diff --git a/services/api/src/db/__tests__/migrations.test.ts b/services/api/src/db/__tests__/migrations.test.ts
index df0541d..0acff0b 100644
--- a/services/api/src/db/__tests__/migrations.test.ts
+++ b/services/api/src/db/__tests__/migrations.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /**
  * Migration tests — apply runMigrations() to a fresh in-memory SQLite handle
- * and verify schema, idempotency, and the consent_given → user_consents backfill.
+ * and verify schema shape and idempotency.
  */
 import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
 import Database from 'better-sqlite3';
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ function freshDb() {
 }
 
 describe('runMigrations — fresh DB', () => {
-  it('creates the ADR-0014 tables and adds tone / tip_kinds_json on users', () => {
+  it('creates the ADR-0014 tables, adds tone/tip_kinds_json, and drops legacy consent columns', () => {
     const sqlite = freshDb();
     runMigrations(sqlite);
 
@@ -26,6 +26,38 @@ describe('runMigrations — fresh DB', () => {
     const colNames = userCols.map((c) => c.name);
     expect(colNames).toContain('tone');
     expect(colNames).toContain('tip_kinds_json');
+    // ADR-0014 step 8: legacy columns must be absent on a fresh DB
+    expect(colNames).not.toContain('consent_given');
+    expect(colNames).not.toContain('consent_at');
+  });
+
+  it('drops consent columns from an existing DB that still had them', () => {
+    const sqlite = freshDb();
+    sqlite.pragma('foreign_keys = ON');
+    // Simulate a pre-step-8 DB: create table with legacy columns and seed a user
+    sqlite.exec(`
+      CREATE TABLE users (
+        id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
+        email TEXT NOT NULL UNIQUE,
+        role TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT 'user',
+        consent_given INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+        consent_at TEXT,
+        created_at TEXT NOT NULL
+      );
+      INSERT INTO users (id, email, role, consent_given, consent_at, created_at)
+      VALUES ('u1', 'u@test.com', 'user', 1, '2026-04-01T00:00:00Z', '2026-03-01T00:00:00Z');
+    `);
+    runMigrations(sqlite);
+
+    const colNames = (sqlite.prepare(`PRAGMA table_info(users)`).all() as { name: string }[]).map((c) => c.name);
+    expect(colNames).not.toContain('consent_given');
+    expect(colNames).not.toContain('consent_at');
+
+    // Backfill should have migrated the consent row before dropping
+    const consent = sqlite
+      .prepare(`SELECT consent_key FROM user_consents WHERE user_id = 'u1'`)
+      .get() as { consent_key: string } | undefined;
+    expect(consent?.consent_key).toBe('data:core');
   });
 
   it('declares the expected composite primary keys', () => {
@@ -53,71 +85,3 @@ describe('runMigrations — idempotency', () => {
   });
 });
 
