diff --git a/core/services/failover/manager.go b/core/services/failover/manager.go
index 847584d62..1412d7edf 100644
--- a/core/services/failover/manager.go
+++ b/core/services/failover/manager.go
@@ -60,6 +60,21 @@ type Manager struct {
 	hasChains atomic.Bool
 	// probes counts running probes; only tests wait on it.
 	probes sync.WaitGroup
+
+	// sync shares state with other frontends; nil when standalone.
+	sync StateSync
+	// gate grants probing and chain decisions to one frontend; nil means
+	// this manager is always the leader.
+	gate   LeaderGate
+	leader bool
+	// applying is set while a peer's target state is applied, so the
+	// transition is not published back to the peers.
+	applying bool
+	// pending holds publishes queued under the lock; unlockAndFlush runs
+	// them after unlocking because the sync layer can call back into Apply*.
+	pending []func()
+	// ticks counts Run's ticks for the periodic republish; only Run uses it.
+	ticks int
 }
 
 type targetState struct {
@@ -73,6 +88,9 @@ type targetState struct {
 	lastProbe     time.Time
 	lastActivity  time.Time
 	lastError     string
+	// since and reason describe the last state change, for snapshots.
+	since  time.Time
+	reason Reason
 	// probing is set while a probe runs, so the scheduler does not start a
 	// second one for the same target.
 	probing bool
@@ -90,6 +108,9 @@ type chainState struct {
 	activeSince time.Time
 	pinned      string
 	state       ChainState
+	// adopted is set once a follower received the leader's decision for this
+	// chain; from then on it stops choosing the active target itself.
+	adopted bool
 }
 
 func New(src ConfigSource, opts ...Option) *Manager {
@@ -103,6 +124,7 @@ func New(src ConfigSource, opts ...Option) *Manager {
 	for _, o := range opts {
 		o(m)
 	}
+	m.leader = m.gate == nil
 	return m
 }
 
@@ -112,7 +134,7 @@ func (m *Manager) Sync() {
 	m.mu.Lock()
 	m.syncLocked()
 	warm, deliver := m.takeWarmLocked()
-	m.mu.Unlock()
+	m.unlockAndFlush()
 	if deliver && m.onWarm != nil {
 		m.onWarm(warm)
 	}
@@ -264,7 +286,7 @@ func (m *Manager) targetStates() map[string]TargetState {
 // the scheduler calls this on every tick.
 func (m *Manager) Reevaluate() {
 	m.mu.Lock()
-	defer m.mu.Unlock()
+	defer m.unlockAndFlush()
 	for _, ch := range m.chains {
 		m.recomputeLocked(ch, "")
 	}
@@ -277,6 +299,7 @@ func (m *Manager) setTargetLocked(ts *targetState, to TargetState, reason Reason
 	from := ts.state
 	now := m.clock.Now()
 	ts.state = to
+	ts.since, ts.reason = now, reason
 	switch to {
 	case StateDown:
 		ts.downSince = now
@@ -287,11 +310,19 @@ func (m *Manager) setTargetLocked(ts *targetState, to TargetState, reason Reason
 		ts.failures = nil
 	}
 	m.emitLocked(Event{Type: EventTargetState, Target: ts.name, From: string(from), To: string(to), Reason: reason, Error: errMsg, At: now})
+	m.queuePublishTargetLocked(ts, from)
 }
 
 // recomputeLocked picks the active target. override replaces the reason of a
 // resulting switch (pin and unpin are always "manual").
 func (m *Manager) recomputeLocked(ch *chainState, override Reason) {
+	if m.sync != nil && !m.leader && ch.adopted && ch.pinned == "" {
+		// The leader decides; deciding here too would let frontends serve
+		// different targets. A pin is exempt: it fixes the active target
+		// the same way on every frontend, and applying it at once gives the
+		// caller read-your-writes.
+		return
+	}
 	now := m.clock.Now()
 	prev := ch.active
 	next := prev
@@ -333,6 +364,7 @@ func (m *Manager) recomputeLocked(ch *chainState, override Reason) {
 	default:
 		state = ChainFallback
 	}
+	changed := next != prev || state != ch.state
 	switch {
 	case next != prev:
 		ch.active = next
@@ -348,6 +380,17 @@ func (m *Manager) recomputeLocked(ch *chainState, override Reason) {
 		m.emitLocked(Event{Type: EventChainSwitched, Chain: ch.name, From: ch.targets[prev], To: ch.targets[next], State: string(state), Reason: ReasonRecovery, At: now})
 	}
 	ch.state = state
+	if changed {
+		pub := reason
+		if next == prev {
+			// Same reasons as the events above for a state-only change.
+			pub = ReasonRecovery
+			if state == ChainDegraded {
+				pub = ReasonDegraded
+			}
+		}
+		m.queuePublishChainLocked(ch, pub)
+	}
 }
 
