diff --git a/src/core/Game.lua b/src/core/Game.lua
index b2c8e5bf..b4bb8d99 100644
--- a/src/core/Game.lua
+++ b/src/core/Game.lua
@@ -982,7 +982,11 @@ end
 -- parked the player until every direction was re-pressed (#799).
 function Game:focus(f)
   Input:reset()
-  if f then Input:reconcile() end
+  if f then
+    Input:reconcile()
+    local eng = self:syncEngine()
+    if eng then pcall(eng.noteResumed, eng) end
+  end
   TouchControls:reset()
   self:cancelPointers()
 end
@@ -1002,6 +1006,8 @@ function Game:onResume()
   Input:reconcile()
   TouchControls:reset()
   self:cancelPointers()
+  local eng = self:syncEngine()
+  if eng then pcall(eng.noteResumed, eng) end
   -- Chip music may survive NX suspend as a duplicate stream; stop it and let
   -- the active screen re-cue on the next frame (hardware audio check: T19).
   -- Desktop/mobile window-visible flips must not kill overworld music.
@@ -1209,18 +1215,26 @@ end
 
 function Game:syncEngine()
   if self._syncOff then return nil end
-  if self._syncEngineRef then return self._syncEngineRef end
-  local ok, SyncEngine = pcall(require, "src.sync.SyncEngine")
-  if not ok or type(SyncEngine) ~= "table" then
-    self._syncOff = true
-    return nil
-  end
-  local eng = SyncEngine.shared()
+  local eng = self._syncEngineRef
   if not eng then
-    self._syncOff = true
-    return nil
+    local ok, SyncEngine = pcall(require, "src.sync.SyncEngine")
+    if not ok or type(SyncEngine) ~= "table" then
+      self._syncOff = true
+      return nil
+    end
+    eng = SyncEngine.shared()
+    if not eng then
+      self._syncOff = true
+      return nil
+    end
+    self._syncEngineRef = eng
+  end
+  if type(eng.protectPlaythrough) == "function" then
+    local meta = self.save and self.save.meta
+    eng:protectPlaythrough(
+      (self.save and self.save.version) or require("src.core.GameVersion").get(),
+      type(meta) == "table" and meta.playthroughId or nil)
   end
-  self._syncEngineRef = eng
   return eng
 end
 
diff --git a/src/import/LauncherView.lua b/src/import/LauncherView.lua
index 221226b4..2d5d9418 100644
--- a/src/import/LauncherView.lua
+++ b/src/import/LauncherView.lua
@@ -4554,7 +4554,7 @@ local function buildSyncHome(imp, m, eng)
   local linked = eng:linked()
   local codes = eng.codes
   local body = linked
-    and Strings("This device is linked. Saves and the mod list sync when the launcher opens and a few seconds after each save.")
+    and Strings("This device is linked. Saves sync when the launcher opens, a few seconds after each save, and every few minutes while the app is running.")
     or Strings(SYNC_HINT)
   local innerW = w - 2 * pad
   local hintH = Kit.wrapHeight("small", body, innerW, 5)
diff --git a/src/import/RomImporter.lua b/src/import/RomImporter.lua
index 9ce176ff..d5b4aecf 100644
--- a/src/import/RomImporter.lua
+++ b/src/import/RomImporter.lua
@@ -1537,6 +1537,9 @@ function RomImporter:focus(f)
     self._modPress = nil
     return
   end
+  if type(self._sync) == "table" then
+    pcall(self._sync.noteResumed, self._sync)
+  end
   if not (f and self.android and self.workState ~= "working") then return end
   -- SAF create-document finished: GameActivity wrote export_done.flag.
   if love.filesystem.getInfo("export_done.flag", "file") then
diff --git a/src/sync/SyncEngine.lua b/src/sync/SyncEngine.lua
index 49c3298f..985ed415 100644
--- a/src/sync/SyncEngine.lua
+++ b/src/sync/SyncEngine.lua
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ SyncEngine.__index = SyncEngine
 