-describe('runMigrations — consent backfill', () => {
-  it('backfills users with consent_given=1 into user_consents (data:core)', () => {
-    const sqlite = freshDb();
-    runMigrations(sqlite);
-
-    sqlite.prepare(
-      `INSERT INTO users (id, email, role, consent_given, consent_at, created_at)
-       VALUES (?, ?, 'user', 1, ?, ?)`,
-    ).run('u1', 'u1@test.com', '2026-04-01T00:00:00Z', '2026-03-01T00:00:00Z');
-    sqlite.prepare(
-      `INSERT INTO users (id, email, role, consent_given, consent_at, created_at)
-       VALUES (?, ?, 'user', 0, NULL, ?)`,
-    ).run('u2', 'u2@test.com', '2026-03-02T00:00:00Z');
-
-    // Re-run migrations to trigger the backfill (the first call ran before users existed).
-    runMigrations(sqlite);
-
-    const rows = sqlite
-      .prepare(`SELECT user_id, consent_key, granted_at, revoked_at FROM user_consents`)
-      .all() as { user_id: string; consent_key: string; granted_at: string; revoked_at: string | null }[];
-    expect(rows).toEqual([
-      { user_id: 'u1', consent_key: 'data:core', granted_at: '2026-04-01T00:00:00Z', revoked_at: null },
-    ]);
-  });
-
-  it('falls back to created_at when consent_at is null', () => {
-    const sqlite = freshDb();
-    runMigrations(sqlite);
-
-    sqlite.prepare(
-      `INSERT INTO users (id, email, role, consent_given, consent_at, created_at)
-       VALUES (?, ?, 'user', 1, NULL, ?)`,
-    ).run('u3', 'u3@test.com', '2026-02-15T00:00:00Z');
-
-    runMigrations(sqlite);
-
-    const granted = sqlite
-      .prepare(`SELECT granted_at FROM user_consents WHERE user_id = 'u3'`)
-      .get() as { granted_at: string };
-    expect(granted.granted_at).toBe('2026-02-15T00:00:00Z');
-  });
-
-  it('does not overwrite an existing user_consents row on subsequent runs', () => {
-    const sqlite = freshDb();
-    runMigrations(sqlite);
-
-    sqlite.prepare(
-      `INSERT INTO users (id, email, role, consent_given, consent_at, created_at)
-       VALUES (?, ?, 'user', 1, ?, ?)`,
-    ).run('u4', 'u4@test.com', '2026-04-01T00:00:00Z', '2026-03-01T00:00:00Z');
-
-    runMigrations(sqlite);
-
-    // Simulate user revoking core consent later via the new code path.
-    sqlite.prepare(
-      `UPDATE user_consents SET revoked_at = ? WHERE user_id = 'u4' AND consent_key = 'data:core'`,
-    ).run('2026-04-15T00:00:00Z');
-
-    // Re-running migrations must not resurrect the consent (i.e. must not overwrite revoked_at).
-    runMigrations(sqlite);
-
-    const row = sqlite
-      .prepare(`SELECT granted_at, revoked_at FROM user_consents WHERE user_id = 'u4' AND consent_key = 'data:core'`)
-      .get() as { granted_at: string; revoked_at: string | null };
-    expect(row.revoked_at).toBe('2026-04-15T00:00:00Z');
-    expect(row.granted_at).toBe('2026-04-01T00:00:00Z');
-  });
-});
diff --git a/services/api/src/db/migrations.ts b/services/api/src/db/migrations.ts
index 874c087..538b898 100644
--- a/services/api/src/db/migrations.ts
+++ b/services/api/src/db/migrations.ts
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@ export function runMigrations(handle: BetterSqlite3Database) {
       image TEXT,
       google_id TEXT UNIQUE,
       role TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT 'user',
-      consent_given INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
-      consent_at TEXT,
       created_at TEXT NOT NULL,
       deleted_at TEXT
     );
@@ -199,16 +197,25 @@ export function runMigrations(handle: BetterSqlite3Database) {
     try { handle.exec(stmt); } catch { /* column already exists */ }
   }
 
-  // Backfill: ADR-0014 collapses users.consent_given into user_consents
-  // (consent_key='data:core'). Idempotent — INSERT OR IGNORE on the
-  // composite PK skips users already migrated. Stays in place until the
-  // column is dropped (PR 6 of the migration plan).
-  handle.exec(`
-    INSERT OR IGNORE INTO user_consents (user_id, consent_key, granted_at)
-    SELECT id, 'data:core', COALESCE(consent_at, created_at)
-    FROM users
-    WHERE consent_given = 1
-  `);
+  // Backfill (ADR-0014 step 2): migrate consent_given=1 rows into user_consents.
+  // Wrapped in try/catch — silently skips on new DBs where consent_given never existed.
+  try {
+    handle.exec(`
+      INSERT OR IGNORE INTO user_consents (user_id, consent_key, granted_at)
+      SELECT id, 'data:core', COALESCE(consent_at, created_at)
+      FROM users
+      WHERE consent_given = 1
+    `);
+  } catch { /* column already dropped — nothing to backfill */ }
+
+  // Drop legacy consent columns (ADR-0014 step 8). Runs after the backfill above.
+  // Silently skips if already dropped (column not found error) or never existed (new DB).
+  for (const stmt of [
+    `ALTER TABLE users DROP COLUMN consent_given`,
+    `ALTER TABLE users DROP COLUMN consent_at`,
+  ]) {
+    try { handle.exec(stmt); } catch { /* already dropped or never existed */ }
+  }
 
