diff --git a/src/scheduler/src/scheduler.c b/src/scheduler/src/scheduler.c
index 46b411a3..f5d4dd50 100644
--- a/src/scheduler/src/scheduler.c
+++ b/src/scheduler/src/scheduler.c
@@ -14,11 +14,30 @@
 #include "plugin.h"
 #include "preason.h"
 #include "resobj.h"
+#include "resreq.h"
 #include "scheduler.h"
 #include "utils.h"
 #include "xcealloc.h"
 #include "xstring.h"
 
+static int sched_session_active(xce_scheduler_t* sched)
+{
+    return atomic_load_explicit(&sched->session_active,
+                                memory_order_acquire);
+}
+
+static int sched_eval_in_progress(xce_scheduler_t* sched)
+{
+    return atomic_load_explicit(&sched->eval_in_progress,
+                                memory_order_acquire);
+}
+
+static int sched_staging_merge_complete(xce_scheduler_t* sched)
+{
+    return atomic_load_explicit(&sched->staging_merge_complete,
+                                memory_order_acquire);
+}
+
 static void* sched_job_picker(void* arg)
 {
     xce_sched_plugin_t* job_picker      = NULL;
@@ -356,6 +375,8 @@ int sched_init(xce_scheduler_t* sched, xce_client_config_t* config,
 
     memset(sched, 0x0, sizeof(*sched));
 
+    sel_optimize_set(1);   /* enable CSE intern table for scheduler process */
+
     sched->nextid    = 1;
     sched->configver = 0;
 
diff --git a/src/scheduler/testsuite/meson.build b/src/scheduler/testsuite/meson.build
index c1fa551f..b6ee31f2 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 = [libxce_deps, librtti_dep, unity_dep, libxce_dep]
 
 incdir = include_directories('../include', '../../include', '.')
 
diff --git a/src/scheduler/testsuite/test.c b/src/scheduler/testsuite/test.c
index be2db2da..1a192a9c 100644
--- a/src/scheduler/testsuite/test.c
+++ b/src/scheduler/testsuite/test.c
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 #include <stdatomic.h>
 #include <unity/unity.h>
 
+#include "resreq.h"
+
 /* Minimal struct declaration to verify atomic fields exist.
  * We avoid including scheduler.h to prevent dependency on capnp headers. */
 typedef struct {
@@ -87,6 +89,20 @@ test_scheduler_t_has_atomic_gc_fields(void)
     TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, atomic_load(&sched.staging_merge_complete));
 }
 
+static void
+test_sel_optimize_set_at_scheduler_startup(void)
+{
+    /* sel_optimize_set(1) is called in sched_init.
+     * Since we can't call sched_init (it starts threads/network),
+     * verify the setter/getter contract directly. */
+    sel_optimize_set(1);
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(1, sel_get_optimize_level());
+    /* reset for clean test isolation */
+#ifdef UNIT_TEST
+    sel_optimize_test_reset();
+#endif
+}
+
 #define TEST(x)                                                                \
     do {                                                                       \
         if (check_test(&arguments, #x)) {                                      \
@@ -101,6 +117,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
     UNITY_BEGIN();
 
     TEST(test_scheduler_t_has_atomic_gc_fields);
+    TEST(test_sel_optimize_set_at_scheduler_startup);
 
     return UNITY_END();
 }