 SyncEngine.UPLOAD_DEBOUNCE = 5
 SyncEngine.AUTO_INTERVAL = 300
+SyncEngine.RESUME_MIN_GAP = 60
 SyncEngine.MAX_STEPS_PER_UPDATE = 8
 
 local IDLE_STATUS = "Ready"
@@ -133,6 +134,7 @@ function SyncEngine.new(opts)
   eng.modPlan = nil
   eng.shareCode = nil
   eng.clock = 0
+  eng.autoAt = SyncEngine.AUTO_INTERVAL
   eng.queue = {}
   eng.pending = nil
   eng.uploadAt = nil
@@ -258,6 +260,11 @@ function SyncEngine:update(dt)
     self.uploadAt = nil
     if self.state.enabled and self:linked() then self:syncNow() end
   end
+  if self.clock >= self.autoAt and not self:busy()
+      and (self.phase == "idle" or self.phase == "error")
+      and self.state.enabled and self:linked() then
+    self:syncNow()
+  end
   local steps = 0
   while not self.pending and #self.queue > 0
       and steps < SyncEngine.MAX_STEPS_PER_UPDATE do
@@ -296,6 +303,7 @@ function SyncEngine:createAccount(label)
     eng.phase = "idle"
     eng.status = "Sync account created"
     eng:_persist()
+    eng:syncNow()
   end)
 end
 
@@ -385,9 +393,24 @@ function SyncEngine:setEnabled(enabled)
   return self.state.enabled
 end
 
+function SyncEngine:protectPlaythrough(version, playthroughId)
+  self.protectedKey = SyncState.key(version, playthroughId)
+end
+
+function SyncEngine:noteResumed()
+  if not (self.state.enabled and self:linked()) then return end
+  if self:busy() or self.phase == "conflict" then return end
+  if self.now() - (tonumber(self.state.lastSyncAt) or 0)
+      < SyncEngine.RESUME_MIN_GAP then
+    return
+  end
+  self:syncNow()
+end
+
 function SyncEngine:syncNow()
   if not self:linked() then return false, "this device is not linked" end
   if self.pending then return false, "sync is busy" end
+  self.autoAt = self.clock + SyncEngine.AUTO_INTERVAL
   self.queue = {}
   self.conflicts = {}
   self.state.pendingConflicts = {}
@@ -437,13 +460,13 @@ function SyncEngine:_planFrom(remoteState)
         self:_addConflict(entry, key, row)
       elseif localChanged then
         self:_queueUpload(entry, key, false)
-      elseif remoteChanged then
+      elseif remoteChanged and key ~= self.protectedKey then
         self:_queueDownload(key, entry.version, entry.playthroughId, "replace")
       end
     end
   end
   for key, row in pairs(remote) do
-    if not seen[key] then
+    if not seen[key] and key ~= self.protectedKey then
       local version, id = SyncState.splitKey(key)
       if version and id then
         self:_queueDownload(key, version, id, "replace", tonumber(row.rev))
diff --git a/tests/engine/sync_engine_test.lua b/tests/engine/sync_engine_test.lua
index f6ee37fd..ddd3bc78 100644
--- a/tests/engine/sync_engine_test.lua
+++ b/tests/engine/sync_engine_test.lua
@@ -94,20 +94,26 @@ do
   local eng, transport = engine({
     ["POST /sync/create"] = { code = 200, body =
       '{"account":"aa11","code1":"11112222","code2":"33334444","deviceToken":"tok"}' },
-  }, {}, SyncState.defaults())
+    ["GET /sync/state"] = { code = 200, body = '{"saves":{}}' },
+    ["PUT /sync/save"] = { code = 200, body = '{"ok":true,"rev":1}' },
+  }, { saveEntry("red", "abc", 500, 400) }, SyncState.defaults())
 
   T.eq(eng:linked(), false, "a fresh engine is not linked")
   T.eq(eng.status, "Not set up", "and says so")
 
   eng:createAccount("laptop")
-  pump(eng, 3)
+  pump(eng)
   T.eq(eng:linked(), true, "creating an account links this device")
   T.eq(eng.state.account, "aa11", "and stores the account id")
   T.eq(eng.codes.code1, "1111-2222", "the first code is shown grouped")
   T.eq(eng.codes.code2, "3333-4444", "and so is the second")
   T.eq(eng.state.code1, nil, "codes never enter the persisted state")
+  T.eq(transport.sent[2].url, "http://sync.test/sync/state",
+    "creating the account starts a sync straight away")
+  T.eq(transport.sent[3].method, "PUT",
+    "so the saves that existed before setup are uploaded")
+  T.eq(SyncState.rev(eng.state, "red/abc"), 1, "and the served rev is remembered")
   T.eq(eng.phase, "idle", "and the engine settles")
-  T.eq(#transport.sent, 1, "one request was made")
 end
 
 do
@@ -293,14 +299,105 @@ do
   T.eq(#transport.sent, 0, "with sync off an in-game save uploads nothing")
 end
 