 func (m *Manager) recomputeForLocked(target string) {
@@ -373,7 +416,7 @@ type Attempt struct {
 // order; a pinned chain only the pinned target.
 func (m *Manager) Plan(chain string) (*Attempt, error) {
 	m.mu.Lock()
-	defer m.mu.Unlock()
+	defer m.unlockAndFlush()
 	ch := m.chainLocked(chain)
 	if ch == nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: %q", ErrChainNotFound, chain)
@@ -447,7 +490,7 @@ func (a *Attempt) Succeed() { a.m.ReportSuccess(a.Target()) }
 
 func (m *Manager) ReportFailure(target string, err error) {
 	m.mu.Lock()
-	defer m.mu.Unlock()
+	defer m.unlockAndFlush()
 	ts := m.targetLocked(target)
 	if ts == nil {
 		return
@@ -483,7 +526,7 @@ func (m *Manager) recordFailureLocked(ts *targetState, msg string) {
 
 func (m *Manager) ReportSuccess(target string) {
 	m.mu.Lock()
-	defer m.mu.Unlock()
+	defer m.unlockAndFlush()
 	ts := m.targetLocked(target)
 	if ts == nil {
 		return
@@ -515,37 +558,50 @@ func (m *Manager) recordPassLocked(ts *targetState) {
 	}
 }
 
+// Pin takes effect here at once (read-your-writes), then is shared with the
+// other frontends.
 func (m *Manager) Pin(chain, target string) error {
 	m.mu.Lock()
-	defer m.mu.Unlock()
 	ch := m.chainLocked(chain)
 	if ch == nil {
+		m.unlockAndFlush()
 		return fmt.Errorf("%w: %q", ErrChainNotFound, chain)
 	}
 	if !slices.Contains(ch.targets, target) {
+		m.unlockAndFlush()
 		return fmt.Errorf("%w: %q", ErrTargetNotInChain, target)
 	}
 	ch.pinned = target
 	m.recomputeLocked(ch, ReasonManual)
+	s := m.sync
+	m.unlockAndFlush()
+	if s != nil {
+		return s.SetPin(chain, target)
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
 func (m *Manager) Unpin(chain string) error {
 	m.mu.Lock()
-	defer m.mu.Unlock()
 	ch := m.chainLocked(chain)
 	if ch == nil {
+		m.unlockAndFlush()
 		return fmt.Errorf("%w: %q", ErrChainNotFound, chain)
 	}
 	ch.pinned = ""
 	m.recomputeLocked(ch, ReasonManual)
+	s := m.sync
+	m.unlockAndFlush()
+	if s != nil {
+		return s.ClearPin(chain)
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
 // Status returns every chain, sorted by name.
 func (m *Manager) Status() []ChainStatus {
 	m.mu.Lock()
-	defer m.mu.Unlock()
+	defer m.unlockAndFlush()
 	m.syncLocked()
 	names := make([]string, 0, len(m.chains))
 	for name := range m.chains {
@@ -561,7 +617,7 @@ func (m *Manager) Status() []ChainStatus {
 
