diff --git a/worker/lyra_worker/monitor.py b/worker/lyra_worker/monitor.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9c13766
--- /dev/null
+++ b/worker/lyra_worker/monitor.py
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from datetime import date, datetime
+
+import psycopg
+
+from lyra_worker.browser import MbBrowser
+
+_TRUE = {"1", "true", "yes", "on"}
+
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class MonitorConfig:
+    enabled: bool = False
+    poll_interval_hours: int = 24
+    retry_interval_hours: int = 6
+    quality_cutoff: int = 2
+    upgrade_window_days: int = 14
+
+    @classmethod
+    def from_config(cls, config: dict) -> "MonitorConfig":
+        def _int(key: str, default: int) -> int:
+            try:
+                return int(config[key])
+            except (KeyError, TypeError, ValueError):
+                return default
+
+        return cls(
+            enabled=str(config.get("monitor.enabled", "")).strip().lower() in _TRUE,
+            poll_interval_hours=_int("monitor.pollIntervalHours", 24),
+            retry_interval_hours=_int("monitor.retryIntervalHours", 6),
+            quality_cutoff=_int("monitor.qualityCutoff", 2),
+            upgrade_window_days=_int("monitor.upgradeWindowDays", 14),
+        )
+
+
+def _is_new(first_release_date: str, monitor_from: datetime) -> bool:
+    """A release is 'new going forward' if its first-release date is after monitorFrom."""
+    if not first_release_date:
+        return False
+    try:
+        frd = date.fromisoformat(first_release_date[:10])
+    except ValueError:
+        return False
+    return frd > monitor_from.date()
+
+
+def discover(conn: psycopg.Connection, browser: MbBrowser, cfg: MonitorConfig) -> int:
+    """Poll each due watched artist; insert newly-seen release-groups. Returns #rows inserted."""
+    with conn.cursor() as cur:
+        cur.execute(
+            'SELECT id, mbid, name, "autoMonitorFuture", "monitorFrom" FROM "WatchedArtist" '
+            'WHERE "lastPolledAt" IS NULL '
+            '   OR "lastPolledAt" < now() - make_interval(hours => %s)',
+            (cfg.poll_interval_hours,),
+        )
+        artists = cur.fetchall()
+
+    inserted = 0
+    for artist_id, mbid, name, auto_future, monitor_from in artists:
+        for rg in browser.browse_release_groups(mbid):
+            monitored = bool(auto_future) and _is_new(rg.first_release_date, monitor_from)
+            with conn.cursor() as cur:
+                cur.execute(
+                    'INSERT INTO "MonitoredRelease" (id, "watchedArtistId", "artistMbid", '
+                    '"artistName", "rgMbid", album, "primaryType", "secondaryTypes", '
+                    '"firstReleaseDate", monitored, state, "createdAt") '
+                    "VALUES (gen_random_uuid()::text, %s, %s, %s, %s, %s, %s, %s, %s, %s, 'wanted', now()) "
+                    'ON CONFLICT ("rgMbid") DO NOTHING',
+                    (artist_id, mbid, name, rg.rg_mbid, rg.title, rg.primary_type or None,
+                     list(rg.secondary_types), rg.first_release_date or None, monitored),
+                )
+                inserted += cur.rowcount
+        with conn.cursor() as cur:
+            cur.execute('UPDATE "WatchedArtist" SET "lastPolledAt" = now() WHERE id = %s', (artist_id,))
+    conn.commit()
+    return inserted
diff --git a/worker/tests/test_monitor_discover.py b/worker/tests/test_monitor_discover.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ee76141
--- /dev/null
+++ b/worker/tests/test_monitor_discover.py
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+from lyra_worker.adapters.fakes import FakeMbBrowser
+from lyra_worker.browser import ReleaseGroupInfo
+from lyra_worker.monitor import MonitorConfig, discover
+from tests.conftest import insert_watched_artist
+
+
+def _releases():
+    return [
+        ReleaseGroupInfo("rg-old", "Old Album", "Album", (), "2001-01-01"),
+        ReleaseGroupInfo("rg-new", "New Album", "Album", (), "2999-01-01"),
+    ]
+
+
+def _monitored_map(conn):
+    with conn.cursor() as cur:
+        cur.execute('SELECT "rgMbid", monitored FROM "MonitoredRelease"')
+        return dict(cur.fetchall())
+
+
+def test_discover_auto_monitor_future_only_flags_new(conn):
+    aid = insert_watched_artist(conn, mbid="a1", name="John Mayer", auto_monitor_future=True)
+    browser = FakeMbBrowser(releases={"a1": _releases()})
+    inserted = discover(conn, browser, MonitorConfig(enabled=True))
+    assert inserted == 2
+    assert _monitored_map(conn) == {"rg-old": False, "rg-new": True}  # only the future one is monitored
+
+
+def test_discover_default_off_monitors_nothing(conn):
+    insert_watched_artist(conn, mbid="a1", name="X", auto_monitor_future=False)
+    browser = FakeMbBrowser(releases={"a1": _releases()})
+    discover(conn, browser, MonitorConfig(enabled=True))
+    assert _monitored_map(conn) == {"rg-old": False, "rg-new": False}
+
+
+def test_discover_is_idempotent_and_sets_last_polled(conn):
+    insert_watched_artist(conn, mbid="a1", name="X", auto_monitor_future=True)
+    browser = FakeMbBrowser(releases={"a1": _releases()})
+    assert discover(conn, browser, MonitorConfig(enabled=True)) == 2
+    assert discover(conn, browser, MonitorConfig(enabled=True)) == 0  # lastPolledAt now recent; not re-polled
+    with conn.cursor() as cur:
+        cur.execute('SELECT "lastPolledAt" IS NOT NULL FROM "WatchedArtist" WHERE mbid = %s', ("a1",))
+        assert cur.fetchone()[0] is True
+
+
+def test_config_from_config_parses_strings():
+    cfg = MonitorConfig.from_config({"monitor.enabled": "true", "monitor.qualityCutoff": "3"})
+    assert cfg.enabled is True and cfg.quality_cutoff == 3
+    assert MonitorConfig.from_config({}).enabled is False