diff --git a/Scripts/Core/SaveGameData.cs b/Scripts/Core/SaveGameData.cs
index 1ea0d79..281c07f 100644
--- a/Scripts/Core/SaveGameData.cs
+++ b/Scripts/Core/SaveGameData.cs
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ public class SurvivalSaveData
     public bool IsDead { get; set; }
     public string DeathReason { get; set; }
     public string CurrentStatus { get; set; }
+    public double ElapsedSeconds { get; set; }
 }
 
 public class ItemSaveData
diff --git a/Scripts/Core/SaveGameManager.cs b/Scripts/Core/SaveGameManager.cs
index 3a7b155..0757918 100644
--- a/Scripts/Core/SaveGameManager.cs
+++ b/Scripts/Core/SaveGameManager.cs
@@ -95,7 +95,8 @@ public static class SaveGameManager
             Energy = GameData.survival.energy,
             IsDead = GameData.survival.isDead,
             DeathReason = GameData.survival.deathReason,
-            CurrentStatus = GameData.survival.currentStatus
+            CurrentStatus = GameData.survival.currentStatus,
+            ElapsedSeconds = GameData.survival.elapsedSeconds
         };
     }
 
@@ -282,6 +283,7 @@ public static class SaveGameManager
         GameData.survival.isDead = survival.IsDead;
         GameData.survival.deathReason = survival.DeathReason ?? "";
         GameData.survival.currentStatus = survival.CurrentStatus ?? "";
+        GameData.survival.elapsedSeconds = survival.ElapsedSeconds;
     }
 
     private static void ApplyInventoryData(List<ItemSaveData> savedItems)
diff --git a/Scripts/Gameplay/Survival/SurvivalState.cs b/Scripts/Gameplay/Survival/SurvivalState.cs
index ccb1a19..f298bf2 100644
--- a/Scripts/Gameplay/Survival/SurvivalState.cs
+++ b/Scripts/Gameplay/Survival/SurvivalState.cs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ public class SurvivalState
     private const float ThirstDrainPerSecond = 0.018f;
     private const float PassiveEnergyDrainPerSecond = 0.01f;
     private const float AutoConsumeThreshold = 30f;
+    private const double GracePeriodSeconds = 900.0;
 
     public float hunger = 100f;
     public float thirst = 100f;
@@ -18,14 +19,19 @@ public class SurvivalState
     public bool isDead = false;
     public string deathReason = "";
     public string currentStatus = "";
+    public double elapsedSeconds = 0;
+    public bool gracePeriodEnabled = true;
 
     public void Update(double delta)
     {
         if (isDead) return;
 
-        hunger = Math.Clamp(hunger - HungerDrainPerSecond * (float)delta, 0f, maxHunger);
-        thirst = Math.Clamp(thirst - ThirstDrainPerSecond * (float)delta, 0f, maxThirst);
-        energy = Math.Clamp(energy - PassiveEnergyDrainPerSecond * (float)delta, 0f, maxEnergy);
+        elapsedSeconds += delta;
+        float drainModifier = IsInGracePeriod() ? 0.35f : 1f;
+
+        hunger = Math.Clamp(hunger - HungerDrainPerSecond * drainModifier * (float)delta, 0f, maxHunger);
+        thirst = Math.Clamp(thirst - ThirstDrainPerSecond * drainModifier * (float)delta, 0f, maxThirst);
+        energy = Math.Clamp(energy - PassiveEnergyDrainPerSecond * drainModifier * (float)delta, 0f, maxEnergy);
 
