diff --git a/src/act.other.c b/src/act.other.c
index 93c7460..005e8ed 100644
--- a/src/act.other.c
+++ b/src/act.other.c
@@ -137,12 +137,12 @@ ACMD(do_save)
 {
   char a1[MAX_INPUT_LENGTH], a2[MAX_INPUT_LENGTH];
 
-  /* Parse up to two words so we can accept "save room" or "room save". */
+  /* Accept both orders: "save room" or "room save" */
   two_arguments(argument, a1, a2);
 
-  /* Does either token equal "room"? (order-agnostic) */
-  const bool wants_room = ((*a1 && !str_cmp(a1, "room")) ||
-                           (*a2 && !str_cmp(a2, "room")));
+  /* order-agnostic check */
+  int wants_room = ((*a1 && !str_cmp(a1, "room")) ||
+                    (*a2 && !str_cmp(a2, "room")));
 
   if (wants_room) {
     room_rnum rnum = IN_ROOM(ch);
@@ -163,8 +163,20 @@ ACMD(do_save)
     /* Room is flagged SAVE → persist its contents */
     if (RoomSave_now(rnum)) {
       send_to_char(ch, "Saving room.\r\n");
+      mudlog(NRM, LVL_IMMORT, FALSE,
+             "RoomSave: manual save of room %d by %s.",
+             world[rnum].number, GET_NAME(ch));
+      /* If you added a dirty-save API and want to clear the bit on manual save,
+         you can optionally call it here (guard with a macro if desired):
+         #ifdef ROOMSAVE_HAVE_DIRTY_API
+         RoomSave_clear_dirty(rnum);
+         #endif
+      */
     } else {
       send_to_char(ch, "Room save failed; see logs.\r\n");
+      mudlog(NRM, LVL_IMMORT, TRUE,
+             "SYSERR: RoomSave: manual save FAILED for room %d by %s.",
+             world[rnum].number, GET_NAME(ch));
     }
     return;
   }
diff --git a/src/db.c b/src/db.c
index 526cd7f..1d3e4fa 100644
--- a/src/db.c
+++ b/src/db.c
@@ -784,7 +784,8 @@ void boot_db(void)
   }
 
   /* Restore persistent room contents last so they take precedence. */
-  log("Loading Room Contents.");  
+  log("Loading Room Contents.");
+  RoomSave_init_dirty();
   RoomSave_boot();
 
   log("Cleaning up last log.");
diff --git a/src/handler.c b/src/handler.c
index 87269bb..1f4f53e 100644
--- a/src/handler.c
+++ b/src/handler.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include "fight.h"
 #include "quest.h"
 #include "mud_event.h"
+#include "roomsave.h"
 
 /* local file scope variables */
 static int extractions_pending = 0;
@@ -419,11 +420,15 @@ void char_to_room(struct char_data *ch, room_rnum room)
 /* Give an object to a char. */
 void obj_to_char(struct obj_data *object, struct char_data *ch)
 {
+  room_rnum __rs_room = RoomSave_room_of_obj(object);  /* where the item currently lives */
+
   if (object && ch) {
     object->next_content = ch->carrying;
     ch->carrying = object;
     object->carried_by = ch;
     IN_ROOM(object) = NOWHERE;
+    if (__rs_room != NOWHERE)
+      RoomSave_mark_dirty_room(__rs_room);
     IS_CARRYING_W(ch) += GET_OBJ_WEIGHT(object);
     IS_CARRYING_N(ch)++;
 
@@ -440,6 +445,7 @@ void obj_to_char(struct obj_data *object, struct char_data *ch)
 void obj_from_char(struct obj_data *object)
 {
   struct obj_data *temp;
+  room_rnum __rs_room = IN_ROOM(object->carried_by);
 
   if (object == NULL) {
     log("SYSERR: NULL object passed to obj_from_char.");
@@ -455,6 +461,8 @@ void obj_from_char(struct obj_data *object)
   IS_CARRYING_N(object->carried_by)--;
   object->carried_by = NULL;
   object->next_content = NULL;
+  if (__rs_room != NOWHERE)
+    RoomSave_mark_dirty_room(__rs_room);
 }
 
 /* Return the effect of a piece of armor in position eq_pos */
@@ -689,6 +697,8 @@ void obj_to_room(struct obj_data *object, room_rnum room)
     object->carried_by = NULL;
     if (ROOM_FLAGGED(room, ROOM_HOUSE))
       SET_BIT_AR(ROOM_FLAGS(room), ROOM_HOUSE_CRASH);
+    /* RoomSave: this room’s contents changed */
+    RoomSave_mark_dirty_room(room);
   }
 }
 
@@ -697,6 +707,7 @@ void obj_from_room(struct obj_data *object)
 {
   struct obj_data *temp;
   struct char_data *t, *tempch;
+  room_rnum __rs_was_room = IN_ROOM(object);
 
   if (!object || IN_ROOM(object) == NOWHERE) {
     log("SYSERR: NULL object (%p) or obj not in a room (%d) passed to obj_from_room",
@@ -719,6 +730,8 @@ void obj_from_room(struct obj_data *object)
     SET_BIT_AR(ROOM_FLAGS(IN_ROOM(object)), ROOM_HOUSE_CRASH);
   IN_ROOM(object) = NOWHERE;
   object->next_content = NULL;
+  /* RoomSave: room lost an object */
+  RoomSave_mark_dirty_room(__rs_was_room);
 }
 
