diff --git a/docs/superpowers/evidence/sql-drills-harness-2026-11-01.json b/docs/superpowers/evidence/sql-drills-harness-2026-11-01.json
index b68b0fed..1d851611 100644
--- a/docs/superpowers/evidence/sql-drills-harness-2026-11-01.json
+++ b/docs/superpowers/evidence/sql-drills-harness-2026-11-01.json
@@ -3,12 +3,14 @@
   "scope": [
     "python_pkg/sql_drills (new package, fixtures, tests, README)",
     "meta/pyproject.toml: register the docker pytest marker",
-    "Non-goal: bumping the pinned mysql image; copying third-party problems"
+    "Non-goal: bumping the pinned mysql image; copying third-party problems",
+    "2026-11-02: show/check send an optional focus-tracker heartbeat (__main__.py, tests/conftest.py, tests/test_focus_hook.py)"
   ],
   "changes": [
     "CLI start/stop/list/show/check over one long-lived tmpfs container",
     "Judge-style normaliser and line diff, unit-tested without Docker",
-    "12 original drills with live-verified reference solutions kept in tests only"
+    "12 original drills with live-verified reference solutions kept in tests only",
+    "_heartbeat(): soft import of focus_project; absent -> no-op, tracker error -> logged, result and exit code unchanged"
   ],
   "verification": [
     {
@@ -20,11 +22,17 @@
       "command": "python3 -m python_pkg.sql_drills check <id> <reference> for all 12 drills",
       "result": "pass",
       "evidence": "every drill prints PASS; wrong query prints a line diff, syntax error exits 2"
+    },
+    {
+      "command": "python3 -m pytest -q python_pkg/sql_drills/tests --cov=python_pkg.sql_drills --cov-branch",
+      "result": "pass",
+      "evidence": "61 passed, 15 live tests skipped (no container), 100% branch coverage; show 01 wrote one sql_drills heartbeat row to a scratch FOCUS_PROJECT_DATA"
     }
   ],
   "risks": [
     "Local MySQL image must be pulled once; start fails with a clear error otherwise",
-    "A runaway query is cut off client-side after 30 s but may keep running in the container until stop"
+    "A runaway query is cut off client-side after 30 s but may keep running in the container until stop",
+    "A hanging tracker would delay show/check; the real one is a local file append"
   ],
   "rollback": [
     "git revert the commit; run python3 -m python_pkg.sql_drills stop first",
diff --git a/python_pkg/sql_drills/__main__.py b/python_pkg/sql_drills/__main__.py
index 21184cbf..77b2a90a 100644
--- a/python_pkg/sql_drills/__main__.py
+++ b/python_pkg/sql_drills/__main__.py
@@ -3,12 +3,32 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import argparse
+import importlib
+import logging
 from pathlib import Path
 import sys
 
 from python_pkg.sql_drills import _check, _drills, _engine
 
 _EXIT_CODES = {"pass": 0, "fail": 1, "error": 2}
+_LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+def _heartbeat() -> None:
+    """Tell the optional focus tracker that practice is happening.
+
+    Soft dependency: absent module -> silent no-op; a tracker error is logged
+    (file or registry errors) and never changes the drill's result or
+    exit code.
+    """
+    try:
+        tracker = importlib.import_module("focus_project")
+    except ImportError:
+        return
+    try:
+        tracker.record_activity("sql_drills", "heartbeat")
+    except OSError, ValueError:
+        _LOG.exception("focus tracker heartbeat failed")
 
 
 def _out(line: str) -> None:
@@ -44,8 +64,10 @@ def _dispatch(args: argparse.Namespace) -> int:
         for drill in _drills.list_drills():
             _out(f"{drill.id}  {_drills.title_of(drill)}")
     elif args.cmd == "show":
+        _heartbeat()
         sys.stdout.write(_drills.render_show(_drills.get_drill(args.drill)))
     else:
+        _heartbeat()
         result = _check.run_check(_drills.get_drill(args.drill), args.sql_file)
         _out(result.message)
         return _EXIT_CODES[result.status]
diff --git a/python_pkg/sql_drills/tests/conftest.py b/python_pkg/sql_drills/tests/conftest.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a02b73e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python_pkg/sql_drills/tests/conftest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+"""Keep the optional focus tracker out of every test unless a test fakes it."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import sys
+from typing import Any, cast
+
+import pytest
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def _no_real_focus_tracker(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    """Make ``import focus_project`` fail, so no test writes live activity."""
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "focus_project", cast("Any", None))
diff --git a/python_pkg/sql_drills/tests/test_focus_hook.py b/python_pkg/sql_drills/tests/test_focus_hook.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7aa22bd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python_pkg/sql_drills/tests/test_focus_hook.py
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+"""The soft-optional focus-tracker heartbeat on ``show`` and ``check``."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import logging
+import sys
+import types
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, cast
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+import pytest
+
+from python_pkg.sql_drills import __main__ as cli
+from python_pkg.sql_drills import _check
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from pathlib import Path
+
+
+def _fake_tracker(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, *, fail: bool = False
+) -> list[tuple[Any, ...]]:
+    calls: list[tuple[Any, ...]] = []
+    module = cast("Any", types.ModuleType("focus_project"))
+
+    def record_activity(*args: str) -> None:
+        if fail:
+            msg = "tracker down"
+            raise OSError(msg)
+        calls.append(args)
+
+    module.record_activity = record_activity
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "focus_project", module)
+    return calls
+
+
+def test_show_sends_heartbeat(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    calls = _fake_tracker(monkeypatch)
+    assert cli.main(["show", "01"]) == 0
+    assert calls == [("sql_drills", "heartbeat")]
+
+
+def test_check_sends_heartbeat(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    calls = _fake_tracker(monkeypatch)
+    result = _check.CheckResult("fail", "MSG")
+    with patch.object(_check, "run_check", return_value=result):
+        assert cli.main(["check", "01", str(tmp_path / "q.sql")]) == 1
+    assert calls == [("sql_drills", "heartbeat")]
+
+
+def test_list_sends_no_heartbeat(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    calls = _fake_tracker(monkeypatch)
+    assert cli.main(["list"]) == 0
+    assert calls == []
+
+
+def test_missing_tracker_changes_nothing(capsys: pytest.CaptureFixture[str]) -> None:
+    assert cli.main(["show", "01"]) == 0
+    assert "CREATE TABLE" in capsys.readouterr().out
+
+
+def test_failing_tracker_is_logged_not_raised(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+    caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture,
+    capsys: pytest.CaptureFixture[str],
+) -> None:
+    _fake_tracker(monkeypatch, fail=True)
+    with caplog.at_level(logging.ERROR):
+        assert cli.main(["show", "01"]) == 0
+    assert "heartbeat" in caplog.text
+    assert "CREATE TABLE" in capsys.readouterr().out