   // Seed first admin from env (ADMIN_SEED_EMAIL).
   const seedEmail = process.env.ADMIN_SEED_EMAIL;
diff --git a/services/api/src/db/schema.ts b/services/api/src/db/schema.ts
index 486ff5f..c9fe035 100644
--- a/services/api/src/db/schema.ts
+++ b/services/api/src/db/schema.ts
@@ -7,10 +7,6 @@ export const users = sqliteTable('users', {
   image: text('image'),
   googleId: text('google_id').unique(),
   role: text('role').notNull().default('user'), // 'user' | 'admin'
-  // Legacy single-bit consent. Superseded by user_consents (consent_key='data:core').
-  // Kept for one release per ADR-0014 migration plan; reads consult both, writes go to user_consents only.
-  consentGiven: integer('consent_given', { mode: 'boolean' }).notNull().default(false),
-  consentAt: text('consent_at'),
   // Stable globals (ADR-0014). Per-agent prefs land in user_preferences instead.
   tone: text('tone'),                     // 'direct' | 'gentle' | 'motivational'
   tipKindsJson: text('tip_kinds_json'),    // JSON array of allowed tip kinds; null = all
diff --git a/services/api/src/profile/__tests__/builder.test.ts b/services/api/src/profile/__tests__/builder.test.ts
index 8403f2b..0233b92 100644
--- a/services/api/src/profile/__tests__/builder.test.ts
+++ b/services/api/src/profile/__tests__/builder.test.ts
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ const SHORT_AGO = new Date(Date.now() - 30_000).toISOString();
 
 beforeAll(async () => {
   await testDb.insert(users).values([
-    { id: 'pf-user-1', email: 'pf1@test.com', role: 'user', consentGiven: true, consentAt: NOW, createdAt: NOW },
-    { id: 'pf-user-empty', email: 'pfempty@test.com', role: 'user', consentGiven: true, consentAt: NOW, createdAt: NOW },
+    { id: 'pf-user-1', email: 'pf1@test.com', role: 'user', createdAt: NOW },
+    { id: 'pf-user-empty', email: 'pfempty@test.com', role: 'user', createdAt: NOW },
   ]);
 });
 
diff --git a/services/api/src/profile/__tests__/eligibility.test.ts b/services/api/src/profile/__tests__/eligibility.test.ts
index 67f9960..34fd74a 100644
--- a/services/api/src/profile/__tests__/eligibility.test.ts
+++ b/services/api/src/profile/__tests__/eligibility.test.ts
@@ -74,17 +74,6 @@ describe('getEligibleAgentIds', () => {
     expect(ids.has('agent-b')).toBe(false);
   });
 
-  it('respects legacy consentGiven bit as data:core', async () => {
-    mockFetchRegistry.mockResolvedValue({ agents: [AGENT_A] });
-    // no consent rows, but legacy bit set
-    await testDb.update(users).set({ consentGiven: true });
-
-    const ids = await getEligibleAgentIds('u1');
-    expect(ids.has('agent-a')).toBe(true);
-
-    await testDb.update(users).set({ consentGiven: false });
-  });
-
   it('silences agents whose silenced_in_contexts intersects active contexts', async () => {
     mockFetchRegistry.mockResolvedValue({ agents: [AGENT_A, AGENT_C] });
     // ensure data:core granted
diff --git a/services/api/src/profile/__tests__/subscriber.test.ts b/services/api/src/profile/__tests__/subscriber.test.ts
index d03bf06..8ea1931 100644
--- a/services/api/src/profile/__tests__/subscriber.test.ts
+++ b/services/api/src/profile/__tests__/subscriber.test.ts
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ const STALE_BASE = {
 
