diff --git a/internal/cache/ttl.go b/internal/cache/ttl.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4e45928
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/cache/ttl.go
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+// Package cache provides a tiny generic TTL cache used by the projax web
+// surface. Before Phase 5b each web-side cache (dashboardCache,
+// timelineCache) defined its own copy of the same shape: map + mutex +
+// per-entry expiry + invalidation. Generics let us collapse them.
+package cache
+
+import (
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// TTLCache is a concurrency-safe map keyed by string, holding values of
+// type V for up to TTL each. Expiry is lazy — a Get past the deadline
+// removes the entry and reports miss. No sweeper goroutine; at projax's
+// single-user scale the map stays tiny.
+type TTLCache[V any] struct {
+	ttl  time.Duration
+	mu   sync.RWMutex
+	rows map[string]entry[V]
+}
+
+type entry[V any] struct {
+	value   V
+	expires time.Time
+}
+
+// NewTTL builds a TTLCache with the given entry lifetime.
+func NewTTL[V any](ttl time.Duration) *TTLCache[V] {
+	return &TTLCache[V]{ttl: ttl, rows: map[string]entry[V]{}}
+}
+
+// Get returns the cached value for key. The second result is true iff the
+// entry is present AND has not yet expired. On expiry the entry is
+// removed so the next miss path doesn't keep finding stale data.
+func (c *TTLCache[V]) Get(key string) (V, bool) {
+	var zero V
+	if c == nil {
+		return zero, false
+	}
+	// Fast path: optimistic read under RLock.
+	c.mu.RLock()
+	e, ok := c.rows[key]
+	c.mu.RUnlock()
+	if !ok {
+		return zero, false
+	}
+	if time.Now().Before(e.expires) {
+		return e.value, true
+	}
+	// Expired — drop it.
+	c.mu.Lock()
+	if e2, ok := c.rows[key]; ok && !time.Now().Before(e2.expires) {
+		delete(c.rows, key)
+	}
+	c.mu.Unlock()
+	return zero, false
+}
+
+// Set inserts or overwrites the entry for key.
+func (c *TTLCache[V]) Set(key string, v V) {
+	if c == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	c.mu.Lock()
+	c.rows[key] = entry[V]{value: v, expires: time.Now().Add(c.ttl)}
+	c.mu.Unlock()
+}
+
+// Invalidate removes a single key. No-op if the key was absent.
+func (c *TTLCache[V]) Invalidate(key string) {
+	if c == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	c.mu.Lock()
+	delete(c.rows, key)
+	c.mu.Unlock()
+}
+
+// InvalidateAll wipes every entry. Used by writeback handlers that may
+// have changed content under any filter key.
+func (c *TTLCache[V]) InvalidateAll() {
+	if c == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	c.mu.Lock()
+	c.rows = map[string]entry[V]{}
+	c.mu.Unlock()
+}
diff --git a/internal/cache/ttl_test.go b/internal/cache/ttl_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c0fca1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/cache/ttl_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+package cache
+
+import (
+	"strconv"
+	"sync"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func TestGetEmpty(t *testing.T) {
+	c := NewTTL[int](50 * time.Millisecond)
+	if v, ok := c.Get("nope"); ok || v != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("empty Get: got (%v, %v), want (0, false)", v, ok)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSetGet(t *testing.T) {
+	c := NewTTL[string](50 * time.Millisecond)
+	c.Set("k", "v")
+	got, ok := c.Get("k")
+	if !ok || got != "v" {
+		t.Fatalf("got (%q, %v), want (v, true)", got, ok)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestGetAfterTTL(t *testing.T) {
+	c := NewTTL[string](20 * time.Millisecond)
+	c.Set("k", "v")
+	time.Sleep(50 * time.Millisecond)
+	if _, ok := c.Get("k"); ok {
+		t.Fatalf("expected miss after TTL")
+	}
+	// Internal: the expired entry must be removed.
+	c.mu.RLock()
+	_, present := c.rows["k"]
+	c.mu.RUnlock()
+	if present {
+		t.Fatalf("expired entry was not removed on miss")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSetOverwrites(t *testing.T) {
+	c := NewTTL[int](1 * time.Second)
+	c.Set("k", 1)
+	c.Set("k", 2)
+	got, ok := c.Get("k")
+	if !ok || got != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("got (%d, %v), want (2, true)", got, ok)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestInvalidateOnlyTargetsKey(t *testing.T) {
+	c := NewTTL[int](1 * time.Second)
+	c.Set("a", 1)
+	c.Set("b", 2)
+	c.Invalidate("a")
+	if _, ok := c.Get("a"); ok {
+		t.Fatalf("a should be gone")
+	}
+	if v, ok := c.Get("b"); !ok || v != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("b should survive Invalidate of a; got (%d, %v)", v, ok)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestInvalidateAll(t *testing.T) {
+	c := NewTTL[int](1 * time.Second)
+	c.Set("a", 1)
+	c.Set("b", 2)
+	c.InvalidateAll()
+	if _, ok := c.Get("a"); ok {
+		t.Fatalf("a should be gone")
+	}
+	if _, ok := c.Get("b"); ok {
+		t.Fatalf("b should be gone")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNilReceiverSafe(t *testing.T) {
+	var c *TTLCache[string]
+	if v, ok := c.Get("k"); ok || v != "" {
+		t.Errorf("nil Get should miss, got (%q, %v)", v, ok)
+	}
+	c.Set("k", "v") // must not panic
+	c.Invalidate("k")
+	c.InvalidateAll()
+}
+
+func TestPointerPayload(t *testing.T) {
+	type payload struct{ N int }
+	c := NewTTL[*payload](1 * time.Second)
+	if v, ok := c.Get("k"); ok || v != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("pointer miss should yield (nil, false), got (%v, %v)", v, ok)
+	}
+	c.Set("k", &payload{N: 42})
+	v, ok := c.Get("k")
+	if !ok || v == nil || v.N != 42 {
+		t.Fatalf("got (%+v, %v), want non-nil N=42", v, ok)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestRaceCleanConcurrentAccess runs many goroutines Setting / Getting /
+// Invalidating overlapping keys. Run with `go test -race ./internal/cache/`
+// to catch any unprotected writes — the test body itself only checks
+// non-panic + final-count sanity.
+func TestRaceCleanConcurrentAccess(t *testing.T) {
+	c := NewTTL[int](250 * time.Millisecond)
+	const workers = 8
+	const ops = 200
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	for w := 0; w < workers; w++ {
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go func(seed int) {
+			defer wg.Done()
+			for i := 0; i < ops; i++ {
+				key := "k" + strconv.Itoa((seed*ops+i)%5)
+				switch i % 4 {
+				case 0:
+					c.Set(key, i)
+				case 1:
+					_, _ = c.Get(key)
+				case 2:
+					c.Invalidate(key)
+				case 3:
+					if i%50 == 0 {
+						c.InvalidateAll()
+					} else {
+						_, _ = c.Get(key)
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}(w)
+	}
+	wg.Wait()
+}