diff --git a/core/model/model.go b/core/model/model.go
index cbe1b0810ad..3cbd1d922a7 100644
--- a/core/model/model.go
+++ b/core/model/model.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/juju/version/v2"
 
 	"github.com/juju/juju/core/credential"
+	"github.com/juju/juju/core/life"
 	"github.com/juju/juju/core/user"
 	"github.com/juju/juju/internal/uuid"
 )
@@ -47,6 +48,12 @@ type Model struct {
 	// Name returns the human friendly name of the model.
 	Name string
 
+	// Life is the current state of the model.
+	// Options are alive, dying, dead. Every model starts as alive, only
+	// during the destruction of the model it transitions to dying and then
+	// dead.
+	Life life.Value
+
 	// UUID is the universally unique identifier of the model.
 	UUID UUID
 
diff --git a/core/model/model_test.go b/core/model/model_test.go
index 60fc92371fb..63fc4f9886c 100644
--- a/core/model/model_test.go
+++ b/core/model/model_test.go
@@ -23,9 +23,9 @@ func (*ModelSuite) TestValidateBranchName(c *gc.C) {
 		branchName string
 		valid      bool
 	}{
-		{"", false},
-		{GenerationMaster, false},
-		{"something else", true},
+		{branchName: "", valid: false},
+		{branchName: GenerationMaster, valid: false},
+		{branchName: "something else", valid: true},
 	} {
 		err := ValidateBranchName(t.branchName)
 		if t.valid {
diff --git a/domain/credential/state/state_test.go b/domain/credential/state/state_test.go
index ec368e3ffc8..abd53c8115a 100644
--- a/domain/credential/state/state_test.go
+++ b/domain/credential/state/state_test.go
@@ -573,8 +573,8 @@ func (s *credentialSuite) TestModelsUsingCloudCredential(c *gc.C) {
 			return err
 		}
 		result, err := tx.ExecContext(ctx, fmt.Sprintf(`
-		INSERT INTO model_metadata (model_uuid, name, owner_uuid, model_type_id, cloud_uuid, cloud_credential_uuid)
-		SELECT %q, %q, %q, 0,
+		INSERT INTO model_metadata (model_uuid, name, owner_uuid, life_id, model_type_id, cloud_uuid, cloud_credential_uuid)
+		SELECT %q, %q, %q, 0, 0,
 			(SELECT uuid FROM cloud WHERE cloud.name="stratus"),
 			(SELECT uuid FROM cloud_credential cc WHERE cc.name="foobar")`,
 			modelUUID, name, s.userUUID),
diff --git a/domain/model/state/state.go b/domain/model/state/state.go
index 5f136d66640..db3d66962b6 100644
--- a/domain/model/state/state.go
+++ b/domain/model/state/state.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/juju/juju/domain"
 	usererrors "github.com/juju/juju/domain/access/errors"
 	clouderrors "github.com/juju/juju/domain/cloud/errors"
+	"github.com/juju/juju/domain/life"
 	"github.com/juju/juju/domain/model"
 	modelerrors "github.com/juju/juju/domain/model/errors"
 	jujudb "github.com/juju/juju/internal/database"
@@ -152,7 +153,7 @@ func Get(
 	uuid coremodel.UUID,
 ) (coremodel.Model, error) {
 	modelStmt := `
-SELECT md.name, cl.name, cr.name, mt.type, u.uuid, cc.cloud_uuid, cc.name, o.name, ccn.name
+SELECT md.name, cl.name, cr.name, mt.type, u.uuid, cc.cloud_uuid, cc.name, o.name, ccn.name, l.value
 FROM model_metadata AS md
 LEFT JOIN model_list ml ON ml.uuid = md.model_uuid
 LEFT JOIN cloud cl ON cl.uuid = md.cloud_uuid
@@ -162,6 +163,7 @@ LEFT JOIN model_type mt ON mt.id = md.model_type_id
 LEFT JOIN user u ON u.uuid = md.owner_uuid
 LEFT JOIN user o ON o.uuid = cc.owner_uuid
 LEFT JOIN cloud ccn ON ccn.uuid = cc.cloud_uuid
+LEFT JOIN life l ON l.id = md.life_id
 WHERE md.model_uuid = ?
 `
 