+do
+  local eng, transport = engine({
+    ["GET /sync/state"] = { code = 200, body = '{"saves":{}}' },
+  }, {})
+  eng:update(SyncEngine.AUTO_INTERVAL - 1)
+  T.eq(#transport.sent, 0, "an idle linked engine does not poll early")
+  eng:update(1)
+  T.eq(#transport.sent, 1, "after the auto interval it checks the server")
+  pump(eng)
+  T.eq(eng.phase, "idle", "and settles")
+  eng:update(SyncEngine.AUTO_INTERVAL - 10)
+  T.eq(#transport.sent, 1, "the next poll waits a whole interval again")
+  eng:update(10)
+  T.eq(#transport.sent, 2, "then fires")
+end
+
+do
+  local eng, transport = engine({
+    ["GET /sync/state"] = { code = 200, body = '{"saves":{}}' },
+  }, {}, SyncState.defaults())
+  eng:update(SyncEngine.AUTO_INTERVAL * 2)
+  T.eq(#transport.sent, 0, "an unlinked engine never polls on its own")
+end
+
+do
+  local calls = 0
+  local eng = engine({
+    ["GET /sync/state"] = function()
+      calls = calls + 1
+      if calls == 1 then return { code = 500, body = '{"error":"down"}' } end
+      return { code = 200, body = '{"saves":{}}' }
+    end,
+  }, {})
+  eng:syncNow()
+  pump(eng, 3)
+  T.eq(eng.phase, "error", "the first sync fails")
+  eng:update(SyncEngine.AUTO_INTERVAL)
+  pump(eng, 3)
+  T.eq(eng.phase, "idle", "the auto interval retries and recovers")
+end
+
+do
+  local eng, transport = conflictEngine()
+  eng:syncNow()
+  pump(eng)
+  local sent = #transport.sent
+  eng:update(SyncEngine.AUTO_INTERVAL * 2)
+  T.eq(#transport.sent, sent, "a waiting conflict is never auto-synced over")
+  T.eq(eng.phase, "conflict", "the player still decides")
+end
+
+do
+  local eng, transport = engine({
+    ["GET /sync/state"] = { code = 200, body = '{"saves":{}}' },
+  }, {})
+  eng:noteResumed()
+  T.eq(#transport.sent, 1, "regaining the app checks the server")
+  pump(eng)
+  eng:noteResumed()
+  T.eq(#transport.sent, 1, "but not twice in quick succession")
+end
+
+do
+  local eng, transport = engine({}, {}, SyncState.defaults())
+  eng:noteResumed()
+  T.eq(#transport.sent, 0, "an unlinked engine ignores a resume")
+end
+
+do
+  local state = linkedState()
+  SyncState.setRev(state, "red/abc", 2, 500)
+  local eng, transport, saves = engine({
+    ["GET /sync/state"] = { code = 200,
+      body = '{"saves":{"red/abc":{"rev":4,"meta":{"savedAt":900}},' ..
+             '"gold/xyz":{"rev":1,"meta":{"savedAt":900}}}}' },
+    ["GET /sync/save"] = { code = 200,
+      body = '{"rev":1,"meta":{"savedAt":900},"blob":"return { player = {} }"}' },
+  }, { saveEntry("red", "abc", 500, 400) }, state)
+  eng:protectPlaythrough("red", "abc")
+  eng:syncNow()
+  pump(eng)
+  T.eq(#saves.writes, 1, "only the save that is not being played downloads")
+  T.eq(saves.writes[1].version, "gold", "the other playthrough still arrives")
+  T.eq(SyncState.rev(eng.state, "red/abc"), 2,
+    "the live playthrough keeps its rev so the launcher can fetch it later")
+  T.eq(eng.phase, "idle", "and the sync settles")
+  eng:protectPlaythrough("red", nil)
+  T.eq(eng.protectedKey, nil, "no live playthrough means no protection")
+end
+
 do
   local eng = engine({
     ["POST /sync/create"] = { code = 200, body =
       '{"account":"aa11","code1":"11112222","code2":"33334444",' ..
       '"deviceToken":"tok","device":"0a1b2c3d"}' },
+    ["GET /sync/state"] = { code = 200, body = '{"saves":{}}' },
   }, {}, SyncState.defaults())
   eng:createAccount("laptop")
-  pump(eng, 3)
+  pump(eng)
   T.eq(eng.state.deviceId, "0a1b2c3d",
     "creating an account records the id the server gave this device")
   T.eq(SyncState.sanitize(eng.state).deviceId, "0a1b2c3d",