 beforeAll(async () => {
   await testDb.insert(users).values([
-    { id: 'sub-user-1', email: 'sub1@test.com', role: 'user', consentGiven: true, consentAt: NOW, createdAt: NOW },
-    { id: 'sub-user-2', email: 'sub2@test.com', role: 'user', consentGiven: true, consentAt: NOW, createdAt: NOW },
+    { id: 'sub-user-1', email: 'sub1@test.com', role: 'user', createdAt: NOW },
+    { id: 'sub-user-2', email: 'sub2@test.com', role: 'user', createdAt: NOW },
   ]);
 });
 
diff --git a/services/api/src/profile/eligibility.ts b/services/api/src/profile/eligibility.ts
index 7f7bd4c..df6b536 100644
--- a/services/api/src/profile/eligibility.ts
+++ b/services/api/src/profile/eligibility.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
  * consent checks.
  */
 import { db } from '../db/index.js';
-import { users, userConsents, userPreferences, userContexts } from '../db/schema.js';
+import { userConsents, userPreferences, userContexts } from '../db/schema.js';
 import { eq, and, isNull } from 'drizzle-orm';
 import { fetchRegistry } from '../routes/agent-registry.js';
 
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ export async function getEligibleAgentIds(userId: string): Promise<Set<string>>
     return new Set();
   }
 
-  const [consentRows, prefRows, contextRows, userRow] = await Promise.all([
+  const [consentRows, prefRows, contextRows] = await Promise.all([
     db
       .select({ consentKey: userConsents.consentKey })
       .from(userConsents)
@@ -47,19 +47,10 @@ export async function getEligibleAgentIds(userId: string): Promise<Set<string>>
       .select({ name: userContexts.name, active: userContexts.active })
       .from(userContexts)
       .where(and(eq(userContexts.userId, userId), eq(userContexts.active, true))),
-    db
-      .select({ consentGiven: users.consentGiven })
-      .from(users)
-      .where(eq(users.id, userId))
-      .limit(1),
   ]);
 
   // Active consents (granted + not revoked)
   const activeConsents = new Set(consentRows.map((r) => r.consentKey));
-  // Legacy fallback: consentGiven bit counts as data:core
-  if (!activeConsents.has('data:core') && userRow[0]?.consentGiven) {
-    activeConsents.add('data:core');
-  }
 
   // Active context names
   const activeContextNames = new Set(contextRows.map((r) => r.name));
diff --git a/services/api/src/routes/__tests__/admin.test.ts b/services/api/src/routes/__tests__/admin.test.ts
index 413097c..adb3e3f 100644
--- a/services/api/src/routes/__tests__/admin.test.ts
+++ b/services/api/src/routes/__tests__/admin.test.ts
@@ -38,9 +38,9 @@ const DAY_AGO = new Date(Date.now() - 23 * 60 * 60 * 1000).toISOString();
 
