diff --git a/Sources/AblyChat/RoomLifecycleManager.swift b/Sources/AblyChat/RoomLifecycleManager.swift
index fa856a87..4ea178f2 100644
--- a/Sources/AblyChat/RoomLifecycleManager.swift
+++ b/Sources/AblyChat/RoomLifecycleManager.swift
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ internal actor RoomLifecycleManager<Channel: RoomLifecycleContributorChannel> {
 
     internal init(contributors: [Contributor], logger: InternalLogger, clock: SimpleClock) {
         self.init(
-            current: .initialized,
+            current: nil,
             contributors: contributors,
             logger: logger,
             clock: clock
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ internal actor RoomLifecycleManager<Channel: RoomLifecycleContributorChannel> {
     }
 
     #if DEBUG
-        internal init(testsOnly_current current: RoomLifecycle, contributors: [Contributor], logger: InternalLogger, clock: SimpleClock) {
+        internal init(testsOnly_current current: RoomLifecycle? = nil, contributors: [Contributor], logger: InternalLogger, clock: SimpleClock) {
             self.init(
                 current: current,
                 contributors: contributors,
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@ internal actor RoomLifecycleManager<Channel: RoomLifecycleContributorChannel> {
         }
     #endif
 
-    private init(current: RoomLifecycle, contributors: [Contributor], logger: InternalLogger, clock: SimpleClock) {
-        self.current = current
+    private init(current: RoomLifecycle?, contributors: [Contributor], logger: InternalLogger, clock: SimpleClock) {
+        self.current = current ?? .initialized
         self.contributors = contributors
         self.logger = logger
         self.clock = clock
diff --git a/Tests/AblyChatTests/RoomLifecycleManagerTests.swift b/Tests/AblyChatTests/RoomLifecycleManagerTests.swift
index e83f8cd8..312e85d4 100644
--- a/Tests/AblyChatTests/RoomLifecycleManagerTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/AblyChatTests/RoomLifecycleManagerTests.swift
@@ -28,14 +28,7 @@ struct RoomLifecycleManagerTests {
     }
 
     private func createManager(
-        contributors: [RoomLifecycleManager<MockRoomLifecycleContributorChannel>.Contributor] = [],
-        clock: SimpleClock = MockSimpleClock()
-    ) -> RoomLifecycleManager<MockRoomLifecycleContributorChannel> {
-        .init(contributors: contributors, logger: TestLogger(), clock: clock)
-    }
-
-    private func createManager(
-        forTestingWhatHappensWhenCurrentlyIn current: RoomLifecycle,
+        forTestingWhatHappensWhenCurrentlyIn current: RoomLifecycle? = nil,
         contributors: [RoomLifecycleManager<MockRoomLifecycleContributorChannel>.Contributor] = [],
         clock: SimpleClock = MockSimpleClock()
     ) -> RoomLifecycleManager<MockRoomLifecycleContributorChannel> {