns true if applying the ref updates to local state results in exactly
+/// the state declared in the event. This means:
+/// 1. Filter local_refs to only branches (refs/heads/*) and tags (refs/tags/*)
+/// 2. Apply pushed_updates to create a "would-be" state
+/// 3. Compare would-be state with event's declared state - must match exactly
+///
+/// This implements correct authorization: the push must transform local state
+/// into the declared state, accounting for additions, deletions, and modifications.
+///
+/// # Arguments
+/// * `event` - The state event to check
+/// * `pushed_updates` - Ref updates in the current push operation
+/// * `local_refs` - Refs already existing locally (ref_name -> SHA)
+///
+/// # Returns
+/// true if push transforms local state into declared state, false otherwise
+///
+/// # Example
+/// ```ignore
+/// // State event declares: refs/heads/main@abc123
+/// // Local: refs/heads/main@old123, refs/heads/dev@def456
+/// // Push updates: main old123->abc123, dev def456->0000 (delete)
+/// // Result: false (event doesn't declare dev deletion)
+/// ```
+pub fn can_satisfy_state(
+    event: &Event,
+    pushed_updates: &[RefUpdate],
+    local_refs: &HashMap<String, String>,
+) -> bool {
+    let state_refs = extract_refs_from_state(event);
+
+    // Filter local_refs to only branches and tags
+    let mut would_be_state: HashMap<String, String> = local_refs
+        .iter()
+        .filter(|(ref_name, _)| {
+            ref_name.starts_with("refs/heads/") || ref_name.starts_with("refs/tags/")
+        })
+        .map(|(k, v)| (k.clone(), v.clone()))
+        .collect();
+
+    // Apply all pushed updates to create the would-be state
+    for update in pushed_updates {
+        // Only process branches and tags
+        if !update.ref_name.starts_with("refs/heads/") && !update.ref_name.starts_with("refs/tags/")
+        {
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        if update.is_deletion() {
+            // Remove from would-be state
+            would_be_state.remove(&update.ref_name);
+        } else {
+            // Create or modify in would-be state
+            would_be_state.insert(update.ref_name.clone(), update.new_oid.clone());
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Convert event's state refs to a HashMap for comparison
+    let declared_state: HashMap<String, String> = state_refs
+        .into_iter()
+        .map(|r| (r.ref_name, r.object_sha))
+        .collect();
+
+    // would_be_state must exactly match declared_state
+    would_be_state == declared_state
+}
+
+/// Get refs from state event that aren't in pushed_refs.
+///
+/// Returns refs that need to be present but aren't being pushed.
+/// These refs should exist in local_refs for the state to be satisfiable.
+/// Useful for error messages showing what's missing.
+///
+/// # Arguments
+/// * `event` - The state event to check
+/// * `pushed_refs` - Refs being pushed in the current operation
+///
+/// # Returns
+/// Vector of RefPair instances for refs not in pushed_refs
+///
+/// # Example
+/// ```ignore
+/// // State event declares: refs/heads/main@abc123, refs/heads/dev@def456
+/// // Pushed: refs/heads/main@abc123
+/// // Result: [RefPair { ref_name: "refs/heads/dev", object_sha: "def456" }]
+/// ```
+pub fn get_unpushed_refs(event: &Event, pushed_refs: &[RefPair]) -> Vec<RefPair> {
+    let state_refs = extract_refs_from_state(event);
+
+    state_refs
+        .into_iter()
+        .filter(|state_ref| {
+            // Include if NOT in pushed_refs (by name and SHA)
+            !pushed_refs.iter().any(|pushed_ref| {
+                pushed_ref.ref_name == state_ref.ref_name
+                    && pushed_ref.object_sha == state_ref.object_sha
+            })
+        })
+        .collect()
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use nostr_sdk::{EventBuilder, Keys, Tag};
+
+    fn create_test_state_event(identifier: &str, refs: Vec<(&str, &str)>) -> Event {
+        let keys = Keys::generate();
+        let mut tags = vec![Tag::custom(TagKind::d(), vec![identifier.to_string()])];
+
+        for (ref_name, sha) in refs {
+            tags.push(Tag::custom(
+                TagKind::custom(ref_name),
+                vec![sha.to_string()],
+            ));
+        }
+
+        EventBuilder::new(Kind::from(30618), "")
+            .tags(tags)
+            .sign_with_keys(&keys)
+            .unwrap()
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_extract_refs_from_state() {
+        let event = create_test_state_event(
+            "test-repo",
+            vec![
+                ("refs/heads/main", "abc123"),
+                ("refs/heads/dev", "def456"),
+                ("refs/tags/v1.0", "789xyz"),
+            ],
+        );
+
+        let refs = extract_refs_from_state(&event);
+
+        assert_eq!(refs.len(), 3);
+        assert!(refs
+            .iter()
