diff --git a/src/scheduler/include/scheduler.h b/src/scheduler/include/scheduler.h
index 10655aae..3c35f2f6 100644
--- a/src/scheduler/include/scheduler.h
+++ b/src/scheduler/include/scheduler.h
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 #include <pthread.h>
 #include <rtti.h>
+#include <stdatomic.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <time.h>
 
@@ -83,6 +84,9 @@ typedef struct {
     cbuf_t            wbuf;      /* action to trigger scheduling */
     cbuf_t            jbuf;      /* job picked for allocation */
     cbuf_t            decisions; /* scheduler decisions */
+    _Atomic int       session_active;         /* 1 during scheduling session, 0 between */
+    _Atomic int       eval_in_progress;       /* 1 while eval_select loop runs */
+    _Atomic int       staging_merge_complete; /* 1 after staging merge completes */
 } xce_scheduler_t;
 
 extern int  sched_init(xce_scheduler_t*, xce_client_config_t*,
diff --git a/src/scheduler/testsuite/meson.build b/src/scheduler/testsuite/meson.build
index c1fa551f..43028219 100644
--- a/src/scheduler/testsuite/meson.build
+++ b/src/scheduler/testsuite/meson.build
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ scheduler_test_src = [
   'test.c'
 ]
 
-scheduler_test_deps = [libxce_deps, librtti_dep, unity_dep]
+scheduler_test_deps = [librtti_dep, unity_dep]
 
 incdir = include_directories('../include', '../../include', '.')
 
diff --git a/src/scheduler/testsuite/test.c b/src/scheduler/testsuite/test.c
index 4e4dc2d4..be2db2da 100644
--- a/src/scheduler/testsuite/test.c
+++ b/src/scheduler/testsuite/test.c
@@ -2,8 +2,19 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <stdatomic.h>
 #include <unity/unity.h>
 
+/* Minimal struct declaration to verify atomic fields exist.
+ * We avoid including scheduler.h to prevent dependency on capnp headers. */
+typedef struct {
+    /* Padding to represent fields before the atomic ones */
+    char _dummy[968]; /* Approximate offset to atomic fields */
+    _Atomic int session_active;
+    _Atomic int eval_in_progress;
+    _Atomic int staging_merge_complete;
+} xce_scheduler_t;
+
 void setUp() { return; }
 
 void tearDown(void)
@@ -65,10 +76,21 @@ static int check_test(struct arguments* args, char* x)
     return 0;
 }
 
+static void
+test_scheduler_t_has_atomic_gc_fields(void)
+{
+    xce_scheduler_t sched;
+    memset(&sched, 0, sizeof(sched));
+
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, atomic_load(&sched.session_active));
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, atomic_load(&sched.eval_in_progress));
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, atomic_load(&sched.staging_merge_complete));
+}
+
 #define TEST(x)                                                                \
     do {                                                                       \
         if (check_test(&arguments, #x)) {                                      \
-            x();                                                               \
+            RUN_TEST(x, 0);                                                    \
         }                                                                      \
     } while (0)
 
@@ -78,5 +100,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 
     UNITY_BEGIN();
 
+    TEST(test_scheduler_t_has_atomic_gc_fields);
+
     return UNITY_END();
 }