diff --git a/pkg/ingest/raw.go b/pkg/ingest/raw.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0e6300c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/ingest/raw.go
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+package ingest
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/go-errors/errors"
+	"github.com/strrl/lapp/pkg/event"
+	"github.com/strrl/lapp/pkg/logsource"
+	"github.com/strrl/lapp/pkg/store"
+)
+
+// ParseResult carries parser-derived event data plus optional storage labels.
+type ParseResult struct {
+	Timestamp *time.Time
+	Attrs     map[string]string
+	Inferred  *event.Inferred
+	Labels    map[string]string
+}
+
+// Parser extracts structured data from a raw log line.
+type Parser interface {
+	Parse(ctx context.Context, raw string) (*ParseResult, error)
+}
+
+// Outcome captures the normalized event, the storage record, and any parser error.
+type Outcome struct {
+	Event    event.Event
+	LogEntry store.LogEntry
+	ParseErr error
+}
+
+// FromRawLine normalizes a raw log line and keeps the original text as the source of truth.
+// Parser failures are surfaced on the Outcome but still return a fallback event/log entry.
+func FromRawLine(ctx context.Context, line *logsource.LogLine, parser Parser) (Outcome, error) {
+	if line == nil {
+		return Outcome{}, errors.New("raw log line is required")
+	}
+
+	outcome := Outcome{
+		Event: event.Event{
+			Text:     line.Content,
+			Attrs:    map[string]string{},
+			Inferred: &event.Inferred{},
+		},
+		LogEntry: store.LogEntry{
+			LineNumber:    line.LineNumber,
+			EndLineNumber: line.LineNumber,
+			Raw:           line.Content,
+			Labels:        map[string]string{},
+		},
+	}
+
+	if parser == nil {
+		return outcome, nil
+	}
+
+	parsed, parseErr := parser.Parse(ctx, line.Content)
+	if parseErr != nil {
+		outcome.ParseErr = parseErr
+	} else if parsed != nil {
+		if parsed.Timestamp != nil {
+			ts := *parsed.Timestamp
+			outcome.Event.Timestamp = &ts
+			outcome.LogEntry.Timestamp = ts
+		}
+		if parsed.Attrs != nil {
+			outcome.Event.Attrs = cloneMap(parsed.Attrs)
+		}
+		if parsed.Inferred != nil {
+			outcome.Event.Inferred = &event.Inferred{
+				Pattern: parsed.Inferred.Pattern,
+				Entity:  parsed.Inferred.Entity,
+			}
+		}
+		if parsed.Labels != nil {
+			outcome.LogEntry.Labels = cloneMap(parsed.Labels)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return outcome, nil
+}
+
+// StoreRawLine persists the raw line outcome. Parser failures never prevent storage.
+func StoreRawLine(ctx context.Context, dst store.Store, line *logsource.LogLine, parser Parser) (Outcome, error) {
+	if dst == nil {
+		return Outcome{}, errors.New("store is required")
+	}
+
+	outcome, err := FromRawLine(ctx, line, parser)
+	if err != nil {
+		return Outcome{}, err
+	}
+	if err := dst.InsertLog(ctx, outcome.LogEntry); err != nil {
+		return Outcome{}, errors.Errorf("insert raw log line: %w", err)
+	}
+	return outcome, nil
+}
+
+func cloneMap(src map[string]string) map[string]string {
+	if src == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	cloned := make(map[string]string, len(src))
+	for key, value := range src {
+		cloned[key] = value
+	}
+	return cloned
+}
diff --git a/pkg/ingest/raw_test.go b/pkg/ingest/raw_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2b1b3dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/ingest/raw_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+package ingest
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	stderrors "errors"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/strrl/lapp/pkg/event"
+	"github.com/strrl/lapp/pkg/logsource"
+	"github.com/strrl/lapp/pkg/store"
+)
+
+type stubParser struct {
+	parse func(context.Context, string) (*ParseResult, error)
+}
+
+func (s stubParser) Parse(ctx context.Context, raw string) (*ParseResult, error) {
+	return s.parse(ctx, raw)
+}
+
+func newTestStore(t *testing.T) *store.DuckDBStore {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	s, err := store.NewDuckDBStore("")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("NewDuckDBStore: %v", err)
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() { _ = s.Close() })
+
+	if err := s.Init(context.Background()); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Init: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	return s
+}
+
+func TestFromRawLineWithoutParserUsesFallbackEvent(t *testing.T) {
+	line := &logsource.LogLine{
+		LineNumber: 7,
+		Content:    "  WARN worker stalled for 30s  ",
+	}
+
+	outcome, err := FromRawLine(context.Background(), line, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("FromRawLine: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if outcome.ParseErr != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ParseErr: got %v, want nil", outcome.ParseErr)