+            .any(|r| r.ref_name == "refs/heads/main" && r.object_sha == "abc123"));
+        assert!(refs
+            .iter()
+            .any(|r| r.ref_name == "refs/heads/dev" && r.object_sha == "def456"));
+        assert!(refs
+            .iter()
+            .any(|r| r.ref_name == "refs/tags/v1.0" && r.object_sha == "789xyz"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_extract_refs_ignores_non_ref_tags() {
+        let keys = Keys::generate();
+        let tags = vec![
+            Tag::custom(TagKind::d(), vec!["test-repo".to_string()]),
+            Tag::custom(
+                TagKind::custom("refs/heads/main"),
+                vec!["abc123".to_string()],
+            ),
+            Tag::custom(TagKind::custom("some-other-tag"), vec!["value".to_string()]),
+        ];
+
+        let event = EventBuilder::new(Kind::from(30618), "")
+            .tags(tags)
+            .sign_with_keys(&keys)
+            .unwrap();
+
+        let refs = extract_refs_from_state(&event);
+
+        // Should only extract the refs/heads/main tag
+        assert_eq!(refs.len(), 1);
+        assert_eq!(refs[0].ref_name, "refs/heads/main");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_can_satisfy_state_all_in_pushed() {
+        let event = create_test_state_event(
+            "test-repo",
+            vec![("refs/heads/main", "abc123"), ("refs/heads/dev", "def456")],
+        );
+
+        let pushed_updates = vec![
+            RefUpdate {
+                old_oid: "0000000000000000000000000000000000000000".to_string(),
+                new_oid: "abc123".to_string(),
+                ref_name: "refs/heads/main".to_string(),
+            },
+            RefUpdate {
+                old_oid: "0000000000000000000000000000000000000000".to_string(),
+                new_oid: "def456".to_string(),
+                ref_name: "refs/heads/dev".to_string(),
+            },
+        ];
+
+        let local_refs = HashMap::new();
+
+        assert!(can_satisfy_state(&event, &pushed_updates, &local_refs));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_can_satisfy_state_split_between_pushed_and_local() {
+        let event = create_test_state_event(
+            "test-repo",
+            vec![("refs/heads/main", "abc123"), ("refs/heads/dev", "def456")],
+        );
+
+        let pushed_updates = vec![RefUpdate {
+            old_oid: "0000000000000000000000000000000000000000".to_string(),
+            new_oid: "abc123".to_string(),
+            ref_name: "refs/heads/main".to_string(),
+        }];
+
+        let mut local_refs = HashMap::new();
+        local_refs.insert("refs/heads/dev".to_string(), "def456".to_string());
+
+        assert!(can_satisfy_state(&event, &pushed_updates, &local_refs));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_can_satisfy_state_missing_ref() {
+        let event = create_test_state_event(
+            "test-repo",
+            vec![("refs/heads/main", "abc123"), ("refs/heads/dev", "def456")],
+        );
+
+        let pushed_updates = vec![RefUpdate {
+            old_oid: "0000000000000000000000000000000000000000".to_string(),
+            new_oid: "abc123".to_string(),
+            ref_name: "refs/heads/main".to_string(),
+        }];
+
+        let local_refs = HashMap::new();
+
+        // dev ref is missing
+        assert!(!can_satisfy_state(&event, &pushed_updates, &local_refs));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_can_satisfy_state_modification() {
+        let event = create_test_state_event(
+            "test-repo",
+            vec![("refs/heads/main", "abc123"), ("refs/heads/dev", "def456")],
+        );
+
+        let pushed_updates = vec![
+            RefUpdate {
+                old_oid: "old123".to_string(),
+                new_oid: "abc123".to_string(),
+                ref_name: "refs/heads/main".to_string(),
+            },
+            RefUpdate {
+                old_oid: "wrong-sha".to_string(),
+                new_oid: "def456".to_string(),
+                ref_name: "refs/heads/dev".to_string(),
+            },
+        ];
+
+        let mut local_refs = HashMap::new();
+        local_refs.insert("refs/heads/main".to_string(), "old123".to_string());
+        local_refs.insert("refs/heads/dev".to_string(), "wrong-sha".to_string());
+
+        // Should succeed because push updates both to match event
+        assert!(can_satisfy_state(&event, &pushed_updates, &local_refs));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_can_satisfy_state_rejects_extra_refs() {
+        let event = create_test_state_event("test-repo", vec![("refs/heads/main", "abc123")]);
+
+        let pushed_updates = vec![
+            RefUpdate {
+                old_oid: "0000000000000000000000000000000000000000".to_string(),
+                new_oid: "abc123".to_string(),
+                ref_name: "refs/heads/main".to_string(),
+            },
+            RefUpdate {