 /* put an object in an object (quaint)  */
@@ -735,6 +748,8 @@ void obj_to_obj(struct obj_data *obj, struct obj_data *obj_to)
   obj->next_content = obj_to->contains;
   obj_to->contains = obj;
   obj->in_obj = obj_to;
+  /* RoomSave: container changed; mark the room the container ultimately lives in */
+  RoomSave_mark_dirty_room(RoomSave_room_of_obj(obj_to));
 
   /* Add weight to container, unless unlimited. */
   if (GET_OBJ_VAL(obj->in_obj, 0) > 0) {
@@ -752,6 +767,7 @@ void obj_to_obj(struct obj_data *obj, struct obj_data *obj_to)
 void obj_from_obj(struct obj_data *obj)
 {
   struct obj_data *temp, *obj_from;
+  struct obj_data *__rs_container = obj->in_obj;  /* capture before unlink */
 
   if (obj->in_obj == NULL) {
     log("SYSERR: (%s): trying to illegally extract obj from obj.", __FILE__);
@@ -772,6 +788,8 @@ void obj_from_obj(struct obj_data *obj)
   }
   obj->in_obj = NULL;
   obj->next_content = NULL;
+  /* RoomSave: container changed; mark the room the container ultimately lives in */
+  RoomSave_mark_dirty_room(RoomSave_room_of_obj(__rs_container));
 }
 
 /* Set all carried_by to point to new owner */
@@ -789,6 +807,7 @@ void extract_obj(struct obj_data *obj)
 {
   struct char_data *ch, *next = NULL;
   struct obj_data *temp;
+  room_rnum __rs_room = RoomSave_room_of_obj(obj);
 
   if (obj->worn_by != NULL)
     if (unequip_char(obj->worn_by, obj->worn_on) != obj)
@@ -837,6 +856,9 @@ void extract_obj(struct obj_data *obj)
   if (GET_OBJ_RNUM(obj) == NOTHING || obj->proto_script != obj_proto[GET_OBJ_RNUM(obj)].proto_script)
     free_proto_script(obj, OBJ_TRIGGER);
 
+  if (__rs_room != NOWHERE)
+    RoomSave_mark_dirty_room(__rs_room);
+    
   free_obj(obj);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/roomsave.c b/src/roomsave.c
index 6d2845a..8493d16 100644
--- a/src/roomsave.c
+++ b/src/roomsave.c
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include "conf.h"
 #include "sysdep.h"
 
+#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <dirent.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <limits.h>
@@ -36,6 +37,28 @@
 #define ROOMSAVE_EXT     ".rsv"
 #endif
 
+static unsigned char *roomsave_dirty = NULL;
+
+void RoomSave_init_dirty(void) {
+  free(roomsave_dirty);
+  roomsave_dirty = calloc((size_t)top_of_world + 1, 1);
+}
+
+void RoomSave_mark_dirty_room(room_rnum rnum) {
+  if (!roomsave_dirty) return;
+  if (rnum != NOWHERE && rnum >= 0 && rnum <= top_of_world)
+    roomsave_dirty[rnum] = 1;
+}
+
+/* Where does an object “live” (topmost location -> room)? */
+room_rnum RoomSave_room_of_obj(struct obj_data *o) {
+  if (!o) return NOWHERE;
+  while (o->in_obj) o = o->in_obj;
+  if (o->carried_by) return IN_ROOM(o->carried_by);
+  if (o->worn_by)    return IN_ROOM(o->worn_by);
+  return o->in_room;
+}
+
 /* --- helper: read a list of objects until '.' or 'E' and return the head --- */
 static struct obj_data *roomsave_read_list(FILE *fl) {
   char line[256];
@@ -397,8 +420,9 @@ void RoomSave_boot(void) {
 /* Save all rooms flagged ROOM_SAVE. Called from point_update() on a cadence. */
 void RoomSave_autosave_tick(void) {
   for (room_rnum rnum = 0; rnum <= top_of_world; rnum++) {
-    if (ROOM_FLAGGED(rnum, ROOM_SAVE)) {
-      RoomSave_now(rnum);
-    }
+    if (!ROOM_FLAGGED(rnum, ROOM_SAVE)) continue;
+    if (!roomsave_dirty || !roomsave_dirty[rnum]) continue;
+    if (RoomSave_now(rnum))
+      roomsave_dirty[rnum] = 0;
   }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/roomsave.h b/src/roomsave.h
index a31332b..c754743 100644
--- a/src/roomsave.h
+++ b/src/roomsave.h
@@ -25,4 +25,10 @@ int  RoomSave_now(room_rnum rnum);
 /* Autosave pass for all rooms flagged ROOM_SAVE. */
 void RoomSave_autosave_tick(void);
 
+/* Only save rooms when modified */
+void RoomSave_init_dirty(void);
+void RoomSave_mark_dirty_room(room_rnum rnum);
+/* For container edits: find the room an object ultimately lives in */
+room_rnum RoomSave_room_of_obj(struct obj_data *obj);
+
 #endif /* ROOMSAVE_H_ */