diff --git a/src/store.ts b/src/store.ts
index 2a929ab..7288c8f 100644
--- a/src/store.ts
+++ b/src/store.ts
@@ -197,6 +197,25 @@ export function fireStoryInit(): void {
   for (const cb of storyInitListeners) cb();
 }
 
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// beforerestart callbacks
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+type BeforeRestartListener = () => void;
+let beforeRestartListeners: BeforeRestartListener[] = [];
+
+/** Register a callback to run before restart resets any state. */
+export function onBeforeRestart(cb: BeforeRestartListener): () => void {
+  beforeRestartListeners.push(cb);
+  return () => {
+    beforeRestartListeners = beforeRestartListeners.filter((l) => l !== cb);
+  };
+}
+
+function fireBeforeRestart(): void {
+  for (const cb of beforeRestartListeners) cb();
+}
+
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Store
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -497,6 +516,7 @@ export const useStoryStore = create<StoryState>()(
       const startPassage = storyData.passagesById.get(storyData.startNode);
       if (!startPassage) return;
 
+      fireBeforeRestart();
       resetPRNG();
       resetTriggers();
       const initialVars = deepClone(variableDefaults);
diff --git a/src/story-api.ts b/src/story-api.ts
index d79bb84..c31126d 100644
--- a/src/story-api.ts
+++ b/src/story-api.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useStoryStore, onStoryInit } from './store';
+import { useStoryStore, onStoryInit, onBeforeRestart } from './store';
 import type { Passage } from './parser';
 import { settings } from './settings';
 import type {
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ export function _resetReadyState(): void {
 
 type NavigateCallback = (to: string, from: string) => void;
 type StoryInitCallback = () => void;
+type BeforeRestartCallback = () => void;
 type ActionsChangedCallback = () => void;
 type VariableChangedCallback = (
   changed: Record<string, { from: unknown; to: unknown }>,
@@ -119,6 +120,7 @@ export interface StoryAPI {
   getActions(): StoryAction[];
   performAction(id: string, value?: unknown): void;
   on(event: 'navigate', callback: NavigateCallback): () => void;
+  on(event: 'beforerestart', callback: BeforeRestartCallback): () => void;
   on(event: 'storyinit', callback: StoryInitCallback): () => void;
   on(event: 'actionsChanged', callback: ActionsChangedCallback): () => void;
   on(event: 'variableChanged', callback: VariableChangedCallback): () => void;
@@ -378,6 +380,10 @@ function createStoryAPI(): StoryAPI {
         });
       }
 
+      if (event === 'beforerestart') {
+        return onBeforeRestart(callback as BeforeRestartCallback);
+      }
+
       if (event === 'storyinit') {
         return onStoryInit(callback as StoryInitCallback);
       }
diff --git a/test/unit/story-api.test.ts b/test/unit/story-api.test.ts
index 36a062d..6c2eecb 100644
--- a/test/unit/story-api.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/story-api.test.ts
@@ -286,6 +286,72 @@ describe('StoryAPI', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('on(beforerestart)', () => {
+    it('fires callback before variables are reset', () => {
+      const cb = vi.fn();
+      const unsub = Story.on('beforerestart', cb);
+
+      useStoryStore.getState().setVariable('health', 30);
+      useStoryStore.getState().navigate('Room');
+
+      useStoryStore.getState().restart();
+
+      expect(cb).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      unsub();
+    });
+
+    it('fires before storyinit', () => {
+      const order: string[] = [];
+      const unsubBefore = Story.on('beforerestart', () => {
+        order.push('beforerestart');
+      });
+      const unsubInit = Story.on('storyinit', () => {
+        order.push('storyinit');
+      });
+
+      useStoryStore.getState().restart();
+
+      expect(order).toEqual(['beforerestart', 'storyinit']);
+      unsubBefore();
+      unsubInit();
+    });
+
+    it('can read pre-restart variables inside callback', () => {
+      useStoryStore.getState().setVariable('health', 42);
+      useStoryStore.getState().navigate('Room');
+
+      let capturedHealth: unknown;
+      const unsub = Story.on('beforerestart', () => {
+        capturedHealth = useStoryStore.getState().variables.health;
+      });
+
+      useStoryStore.getState().restart();
+
+      expect(capturedHealth).toBe(42);
+      unsub();
+    });
+
+    it('fires on every restart', () => {
+      const cb = vi.fn();
+      const unsub = Story.on('beforerestart', cb);
+
+      useStoryStore.getState().restart();
+      useStoryStore.getState().restart();
+      useStoryStore.getState().restart();
+      expect(cb).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3);
+      unsub();
+    });
+
+    it('unsubscribe stops future callbacks', () => {
+      const cb = vi.fn();
+      const unsub = Story.on('beforerestart', cb);
+      unsub();
+
+      useStoryStore.getState().restart();
+      expect(cb).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('on(unknown event)', () => {
     it('throws for unknown event', () => {
       expect(() => {