 func (m *Manager) ChainStatus(name string) (ChainStatus, bool) {
 	m.mu.Lock()
-	defer m.mu.Unlock()
+	defer m.unlockAndFlush()
 	ch := m.chainLocked(name)
 	if ch == nil {
 		return ChainStatus{}, false
diff --git a/core/services/failover/schedule.go b/core/services/failover/schedule.go
index 08f138d00..739c48b42 100644
--- a/core/services/failover/schedule.go
+++ b/core/services/failover/schedule.go
@@ -22,6 +22,12 @@ func (m *Manager) Run(ctx context.Context) {
 			return
 		case <-ticker.C:
 			m.Tick(ctx)
+			// Publishes are fire-and-forget, so a frontend that missed one
+			// (restart, dropped message) converges within ten seconds.
+			m.ticks++
+			if m.ticks%10 == 0 && m.IsLeader() {
+				m.Republish()
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -34,8 +40,45 @@ func (m *Manager) Run(ctx context.Context) {
 // hangs until its timeout) must not delay probing and fail-back of every
 // other chain. Each probe applies its own result, and a target whose probe is
 // still running is skipped until it ends.
+//
+// With a leader gate, only the leader probes and decides chains; followers
+// still recompute, which only moves chains that have not yet adopted a
+// leader decision.
 func (m *Manager) Tick(ctx context.Context) {
 	m.Sync()
+	if m.gate == nil {
+		m.lead(ctx)
+		return
+	}
+	if m.gate(ctx, func() { m.lead(ctx) }) {
+		return
+	}
+	m.mu.Lock()
+	m.leader = false
+	m.mu.Unlock()
+	m.Reevaluate()
+}
+
+// lead is the leader's share of a tick.
+func (m *Manager) lead(ctx context.Context) {
+	m.mu.Lock()
+	became := !m.leader
+	m.leader = true
+	if became {
+		// The previous leader owned the warm-set callback's effects;
+		// deliver the set again so this frontend takes them over.
+		m.warmPending = true
+	}
+	warm, deliver := m.takeWarmLocked()
+	m.unlockAndFlush()
+	if deliver && m.onWarm != nil {
+		m.onWarm(warm)
+	}
+	if became {
+		// Followers hold the old leader's view; send ours at once instead of
+		// letting them wait for the periodic republish.
+		m.Republish()
+	}
 	for _, j := range m.dueProbes() {
 		m.probes.Add(1)
 		go func(j probeJob) {
@@ -61,7 +104,7 @@ type probeJob struct {
 
 func (m *Manager) dueProbes() []probeJob {
 	m.mu.Lock()
-	defer m.mu.Unlock()
+	defer m.unlockAndFlush()
 	now := m.clock.Now()
 	var jobs []probeJob
 	for _, ts := range m.targets {
@@ -139,7 +182,7 @@ func (m *Manager) endProbe(target string) {
 