+                old_oid: "old456".to_string(),
+                new_oid: "def456".to_string(),
+                ref_name: "refs/heads/dev".to_string(),
+            },
+        ];
+
+        let mut local_refs = HashMap::new();
+        local_refs.insert("refs/heads/dev".to_string(), "old456".to_string());
+
+        // Should fail because event doesn't declare dev
+        assert!(!can_satisfy_state(&event, &pushed_updates, &local_refs));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_can_satisfy_state_filters_non_branch_tag_refs() {
+        let event = create_test_state_event("test-repo", vec![("refs/heads/main", "abc123")]);
+
+        let pushed_updates = vec![RefUpdate {
+            old_oid: "0000000000000000000000000000000000000000".to_string(),
+            new_oid: "abc123".to_string(),
+            ref_name: "refs/heads/main".to_string(),
+        }];
+
+        let mut local_refs = HashMap::new();
+        // Add some non-branch/non-tag refs that should be filtered out
+        local_refs.insert("refs/pull/123/head".to_string(), "xyz789".to_string());
+        local_refs.insert("refs/some/other/thing".to_string(), "aaa111".to_string());
+
+        // Should succeed - non-branch/tag refs are filtered out
+        assert!(can_satisfy_state(&event, &pushed_updates, &local_refs));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_can_satisfy_state_empty_event() {
+        let event = create_test_state_event("test-repo", vec![]);
+        let pushed_refs = vec![];
+        let local_refs = HashMap::new();
+
+        // Empty state event is satisfied
+        assert!(can_satisfy_state(&event, &pushed_refs, &local_refs));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_get_unpushed_refs() {
+        let event = create_test_state_event(
+            "test-repo",
+            vec![
+                ("refs/heads/main", "abc123"),
+                ("refs/heads/dev", "def456"),
+                ("refs/tags/v1.0", "789xyz"),
+            ],
+        );
+
+        let pushed_refs = vec![RefPair {
+            ref_name: "refs/heads/main".to_string(),
+            object_sha: "abc123".to_string(),
+        }];
+
+        let unpushed = get_unpushed_refs(&event, &pushed_refs);
+
+        assert_eq!(unpushed.len(), 2);
+        assert!(unpushed.iter().any(|r| r.ref_name == "refs/heads/dev"));
+        assert!(unpushed.iter().any(|r| r.ref_name == "refs/tags/v1.0"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_get_unpushed_refs_all_pushed() {
+        let event = create_test_state_event("test-repo", vec![("refs/heads/main", "abc123")]);
+
+        let pushed_refs = vec![RefPair {
+            ref_name: "refs/heads/main".to_string(),
+            object_sha: "abc123".to_string(),
+        }];
+
+        let unpushed = get_unpushed_refs(&event, &pushed_refs);
+
+        assert_eq!(unpushed.len(), 0);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_get_unpushed_refs_sha_mismatch() {
+        let event = create_test_state_event("test-repo", vec![("refs/heads/main", "abc123")]);
+
+        let pushed_refs = vec![RefPair {
+            ref_name: "refs/heads/main".to_string(),
+            object_sha: "different-sha".to_string(), // Different SHA
+        }];
+
+        let unpushed = get_unpushed_refs(&event, &pushed_refs);
+
+        // Should still be unpushed because SHA doesn't match
+        assert_eq!(unpushed.len(), 1);
+        assert_eq!(unpushed[0].ref_name, "refs/heads/main");
+        assert_eq!(unpushed[0].object_sha, "abc123");
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/purgatory/mod.rs b/src/purgatory/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..18a55d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/purgatory/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,593 @@
+//! Purgatory: In-memory holding area for events awaiting git data.
+//!
+//! Solves the "which arrives first?" problem where either nostr events or git pushes
+//! can arrive in any order. Events and git data are held temporarily until their
+//! counterpart arrives, at which point they can be processed together.
+//!
+//! ## Architecture
+//!
+//! - **In-memory only**: Data is lost on restart (acceptable per spec)
+//! - **Thread-safe**: Uses DashMap for concurrent access from multiple handlers
+//! - **Automatic expiry**: Entries expire after 30 minutes by default
+//! - **Separate stores**: State events and PR events use different indexing strategies
+
+mod helpers;
+mod types;
+
+pub use helpers::{can_satisfy_state, extract_refs_from_state, get_unpushed_refs};
+pub use types::{PrPurgatoryEntry, RefPair, RefUpdate, StatePurgatoryEntry};
+
+use dashmap::DashMap;
+use nostr_sdk::prelude::*;
+use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
+
+/// Default expiry duration for purgatory entries (30 minutes)
+const DEFAULT_EXPIRY: Duration = Duration::from_secs(1800);
+
+/// Main purgatory structure holding events awaiting git data.
