diff --git a/scripts/seat-inventory-drift-check.sh b/scripts/seat-inventory-drift-check.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..60a0591
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/seat-inventory-drift-check.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Daily drift alarm for the fv-ml1 seat inventory.
+#
+# Runs scripts/seat-inventory.py --check against the LIVE box and posts to althing
+# when the committed document no longer matches reality. This exists because the
+# guarantee "the seat docs are current" cannot rest on anyone remembering to
+# regenerate them -- seats change ON THE BOX, not through the repo, so nothing in
+# the commit path would ever notice.
+#
+# Alarms, does not auto-commit: a drift is a signal that something changed on the
+# host, and that deserves a human look rather than a silent doc update that would
+# erase the evidence of when it happened.
+set -uo pipefail
+REPO=/home/lkraven/development/eshpfi-management
+cd "$REPO" || exit 1
+
+OUT=$(timeout 600 python3 scripts/seat-inventory.py --check 2>&1)
+RC=$?
+
+if [ "$RC" -eq 0 ]; then
+  logger -t seat-inventory "current"
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+# Regenerate to a scratch copy so the alarm can name WHAT changed, not just that
+# something did -- a drift alert with no diff sends you hunting.
+DIFF=$(timeout 600 python3 scripts/seat-inventory.py --out /tmp/seat-inv-live.md >/dev/null 2>&1 \
+       && diff -u docs/pfi/fv-ml1-gpu-seat-inventory.md /tmp/seat-inv-live.md \
+          | grep -E '^[+-]\|' | grep -vE '^\+\+\+|^---' | head -20)
+rm -f /tmp/seat-inv-live.md
+
+{
+  echo "[AUTOMATED ALARM -- not peer correspondence. This is a memo from cron to"
+  echo " whichever infra-ops session reads it next. Do not reply to it; act on it"
+  echo " or ignore it. Same pattern as the Beszel alerts.]"
+  echo
+  echo "fv-ml1 seat inventory has DRIFTED from the committed document."
+  echo
+  echo "check output: $OUT"
+  echo
+  if [ -n "$DIFF" ]; then
+    echo "changed rows:"
+    echo "$DIFF"
+  else
+    echo "(no table rows differ -- change is in lineage, quant, spec-config or aliases)"
+  fi
+  echo
+  echo "A seat changed on the host. Regenerate and commit once you know why:"
+  echo "  cd $REPO && python3 scripts/seat-inventory.py && git diff docs/pfi/"
+} | ALTHING_POST_OFFICE=http://10.100.50.40:8390 ALTHING_HANDLE=infra-ops \
+    postbox send --to infra-ops --subject "fv-ml1 seat inventory drift" 2>&1 \
+  || logger -t seat-inventory "DRIFT detected but althing post FAILED"
+
+logger -t seat-inventory "DRIFT detected, alarm posted"
+exit 1
diff --git a/scripts/seat-inventory-drift.service b/scripts/seat-inventory-drift.service
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..929b82d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/seat-inventory-drift.service
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=fv-ml1 seat inventory drift check (alarms to althing)
+After=network-online.target
+
+[Service]
+Type=oneshot
+ExecStart=/home/lkraven/development/eshpfi-management/scripts/seat-inventory-drift-check.sh
+# a drift is a non-zero exit by design; don't let systemd log it as a failure
+SuccessExitStatus=0 1
diff --git a/scripts/seat-inventory-drift.timer b/scripts/seat-inventory-drift.timer
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..892d7b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/seat-inventory-drift.timer
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Daily fv-ml1 seat inventory drift check
+
+[Timer]
+OnCalendar=*-*-* 09:15:00
+Persistent=true
+RandomizedDelaySec=300
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=timers.target