diff --git a/test/cluster-manager-persistence_test.ts b/test/cluster-manager-persistence_test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bdefedf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/cluster-manager-persistence_test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+import { assertEquals, assertExists } from 'jsr:@std/assert@^1.0.0';
+import { CLUSTER, PATHS } from '../ts/constants.ts';
+import { ClusterManager } from '../ts/cluster/cluster-manager.ts';
+import type { IClusterNodeHeartbeat } from '../ts/interfaces/cluster.ts';
+
+function createNode(nodeName: string, lastSeenAt: number): IClusterNodeHeartbeat {
+  return {
+    nodeName,
+    role: nodeName === 'control' ? 'control-plane' : 'worker',
+    endpoint: `http://${nodeName}:8080`,
+    healthy: true,
+    resources: {
+      gpuCount: 1,
+      totalVramGb: 24,
+      availableVramGb: 24,
+      maxSingleGpuVramGb: 24,
+      largestGpuGroupCount: 1,
+      largestGpuGroupVramGb: 24,
+      deploymentCount: 0,
+      topologyGroups: [
+        {
+          id: 'nvidia-0',
+          vendor: 'nvidia',
+          gpuIds: ['gpu-0'],
+          gpuCount: 1,
+          totalVramGb: 24,
+          maxSingleGpuVramGb: 24,
+          busNumbers: [1],
+        },
+      ],
+    },
+    deployments: [],
+    lastSeenAt,
+  };
+}
+
+async function waitForPersistence(): Promise<void> {
+  await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 25));
+}
+
+Deno.test('ClusterManager initialize loads persisted state and prunes stale nodes', async () => {
+  const originalDataDir = PATHS.DATA_DIR;
+  const tempDir = await Deno.makeTempDir();
+  (PATHS as { DATA_DIR: string }).DATA_DIR = tempDir;
+
+  try {
+    const now = Date.now();
+    await Deno.writeTextFile(
+      `${tempDir}/cluster-state.json`,
+      JSON.stringify({
+        nodes: [
+          createNode('control', now),
+          createNode('worker-fresh', now),
+          createNode('worker-stale', now - CLUSTER.NODE_STALE_AFTER_MS - 1000),
+        ],
+      }),
+    );
+    await Deno.writeTextFile(
+      `${tempDir}/cluster-control-state.json`,
+      JSON.stringify({
+        desiredDeployments: [
+          { modelId: 'meta-llama/Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct', desiredReplicas: 2, updatedAt: now },
+        ],
+        nodeSchedulerStates: {
+          'worker-fresh': 'cordoned',
+        },
+      }),
+    );
+
+    const clusterManager = new ClusterManager();
+    clusterManager.configure({
+      enabled: true,
+      nodeName: 'control',
+      role: 'control-plane',
+      bindHost: '0.0.0.0',
+      gossipPort: 7946,
+      heartbeatIntervalMs: 5000,
+      seedNodes: [],
+    });
+
+    await clusterManager.initialize();
+
+    assertEquals(clusterManager.getAllNodes().map((node) => node.nodeName), ['control', 'worker-fresh']);
+    assertExists(clusterManager.getLocalNode());
+    assertEquals(clusterManager.getDesiredDeployments().length, 1);
+    assertEquals(clusterManager.getNodeSchedulerState('worker-fresh'), 'cordoned');
+  } finally {
+    (PATHS as { DATA_DIR: string }).DATA_DIR = originalDataDir;
+    await Deno.remove(tempDir, { recursive: true });
+  }
+});
+
+Deno.test('ClusterManager persists state only after initialization completes', async () => {
+  const originalDataDir = PATHS.DATA_DIR;
+  const tempDir = await Deno.makeTempDir();
+  (PATHS as { DATA_DIR: string }).DATA_DIR = tempDir;
+
+  try {
+    const clusterManager = new ClusterManager();
+    clusterManager.configure({
+      enabled: true,
+      nodeName: 'control',
+      role: 'control-plane',
+      bindHost: '0.0.0.0',
+      gossipPort: 7946,
+      heartbeatIntervalMs: 5000,
+      seedNodes: [],
+    });
+
+    clusterManager.updateLocalNode(createNode('control', Date.now()));
+    clusterManager.upsertDesiredDeployment('meta-llama/Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct', 1);
+    await waitForPersistence();
+
+    assertEquals(await Deno.stat(`${tempDir}/cluster-state.json`).catch(() => null), null);
+    assertEquals(await Deno.stat(`${tempDir}/cluster-control-state.json`).catch(() => null), null);
+
+    await clusterManager.initialize();
+    clusterManager.updateLocalNode(createNode('control', Date.now()));
+    clusterManager.setNodeSchedulerState('control', 'active');
+    clusterManager.upsertDesiredDeployment('meta-llama/Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct', 3);
+    await waitForPersistence();
+
+    const stateFile = JSON.parse(await Deno.readTextFile(`${tempDir}/cluster-state.json`));
+    const controlFile = JSON.parse(await Deno.readTextFile(`${tempDir}/cluster-control-state.json`));
+
+    assertEquals(stateFile.nodes.length, 1);
+    assertEquals(stateFile.nodes[0].nodeName, 'control');
+    assertEquals(controlFile.desiredDeployments[0].desiredReplicas, 3);
+    assertEquals(controlFile.nodeSchedulerStates.control, 'active');
+  } finally {
+    (PATHS as { DATA_DIR: string }).DATA_DIR = originalDataDir;
+    await Deno.remove(tempDir, { recursive: true });
+  }
+});