+///
+/// Provides thread-safe concurrent access to two separate stores:
+/// - State events indexed by repository identifier
+/// - PR events indexed by event ID
+#[derive(Clone)]
+pub struct Purgatory {
+    /// State events (kind 30618) indexed by repository identifier.
+    /// Multiple state events can wait for the same identifier (different maintainers).
+    state_events: Arc<DashMap<String, Vec<StatePurgatoryEntry>>>,
+
+    /// PR events (kind 1617/1618) or placeholders indexed by event ID (hex string).
+    /// Event ID is from the 'e' tag in the PR event itself.
+    pr_events: Arc<DashMap<String, PrPurgatoryEntry>>,
+}
+
+impl Purgatory {
+    /// Create a new empty purgatory.
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            state_events: Arc::new(DashMap::new()),
+            pr_events: Arc::new(DashMap::new()),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Add a state event to purgatory.
+    ///
+    /// The event will expire after the default duration unless matched with git data.
+    /// Multiple state events for the same identifier are allowed (from different authors).
+    ///
+    /// # Arguments
+    /// * `event` - The state event (kind 30618) to hold
+    /// * `identifier` - The repository identifier from the 'd' tag
+    /// * `author` - The event author's public key
+    pub fn add_state(&self, event: Event, identifier: String, author: PublicKey) {
+        let now = Instant::now();
+        let entry = StatePurgatoryEntry {
+            event,
+            identifier: identifier.clone(),
+            author,
+            created_at: now,
+            expires_at: now + DEFAULT_EXPIRY,
+        };
+
+        self.state_events.entry(identifier).or_default().push(entry);
+    }
+
+    /// Add a PR event to purgatory.
+    ///
+    /// The event will expire after the default duration unless matched with git data.
+    ///
+    /// # Arguments
+    /// * `event` - The PR event (kind 1617/1618) to hold
+    /// * `event_id` - The event ID (hex string) from the 'e' tag
+    /// * `commit` - The commit SHA from the 'c' tag
+    pub fn add_pr(&self, event: Event, event_id: String, commit: String) {
+        let now = Instant::now();
+        let entry = PrPurgatoryEntry {
+            event: Some(event),
+            commit,
+            created_at: now,
+            expires_at: now + DEFAULT_EXPIRY,
+        };
+
+        self.pr_events.insert(event_id, entry);
+    }
+
+    /// Add a PR placeholder (git data arrived before PR event).
+    ///
+    /// Creates a placeholder entry waiting for the corresponding PR event.
+    ///
+    /// # Arguments
+    /// * `event_id` - The expected event ID (from git ref name)
+    /// * `commit` - The commit SHA that was pushed
+    pub fn add_pr_placeholder(&self, event_id: String, commit: String) {
+        let now = Instant::now();
+        let entry = PrPurgatoryEntry {
+            event: None, // Placeholder - no event yet
+            commit,
+            created_at: now,
+            expires_at: now + DEFAULT_EXPIRY,
+        };
+
+        self.pr_events.insert(event_id, entry);
+    }
+
+    /// Find state events waiting for a specific repository identifier.
+    ///
+    /// Returns all state events (from all maintainers) waiting for git data
+    /// matching this identifier.
+    ///
+    /// # Arguments
+    /// * `identifier` - The repository identifier to search for
+    ///
+    /// # Returns
+    /// Vector of state events waiting for this identifier, or empty vec if none found
+    pub fn find_state(&self, identifier: &str) -> Vec<StatePurgatoryEntry> {
+        self.state_events
+            .get(identifier)
+            .map(|entries| entries.clone())
+            .unwrap_or_default()
+    }
+
+    /// Find a PR event or placeholder by event ID.
+    ///
+    /// # Arguments
+    /// * `event_id` - The event ID to search for
+    ///
+    /// # Returns
+    /// The PR entry if found, None otherwise
+    pub fn find_pr(&self, event_id: &str) -> Option<PrPurgatoryEntry> {
+        self.pr_events.get(event_id).map(|entry| entry.clone())
+    }
+
+    /// Find a PR placeholder specifically (git-data-first scenario).
+    ///
+    /// Returns the commit SHA only if a placeholder exists (entry with no event).
+    /// Used to distinguish placeholders from actual PR events.
