diff --git a/.planning/STATE.md b/.planning/STATE.md
index d39babb..8b49117 100644
--- a/.planning/STATE.md
+++ b/.planning/STATE.md
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ gsd_state_version: 1.0
 milestone: v1.0
 milestone_name: milestone
 status: Context gathered — ready for /gsd-plan-phase 6
-last_updated: "2026-04-21T23:11:57.514Z"
-last_activity: 2026-04-21
+last_updated: "2026-04-22T06:55:05.535Z"
+last_activity: 2026-04-22
 progress:
   total_phases: 8
   completed_phases: 3
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ progress:
 Phase: Phase 6 — Blog Pages
 Plan: —
 Status: Context gathered — ready for /gsd-plan-phase 6
-Last activity: 2026-04-21
+Last activity: 2026-04-22
 Resume file: .planning/phases/06-blog-pages/06-UI-SPEC.md
 
 ## Accumulated Context
diff --git a/server/plugins/reading-time.ts b/server/plugins/reading-time.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1dea82e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/plugins/reading-time.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import { countWordsInMinimalBody } from '~/utils/countWords'
+
+/**
+ * Nitro plugin: compute reading time for every markdown content file at parse time.
+ *
+ * Injects `wordCount` (number) and `minutes` (number, min 1) on the content object.
+ * Values are persisted in the @nuxt/content SQLite DB and queryable via queryCollection
+ * thanks to the matching Zod schema fields in content.config.ts (per D-18 + D-19).
+ *
+ * Hook reference: https://content.nuxt.com/docs/advanced/hooks
+ */
+export default defineNitroPlugin((nitroApp) => {
+  nitroApp.hooks.hook('content:file:afterParse', (ctx) => {
+    const { file, content } = ctx
+
+    // Only process markdown files (defensive — hook fires on all sources)
+    if (!file.id?.endsWith('.md')) return
+
+    const wordCount = countWordsInMinimalBody(content.body)
+    content.wordCount = wordCount
+    content.minutes = Math.max(1, Math.ceil(wordCount / 200)) // D-19: 200 wpm, floor 1 min
+  })
+})