diff --git a/store.go b/store.go
index 7fe0505..89905ae 100644
--- a/store.go
+++ b/store.go
@@ -656,9 +656,13 @@ func (storeInstance *Store) startBackgroundPurge() {
 	if storeInstance.purgeContext == nil {
 		return
 	}
+	if storeInstance.purgeInterval <= 0 {
+		storeInstance.purgeInterval = 60 * time.Second
+	}
+	purgeInterval := storeInstance.purgeInterval
 
 	storeInstance.purgeWaitGroup.Go(func() {
-		ticker := time.NewTicker(storeInstance.purgeInterval)
+		ticker := time.NewTicker(purgeInterval)
 		defer ticker.Stop()
 		for {
 			select {
diff --git a/store_test.go b/store_test.go
index 5132321..becbdc9 100644
--- a/store_test.go
+++ b/store_test.go
@@ -1340,6 +1340,17 @@ func TestStore_PurgeExpired_Good_BackgroundPurge(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, 1, count, "background purge should have deleted the expired row")
 }
 
+func TestStore_StartBackgroundPurge_Good_DefaultsWhenIntervalUnset(t *testing.T) {
+	storeInstance, err := New(":memory:")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	storeInstance.purgeInterval = 0
+
+	require.NotPanics(t, func() {
+		storeInstance.startBackgroundPurge()
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, storeInstance.Close())
+}
+
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Schema migration — reopening an existing database
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------