diff --git a/Sources/AblyChat/RoomLifecycleManager.swift b/Sources/AblyChat/RoomLifecycleManager.swift
index 5a51b93a..fa856a87 100644
--- a/Sources/AblyChat/RoomLifecycleManager.swift
+++ b/Sources/AblyChat/RoomLifecycleManager.swift
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ internal actor RoomLifecycleManager<Channel: RoomLifecycleContributorChannel> {
         internal var channel: Channel
     }
 
-    internal private(set) var current: RoomLifecycle = .initialized
+    internal private(set) var current: RoomLifecycle
     internal private(set) var error: ARTErrorInfo?
 
     private let logger: InternalLogger
@@ -30,20 +30,32 @@ internal actor RoomLifecycleManager<Channel: RoomLifecycleContributorChannel> {
     private let contributors: [Contributor]
 
     internal init(contributors: [Contributor], logger: InternalLogger, clock: SimpleClock) {
-        self.contributors = contributors
-        self.logger = logger
-        self.clock = clock
+        self.init(
+            current: .initialized,
+            contributors: contributors,
+            logger: logger,
+            clock: clock
+        )
     }
 
     #if DEBUG
         internal init(testsOnly_current current: RoomLifecycle, contributors: [Contributor], logger: InternalLogger, clock: SimpleClock) {
-            self.current = current
-            self.contributors = contributors
-            self.logger = logger
-            self.clock = clock
+            self.init(
+                current: current,
+                contributors: contributors,
+                logger: logger,
+                clock: clock
+            )
         }
     #endif
 
+    private init(current: RoomLifecycle, contributors: [Contributor], logger: InternalLogger, clock: SimpleClock) {
+        self.current = current
+        self.contributors = contributors
+        self.logger = logger
+        self.clock = clock
+    }
+
     // TODO: clean up old subscriptions (https://github.com/ably-labs/ably-chat-swift/issues/36)
     private var subscriptions: [Subscription<RoomStatusChange>] = []