diff --git a/internal/workspace/metadata.go b/internal/workspace/metadata.go
index 289c296..4195410 100644
--- a/internal/workspace/metadata.go
+++ b/internal/workspace/metadata.go
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 package workspace
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/warrenronsiek/ctask/internal/lockfile"
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 )
 
@@ -61,3 +64,37 @@ func ReadMeta(path string) (*TaskMeta, error) {
 	}
 	return &meta, nil
 }
+
+// MetadataLockTimeout is the maximum time WriteMetaLocked will wait to
+// acquire the workspace write lock before giving up (non-fatal).
+const MetadataLockTimeout = 2 * time.Second
+
+// MetadataStaleLockAfter is the age at which a write.lock is considered
+// abandoned and gets removed.
+const MetadataStaleLockAfter = 10 * time.Second
+
+// WriteMetaLocked writes meta to path while holding the workspace's write
+// lock (<wsDir>/.ctask/write.lock). On lock-acquisition timeout, the write
+// is SKIPPED and a warning is printed to stderr — per spec, metadata lock
+// failures must never block or error out.
+//
+// Used by resume, open, and archive (session-lifecycle metadata writes).
+// NOT used by Create (workspace does not exist yet) or by test helpers.
+func WriteMetaLocked(path string, meta *TaskMeta) error {
+	return writeMetaLockedWithTimeout(path, meta, MetadataLockTimeout)
+}
+
+// writeMetaLockedWithTimeout is the test-overridable form of WriteMetaLocked.
+func writeMetaLockedWithTimeout(path string, meta *TaskMeta, timeout time.Duration) error {
+	wsDir := filepath.Dir(path)
+	lockPath := filepath.Join(wsDir, ".ctask", "write.lock")
+
+	skipped, err := lockfile.WithLock(lockPath, timeout, MetadataStaleLockAfter, func() error {
+		return WriteMeta(path, meta)
+	})
+	if skipped {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "[ctask] Warning: could not acquire metadata lock, skipping write to %s\n", path)
+		return nil
+	}
+	return err
+}
diff --git a/internal/workspace/metadata_test.go b/internal/workspace/metadata_test.go
index 67f1535..145979f 100644
--- a/internal/workspace/metadata_test.go
+++ b/internal/workspace/metadata_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,61 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
+func TestWriteMetaLockedHappyPath(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	metaPath := filepath.Join(dir, "task.yaml")
+
+	now := time.Now().UTC().Truncate(time.Second)
+	meta := &TaskMeta{
+		ID: "1", Slug: "s", Title: "t",
+		CreatedAt: now, UpdatedAt: now,
+		Status: "active", Category: "general", Type: "task",
+		Mode: "local", Agent: "claude",
+		WorkspacePath: dir,
+	}
+
+	if err := WriteMetaLocked(metaPath, meta); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("WriteMetaLocked: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	got, err := ReadMeta(metaPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ReadMeta: %v", err)
+	}
+	if got.Slug != "s" {
+		t.Errorf("Slug: got %q", got.Slug)
+	}
+
+	lockPath := filepath.Join(dir, ".ctask", "write.lock")
+	if _, err := os.Stat(lockPath); !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		t.Errorf("lock should be released, got err=%v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestWriteMetaLockedSkipsOnBusyLock(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	metaPath := filepath.Join(dir, "task.yaml")
+	ctaskDir := filepath.Join(dir, ".ctask")
+	os.MkdirAll(ctaskDir, 0755)
+	lockPath := filepath.Join(ctaskDir, "write.lock")
+
+	if err := os.WriteFile(lockPath, nil, 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("plant lock: %v", err)
+	}
+	now := time.Now()
+	os.Chtimes(lockPath, now, now)
+
+	meta := &TaskMeta{Slug: "s"}
+	err := writeMetaLockedWithTimeout(metaPath, meta, 200*time.Millisecond)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("WriteMetaLocked should not fail on busy lock: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if _, statErr := os.Stat(metaPath); !os.IsNotExist(statErr) {
+		t.Error("task.yaml should not exist when lock is busy")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestWriteAndReadMeta(t *testing.T) {
 	dir := t.TempDir()
 	path := filepath.Join(dir, "task.yaml")