 beforeAll(async () => {
   await testDb.insert(users).values([
-    { id: 'admin-1', email: 'admin@test.com', role: 'admin', consentGiven: true, consentAt: NOW, createdAt: NOW },
-    { id: 'user-1', email: 'alice@test.com', role: 'user', consentGiven: true, consentAt: NOW, createdAt: NOW },
-    { id: 'user-2', email: 'bob@test.com', role: 'user', consentGiven: false, createdAt: NOW },
+    { id: 'admin-1', email: 'admin@test.com', role: 'admin', createdAt: NOW },
+    { id: 'user-1', email: 'alice@test.com', role: 'user', createdAt: NOW },
+    { id: 'user-2', email: 'bob@test.com', role: 'user', createdAt: NOW },
   ]);
   await testDb.insert(integrationTokens).values([
     { id: 'tok-1', userId: 'user-1', provider: 'todoist', accessToken: 'secret', connectedAt: NOW },
diff --git a/services/api/src/routes/__tests__/profile.test.ts b/services/api/src/routes/__tests__/profile.test.ts
index 58dff8a..0df8227 100644
--- a/services/api/src/routes/__tests__/profile.test.ts
+++ b/services/api/src/routes/__tests__/profile.test.ts
@@ -72,7 +72,6 @@ beforeAll(async () => {
     name: 'Alice',
     image: null,
     role: 'user',
-    consentGiven: false,
     tone: 'direct',
     tipKindsJson: JSON.stringify(['task', 'advice']),
     createdAt: NOW,
@@ -90,13 +89,6 @@ describe('GET /api/profile', () => {
     expect(body.contexts).toEqual([]);
   });
 
-  it('surfaces legacy consentGiven as data:core when no consent row exists', async () => {
-    await testDb.update(users).set({ consentGiven: true, consentAt: NOW });
-    const res = await c('GET', '/api/profile');
-    expect((res.body as any).consents['data:core']).toMatchObject({ revokedAt: null });
-    await testDb.update(users).set({ consentGiven: false });
-  });
-
   it('includes prefs grouped by scope', async () => {
     await testDb.insert(userPreferences).values([
       { userId: 'user-1', scope: 'orchestrator', key: 'quietHours', valueJson: '"22:00-07:00"', source: 'user', updatedAt: NOW },
diff --git a/services/api/src/routes/__tests__/recommender.test.ts b/services/api/src/routes/__tests__/recommender.test.ts
index 84eed95..27d44e2 100644
--- a/services/api/src/routes/__tests__/recommender.test.ts
+++ b/services/api/src/routes/__tests__/recommender.test.ts
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ describe('POST /recommend integration', () => {
   beforeAll(async () => {
     await testDb.insert(users).values({
       id: 'user-1', email: 'u@test.com', role: 'user',
-      consentGiven: true, createdAt: new Date().toISOString(),
+      createdAt: new Date().toISOString(),
     });
     await testDb.insert(integrationTokens).values({
       id: 'tok-1', userId: 'user-1', provider: 'todoist',
diff --git a/services/api/src/routes/admin.ts b/services/api/src/routes/admin.ts
index 77ed599..ae16549 100644
--- a/services/api/src/routes/admin.ts
+++ b/services/api/src/routes/admin.ts
@@ -98,7 +98,6 @@ router.get('/users', async (req: AuthenticatedRequest, res: Response) => {
       name: users.name,
       image: users.image,
       role: users.role,
-      consentGiven: users.consentGiven,
       createdAt: users.createdAt,
       deletedAt: users.deletedAt,
     })
@@ -161,8 +160,6 @@ router.get('/users/:id', async (req: AuthenticatedRequest, res: Response) => {
       name: user.name,
       image: user.image,
       role: user.role,
-      consentGiven: user.consentGiven,
-      consentAt: user.consentAt,
       createdAt: user.createdAt,
       deletedAt: user.deletedAt,
     },
diff --git a/services/api/src/routes/auth.ts b/services/api/src/routes/auth.ts
index 47b5b23..ab9abf7 100644
--- a/services/api/src/routes/auth.ts
+++ b/services/api/src/routes/auth.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { type Router as ExpressRouter, Router, Request, Response } from 'express
 import * as client from 'openid-client';
 import { nanoid } from 'nanoid';
 import { db } from '../db/index.js';
-import { users, sessions } from '../db/schema.js';
+import { users, sessions, userConsents } from '../db/schema.js';
 import { eq } from 'drizzle-orm';
 import { config } from '../config.js';
 import { logger } from '../logger.js';
@@ -104,7 +104,8 @@ router.get('/callback', async (req: Request, res: Response) => {
 
