diff --git a/.gitea/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/adr-proposal.md b/.gitea/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/adr-proposal.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..587b4d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitea/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/adr-proposal.md
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+---
+name: ADR proposal
+about: Propose a decision that needs recording before coding (CLAUDE.md §14)
+title: "ADR: "
+labels:
+  - type:adr-proposal
+---
+
+**Decision to be made:**
+
+**Context / forces:** <!-- what makes this non-obvious; constraints, trade-offs -->
+
+**Options considered:**
+1.
+2.
+
+**Proposed option + why:**
+
+**Consequences:** <!-- what becomes easier/harder; what we commit to -->
+
+**Coupling rules touched (CLAUDE.md §8):** <!-- none, or which and why -->
+
+> On acceptance, the ADR file (`docs/architecture/adr-NNNN-title.md`, Nygard
+> template) lands in the PR that implements the decision.
diff --git a/.gitea/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug.md b/.gitea/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6724e72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitea/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug.md
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+---
+name: Bug
+about: Something behaves incorrectly
+title: ""
+labels:
+  - type:bug
+---
+
+**What happened:**
+
+**What you expected:**
+
+**Steps to reproduce:**
+1.
+2.
+
+**Environment:** <!-- branch/commit, OS, container engine, anything relevant -->
+
+**Logs / evidence:**
+
+**Suspected area:** <!-- e.g. area:bff, area:acl — add the matching area label -->
diff --git a/.gitea/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/slice.md b/.gitea/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/slice.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..43d0f15
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitea/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/slice.md
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+---
+name: Slice (user story)
+about: A backlog slice — independently demoable, encodes the Definition of Done
+title: "S-NN · "
+labels:
+  - type:slice
+---
+
+**Outcome:** <!-- one sentence; user-visible if possible -->
+
+**Acceptance:**
+<!-- Gherkin scenarios or testable assertions -->
+-
+
+**Touches:** <!-- services and folders -->
+
+**Out of scope:** <!-- explicit non-goals -->
+
+## Definition of Done
+
+- [ ] This linked Gitea issue exists and is on the right milestone.
+- [ ] Failing test written and committed first (`test(scope): … (refs #NN)`).
+- [ ] Implementation makes the test pass (`feat(scope): … (refs #NN)`).
+- [ ] Refactor commit follows if structure improved.
+- [ ] Conventional Commit messages referencing this issue.
+- [ ] All Gitea Actions CI jobs green (or `make ci` green while no runner exists).
+- [ ] `docker compose up` from a fresh clone reaches green health checks within 3 minutes.
+- [ ] Docs touched if behaviour, contracts, or operations changed.
+- [ ] ADR added in `docs/architecture/` if a non-obvious decision was made.
+- [ ] Demo note appended to `docs/demo-script.md` if the slice is user-visible.
+- [ ] This issue closed by the merging PR (`closes #NN`).
diff --git a/.gitea/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md b/.gitea/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2d19747
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitea/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+<!-- Title: Conventional Commit style, e.g. feat(bff): … (closes #NN) -->
+
+## What & why
+
+<!-- Summary of the change and the slice/bug it addresses. -->
+
+Closes #
+
+## Definition of Done
+
+- [ ] Linked Gitea issue (above).
+- [ ] Failing test committed before the implementation.
+- [ ] Implementation makes the test pass; refactor commit if structure improved.
+- [ ] Conventional Commits referencing the issue (`refs #NN`).
+- [ ] CI green — all Gitea Actions jobs (or `make ci` green while no runner exists).
+- [ ] `docker compose up` from a fresh clone reaches green health checks within 3 minutes.
+- [ ] Docs updated if behaviour, contracts, or operations changed.
+- [ ] ADR added in `docs/architecture/` if a non-obvious decision was made.
+- [ ] Demo note in `docs/demo-script.md` if user-visible.
+
+## Notes for reviewers
+
+<!-- Anything that helps review: trade-offs, follow-ups, known gaps. -->
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9330697
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+# Changelog
+
+All notable changes to this project. Generated from Conventional Commits by git-cliff.
+
+## Unreleased
+
+### CI
+- Gitea Actions pipeline + runner runbook (refs #30) (#37)
+
+### Chores
+- Add idempotent Gitea backlog seeder
+- Remove bootstrap scripts from main (#35)
+
+### Documentation
+- Split S-00 into sub-slices (refs #1) (#33)
+
+### Features
+- Placeholder BFF + /health endpoint (closes #28) (#34)
+- Containerize BFF + compose-up smoke (closes #29) (#36)
+
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f28b612..4848f54 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ export DOCKER_HOST := unix://$(PODMAN_SOCK)
 endif
 endif
 
-.PHONY: ci lint build unit smoke down help
+.PHONY: ci lint build unit smoke down changelog help
 
