diff --git a/chat/db/migrations/0002_classifier_failures.sql b/chat/db/migrations/0002_classifier_failures.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7bfa23a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chat/db/migrations/0002_classifier_failures.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+CREATE TABLE classifier_failures (
+    id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
+    kind TEXT NOT NULL,
+    model TEXT NOT NULL,
+    raw_text TEXT,
+    attempt_count INTEGER NOT NULL,
+    created_at TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT (datetime('now'))
+);
diff --git a/chat/llm/classify.py b/chat/llm/classify.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..66517c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chat/llm/classify.py
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+import json
+import asyncio
+from typing import TypeVar
+from pydantic import BaseModel, ValidationError
+from .client import LLMClient, Message
+
+T = TypeVar("T", bound=BaseModel)
+
+REFUSAL_PATTERNS = ("i can't", "i cannot", "i'm sorry, but", "as an ai")
+
+
+async def classify(
+    client: LLMClient,
+    *,
+    model: str,
+    system: str,
+    user: str,
+    schema: type[T],
+    default: T | None = None,
+    timeout_s: float = 10.0,
+) -> T:
+    msgs = [
+        Message(role="system", content=system + "\n\nRespond with JSON only matching the schema."),
+        Message(role="user", content=user),
+    ]
+    for attempt in range(2):
+        try:
+            text = await asyncio.wait_for(
+                client.generate(msgs, model=model, response_format={"type": "json_object"}),
+                timeout=timeout_s,
+            )
+            if any(p in text.lower()[:80] for p in REFUSAL_PATTERNS) and not text.strip().startswith("{"):
+                raise ValueError("refusal-shaped response")
+            return schema.model_validate_json(text)
+        except (ValidationError, ValueError, json.JSONDecodeError, asyncio.TimeoutError):
+            msgs[0] = Message(role="system", content=system + "\n\nRespond with valid JSON ONLY. No prose.")
+            continue
+    if default is None:
+        raise RuntimeError(f"classify failed for schema {schema.__name__} with no default")
+    return default
diff --git a/tests/test_classify.py b/tests/test_classify.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d059eaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_classify.py
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import pytest
+from pydantic import BaseModel
+from chat.llm.mock import MockLLMClient
+from chat.llm.classify import classify
+
+
+class Verdict(BaseModel):
+    score: int
+    reason: str
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_classify_parses_valid_json():
+    mock = MockLLMClient(canned=['{"score": 2, "reason": "notable"}'])
+    result = await classify(mock, model="m", system="x", user="y", schema=Verdict)
+    assert result.score == 2
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_classify_falls_back_on_unparseable_after_retry():
+    mock = MockLLMClient(canned=["nope", "still nope"])
+    default = Verdict(score=1, reason="fallback")
+    result = await classify(mock, model="m", system="x", user="y", schema=Verdict, default=default)
+    assert result.reason == "fallback"