diff --git a/photomap/backend/preferences.py b/photomap/backend/preferences.py
index 37ad4280..b0f2d1c8 100644
--- a/photomap/backend/preferences.py
+++ b/photomap/backend/preferences.py
@@ -66,6 +66,15 @@ class UserPreferences(_CamelModel):
     show_metadata_fields: bool = True
     autotagging_enabled: bool = False
 
+    # Dataset Curator panel. Ranges mirror the HTML input min/max attrs in
+    # templates/modules/curation.html — the frontend clamps too, but server
+    # validation defends against a stale tab posting an out-of-range value
+    # after a future HTML change tightens the bounds.
+    curation_target_count: int = Field(default=80, ge=10, le=1000)
+    curation_iterations: int = Field(default=20, ge=1, le=30)
+    curation_method: Literal["fps", "kmeans"] = "fps"
+    curation_exclude_threshold: int = Field(default=90, ge=1, le=100)
+
     # Stragglers currently in localStorage
     album: str | None = None
     curation_export_path: str | None = None
diff --git a/photomap/frontend/static/javascript/curation.js b/photomap/frontend/static/javascript/curation.js
index d7f3ad16..f652df6e 100644
--- a/photomap/frontend/static/javascript/curation.js
+++ b/photomap/frontend/static/javascript/curation.js
@@ -4,7 +4,14 @@ import { toggleGridSwiperView } from "./events.js";
 import { createSimpleDirectoryPicker } from "./filetree.js";
 import { updateSearchCheckmarks } from "./search-ui.js";
 import { slideState } from "./slide-state.js";
-import { state } from "./state.js";
+import {
+  setCurationExcludeThreshold,
+  setCurationExportPath,
+  setCurationIterations,
+  setCurationMethod,
+  setCurationTargetCount,
+  state,
+} from "./state.js";
 import {
   highlightCurationSelection,
   setCurationMode,
@@ -205,17 +212,35 @@ function setupEventListeners() {
     return;
   }
 
-  // Load saved export path from localStorage
-  const savedPath = localStorage.getItem("curationExportPath");
-  if (savedPath) {
-    exportPathInput.value = savedPath;
+  const thresholdInput = document.getElementById("lockThresholdInput");
+  const methodFps = document.getElementById("methodFps");
+  const methodKmeans = document.getElementById("methodKmeans");
+
+  // Restore every curator field from the persisted state so reopening
+  // the panel (or revisiting the app on another day) shows the same
+  // values the user left. State has already been populated from
+  // localStorage and reconciled with the server by state.js before this
+  // function runs.
+  number.value = state.curationTargetCount;
+  slider.value = state.curationTargetCount;
+  iterationsInput.value = state.curationIterations;
+  if (state.curationMethod === "kmeans") {
+    methodKmeans.checked = true;
+  } else {
+    methodFps.checked = true;
+  }
+  if (thresholdInput) {
+    thresholdInput.value = state.curationExcludeThreshold;
+  }
+  if (state.curationExportPath) {
+    exportPathInput.value = state.curationExportPath;
     validateExportPath();
   }
 
   // Monitor export path changes
   exportPathInput.oninput = () => {
     const path = exportPathInput.value.trim();
-    localStorage.setItem("curationExportPath", path);
+    setCurationExportPath(path);
     validateExportPath();
   };
 
@@ -229,7 +254,7 @@ function setupEventListeners() {
       createSimpleDirectoryPicker(
         (selectedPath) => {
           exportPathInput.value = selectedPath;
-          localStorage.setItem("curationExportPath", selectedPath);
+          setCurationExportPath(selectedPath);
           validateExportPath();
         },
         currentPath,
@@ -256,12 +281,50 @@ function setupEventListeners() {
     };
   }
 
-  slider.oninput = () => (number.value = slider.value);
-  number.oninput = () => (slider.value = number.value);
+  // Slider <-> number input are bidirectionally synced; both also persist
+  // the change so the value survives a panel close + reopen (and the
+  // server PATCH lets it survive a localStorage eviction on iOS).
+  slider.oninput = () => {
+    number.value = slider.value;
+    const clamped = Math.max(10, Math.min(1000, parseInt(slider.value, 10) || 80));
+    setCurationTargetCount(clamped);
+  };
+  number.oninput = () => {
+    slider.value = number.value;
+    const clamped = Math.max(10, Math.min(1000, parseInt(number.value, 10) || 80));
+    setCurationTargetCount(clamped);
+  };
+  iterationsInput.oninput = () => {
+    // HTML caps at 30 already (and the run-button handler also re-clamps);
+    // mirror the same clamp here so the persisted value can't drift past
+    // what the model accepts (server validates ge=1, le=30).
+    const clamped = Math.max(1, Math.min(30, parseInt(iterationsInput.value, 10) || 20));
+    setCurationIterations(clamped);
+  };
+  if (thresholdInput) {
+    thresholdInput.oninput = () => {
+      const clamped = Math.max(1, Math.min(100, parseInt(thresholdInput.value, 10) || 90));
+      setCurationExcludeThreshold(clamped);
+    };
+  }
+  // Method radios. The change event fires for the radio that becomes
+  // selected; persist the selected value as a string.
+  if (methodFps) {
+    methodFps.onchange = () => {
+      if (methodFps.checked) {
+        setCurationMethod("fps");
+      }
+    };
+  }
+  if (methodKmeans) {
+    methodKmeans.onchange = () => {
+      if (methodKmeans.checked) {
+        setCurationMethod("kmeans");
+      }
+    };
+  }
   closeBtn.onclick = window.toggleCurationPanel;
 