 func (m *Manager) applyProbe(j probeJob, err error) {
 	m.mu.Lock()
-	defer m.mu.Unlock()
+	defer m.unlockAndFlush()
 	ts := m.targets[j.target]
 	if ts == nil {
 		return
diff --git a/core/services/failover/statesync.go b/core/services/failover/statesync.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d63a01b96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/services/failover/statesync.go
@@ -0,0 +1,218 @@
+package failover
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"slices"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/mudler/xlog"
+)
+
+// TargetSnapshot is one target's health as shared between frontends.
+type TargetSnapshot struct {
+	Target        string      `json:"target"`
+	State         TargetState `json:"state"`
+	Reason        Reason      `json:"reason"`
+	Error         string      `json:"error,omitempty"`
+	ConsecutiveOK int         `json:"consecutive_ok"`
+	Since         time.Time   `json:"since"`
+}
+
+// ChainSnapshot is one chain's active target as decided by the leader.
+type ChainSnapshot struct {
+	Chain       string     `json:"chain"`
+	Active      string     `json:"active"`
+	ActiveSince time.Time  `json:"active_since"`
+	State       ChainState `json:"state"`
+	Reason      Reason     `json:"reason"`
+}
+
+// StateSync shares failover state between frontends. Implementations may
+// deliver a publish back to the publisher synchronously (NATS echoes), so the
+// manager never calls it while holding its lock.
+type StateSync interface {
+	PublishTarget(TargetSnapshot)
+	PublishChain(ChainSnapshot)
+	SetPin(chain, target string) error
+	ClearPin(chain string) error
+	Pins() map[string]string
+}
+
+// LeaderGate runs fn only on the one frontend that holds leadership and
+// reports whether it did. Probing and chain decisions happen on the leader
+// only, so N frontends do not probe every target N times or disagree on the
+// active target.
+type LeaderGate func(ctx context.Context, fn func()) bool
+
+// WithLeaderGate makes the manager probe and decide chains only while the gate
+// grants leadership. Without it the manager is always the leader.
+func WithLeaderGate(g LeaderGate) Option { return func(m *Manager) { m.gate = g } }
+
+// SetStateSync attaches the sync layer and hydrates pins from it. Pins are
+// read outside the lock because the store may need I/O.
+func (m *Manager) SetStateSync(s StateSync) {
+	m.mu.Lock()
+	m.sync = s
+	m.mu.Unlock()
+	if s == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	for chain, target := range s.Pins() {
+		m.ApplyPin(chain, target)
+	}
+}
+
+// IsLeader reports whether this manager probed and decided chains at its last
+// tick. A standalone manager (no gate) is always the leader.
+func (m *Manager) IsLeader() bool {
+	m.mu.Lock()
+	defer m.mu.Unlock()
+	return m.leader
+}
+
+// unlockAndFlush releases the lock and then runs the publishes queued while
+// it was held: the sync layer may call straight back into Apply*, which takes
+// the lock again.
+func (m *Manager) unlockAndFlush() {
+	pending := m.pending
+	m.pending = nil
+	m.mu.Unlock()
+	for _, f := range pending {
+		f()
+	}
+}
+
+func (m *Manager) targetSnapshotLocked(ts *targetState) TargetSnapshot {
+	since := ts.since
+	if ts.state == StateDown {
+		since = ts.downSince
+	}
+	return TargetSnapshot{
+		Target: ts.name, State: ts.state, Reason: ts.reason, Error: ts.lastError,
+		ConsecutiveOK: ts.consecutiveOK, Since: since,
+	}
+}
+
+func (m *Manager) chainSnapshotLocked(ch *chainState, reason Reason) ChainSnapshot {
+	return ChainSnapshot{
+		Chain: ch.name, Active: ch.targets[ch.active], ActiveSince: ch.activeSince,
+		State: ch.state, Reason: reason,
+	}
+}
+
+// queuePublishTargetLocked shares a local target transition. Missing is a fact
+// about this frontend's config, not about the target, so it is never shared.
+func (m *Manager) queuePublishTargetLocked(ts *targetState, from TargetState) {
+	if m.sync == nil || m.applying || ts.state == StateMissing || from == StateMissing {
+		return
+	}
+	s, snap := m.sync, m.targetSnapshotLocked(ts)
+	m.pending = append(m.pending, func() { s.PublishTarget(snap) })
+}
+
+func (m *Manager) queuePublishChainLocked(ch *chainState, reason Reason) {
+	if m.sync == nil || !m.leader {
+		return
+	}
+	s, snap := m.sync, m.chainSnapshotLocked(ch, reason)
+	m.pending = append(m.pending, func() { s.PublishChain(snap) })
