diff --git a/message-passing/safe-message-handlers/src/client.ts b/message-passing/safe-message-handlers/src/client.ts
index a42b3965..8ba05a6c 100644
--- a/message-passing/safe-message-handlers/src/client.ts
+++ b/message-passing/safe-message-handlers/src/client.ts
@@ -9,5 +9,6 @@ export async function startClusterManager(): Promise<WorkflowHandle<typeof clust
   return client.workflow.start(clusterManagerWorkflow, {
     taskQueue: 'safe-message-handlers-task-queue',
     workflowId: `cm-${nanoid()}`,
+    args: [{ testContinueAsNew: false }],
   });
 }
diff --git a/message-passing/safe-message-handlers/src/cluster-manager.ts b/message-passing/safe-message-handlers/src/cluster-manager.ts
index 7f85b2be..7db05ace 100644
--- a/message-passing/safe-message-handlers/src/cluster-manager.ts
+++ b/message-passing/safe-message-handlers/src/cluster-manager.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import {
   ClusterState,
   ClusterManagerStateSummary,
   DeleteJobUpdateInput,
+  ClusterManagerInput,
 } from './types';
 
 const { assignNodesToJob, unassignNodesForJob, startCluster, shutdownCluster } = wf.proxyActivities<typeof activities>({
@@ -25,15 +26,17 @@ export class ClusterManager {
   state: ClusterManagerState;
   seenJobs: Set<string>;
   nodesMutex: Mutex;
+  private maxHistoryLength?: number;
 
-  constructor(state?: ClusterManagerState) {
-    this.state = state ?? {
+  constructor(input: ClusterManagerInput = {}) {
+    this.state = input.state ?? {
       clusterState: ClusterState.NOT_STARTED,
       nodes: new Map<string, string | null>(),
       maxAssignedNodes: 0,
     };
     this.nodesMutex = new Mutex();
     this.seenJobs = new Set<string>();
+    this.maxHistoryLength = input.testContinueAsNew ? 120 : undefined;
   }
 
   async startCluster(): Promise<void> {
@@ -145,4 +148,17 @@ export class ClusterManager {
       })
     );
   }
+
+  shouldContinueAsNew(): boolean {
+    if (wf.workflowInfo().continueAsNewSuggested) {
+      return true;
+    }
+    
+    // This is just for ease-of-testing. In production, we trust temporal to tell us when to continue-as-new.
+    if (this.maxHistoryLength !== undefined && wf.workflowInfo().historyLength > this.maxHistoryLength) {
+      return true;
+    }
+    
+    return false;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/message-passing/safe-message-handlers/src/types.ts b/message-passing/safe-message-handlers/src/types.ts
index 50fecb66..26864cd1 100644
--- a/message-passing/safe-message-handlers/src/types.ts
+++ b/message-passing/safe-message-handlers/src/types.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ export interface ClusterManagerState {
 
 export interface ClusterManagerInput {
   state?: ClusterManagerState;
+  testContinueAsNew?: boolean;
 }
 
 export interface ClusterManagerStateSummary {
diff --git a/message-passing/safe-message-handlers/src/workflows.ts b/message-passing/safe-message-handlers/src/workflows.ts
index 84c99e9b..a2c59f47 100644
--- a/message-passing/safe-message-handlers/src/workflows.ts
+++ b/message-passing/safe-message-handlers/src/workflows.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ export const deleteJobUpdate = wf.defineUpdate<void, [DeleteJobUpdateInput]>('de
 export const getClusterStatusQuery = wf.defineQuery<ClusterManagerStateSummary>('getClusterStatus');
 
 export async function clusterManagerWorkflow(input: ClusterManagerInput = {}): Promise<ClusterManagerStateSummary> {
-  const manager = new ClusterManager(input.state);
+  const manager = new ClusterManager(input);
   //
   // Message-handling API
   //
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ export async function clusterManagerWorkflow(input: ClusterManagerInput = {}): P
   // continue-as-new.
   await wf.condition(() => manager.state.clusterState === ClusterState.STARTED);
   await wf.condition(
-    () => manager.state.clusterState === ClusterState.SHUTTING_DOWN || wf.workflowInfo().continueAsNewSuggested
+    () => manager.state.clusterState === ClusterState.SHUTTING_DOWN || manager.shouldContinueAsNew()
   );
   if (manager.state.clusterState !== ClusterState.SHUTTING_DOWN) {
     // You should typically wait for all async handlers to finish before
@@ -62,7 +62,10 @@ export async function clusterManagerWorkflow(input: ClusterManagerInput = {}): P
     // new. This sample does not schedule any activities or child workflows, so
     // it is sufficient just to wait for handlers to finish.
     await wf.condition(wf.allHandlersFinished);
-    return await wf.continueAsNew<typeof clusterManagerWorkflow>({ state: manager.getState() });
+    return await wf.continueAsNew<typeof clusterManagerWorkflow>({ 
+      state: manager.getState(),
+      testContinueAsNew: input.testContinueAsNew 
+    });
   } else {
     return manager.getStateSummary();
   }