@@ -186,6 +188,7 @@ WHERE md.model_uuid = ?
 		&credKey.Name,
 		&credKey.Owner,
 		&credKey.Cloud,
+		&model.Life,
 	)
 
 	if errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows) {
@@ -370,15 +373,16 @@ AND removed = false
 INSERT INTO model_metadata (model_uuid,
                             cloud_uuid,
                             model_type_id,
+							life_id,
                             name,
                             owner_uuid)
-SELECT ?, ?, model_type.id, ?, ?
+SELECT ?, ?, model_type.id, ?, ?, ?
 FROM model_type
 WHERE model_type.type = ?
 `
 
 	res, err := tx.ExecContext(ctx, stmt,
-		uuid, cloudUUID, input.Name, input.Owner, modelType,
+		uuid, cloudUUID, life.Alive, input.Name, input.Owner, modelType,
 	)
 	if jujudb.IsErrConstraintPrimaryKey(err) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("%w for uuid %q", modelerrors.AlreadyExists, uuid)
diff --git a/domain/model/state/state_test.go b/domain/model/state/state_test.go
index d972e03599a..af3c10c6d04 100644
--- a/domain/model/state/state_test.go
+++ b/domain/model/state/state_test.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/juju/juju/cloud"
 	corecredential "github.com/juju/juju/core/credential"
+	"github.com/juju/juju/core/life"
 	coremodel "github.com/juju/juju/core/model"
 	modeltesting "github.com/juju/juju/core/model/testing"
 	"github.com/juju/juju/core/permission"
@@ -132,6 +133,7 @@ func (m *stateSuite) TestGetModel(c *gc.C) {
 		Name:      "my-test-model",
 		Owner:     m.userUUID,
 		ModelType: coremodel.IAAS,
+		Life:      life.Alive,
 	})
 }
 
diff --git a/domain/schema/controller.go b/domain/schema/controller.go
index fd0b8839399..bbcc7097f6f 100644
--- a/domain/schema/controller.go
+++ b/domain/schema/controller.go
@@ -22,11 +22,13 @@ const (
 	tableUpgradeInfoControllerNode
 	tableObjectStoreMetadata
 	tableSecretBackendRotation
+	tableModelMetadata
 )
 
 // ControllerDDL is used to create the controller database schema at bootstrap.
 func ControllerDDL() *schema.Schema {
 	patches := []func() schema.Patch{
+		lifeSchema,
 		leaseSchema,
 		changeLogSchema,
 		changeLogControllerNamespacesSchema,
@@ -59,6 +61,7 @@ func ControllerDDL() *schema.Schema {
 		changeLogTriggersForTable("upgrade_info_controller_node", "upgrade_info_uuid", tableUpgradeInfoControllerNode),
 		changeLogTriggersForTable("object_store_metadata_path", "path", tableObjectStoreMetadata),
 		changeLogTriggersForTableOnColumn("secret_backend_rotation", "backend_uuid", "next_rotation_time", tableSecretBackendRotation),
+		changeLogTriggersForTable("model_metadata", "model_uuid", tableModelMetadata),
 
 		// We need to ensure that the internal and kubernetes backends are immutable after
 		// they are created by the controller during bootstrap time.
@@ -142,7 +145,8 @@ INSERT INTO change_log_namespace VALUES
     (8, 'autocert_cache', 'autocert cache changes based on the UUID'),
     (9, 'upgrade_info_controller_node', 'upgrade info controller node changes based on the upgrade info UUID'),
     (10, 'object_store_metadata_path', 'object store metadata path changes based on the path'),
-    (11, 'secret_backend_rotation', 'secret backend rotation changes based on the backend UUID and next rotation time');
+    (11, 'secret_backend_rotation', 'secret backend rotation changes based on the backend UUID and next rotation time'),
+    (12, 'model_metadata', 'model metadata changes based on the model UUID');
 `)
 }
 