+}
+
+// ApplyTarget takes a target state published by any frontend, this one
+// included. The echo of an own publish finds the same state and does nothing.
+func (m *Manager) ApplyTarget(s TargetSnapshot) {
+	m.mu.Lock()
+	defer m.unlockAndFlush()
+	ts := m.targetLocked(s.Target)
+	if ts == nil || ts.state == StateMissing || s.State == StateMissing {
+		return
+	}
+	if ts.state == s.State {
+		return
+	}
+	m.applying = true
+	m.setTargetLocked(ts, s.State, s.Reason, s.Error)
+	m.applying = false
+	// Keep the publisher's clock, so dwell timers (cold recovery, fail-back)
+	// run from when the target actually changed, not from when we heard.
+	if !s.Since.IsZero() {
+		ts.since = s.Since
+		if s.State == StateDown {
+			ts.downSince = s.Since
+		}
+	}
+	ts.consecutiveOK = s.ConsecutiveOK
+	if s.Error != "" {
+		ts.lastError = s.Error
+	}
+	m.recomputeForLocked(ts.name)
+}
+
+// ApplyChain adopts the leader's decision for a chain. The leader ignores it:
+// it is the source of these decisions, and a late publish from a previous
+// leader must not undo its own.
+func (m *Manager) ApplyChain(s ChainSnapshot) {
+	m.mu.Lock()
+	defer m.unlockAndFlush()
+	if m.leader {
+		return
+	}
+	ch := m.chainLocked(s.Chain)
+	if ch == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	next := slices.Index(ch.targets, s.Active)
+	if next < 0 {
+		// The frontends disagree on the chain's targets while a config
+		// change propagates; keep deciding locally until they agree.
+		xlog.Debug("failover: ignoring chain state for an unknown target", "chain", s.Chain, "target", s.Active)
+		return
+	}
+	prev := ch.active
+	changed := next != prev || s.State != ch.state
+	ch.active, ch.activeSince, ch.state, ch.adopted = next, s.ActiveSince, s.State, true
+	if changed {
+		m.emitLocked(Event{Type: EventChainSwitched, Chain: ch.name, From: ch.targets[prev], To: ch.targets[next], State: string(s.State), Reason: s.Reason, At: m.clock.Now()})
+	}
+}
+
+// ApplyPin sets (target != "") or clears a pin set on any frontend.
+func (m *Manager) ApplyPin(chain, target string) {
+	m.mu.Lock()
+	defer m.unlockAndFlush()
+	ch := m.chainLocked(chain)
+	if ch == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	if target != "" && !slices.Contains(ch.targets, target) {
+		xlog.Debug("failover: ignoring pin to a target not in the chain", "chain", chain, "target", target)
+		return
+	}
+	if ch.pinned == target {
+		return
+	}
+	ch.pinned = target
+	m.recomputeLocked(ch, ReasonManual)
+}
+
+// Republish sends every target and chain state, so frontends that missed a
+// publish (joined late, dropped a message) converge. Only the leader's view
+// is authoritative, so followers do nothing.
+func (m *Manager) Republish() {
+	m.mu.Lock()
+	defer m.unlockAndFlush()
+	if m.sync == nil || !m.leader {
+		return
+	}
+	s := m.sync
+	for _, ts := range m.targets {
+		if ts.state == StateMissing {
+			continue
+		}
+		snap := m.targetSnapshotLocked(ts)
+		m.pending = append(m.pending, func() { s.PublishTarget(snap) })
+	}
+	for _, ch := range m.chains {
+		m.queuePublishChainLocked(ch, ReasonInitial)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/core/services/failover/statesync_test.go b/core/services/failover/statesync_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7e6f7aa62
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/services/failover/statesync_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,184 @@
+package failover
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+
+	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
+	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
+)
+
+// loopSync is an in-process StateSync that delivers every publish to all
+// managers synchronously, including the publisher (like NATS echo).
+type loopSync struct {
+	mu    sync.Mutex
+	peers []*Manager
+	pins  map[string]string
+}
+
+func (l *loopSync) add(m *Manager) { l.mu.Lock(); l.peers = append(l.peers, m); l.mu.Unlock() }
+func (l *loopSync) each(f func(*Manager)) {
+	l.mu.Lock()
+	ps := append([]*Manager(nil), l.peers...)
+	l.mu.Unlock()
+	for _, p := range ps {
+		f(p)
+	}
+}
+func (l *loopSync) PublishTarget(s TargetSnapshot) { l.each(func(m *Manager) { m.ApplyTarget(s) }) }
+func (l *loopSync) PublishChain(s ChainSnapshot)   { l.each(func(m *Manager) { m.ApplyChain(s) }) }
