diff --git a/lyra/ingest.py b/lyra/ingest.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7f6ea5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lyra/ingest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+"""Import parsed ChatGPT chat logs into Lyra's memory.
+
+Consumes the parser's `{"title": ..., "messages": [{"role", "content"}]}` format
+(one JSON file per conversation). Each conversation becomes a Lyra session; each
+text message becomes an exchange. Embeddings are batched. Import is idempotent —
+a conversation already present (by session id) is skipped.
+
+Timestamps: this format carries no dates, so imported exchanges are stamped with
+`created_at` (default: now). A future timestamped export will let era memory group
+by real calendar time; pass real per-message dates then.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+import sys
+from datetime import datetime, timezone
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from lyra import llm, logbus, memory
+
+EMBED_BATCH = 64
+EMBED_CHAR_CAP = 6000  # cap embed input size; full content is still stored
+
+
+def _session_id(path: Path) -> str:
+    """Stable id derived from the filename, so re-imports don't duplicate."""
+    return "import-" + path.stem
+
+
+def _clean_messages(messages: list[dict]) -> list[tuple[str, str]]:
+    out: list[tuple[str, str]] = []
+    for m in messages:
+        role = m.get("role")
+        if role not in ("user", "assistant"):
+            continue
+        content = (m.get("content") or "").strip()
+        if not content or content.startswith('{"content_type"'):  # skip empty / image assets
+            continue
+        out.append((role, content))
+    return out
+
+
+def import_file(path: Path, created_at: str) -> int:
+    """Import one conversation file. Returns exchanges added (0 if skipped/empty)."""
+    data = json.loads(path.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+    session_id = _session_id(path)
+    if memory.history(session_id):  # already imported
+        return 0
+
+    msgs = _clean_messages(data.get("messages", []))
+    if not msgs:
+        return 0
+
+    memory.ensure_session(session_id, name=data.get("title") or path.stem)
+
+    rows: list[tuple[str, str, list[float], str]] = []
+    for i in range(0, len(msgs), EMBED_BATCH):
+        batch = msgs[i : i + EMBED_BATCH]
+        embeddings = llm.embed([content[:EMBED_CHAR_CAP] for _, content in batch])
+        for (role, content), emb in zip(batch, embeddings):
+            rows.append((role, content, emb, created_at))
+
+    return memory.add_exchanges_bulk(session_id, rows)
+
+
+def import_dir(dirpath: str | Path, created_at: str | None = None) -> dict:
+    """Import every *.json under dirpath (recursively). Returns a small report."""
+    created_at = created_at or datetime.now(timezone.utc).isoformat()
+    files = sorted(Path(dirpath).rglob("*.json"))
+    sessions, exchanges = 0, 0
+    for path in files:
+        added = import_file(path, created_at)
+        if added:
+            sessions += 1
+            exchanges += added
+    logbus.log(
+        "info", "import complete", dir=str(dirpath),
+        files=len(files), sessions=sessions, exchanges=exchanges,
+    )
+    return {"files": len(files), "sessions_imported": sessions, "exchanges": exchanges}
+
+
+def main() -> int:
+    if len(sys.argv) < 2:
+        print("usage: lyra-import <dir-of-chat-json>", file=sys.stderr)
+        return 2
+    report = import_dir(sys.argv[1])
+    print(report)
+    return 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    raise SystemExit(main())
diff --git a/lyra/memory.py b/lyra/memory.py
index 6119bdd..6001da4 100644
--- a/lyra/memory.py
+++ b/lyra/memory.py
@@ -108,6 +108,22 @@ def remember(session_id: str, role: str, content: str) -> int:
     return int(cur.lastrowid)
 
 
+def add_exchanges_bulk(session_id: str, rows: list[tuple[str, str, list[float], str]]) -> int:
+    """Insert many pre-embedded exchanges at once.
+
+    Each row is (role, content, embedding, created_at). Used by the importer to
+    avoid one INSERT (and one embed round-trip) per message. Returns row count.
+    """
+    conn = _connection()
+    with conn:
+        conn.executemany(
+            "INSERT INTO exchanges (session_id, role, content, embedding, created_at) "
+            "VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?)",
+            [(session_id, role, content, _to_blob(emb), ca) for role, content, emb, ca in rows],
+        )
+    return len(rows)
+
+
 def recent(session_id: str, n: int = 10) -> list[Exchange]:
     """Last `n` exchanges from a session, oldest first."""
     conn = _connection()
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index f035399..d333bfa 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ dependencies = [
 [project.scripts]
 lyra = "lyra.__main__:main"
 lyra-web = "lyra.web.server:serve"
+lyra-import = "lyra.ingest:main"
 
 [dependency-groups]
 dev = [