@@ -390,6 +394,7 @@ CREATE TABLE model_metadata (
     cloud_region_uuid     TEXT,
     cloud_credential_uuid TEXT,
     model_type_id         INT NOT NULL,
+    life_id               INT NOT NULL,
     name                  TEXT NOT NULL,
     owner_uuid            TEXT NOT NULL,
     CONSTRAINT            fk_model_metadata_model
@@ -410,6 +415,9 @@ CREATE TABLE model_metadata (
     CONSTRAINT            fk_model_metadata_owner_uuid
         FOREIGN KEY           (owner_uuid)
         REFERENCES            user(uuid)
+    CONSTRAINT            fk_model_metadata_life_id
+        FOREIGN KEY           (life_id)
+        REFERENCES            life(id)
 );
 
 CREATE UNIQUE INDEX idx_model_metadata_name_owner
@@ -431,7 +439,8 @@ SELECT m.uuid,
        mt.type       AS model_type_type,
        mm.name,
        mm.owner_uuid,
-       u.name        AS owner_name
+       u.name        AS owner_name,
+       l.value       AS life
 FROM model_list m
 INNER JOIN model_metadata mm ON m.uuid = mm.model_uuid
 INNER JOIN cloud c ON mm.cloud_uuid = c.uuid
@@ -440,7 +449,8 @@ LEFT JOIN cloud_credential cc ON mm.cloud_credential_uuid = cc.uuid
 INNER JOIN user cco ON cc.owner_uuid = cco.uuid
 LEFT JOIN cloud ccn ON cc.cloud_uuid = ccn.uuid
 INNER JOIN model_type mt ON mm.model_type_id = mt.id
-INNER JOIN user u ON mm.owner_uuid = u.uuid;
+INNER JOIN user u ON mm.owner_uuid = u.uuid
+INNER JOIN life l ON mm.life_id = l.id;
 `)
 }
 
diff --git a/domain/schema/life.go b/domain/schema/life.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4482961cf6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/domain/schema/life.go
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+// Copyright 2024 Canonical Ltd.
+// Licensed under the AGPLv3, see LICENCE file for details.
+
+package schema
+
+import "github.com/juju/juju/core/database/schema"
+
+func lifeSchema() schema.Patch {
+	return schema.MakePatch(`
+CREATE TABLE life (
+    id    INT PRIMARY KEY,
+    value TEXT NOT NULL
+);
+
+INSERT INTO life VALUES
+    (0, 'alive'), 
+    (1, 'dying'),
+    (2, 'dead');
+`)
+}
diff --git a/domain/schema/model.go b/domain/schema/model.go
index 9be6f86c8a7..954be48db62 100644
--- a/domain/schema/model.go
+++ b/domain/schema/model.go
@@ -122,20 +122,6 @@ CREATE TABLE annotation_%[1]s (
 	}
 }
 
-func lifeSchema() schema.Patch {
-	return schema.MakePatch(`
-CREATE TABLE life (
-    id    INT PRIMARY KEY,
-    value TEXT NOT NULL
-);
-
-INSERT INTO life VALUES
-    (0, 'alive'), 
-    (1, 'dying'),
-    (2, 'dead');
-`)
-}
-
 func changeLogModelNamespaceSchema() schema.Patch {
 	// Note: These should match exactly the values of the tableNamespaceID
 	// constants above.
diff --git a/domain/schema/schema_test.go b/domain/schema/schema_test.go
index beec56f020d..a2d4d0a1bf4 100644
--- a/domain/schema/schema_test.go
+++ b/domain/schema/schema_test.go
@@ -127,6 +127,9 @@ func (s *schemaSuite) TestControllerTables(c *gc.C) {
 		"model_metadata",
 		"model_type",
 
+		// Life
+		"life",
+
 		// Controller config
 		"controller_config",
 
@@ -352,6 +355,10 @@ func (s *schemaSuite) TestControllerTriggers(c *gc.C) {
 		"trg_log_secret_backend_rotation_next_rotation_time_insert",
 		"trg_log_secret_backend_rotation_next_rotation_time_update",
 		"trg_log_secret_backend_rotation_next_rotation_time_delete",
+
+		"trg_log_model_metadata_insert",
+		"trg_log_model_metadata_update",
+		"trg_log_model_metadata_delete",
 	)
 
 	// These are additional triggers that are not change log triggers, but