+    ///
+    /// # Arguments
+    /// * `event_id` - The event ID to search for
+    ///
+    /// # Returns
+    /// Some(commit_sha) if a placeholder exists, None if no entry or entry has an event
+    pub fn find_pr_placeholder(&self, event_id: &str) -> Option<String> {
+        self.pr_events.get(event_id).and_then(|entry| {
+            if entry.event.is_none() {
+                Some(entry.commit.clone())
+            } else {
+                None
+            }
+        })
+    }
+
+    /// Remove a state event from purgatory.
+    ///
+    /// Removes all entries for the given identifier.
+    ///
+    /// # Arguments
+    /// * `identifier` - The repository identifier to remove
+    pub fn remove_state(&self, identifier: &str) {
+        self.state_events.remove(identifier);
+    }
+
+    /// Remove a specific state event by comparing the full event.
+    ///
+    /// This allows removing a single state event while leaving others
+    /// for the same identifier intact.
+    ///
+    /// # Arguments
+    /// * `identifier` - The repository identifier
+    /// * `event_id` - The specific event ID to remove
+    pub fn remove_state_event(&self, identifier: &str, event_id: &EventId) {
+        if let Some(mut entries) = self.state_events.get_mut(identifier) {
+            entries.retain(|entry| entry.event.id != *event_id);
+            if entries.is_empty() {
+                drop(entries); // Release lock before removal
+                self.state_events.remove(identifier);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Find state events that could be satisfied by ref updates.
+    ///
+    /// Returns state events waiting for this identifier where applying the
+    /// ref updates to local state results in exactly the declared state.
+    /// Uses late-binding ref extraction at git push time.
+    ///
+    /// # Arguments
+    /// * `identifier` - The repository identifier to search for
+    /// * `pushed_updates` - Ref updates in the current push operation
+    /// * `local_refs` - Refs already existing locally (ref_name -> SHA)
+    ///
+    /// # Returns
+    /// Vector of events that can be satisfied by the push
+    pub fn find_matching_states(
+        &self,
+        identifier: &str,
+        pushed_updates: &[RefUpdate],
+        local_refs: &std::collections::HashMap<String, String>,
+    ) -> Vec<Event> {
+        self.state_events
+            .get(identifier)
+            .map(|entries| {
+                entries
+                    .iter()
+                    .filter(|entry| {
+                        helpers::can_satisfy_state(&entry.event, pushed_updates, local_refs)
+                    })
+                    .map(|entry| entry.event.clone())
+                    .collect()
+            })
+            .unwrap_or_default()
+    }
+
+    /// Extend expiry for state events about to be processed.
+    ///
+    /// Ensures entries have at least `duration` remaining on their timer.
+    /// Sets expiry to max(current_expiry, now + duration).
+    ///
+    /// # Arguments
+    /// * `identifier` - The repository identifier
+    /// * `event_ids` - Event IDs to extend expiry for
+    /// * `duration` - Minimum duration to guarantee from now
+    pub fn extend_expiry(&self, identifier: &str, event_ids: &[EventId], duration: Duration) {
+        if let Some(mut entries) = self.state_events.get_mut(identifier) {
+            let now = Instant::now();
+            let new_expiry = now + duration;
+
+            for entry in entries.iter_mut() {
+                if event_ids.contains(&entry.event.id) {
+                    // Set to max of current expiry and new expiry
+                    if entry.expires_at < new_expiry {
+                        entry.expires_at = new_expiry;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Remove a PR event or placeholder from purgatory.
+    ///
+    /// # Arguments
+    /// * `event_id` - The event ID to remove
+    pub fn remove_pr(&self, event_id: &str) {
+        self.pr_events.remove(event_id);
+    }
+
+    /// Get all PR placeholder event IDs (git-data-first entries without events).
+    ///
+    /// Returns event IDs for entries where git data arrived before the PR event.
+    /// These correspond to `refs/nostr/<event-id>` refs that should be cleaned up
+    /// on shutdown since they don't have corresponding events.
+    ///
+    /// # Returns
+    /// Vector of event IDs (hex strings) for placeholder entries
+    pub fn get_placeholder_event_ids(&self) -> Vec<String> {
+        self.pr_events
+            .iter()
+            .filter_map(|entry| {
+                if entry.value().event.is_none() {
+                    Some(entry.key().clone())
+                } else {
+                    None
+                }
+            })
+            .collect()
+    }
+
+    /// Remove expired entries from purgatory.
+    ///
+    /// Should be called periodically (every 60 seconds) by background task to clean up
+    /// entries that have exceeded their expiry deadline.
