diff --git a/src/reader/sync.rs b/src/reader/sync.rs
index 1ac0908..5b45560 100644
--- a/src/reader/sync.rs
+++ b/src/reader/sync.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ use crate::{
     },
 };
 use actix_web::{web, HttpRequest, HttpResponse, Responder};
-use chrono::{DateTime, Local, NaiveDateTime};
+use chrono::{DateTime, Duration, Local, NaiveDateTime};
 use dateparser::parse;
 use diesel::prelude::*;
 use rss::Item;
@@ -124,9 +124,22 @@ fn create_feed_item(item: Item, feed: &Feed, connection: &mut PgConnection) {
     }
 }
 
+// Items without a `created_ts` (e.g. ones inserted before this column existed,
+// or whose feed didn't provide a publish date) are left alone — `lt` never
+// matches NULL, so there's nothing to special-case here.
+fn delete_old_feed_items(connection: &mut PgConnection) {
+    let cutoff = Local::now().naive_local() - Duration::days(14);
+    let result = diesel::delete(feed_item::table.filter(feed_item::created_ts.lt(cutoff)))
+        .execute(connection);
+
+    log::info!("Deleted old feed items (older than 2 weeks): {:?}", result);
+}
+
 pub async fn sync(_req: HttpRequest, data: web::Json<JsonUser>) -> impl Responder {
     let mut connection: diesel::PgConnection = establish_connection();
 
+    delete_old_feed_items(&mut connection);
+
     let req_user_id: i32 = data.user_id;
 
     let feeds: Vec<Feed> = feed::table
@@ -248,6 +261,76 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
+    #[actix_web::test]
+    async fn delete_old_feed_items_removes_items_older_than_two_weeks_but_keeps_recent_ones() {
+        let mut connection = establish_connection();
+        let suffix = unique_suffix();
+
+        let new_user = NewUser::new(
+            format!("cleanup_test_{suffix}"),
+            format!("cleanup_{suffix}@example.test"),
+            "secret".to_string(),
+        );
+        let user: User = diesel::insert_into(users::table)
+            .values(&new_user)
+            .get_result(&mut connection)
+            .unwrap();
+
+        let new_feed = NewFeed::new(
+            format!("Cleanup test feed {suffix}"),
+            format!("https://example.test/feed/{suffix}"),
+            user.id,
+        );
+        let feed: Feed = diesel::insert_into(feed::table)
+            .values(&new_feed)
+            .get_result(&mut connection)
+            .unwrap();
+
+        let now = Local::now().naive_local();
+        let old_item = NewFeedItem::new(
+            feed.id,
+            "old content".to_string(),
+            format!("Old article {suffix}"),
+            format!("https://example.test/article/old-{suffix}"),
+            Some(now - Duration::days(20)),
+        );
+        let recent_item = NewFeedItem::new(
+            feed.id,
+            "recent content".to_string(),
+            format!("Recent article {suffix}"),
+            format!("https://example.test/article/recent-{suffix}"),
+            Some(now - Duration::days(1)),
+        );
+        diesel::insert_into(feed_item::table)
+            .values(&old_item)
+            .execute(&mut connection)
+            .unwrap();
+        let recent: FeedItem = diesel::insert_into(feed_item::table)
+            .values(&recent_item)
+            .get_result(&mut connection)
+            .unwrap();
+
+        delete_old_feed_items(&mut connection);
+
+        let remaining: Vec<FeedItem> = feed_item::table
+            .filter(feed_id.eq(feed.id))
+            .load(&mut connection)
+            .unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(1, remaining.len(), "only the recent item should survive cleanup");
+        assert_eq!(recent.id, remaining[0].id);
+
+        diesel::delete(feed_item::table.filter(feed_id.eq(feed.id)))
+            .execute(&mut connection)
+            .ok();
+        diesel::delete(feed::table.filter(feed::id.eq(feed.id)))
+            .execute(&mut connection)
+            .ok();
+        diesel::delete(users::table.filter(users::id.eq(user.id)))
+            .execute(&mut connection)
+            .ok();
+    }
+
     #[actix_web::test]
     async fn create_feed_item_does_not_duplicate_existing_items() {
         let mut connection = establish_connection();