+	}
+	if outcome.Event.Text != line.Content {
+		t.Fatalf("Event.Text: got %q, want %q", outcome.Event.Text, line.Content)
+	}
+	if len(outcome.Event.Attrs) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("Event.Attrs: got %v, want empty map", outcome.Event.Attrs)
+	}
+	if outcome.Event.Inferred == nil {
+		t.Fatal("Event.Inferred: got nil, want non-nil empty inferred")
+	}
+	if outcome.LogEntry.Raw != line.Content {
+		t.Fatalf("LogEntry.Raw: got %q, want %q", outcome.LogEntry.Raw, line.Content)
+	}
+	if outcome.LogEntry.LineNumber != line.LineNumber || outcome.LogEntry.EndLineNumber != line.LineNumber {
+		t.Fatalf("log entry line bounds: got (%d,%d), want (%d,%d)", outcome.LogEntry.LineNumber, outcome.LogEntry.EndLineNumber, line.LineNumber, line.LineNumber)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestStoreRawLinePersistsWhenParserFails(t *testing.T) {
+	s := newTestStore(t)
+	line := &logsource.LogLine{
+		LineNumber: 12,
+		Content:    "ERROR checkout request req_123 timed out",
+	}
+
+	outcome, err := StoreRawLine(context.Background(), s, line, stubParser{
+		parse: func(context.Context, string) (*ParseResult, error) {
+			return nil, context.DeadlineExceeded
+		},
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("StoreRawLine: %v", err)
+	}
+	if !stderrors.Is(outcome.ParseErr, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
+		t.Fatalf("ParseErr: got %v, want %v", outcome.ParseErr, context.DeadlineExceeded)
+	}
+	if outcome.Event.Text != line.Content {
+		t.Fatalf("Event.Text: got %q, want %q", outcome.Event.Text, line.Content)
+	}
+
+	stored, err := s.QueryLogs(context.Background(), store.QueryOpts{})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("QueryLogs: %v", err)
+	}
+	if len(stored) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("stored entries: got %d, want 1", len(stored))
+	}
+	if stored[0].Raw != line.Content {
+		t.Fatalf("stored raw: got %q, want %q", stored[0].Raw, line.Content)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestStoreRawLineUsesParsedFieldsButKeepsRawText(t *testing.T) {
+	s := newTestStore(t)
+	ts := time.Date(2026, 3, 10, 21, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+	line := &logsource.LogLine{
+		LineNumber: 3,
+		Content:    "level=info service=auth-api msg=\"user user_456 authenticated\"",
+	}
+
+	outcome, err := StoreRawLine(context.Background(), s, line, stubParser{
+		parse: func(context.Context, string) (*ParseResult, error) {
+			return &ParseResult{
+				Timestamp: &ts,
+				Attrs: map[string]string{
+					"level":   "info",
+					"service": "auth-api",
+				},
+				Inferred: &event.Inferred{
+					Pattern: "user <*> authenticated",
+					Entity:  "auth-api",
+				},
+				Labels: map[string]string{
+					"pattern": "user-authenticated",
+				},
+			}, nil
+		},
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("StoreRawLine: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if outcome.Event.Text != line.Content {
+		t.Fatalf("Event.Text: got %q, want %q", outcome.Event.Text, line.Content)
+	}
+	if outcome.Event.Timestamp == nil || !outcome.Event.Timestamp.Equal(ts) {
+		t.Fatalf("Event.Timestamp: got %v, want %v", outcome.Event.Timestamp, ts)
+	}
+	if outcome.Event.Attrs["service"] != "auth-api" {
+		t.Fatalf("Event.Attrs[service]: got %q, want %q", outcome.Event.Attrs["service"], "auth-api")
+	}
+	if outcome.Event.Inferred == nil || outcome.Event.Inferred.Pattern != "user <*> authenticated" {
+		t.Fatalf("Event.Inferred: got %+v", outcome.Event.Inferred)
+	}
+	if outcome.LogEntry.Raw != line.Content {
+		t.Fatalf("LogEntry.Raw: got %q, want %q", outcome.LogEntry.Raw, line.Content)
+	}
+	if outcome.LogEntry.Timestamp != ts {
+		t.Fatalf("LogEntry.Timestamp: got %v, want %v", outcome.LogEntry.Timestamp, ts)
+	}
+	if outcome.LogEntry.Labels["pattern"] != "user-authenticated" {
+		t.Fatalf("LogEntry.Labels[pattern]: got %q, want %q", outcome.LogEntry.Labels["pattern"], "user-authenticated")
+	}
+
+	stored, err := s.QueryLogs(context.Background(), store.QueryOpts{})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("QueryLogs: %v", err)
+	}
+	if len(stored) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("stored entries: got %d, want 1", len(stored))
+	}
+	if stored[0].Raw != line.Content {
+		t.Fatalf("stored raw: got %q, want %q", stored[0].Raw, line.Content)
+	}
+	if stored[0].Labels["pattern"] != "user-authenticated" {
+		t.Fatalf("stored labels[pattern]: got %q, want %q", stored[0].Labels["pattern"], "user-authenticated")
+	}
+}