 ## ci: run the full pipeline — lint, build, unit, smoke (mirrors Gitea Actions)
 ci: lint build unit smoke
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@ smoke:
 down:
 	docker compose -f $(COMPOSE) down --volumes
 
+## changelog: regenerate CHANGELOG.md from Conventional Commits (git-cliff)
+changelog:
+	git-cliff --output CHANGELOG.md
+
 ## help: list available targets
 help:
 	@grep -E '^## ' $(MAKEFILE_LIST) | sed 's/^## //'
diff --git a/cliff.toml b/cliff.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9d95d2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cliff.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+# git-cliff configuration — generates CHANGELOG.md from Conventional Commits.
+# Run via `make changelog`. See https://git-cliff.org.
+
+[changelog]
+header = """
+# Changelog
+
+All notable changes to this project. Generated from Conventional Commits by git-cliff.\n
+"""
+body = """
+{% if version %}\
+## {{ version }} — {{ timestamp | date(format="%Y-%m-%d") }}
+{% else %}\
+## Unreleased
+{% endif %}\
+{% for group, commits in commits | group_by(attribute="group") %}
+### {{ group | upper_first }}
+{% for commit in commits %}\
+- {{ commit.message | upper_first }}{% if commit.breaking %} **[BREAKING]**{% endif %}
+{% endfor %}\
+{% endfor %}\n
+"""
+trim = true
+
+[git]
+conventional_commits = true
+filter_unconventional = true
+split_commits = false
+protect_breaking_commits = true
+tag_pattern = "v[0-9]*"
+# CalVer tags: YYYY.MM.PATCH
+filter_commits = false
+commit_parsers = [
+  { message = "^feat", group = "Features" },
+  { message = "^fix", group = "Bug Fixes" },
+  { message = "^perf", group = "Performance" },
+  { message = "^refactor", group = "Refactor" },
+  { message = "^docs", group = "Documentation" },
+  { message = "^test", group = "Tests" },
+  { message = "^ci", group = "CI" },
+  { message = "^build", group = "Build" },
+  { message = "^arch", group = "Architecture" },
+  { message = "^chore", group = "Chores" },
+  { message = ".*", group = "Other" },
+]
diff --git a/docs/gitea-workflow.md b/docs/gitea-workflow.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..04011f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/gitea-workflow.md
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+# Working with Gitea: issues, milestones, PRs
+
+Gitea is the **system of record** (CLAUDE.md §7). `BACKLOG.md` is a human-readable
+mirror of the active milestone — when they disagree, Gitea wins.
+
+## Issues
+
+- Open issues from the templates in `.gitea/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/`:
+  - **Slice** — a backlog user story (`S-NN · …`), encodes the Definition of Done.
+  - **Bug** — a defect.
+  - **ADR proposal** — a decision to record before coding (CLAUDE.md §14).
+- Every issue gets `type:*` plus the relevant `area:*` label(s), and is assigned to
+  its iteration **milestone** (`Iteration N — …`).
+- Splitting a slice that grew too big: see CLAUDE.md §13 and the "How to split a
+  slice" section of `BACKLOG.md`.
+
+## Branches & commits
+
+- Trunk-based: short-lived branches off `main`, squash-merged. Never push to `main`.
+- Branch name: `<type>/<issue-number>-<slug>`, e.g. `feat/28-bff-health`.
+- Conventional Commits, each referencing its issue: `feat(bff): … (refs #28)`.
+- TDD order: the `test(...)` red commit precedes the `feat(...)` green commit.
+
+## Pull requests
+
+- Open with `tea pr create` (the Gitea CLI) or the web UI; the body uses
+  `.gitea/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md` and its DoD checklist.
+- The merging PR closes its issue via `closes #NN` in the squash-commit body.
+  Work that isn't finished (e.g. CI green pending a runner) uses `refs #NN` and the
+  issue stays open.
+- A PR needs a linked issue. Don't open one without it.
+
+## CI gate
+
+Until a self-hosted `respellion-linux` runner is registered, `make ci` is the gate
+(it runs the same checks the workflow does). See [runbooks/ci.md](runbooks/ci.md).
+
+## CLI cheatsheet (`tea`)
+
+```bash
+tea issues list --state open          # backlog
+tea issue create --title "S-NN · …" --labels type:slice,area:bff --milestone "Iteration 1 — Walking Skeleton"
+tea pr create --base main --head <branch> --title "…" --description "… closes #NN"
+tea pr list                           # open PRs
+tea pr merge <n> --style squash       # merge (after review)
+```
+
+## Changelog & releases
+
+`CHANGELOG.md` is generated from commits by `git-cliff` (`make changelog`), refreshed
+on tag. Versioning is **CalVer** `YYYY.MM.PATCH`; releases are published via Gitea
+Releases.