         TryAutoConsumeFood();
         TryAutoConsumeWater();
@@ -106,6 +112,14 @@ public class SurvivalState
 
     private void CheckDeath()
     {
+        if (IsInGracePeriod())
+        {
+            hunger = Math.Max(hunger, 1f);
+            thirst = Math.Max(thirst, 1f);
+            energy = Math.Max(energy, 1f);
+            return;
+        }
+
         if (hunger <= 0f)
         {
             KillPlayer("Starved");
@@ -131,4 +145,9 @@ public class SurvivalState
         currentStatus = "Survival failed: " + reason;
         GameData.canMove = false;
     }
+
+    private bool IsInGracePeriod()
+    {
+        return gracePeriodEnabled && elapsedSeconds < GracePeriodSeconds;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/Scripts/Tests/TestRunner.cs b/Scripts/Tests/TestRunner.cs
index 40ad6f1..253bedf 100644
--- a/Scripts/Tests/TestRunner.cs
+++ b/Scripts/Tests/TestRunner.cs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ public partial class TestRunner : Node
         Run("Inventory adds, stacks and removes items", TestInventoryStacksAndRemovesItems);
         Run("Inventory crafting checks stacked totals", TestInventoryCanCraftAcrossStacks);
         Run("Survival consumes stored food and water", TestSurvivalConsumesFoodAndWater);
+        Run("Survival grace period prevents early death", TestSurvivalGracePeriodPreventsEarlyDeath);
         Run("Survival death disables movement", TestSurvivalDeathDisablesMovement);
         Run("Robot research effects change robot stats", TestRobotResearchEffects);
         Run("Research completion applies effects once", TestResearchCompletionAppliesEffectsOnce);
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ public partial class TestRunner : Node
         Run("Resource extraction and save data roundtrip", TestResourceSaveRoundtrip);
         Run("Robot save data roundtrip keeps robot state", TestRobotSaveRoundtrip);
         Run("Save data captures and restores global state", TestSaveDataRestoresGlobalState);
+        Run("Save data restores survival timer", TestSaveDataRestoresSurvivalTimer);
         Run("Split save files store and load data", TestSplitSaveFilesRoundtrip);
         Run("Split save files include one file per saved layer", TestSplitSaveFilesIncludeLayerFiles);
         Run("If node evaluates inventory comparisons", TestIfNodeEvaluatesInventoryComparisons);
@@ -95,6 +97,7 @@ public partial class TestRunner : Node
     private void TestSurvivalDeathDisablesMovement()
     {
         GameData.canMove = true;
+        GameData.survival.gracePeriodEnabled = false;
         GameData.survival.energy = 0.01f;
 
         GameData.survival.Update(2.0);
@@ -103,6 +106,22 @@ public partial class TestRunner : Node
         AssertFalse(GameData.canMove, "movement should be disabled");
     }
 
+    private void TestSurvivalGracePeriodPreventsEarlyDeath()
+    {
+        GameData.canMove = true;
+        GameData.survival.hunger = 0f;
+        GameData.survival.thirst = 0f;
+        GameData.survival.energy = 0f;
+
+        GameData.survival.Update(1.0);
+
+        AssertFalse(GameData.survival.isDead, "survival should not fail during grace period");
+        AssertTrue(GameData.canMove, "movement should stay enabled during grace period");
+        AssertTrue(GameData.survival.hunger > 0f, "hunger should be clamped above zero");
+        AssertTrue(GameData.survival.thirst > 0f, "thirst should be clamped above zero");
+        AssertTrue(GameData.survival.energy > 0f, "energy should be clamped above zero");
+    }
+
     private void TestRobotResearchEffects()
     {
         RobotStats stats = new RobotStats();
@@ -202,6 +221,18 @@ public partial class TestRunner : Node
         AssertEqual(ResearchState.RESEARCHED, GameData.availableResearch["stoneage"].state, "saved research");
     }
 
+    private void TestSaveDataRestoresSurvivalTimer()
+    {
+        GameData.survival.elapsedSeconds = 321.5;
+
+        SaveGameData saveData = SaveGameManager.CreateSaveData();
+
+        GameData.ResetRunState();
+        SaveGameManager.ApplyWorldData(saveData);
+
+        AssertClose(321.5f, (float)GameData.survival.elapsedSeconds, 0.001f, "saved survival timer");
+    }
+
     private void TestResearchExecutionPaysResourcesAndFinishes()
     {
         GameData.inventory.AddItem(new Item { data = GameData.availableItems["stone"] }, 5);