diff --git a/src/Audit/Adapter/ClickHouse.php b/src/Audit/Adapter/ClickHouse.php
index 1524a5d..760c553 100644
--- a/src/Audit/Adapter/ClickHouse.php
+++ b/src/Audit/Adapter/ClickHouse.php
@@ -84,15 +84,13 @@ class ClickHouse extends SQL
 
     protected bool $asyncCleanup = false;
 
-    /** @var int|null Retention in days; when set, setup() applies a TTL on the table. Null disables TTL. */
-    private ?int $retention = null;
-
     /**
      * @param string $host ClickHouse host
      * @param string $username ClickHouse username (default: 'default')
      * @param string $password ClickHouse password (default: '')
      * @param int $port ClickHouse HTTP port (default: 8123)
      * @param bool $secure Whether to use HTTPS (default: false)
+     * @param int|null $retention Retention window in days; when set, setup() applies a TTL so rows older than the window are dropped. Null disables TTL.
      * @throws Exception If validation fails
      */
     public function __construct(
@@ -100,10 +98,12 @@ public function __construct(
         string $username = 'default',
         string $password = '',
         int $port = self::DEFAULT_PORT,
-        bool $secure = false
+        bool $secure = false,
+        public ?int $retention = null,
     ) {
         $this->validateHost($host);
         $this->validatePort($port);
+        $this->validateRetention($retention);
 
         $this->host = $host;
         $this->port = $port;
@@ -354,41 +354,41 @@ public function setAsyncCleanup(bool $asyncCleanup): self
     }
 
     /**
-     * Get whether cleanup() runs asynchronously.
+     * Set the retention window in days applied by setup() as a TTL, or null to
+     * disable it. Call before setup(); a single adapter can setup() several
+     * tables (differing namespaces), so retention is settable per table rather
+     * than fixed at construction.
      *
-     * @return bool
+     * @param int|null $retention
+     * @return self
+     * @throws Exception If retention is not a positive number of days.
      */
-    public function isAsyncCleanup(): bool
+    public function setRetention(?int $retention): self
     {
-        return $this->asyncCleanup;
+        $this->validateRetention($retention);
+        $this->retention = $retention;
+        return $this;
     }
 
     /**
-     * Set the retention window in days. When set, setup() applies a TTL so
-     * rows older than the window are dropped by background merges. Pass null
-     * to disable (the default).
-     *
-     * @param int|null $days
-     * @return self
-     * @throws Exception If $days is not positive
+     * @param int|null $retention
+     * @throws Exception If retention is set but not a positive number of days.
      */
-    public function setRetention(?int $days): self
+    private function validateRetention(?int $retention): void
     {
-        if ($days !== null && $days < 1) {
+        if ($retention !== null && $retention < 1) {
             throw new Exception('Retention must be a positive number of days');
         }
-        $this->retention = $days;
-        return $this;
     }
 
     /**
-     * Get the retention window in days, or null when TTL is disabled.
+     * Get whether cleanup() runs asynchronously.
      *
-     * @return int|null
+     * @return bool
      */
-    public function getRetention(): ?int
+    public function isAsyncCleanup(): bool
     {
-        return $this->retention;
+        return $this->asyncCleanup;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/tests/Audit/Adapter/ClickHouseTest.php b/tests/Audit/Adapter/ClickHouseTest.php
index c3c6a40..1efc86e 100644
--- a/tests/Audit/Adapter/ClickHouseTest.php
+++ b/tests/Audit/Adapter/ClickHouseTest.php
@@ -377,27 +377,30 @@ public function testSetSecure(): void
     }
 
     /**
-     * Test setRetention stores the value and getRetention returns it
+     * Test retention defaults to null and is stored when passed to the constructor
      */
-    public function testSetRetention(): void
+    public function testRetention(): void
     {
         $adapter = new ClickHouse(
             host: 'clickhouse',
             username: 'default',
             password: 'clickhouse'
         );
+        $this->assertNull($adapter->retention);
 
-        $this->assertNull($adapter->getRetention());
-
-        $result = $adapter->setRetention(30);
-        $this->assertInstanceOf(ClickHouse::class, $result);
-        $this->assertEquals(30, $adapter->getRetention());
+        $adapter = new ClickHouse(
+            host: 'clickhouse',
+            username: 'default',
+            password: 'clickhouse',
+            retention: 30
+        );
+        $this->assertEquals(30, $adapter->retention);
     }
 
     /**
-     * Test setRetention accepts null to disable retention
+     * Test retention can be set and cleared per table via the fluent setter
      */
-    public function testSetRetentionAcceptsNull(): void
+    public function testSetRetention(): void
     {
         $adapter = new ClickHouse(
             host: 'clickhouse',
@@ -405,43 +408,47 @@ public function testSetRetentionAcceptsNull(): void
             password: 'clickhouse'
         );
 
-        $adapter->setRetention(30);
+        $this->assertSame($adapter, $adapter->setRetention(30));
+        $this->assertEquals(30, $adapter->retention);
+
         $adapter->setRetention(null);
-        $this->assertNull($adapter->getRetention());
+        $this->assertNull($adapter->retention);
+
+        $this->expectException(Exception::class);
+        $this->expectExceptionMessage('Retention must be a positive number of days');
+        $adapter->setRetention(0);
     }
 
     /**
-     * Test setRetention rejects zero days
+     * Test retention rejects zero days
      */
-    public function testSetRetentionRejectsZero(): void
+    public function testRetentionRejectsZero(): void
     {
         $this->expectException(Exception::class);
         $this->expectExceptionMessage('Retention must be a positive number of days');
 
-        $adapter = new ClickHouse(
+        new ClickHouse(
             host: 'clickhouse',
             username: 'default',
-            password: 'clickhouse'
+            password: 'clickhouse',
+            retention: 0
         );
-
-        $adapter->setRetention(0);
     }
 
     /**
-     * Test setRetention rejects negative days
+     * Test retention rejects negative days
      */
-    public function testSetRetentionRejectsNegative(): void
+    public function testRetentionRejectsNegative(): void
     {
         $this->expectException(Exception::class);
         $this->expectExceptionMessage('Retention must be a positive number of days');
 
-        $adapter = new ClickHouse(
+        new ClickHouse(
             host: 'clickhouse',
             username: 'default',
-            password: 'clickhouse'
+            password: 'clickhouse',
+            retention: -1
         );
-
-        $adapter->setRetention(-1);
     }
 
     /**