+func (l *loopSync) SetPin(c, t string) error {
+	l.mu.Lock()
+	l.pins[c] = t
+	l.mu.Unlock()
+	l.each(func(m *Manager) { m.ApplyPin(c, t) })
+	return nil
+}
+func (l *loopSync) ClearPin(c string) error {
+	l.mu.Lock()
+	delete(l.pins, c)
+	l.mu.Unlock()
+	l.each(func(m *Manager) { m.ApplyPin(c, "") })
+	return nil
+}
+func (l *loopSync) Pins() map[string]string {
+	l.mu.Lock()
+	defer l.mu.Unlock()
+	out := map[string]string{}
+	for k, v := range l.pins {
+		out[k] = v
+	}
+	return out
+}
+
+var _ = Describe("Manager state sync", func() {
+	var (
+		clock     *fakeClock
+		src       *fakeSource
+		bus       *loopSync
+		a, b      *Manager
+		leaderIsA bool
+		gateFor   func(isA bool) LeaderGate
+		ctx       = context.Background()
+	)
+
+	BeforeEach(func() {
+		clock = newFakeClock()
+		src = newFakeSource(remote("x"), local("y"), chainCfg("chain", nil, t("x"), t("y")))
+		bus = &loopSync{pins: map[string]string{}}
+		leaderIsA = true
+		gateFor = func(isA bool) LeaderGate {
+			return func(_ context.Context, fn func()) bool {
+				if isA != leaderIsA {
+					return false
+				}
+				fn()
+				return true
+			}
+		}
+		a = New(src, WithClock(clock), WithLeaderGate(gateFor(true)))
+		b = New(src, WithClock(clock), WithLeaderGate(gateFor(false)))
+		bus.add(a)
+		bus.add(b)
+		a.SetStateSync(bus)
+		b.SetStateSync(bus)
+		a.Tick(ctx)
+		b.Tick(ctx)
+	})
+
+	It("echo of own publish is a no-op and emits one event", func() {
+		events, cancel := a.Subscribe(16)
+		defer cancel()
+		a.ReportFailure("x", errBoom)
+		n := 0
+		for _, e := range drain(events) {
+			if e.Type == EventTargetState && e.Target == "x" {
+				n++
+			}
+		}
+		Expect(n).To(Equal(1))
+	})
+
+	It("a trip on one frontend is skipped by the other's plan", func() {
+		b.ReportFailure("x", errBoom)
+		att, err := a.Plan("chain")
+		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(att.Target()).To(Equal("y"))
+	})
+
+	It("followers adopt the leader's chain state and emit the switch", func() {
+		events, cancel := b.Subscribe(16)
+		defer cancel()
+		a.ReportFailure("x", errBoom) // leader recomputes and publishes chain state
+		st, _ := b.ChainStatus("chain")
+		Expect(st.Active).To(Equal("y"))
+		var sw []Event
+		for _, e := range drain(events) {
+			if e.Type == EventChainSwitched {
+				sw = append(sw, e)
+			}
+		}
+		Expect(sw).ToNot(BeEmpty())
+	})
+
+	It("a pin on one frontend applies on all", func() {
+		Expect(b.Pin("chain", "y")).To(Succeed())
+		st, _ := a.ChainStatus("chain")
+		Expect(st.Pinned).ToNot(BeNil())
+		Expect(*st.Pinned).To(Equal("y"))
+		Expect(a.Unpin("chain")).To(Succeed())
+		st, _ = b.ChainStatus("chain")
+		Expect(st.Pinned).To(BeNil())
+	})
+
+	It("hydrates pins when the sync is attached", func() {
+		bus.pins["chain"] = "y"
+		c := New(src, WithClock(clock), WithLeaderGate(gateFor(false)))
+		c.SetStateSync(bus)
+		st, _ := c.ChainStatus("chain")
+		Expect(st.Pinned).ToNot(BeNil())
+	})
+
+	It("only the leader probes", func() {
+		pa, pb := &fakeProber{fail: map[string]error{}}, &fakeProber{fail: map[string]error{}}
+		a = New(src, WithClock(clock), WithProber(pa), WithLeaderGate(gateFor(true)))
+		b = New(src, WithClock(clock), WithProber(pb), WithLeaderGate(gateFor(false)))
+		a.SetStateSync(bus)
+		b.SetStateSync(bus)
+		a.Tick(ctx)
+		b.Tick(ctx)
+		Eventually(func() int { return len(pa.take()) }).Should(BeNumerically(">", 0))
+		Consistently(func() int { return len(pb.take()) }, 200*time.Millisecond).Should(Equal(0))
+		Expect(a.IsLeader()).To(BeTrue())
+		Expect(b.IsLeader()).To(BeFalse())
+	})
+
+	It("new leader keeps activeSince across a leadership move", func() {
+		a.ReportFailure("x", errBoom)
+		before, _ := b.ChainStatus("chain")
+		leaderIsA = false
+		clock.Advance(5 * time.Second)
+		a.Tick(ctx)
+		b.Tick(ctx)
+		after, _ := b.ChainStatus("chain")
+		Expect(after.ActiveSince).To(Equal(before.ActiveSince))
+		Expect(b.IsLeader()).To(BeTrue())
+	})
+
+	It("republish sends every target and chain", func() {
+		c := New(src, WithClock(clock), WithLeaderGate(gateFor(false)))
+		bus.add(c)
+		c.SetStateSync(bus)
+		a.ReportFailure("x", errBoom)
+		a.Republish()
+		st, _ := c.ChainStatus("chain")
+		Expect(st.Active).To(Equal("y"))
+	})
+
+	It("standalone manager (no sync, no gate) is always leader", func() {
+		m := New(src, WithClock(clock))
+		m.Tick(ctx)
+		Expect(m.IsLeader()).To(BeTrue())
+	})
+})