   if (!user) {
     const id = nanoid();
-    await db.insert(users).values({ id, email, name, image, googleId, createdAt: now, consentGiven: true, consentAt: now });
+    await db.insert(users).values({ id, email, name, image, googleId, createdAt: now });
+    await db.insert(userConsents).values({ userId: id, consentKey: 'data:core', grantedAt: now });
     [user] = await db.select().from(users).where(eq(users.id, id)).limit(1);
   }
 
diff --git a/services/api/src/routes/profile.ts b/services/api/src/routes/profile.ts
index 912658b..66d859f 100644
--- a/services/api/src/routes/profile.ts
+++ b/services/api/src/routes/profile.ts
@@ -48,15 +48,10 @@ router.get('/', requireAuth as any, async (req: AuthenticatedRequest, res: Respo
   }
 
   // Consents: include both active and revoked (callers can filter on revokedAt)
-  // Also fold in the legacy consentGiven bit if no user_consents row exists yet.
   const consentMap: Record<string, { grantedAt: string; revokedAt: string | null }> = {};
   for (const c of consents) {
     consentMap[c.consentKey] = { grantedAt: c.grantedAt, revokedAt: c.revokedAt ?? null };
   }
-  // Legacy fallback: if data:core is missing and the old bit is set, synthesise it.
-  if (!consentMap['data:core'] && user.consentGiven) {
-    consentMap['data:core'] = { grantedAt: user.consentAt ?? user.createdAt, revokedAt: null };
-  }
 
   res.json({
     user: {
diff --git a/services/api/src/routes/user.ts b/services/api/src/routes/user.ts
index cda9d7f..7e1657c 100644
--- a/services/api/src/routes/user.ts
+++ b/services/api/src/routes/user.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { type Router as ExpressRouter, Router, Response } from 'express';
 import { db } from '../db/index.js';
-import { users, integrationTokens, tipFeedback, tipViews, sessions } from '../db/schema.js';
-import { eq } from 'drizzle-orm';
+import { users, integrationTokens, tipFeedback, tipViews, sessions, userConsents } from '../db/schema.js';
+import { eq, and, isNull } from 'drizzle-orm';
 import { requireAuth, AuthenticatedRequest } from '../middleware/session.js';
 
 const router: ExpressRouter = Router();
@@ -20,16 +20,19 @@ router.get('/me', requireAuth, async (req: AuthenticatedRequest, res: Response)
     image: user.image,
     role: user.role,
     createdAt: user.createdAt,
-    consentGiven: user.consentGiven,
   });
 });
 
-/** POST /api/user/consent — record consent */
+/** POST /api/user/consent — record data:core consent */
 router.post('/consent', requireAuth, async (req: AuthenticatedRequest, res: Response) => {
+  const now = new Date().toISOString();
   await db
-    .update(users)
-    .set({ consentGiven: true, consentAt: new Date().toISOString() })
-    .where(eq(users.id, req.userId!));
+    .insert(userConsents)
+    .values({ userId: req.userId!, consentKey: 'data:core', grantedAt: now })
+    .onConflictDoUpdate({
+      target: [userConsents.userId, userConsents.consentKey],
+      set: { grantedAt: now, revokedAt: null },
+    });
   res.json({ ok: true });
 });
 
diff --git a/services/api/src/test/db.ts b/services/api/src/test/db.ts
index d57f552..59b0b22 100644
--- a/services/api/src/test/db.ts
+++ b/services/api/src/test/db.ts
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@ export function makeTestDb(): DrizzleDb & { rawSqlite: BetterSqlite3Database } {
       image TEXT,
       google_id TEXT UNIQUE,
       role TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT 'user',
-      consent_given INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
-      consent_at TEXT,
       tone TEXT,
       tip_kinds_json TEXT,
       created_at TEXT NOT NULL,