+    ///
+    /// # Returns
+    /// Tuple of (num_state_removed, num_pr_removed)
+    pub fn cleanup(&self) -> (usize, usize) {
+        let now = Instant::now();
+        let mut state_removed = 0;
+
+        // Remove expired state events
+        self.state_events.retain(|_, entries| {
+            let original_len = entries.len();
+            entries.retain(|entry| entry.expires_at > now);
+            state_removed += original_len - entries.len();
+            !entries.is_empty()
+        });
+
+        // Remove expired PR events
+        let expired_prs: Vec<String> = self
+            .pr_events
+            .iter()
+            .filter(|entry| entry.value().expires_at <= now)
+            .map(|entry| entry.key().clone())
+            .collect();
+
+        let pr_removed = expired_prs.len();
+        for event_id in expired_prs {
+            self.pr_events.remove(&event_id);
+        }
+
+        (state_removed, pr_removed)
+    }
+
+    /// Remove expired entries from purgatory (legacy method).
+    ///
+    /// # Returns
+    /// Total number of entries removed (state + PR events)
+    #[deprecated(since = "0.1.0", note = "Use cleanup() instead for separate counts")]
+    pub fn remove_expired(&self) -> usize {
+        let (state, pr) = self.cleanup();
+        state + pr
+    }
+
+    /// Get current count of entries in purgatory.
+    ///
+    /// # Returns
+    /// Tuple of (state_event_count, pr_event_count)
+    pub fn count(&self) -> (usize, usize) {
+        let state_count: usize = self.state_events.iter().map(|e| e.value().len()).sum();
+        let pr_count = self.pr_events.len();
+        (state_count, pr_count)
+    }
+
+    /// Clear all entries from purgatory (for testing).
+    #[cfg(test)]
+    pub fn clear(&self) {
+        self.state_events.clear();
+        self.pr_events.clear();
+    }
+}
+
+impl Default for Purgatory {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self::new()
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_purgatory_creation() {
+        let purgatory = Purgatory::new();
+        let (state_count, pr_count) = purgatory.count();
+        assert_eq!(state_count, 0);
+        assert_eq!(pr_count, 0);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_purgatory_count() {
+        let purgatory = Purgatory::new();
+
+        // Add some test data
+        let keys = Keys::generate();
+        let event = EventBuilder::text_note("test")
+            .sign_with_keys(&keys)
+            .unwrap();
+
+        purgatory.add_state(event.clone(), "test-repo".to_string(), keys.public_key());
+        purgatory.add_pr(event, "test-event-id".to_string(), "abc123".to_string());
+
+        let (state_count, pr_count) = purgatory.count();
+        assert_eq!(state_count, 1);
+        assert_eq!(pr_count, 1);
+    }
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_pr_event_vs_placeholder() {
+    let purgatory = Purgatory::new();
+    let keys = Keys::generate();
+    let event = EventBuilder::text_note("test PR")
+        .sign_with_keys(&keys)
+        .unwrap();
+
+    // Add a PR event with actual event
+    purgatory.add_pr(
+        event.clone(),
+        "event-id-1".to_string(),
+        "commit-abc".to_string(),
+    );
+
+    // Add a placeholder (no event)
+    purgatory.add_pr_placeholder("event-id-2".to_string(), "commit-def".to_string());
+
+    // find_pr should find both
+    assert!(purgatory.find_pr("event-id-1").is_some());
+    assert!(purgatory.find_pr("event-id-2").is_some());
+
+    // find_pr_placeholder should only find the placeholder
+    assert!(purgatory.find_pr_placeholder("event-id-1").is_none());
+    assert_eq!(
+        purgatory.find_pr_placeholder("event-id-2"),
+        Some("commit-def".to_string())
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_pr_placeholder_creation_and_retrieval() {
+    let purgatory = Purgatory::new();
+
+    // Add a placeholder
+    purgatory.add_pr_placeholder("placeholder-id".to_string(), "commit-123".to_string());
+
+    // Should be findable by find_pr
+    let entry = purgatory.find_pr("placeholder-id");
+    assert!(entry.is_some());
+    let entry = entry.unwrap();
+    assert!(entry.event.is_none()); // No event yet
+    assert_eq!(entry.commit, "commit-123");
+
+    // Should be findable by find_pr_placeholder
+    let commit = purgatory.find_pr_placeholder("placeholder-id");
+    assert_eq!(commit, Some("commit-123".to_string()));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_cleanup_removes_expired_entries() {
+    use std::time::Duration;
+
+    let purgatory = Purgatory::new();
+    let keys = Keys::generate();
+
+    // Create events
+    let state_event = EventBuilder::text_note("state event")
+        .sign_with_keys(&keys)
+        .unwrap();
+    let pr_event = EventBuilder::text_note("pr event")
+        .sign_with_keys(&keys)
+        .unwrap();
+
+    // Add entries to purgatory
+    purgatory.add_state(
+        state_event.clone(),
+        "test-repo".to_string(),
+        keys.public_key(),
+    );
+    purgatory.add_pr(pr_event, "pr-123".to_string(), "commit-abc".to_string());
+    purgatory.add_pr_placeholder("pr-456".to_string(), "commit-def".to_string());
