diff --git a/backend/internal/service/importer/importer.go b/backend/internal/service/importer/importer.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..57427d845
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/internal/service/importer/importer.go
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+// Package importer is the controller-facing service for the legacy-AO import.
+// It wraps the internal/legacyimport engine with a detection probe (is a legacy
+// install present?) and a trigger that runs the import through the live daemon's
+// store, so the daemon stays the sole writer. Whether to PROMPT for the import
+// is the desktop app's job (the app-state.json migration marker), so this probe
+// reports only physical availability, not "already imported".
+package importer
+
+import (
+	"context"
+
+	"github.com/aoagents/agent-orchestrator/backend/internal/legacyimport"
+)
+
+// Store is the storage slice the import runs through; *sqlite.Store satisfies it.
+type Store interface {
+	legacyimport.Store
+}
+
+// Status reports whether a legacy AO install is physically present to import.
+type Status struct {
+	Available  bool   `json:"available"`
+	LegacyRoot string `json:"legacyRoot"`
+}
+
+// Service is the controller-facing import contract.
+type Service interface {
+	Status(ctx context.Context) (Status, error)
+	Run(ctx context.Context) (legacyimport.Report, error)
+}
+
+// Deps bundles the import service's dependencies.
+type Deps struct {
+	// Store is the rewrite's durable store (the daemon's shared *sqlite.Store).
+	Store Store
+	// Root overrides the legacy AO root to read. Empty -> the default.
+	Root string
+}
+
+// Manager implements Service over the daemon's store.
+type Manager struct {
+	store Store
+	root  string
+}
+
+var _ Service = (*Manager)(nil)
+
+// New constructs the import service. An empty Root falls back to the default.
+func New(deps Deps) *Manager {
+	root := deps.Root
+	if root == "" {
+		root = legacyimport.DefaultLegacyRootDir()
+	}
+	return &Manager{store: deps.Store, root: root}
+}
+
+// Status reports availability only: legacy data present at the root. It never
+// errors on a missing legacy store; that is simply "not available".
+func (m *Manager) Status(_ context.Context) (Status, error) {
+	return Status{Available: legacyimport.HasLegacyData(m.root), LegacyRoot: m.root}, nil
+}
+
+// Run executes the import through the daemon's store. Idempotent: the engine
+// skips rows that already exist. Legacy files are never modified.
+func (m *Manager) Run(ctx context.Context) (legacyimport.Report, error) {
+	return legacyimport.Run(ctx, m.store, legacyimport.Options{Root: m.root})
+}
diff --git a/backend/internal/service/importer/importer_test.go b/backend/internal/service/importer/importer_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8c4fa33c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/internal/service/importer/importer_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+package importer
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/aoagents/agent-orchestrator/backend/internal/domain"
+)
+
+type fakeStore struct{ projects map[string]domain.ProjectRecord }
+
+func newFakeStore() *fakeStore { return &fakeStore{projects: map[string]domain.ProjectRecord{}} }
+func (f *fakeStore) GetProject(_ context.Context, id string) (domain.ProjectRecord, bool, error) {
+	r, ok := f.projects[id]
+	return r, ok, nil
+}
+func (f *fakeStore) UpsertProject(_ context.Context, r domain.ProjectRecord) error {
+	f.projects[r.ID] = r
+	return nil
+}
+
+func writeLegacyRoot(t *testing.T) string {
+	t.Helper()
+	root := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), ".agent-orchestrator")
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(root, "projects"), 0o750); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	cfg := "projects:\n  alpha:\n    path: /repos/alpha\n    name: Alpha\n"
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(root, "config.yaml"), []byte(cfg), 0o600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	return root
+}
+
+func TestStatus_NoLegacyData(t *testing.T) {
+	svc := New(Deps{Store: newFakeStore(), Root: filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "nope")})
+	st, err := svc.Status(context.Background())
+	if err != nil || st.Available {
+		t.Fatalf("want unavailable; got %+v err=%v", st, err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestStatus_LegacyPresentStaysAvailableAfterImport(t *testing.T) {
+	root := writeLegacyRoot(t)
+	svc := New(Deps{Store: newFakeStore(), Root: root})
+	st, err := svc.Status(context.Background())
+	if err != nil || !st.Available || st.LegacyRoot != root {
+		t.Fatalf("want available at %q; got %+v err=%v", root, st, err)
+	}
+	if _, err := svc.Run(context.Background()); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("run: %v", err)
+	}
+	// Availability is physical (legacy data still on disk), so it stays true; the
+	// app marker is what stops the prompt after a completed import.
+	st, _ = svc.Status(context.Background())
+	if !st.Available {
+		t.Fatal("availability must remain true after import (marker governs prompting)")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRun_ImportsProjects(t *testing.T) {
+	root := writeLegacyRoot(t)
+	svc := New(Deps{Store: newFakeStore(), Root: root})
+	rep, err := svc.Run(context.Background())
+	if err != nil || rep.ProjectsImported != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("projectsImported=%d err=%v", rep.ProjectsImported, err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNew_DefaultsRoot(t *testing.T) {
+	if New(Deps{Store: newFakeStore()}).root == "" {
+		t.Fatal("empty Root should fall back to the default legacy root")
+	}
+}