-  // Radio buttons don't need click handlers - they work automatically
-
   clearBtn.onclick = () => {
     clearSelectionData();
     analysisResults = [];
diff --git a/photomap/frontend/static/javascript/state.js b/photomap/frontend/static/javascript/state.js
index 030927a1..58b632c6 100644
--- a/photomap/frontend/static/javascript/state.js
+++ b/photomap/frontend/static/javascript/state.js
@@ -45,6 +45,14 @@ export const state = {
   umapControlsVisible: true, // Whether the UMAP controls panel is visible
   showMetadataFields: true, // Whether the metadata-drawer fields table is shown
   autotaggingEnabled: false, // Whether to build the vocab index and show cluster/image labels
+  // Dataset Curator panel state. The curator panel reads these on open and
+  // writes them through the standard PERSISTED_SETTINGS setters on every
+  // input change, so the next visit reopens the panel with the same values.
+  curationTargetCount: 80, // [10, 1000]
+  curationIterations: 20, // [1, 30]
+  curationMethod: "fps", // "fps" (Diversity) or "kmeans" (Blocks)
+  curationExcludeThreshold: 90, // [1, 100] — the % match threshold for "Exclude Matches"
+  curationExportPath: "", // last-used export folder
 };
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -118,6 +126,12 @@ const PERSISTED_SETTINGS = [
     default: false,
     onSet: (value) => setAutotaggingEnabledInLabels(value),
   },
+  // Dataset Curator
+  { key: "curationTargetCount", type: "int", default: 80 },
+  { key: "curationIterations", type: "int", default: 20 },
+  { key: "curationMethod", type: "string", default: "fps" },
+  { key: "curationExcludeThreshold", type: "int", default: 90 },
+  { key: "curationExportPath", type: "string", default: "" },
 ];
 
 function _parseStored(raw, type) {
@@ -437,6 +451,11 @@ export const setUmapClickSelectsCluster = _setters.umapClickSelectsCluster;
 export const setUmapControlsVisible = _setters.umapControlsVisible;
 export const setShowMetadataFields = _setters.showMetadataFields;
 export const setAutotaggingEnabled = _setters.autotaggingEnabled;
+export const setCurationTargetCount = _setters.curationTargetCount;
+export const setCurationIterations = _setters.curationIterations;
+export const setCurationMethod = _setters.curationMethod;
+export const setCurationExcludeThreshold = _setters.curationExcludeThreshold;
+export const setCurationExportPath = _setters.curationExportPath;
 
 export async function setAlbum(newAlbumKey, force = false) {
   if (force || state.album !== newAlbumKey) {
diff --git a/tests/backend/test_preferences.py b/tests/backend/test_preferences.py
index 8de1ca84..65fb5fa2 100644
--- a/tests/backend/test_preferences.py
+++ b/tests/backend/test_preferences.py
@@ -45,6 +45,12 @@ def test_get_without_cookie_mints_one_and_returns_defaults(client: TestClient):
     assert body["autotaggingEnabled"] is False
     assert body["updatedAt"] == 0.0
     assert body["album"] is None
+    # Curator defaults mirror the HTML input values in curation.html.
+    assert body["curationTargetCount"] == 80
+    assert body["curationIterations"] == 20
+    assert body["curationMethod"] == "fps"
+    assert body["curationExcludeThreshold"] == 90
+    assert body["curationExportPath"] is None
 
 
 def test_patch_then_get_returns_merged(client: TestClient):
@@ -102,6 +108,48 @@ def test_patch_invalid_value_returns_422(client: TestClient):
     assert response.status_code == 422
 
 
+def test_curation_fields_round_trip(client: TestClient):
+    """All five Dataset Curator fields persist and come back unchanged."""
+    client.get("/preferences/")
+    response = client.patch(
+        "/preferences/",
+        json={
+            "curationTargetCount": 250,
+            "curationIterations": 15,
+            "curationMethod": "kmeans",
+            "curationExcludeThreshold": 75,
+            "curationExportPath": "/tmp/curated",
+        },
+    )
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    body = response.json()
+    assert body["curationTargetCount"] == 250
+    assert body["curationIterations"] == 15
+    assert body["curationMethod"] == "kmeans"
+    assert body["curationExcludeThreshold"] == 75
+    assert body["curationExportPath"] == "/tmp/curated"
+
+    fetched = client.get("/preferences/").json()
+    assert fetched["curationTargetCount"] == 250
+    assert fetched["curationMethod"] == "kmeans"
+    assert fetched["curationExportPath"] == "/tmp/curated"
+
+
+def test_curation_invalid_values_return_422(client: TestClient):
+    client.get("/preferences/")
+    # target count must be 10..1000
+    assert client.patch("/preferences/", json={"curationTargetCount": 5}).status_code == 422
+    assert client.patch("/preferences/", json={"curationTargetCount": 2000}).status_code == 422
+    # iterations must be 1..30
+    assert client.patch("/preferences/", json={"curationIterations": 0}).status_code == 422
+    assert client.patch("/preferences/", json={"curationIterations": 50}).status_code == 422
+    # threshold must be 1..100
+    assert client.patch("/preferences/", json={"curationExcludeThreshold": 0}).status_code == 422
+    assert client.patch("/preferences/", json={"curationExcludeThreshold": 200}).status_code == 422
+    # method is a Literal
+    assert client.patch("/preferences/", json={"curationMethod": "magic"}).status_code == 422
+
+
 def test_two_clients_are_isolated():
     """Each TestClient session gets a separate cookie, so prefs don't leak."""
     from photomap.backend.photomap_server import app