+
+    // Verify entries are there
+    let (state_count, pr_count) = purgatory.count();
+    assert_eq!(state_count, 1);
+    assert_eq!(pr_count, 2);
+
+    // Manually expire entries by modifying their expiry time
+    // (This is a bit hacky but needed for testing without waiting 30 minutes)
+    if let Some(mut entries) = purgatory.state_events.get_mut("test-repo") {
+        for entry in entries.iter_mut() {
+            entry.expires_at = Instant::now() - Duration::from_secs(1);
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Expire PR events
+    for mut entry in purgatory.pr_events.iter_mut() {
+        entry.value_mut().expires_at = Instant::now() - Duration::from_secs(1);
+    }
+
+    // Run cleanup
+    let (state_removed, pr_removed) = purgatory.cleanup();
+
+    // Verify counts
+    assert_eq!(state_removed, 1);
+    assert_eq!(pr_removed, 2);
+
+    // Verify entries are gone
+    let (state_count, pr_count) = purgatory.count();
+    assert_eq!(state_count, 0);
+    assert_eq!(pr_count, 0);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_cleanup_preserves_non_expired_entries() {
+    let purgatory = Purgatory::new();
+    let keys = Keys::generate();
+
+    let state_event = EventBuilder::text_note("state event")
+        .sign_with_keys(&keys)
+        .unwrap();
+    let pr_event = EventBuilder::text_note("pr event")
+        .sign_with_keys(&keys)
+        .unwrap();
+
+    // Add fresh entries
+    purgatory.add_state(state_event, "test-repo".to_string(), keys.public_key());
+    purgatory.add_pr(pr_event, "pr-123".to_string(), "commit-abc".to_string());
+
+    // Run cleanup
+    let (state_removed, pr_removed) = purgatory.cleanup();
+
+    // Nothing should be removed
+    assert_eq!(state_removed, 0);
+    assert_eq!(pr_removed, 0);
+
+    // Verify entries are still there
+    let (state_count, pr_count) = purgatory.count();
+    assert_eq!(state_count, 1);
+    assert_eq!(pr_count, 1);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_cleanup_mixed_expired_and_fresh() {
+    use std::time::Duration;
+
+    let purgatory = Purgatory::new();
+    let keys = Keys::generate();
+
+    // Add multiple state events for same repo
+    let event1 = EventBuilder::text_note("event1")
+        .sign_with_keys(&keys)
+        .unwrap();
+    let event2 = EventBuilder::text_note("event2")
+        .sign_with_keys(&keys)
+        .unwrap();
+
+    purgatory.add_state(event1, "test-repo".to_string(), keys.public_key());
+    purgatory.add_state(event2, "test-repo".to_string(), keys.public_key());
+
+    // Expire only the first one
+    if let Some(mut entries) = purgatory.state_events.get_mut("test-repo") {
+        if let Some(entry) = entries.get_mut(0) {
+            entry.expires_at = Instant::now() - Duration::from_secs(1);
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Add PR events
+    let pr1 = EventBuilder::text_note("pr1")
+        .sign_with_keys(&keys)
+        .unwrap();
+    let pr2 = EventBuilder::text_note("pr2")
+        .sign_with_keys(&keys)
+        .unwrap();
+
+    purgatory.add_pr(pr1, "pr-1".to_string(), "commit-1".to_string());
+    purgatory.add_pr(pr2, "pr-2".to_string(), "commit-2".to_string());
+
+    // Expire only first PR
+    if let Some(mut entry) = purgatory.pr_events.get_mut("pr-1") {
+        entry.expires_at = Instant::now() - Duration::from_secs(1);
+    }
+
+    // Run cleanup
+    let (state_removed, pr_removed) = purgatory.cleanup();
+
+    // One of each should be removed
+    assert_eq!(state_removed, 1);
+    assert_eq!(pr_removed, 1);
+
+    // Verify remaining counts
+    let (state_count, pr_count) = purgatory.count();
+    assert_eq!(state_count, 1); // One state event remains
+    assert_eq!(pr_count, 1); // One PR event remains
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_remove_expired_legacy_method() {
+    use std::time::Duration;
+
+    let purgatory = Purgatory::new();
+    let keys = Keys::generate();
+
+    let state_event = EventBuilder::text_note("state")
+        .sign_with_keys(&keys)
+        .unwrap();
+    let pr_event = EventBuilder::text_note("pr").sign_with_keys(&keys).unwrap();
+
+    purgatory.add_state(state_event, "repo".to_string(), keys.public_key());
+    purgatory.add_pr(pr_event, "pr-id".to_string(), "commit".to_string());
+
+    // Expire both
+    if let Some(mut entries) = purgatory.state_events.get_mut("repo") {
+        for entry in entries.iter_mut() {
+            entry.expires_at = Instant::now() - Duration::from_secs(1);
+        }
+    }
+    for mut entry in purgatory.pr_events.iter_mut() {
+        entry.value_mut().expires_at = Instant::now() - Duration::from_secs(1);
+    }
+
+    // Test legacy method returns total
+    #[allow(deprecated)]
+    let total = purgatory.remove_expired();
+    assert_eq!(total, 2); // 1 state + 1 PR
+}
diff --git a/src/purgatory/types.rs b/src/purgatory/types.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9c47616
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/purgatory/types.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+//! Core data types for the purgatory system.
+//!
+//! Purgatory is an in-memory holding area for nostr events that depend on git data
+//! that hasn't arrived yet, and vice versa. This solves the "which arrives first?"
+//! problem where either the nostr event or git push can arrive first.
+
+use nostr_sdk::prelude::*;
+use std::time::Instant;
+
+/// A reference name and its target object.
+///
+/// Used to identify specific git refs (branches, tags) that a state event
+/// is waiting for. The combination of ref_name and object_sha uniquely
+/// identifies a git reference at a specific point in time.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Hash, Eq, PartialEq)]
+pub struct RefPair {
+    /// Full ref name, e.g., "refs/heads/main" or "refs/tags/v1.0"
+    pub ref_name: String,
+    /// Target object SHA (commit or annotated tag)
+    pub object_sha: String,
+}
+
+/// A git reference update from receive-pack protocol.
+///
+/// Represents the full update information: what the ref was, what it will be,
+/// and which ref is being updated. This allows detection of:
+/// - Additions: old_oid is all zeros
+/// - Deletions: new_oid is all zeros
+/// - Modifications: both are non-zero but different
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Hash, Eq, PartialEq)]
+pub struct RefUpdate {
+    /// Old object SHA (40 zeros = ref is being created)
+    pub old_oid: String,
+    /// New object SHA (40 zeros = ref is being deleted)
+    pub new_oid: String,
+    /// Full ref name, e.g., "refs/heads/main" or "refs/tags/v1.0"
+    pub ref_name: String,
+}
+
+impl RefUpdate {
+    /// Check if this update is creating a new ref
+    pub fn is_creation(&self) -> bool {
+        self.old_oid == "0000000000000000000000000000000000000000"
+    }
+
+    /// Check if this update is deleting a ref
+    pub fn is_deletion(&self) -> bool {
+        self.new_oid == "0000000000000000000000000000000000000000"
+    }
+
+    /// Check if this update is modifying an existing ref
+    pub fn is_modification(&self) -> bool {
+        !self.is_creation() && !self.is_deletion()
+    }
+}
+
+/// Entry for a state event (kind 30618) waiting in purgatory.
+///
+/// State events declare the current state of a repository but may arrive
+/// before the corresponding git data has been pushed. This entry holds
+/// the event and associated metadata until the git data arrives.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+pub struct StatePurgatoryEntry {
+    /// The nostr state event (kind 30618) awaiting git data
+    pub event: Event,
+
+    /// The repository identifier from the event's 'd' tag
+    pub identifier: String,
+
+    /// Event author pubkey
+    pub author: PublicKey,
+
+    /// When this entry was added to purgatory
+    pub created_at: Instant,
+
+    /// Expiry deadline (30 min from creation, may be extended)
+    pub expires_at: Instant,
+}
+
+/// Entry for a PR event (kind 1617/1618) or placeholder waiting in purgatory.
+///
+/// PR events reference specific commits but may arrive before the git push
+/// containing those commits. Alternatively, a git push may arrive first,
+/// creating a placeholder entry waiting for the corresponding PR event.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+pub struct PrPurgatoryEntry {
+    /// The nostr PR event, if received (None = git data arrived first)
+    pub event: Option<Event>,
+
+    /// The expected commit SHA from 'c' tag (if event exists)
+    /// or the actual commit pushed (if git arrived first)
+    pub commit: String,
+
+    /// When this entry was added to purgatory
+    pub created_at: Instant,
+
+    /// Expiry deadline (30 min from creation, may be extended)
+    pub expires_at: Instant,
+}