diff --git a/cmd/ateapi/internal/controlapi/functional_test.go b/cmd/ateapi/internal/controlapi/functional_test.go
index 13e0d1f59..cb6824180 100644
--- a/cmd/ateapi/internal/controlapi/functional_test.go
+++ b/cmd/ateapi/internal/controlapi/functional_test.go
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ func setupTest(t *testing.T, ns string) *testContext {
 	substrateInformerFactory.WaitForCacheSync(ctx.Done())
 
 	// 4. Initialize Service
-	wc := workercache.New(persistence)
+	wc := workercache.New(persistence, 5*time.Minute)
 	if err := wc.Start(ctx); err != nil {
 		cancel()
 		mr.Close()
diff --git a/cmd/ateapi/internal/workercache/workercache.go b/cmd/ateapi/internal/workercache/workercache.go
index b67eb7457..f945faa6c 100644
--- a/cmd/ateapi/internal/workercache/workercache.go
+++ b/cmd/ateapi/internal/workercache/workercache.go
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@ import (
 // TODO: add metrics — at minimum a gauge for worker count, a counter for
 // resync events, and a counter for failed PUBLISH operations (in ateredis).
 type Cache struct {
-	store store.Interface
+	store          store.Interface
+	relistInterval time.Duration
 
 	mu      sync.RWMutex
 	workers map[string]*ateapipb.Worker
@@ -44,22 +45,26 @@ type Cache struct {
 	ready atomic.Bool
 }
 
-// New creates a Cache backed by a given store.
-func New(store store.Interface) *Cache {
+// New creates a Cache backed by a given store. relistInterval controls how
+// often the cache performs a full ListWorkers to recover from state drifts
+// caused by missing WorkerWatch events.
+func New(store store.Interface, relistInterval time.Duration) *Cache {
 	return &Cache{
-		store:   store,
-		workers: make(map[string]*ateapipb.Worker),
+		store:          store,
+		relistInterval: relistInterval,
+		workers:        make(map[string]*ateapipb.Worker),
 	}
 }
 
 // Start syncs the cache synchronously, then spawns a background goroutine
-// that streams updates and resyncs on connection loss.
+// that streams updates, relists periodically, and resyncs on connection loss.
 // Returns as soon as the initial sync succeeds.
 func (c *Cache) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
 	watch, err := c.sync(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	c.ready.Store(true)
 	go c.watchEvents(ctx, watch)
 	return nil
 }
@@ -86,31 +91,33 @@ func (c *Cache) sync(ctx context.Context) (*store.WorkerWatch, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("WatchWorkers: %w", err)
 	}
+	if err := c.relist(ctx); err != nil {
+		watch.Close()
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return watch, nil
+}
 
+func (c *Cache) relist(ctx context.Context) error {
 	workers, err := c.store.ListWorkers(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
-		watch.Close()
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("ListWorkers: %w", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("ListWorkers: %w", err)
 	}
-
 	newMap := make(map[string]*ateapipb.Worker, len(workers))
 	for _, w := range workers {
 		newMap[workerKey(w)] = w
 	}
-
 	c.mu.Lock()
 	c.workers = newMap
 	c.mu.Unlock()
-	c.ready.Store(true)
-
 	slog.InfoContext(ctx, "worker cache synced", slog.Int("count", len(newMap)))
-	return watch, nil
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (c *Cache) watchEvents(ctx context.Context, watch *store.WorkerWatch) {
+	ticker := time.NewTicker(c.relistInterval)
+	defer ticker.Stop()
 	for {
-		// TODO: Add a periodic "relist" so we can recover from state drifts
-		// caused by missed watch events.
 		select {
 		case event, ok := <-watch.Events:
 			if !ok {
@@ -124,9 +131,14 @@ func (c *Cache) watchEvents(ctx context.Context, watch *store.WorkerWatch) {
 				if watch == nil {
 					return // context cancelled
 				}
+				c.ready.Store(true)
 			} else {
 				c.applyEvent(event)
 			}
+		case <-ticker.C:
+			if err := c.relist(ctx); err != nil {
+				slog.WarnContext(ctx, "worker cache: periodic relist failed", slog.Any("err", err))
+			}
 		case <-ctx.Done():
 			c.ready.Store(false)
 			watch.Close()
diff --git a/cmd/ateapi/internal/workercache/workercache_test.go b/cmd/ateapi/internal/workercache/workercache_test.go
index 53ff56075..6f53f36ab 100644
--- a/cmd/ateapi/internal/workercache/workercache_test.go
+++ b/cmd/ateapi/internal/workercache/workercache_test.go
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestCache_NotReadyBeforeStart(t *testing.T) {
-	c := workercache.New(newFakeStore())
+	c := workercache.New(newFakeStore(), time.Hour)
 	_, err := c.Workers()
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Fatal("expected error from Workers before Start, got nil")
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ func TestCache_SyncsOnStart(t *testing.T) {
 	w1 := makeWorker("ns", "pod1", 1)
 	w2 := makeWorker("ns", "pod2", 1)
 
-	c := workercache.New(newFakeStore(w1, w2))
+	c := workercache.New(newFakeStore(w1, w2), time.Hour)
 	ctx := t.Context()
 
 	if err := c.Start(ctx); err != nil {
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ func TestCache_SyncsOnStart(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestCache_CreatedEvent(t *testing.T) {
 	fs := newFakeStore()
-	c := workercache.New(fs)
+	c := workercache.New(fs, time.Hour)
 	ctx := t.Context()
 
 	if err := c.Start(ctx); err != nil {
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ func TestCache_CreatedEvent(t *testing.T) {
 func TestCache_UpdatedEvent_NewerVersionApplied(t *testing.T) {
 	w := makeWorker("ns", "pod1", 1)
 	fs := newFakeStore(w)
-	c := workercache.New(fs)
+	c := workercache.New(fs, time.Hour)
 	ctx := t.Context()
 
 	if err := c.Start(ctx); err != nil {
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ func TestCache_UpdatedEvent_NewerVersionApplied(t *testing.T) {
 func TestCache_UpdatedEvent_OlderVersionIgnored(t *testing.T) {
 	w := makeWorker("ns", "pod1", 5)
 	fs := newFakeStore(w)
-	c := workercache.New(fs)
+	c := workercache.New(fs, time.Hour)
 	ctx := t.Context()
 
 	if err := c.Start(ctx); err != nil {
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ func TestCache_UpdatedEvent_OlderVersionIgnored(t *testing.T) {
 func TestCache_DeletedEvent(t *testing.T) {
 	w := makeWorker("ns", "pod1", 1)
 	fs := newFakeStore(w)
-	c := workercache.New(fs)
+	c := workercache.New(fs, time.Hour)
 	ctx := t.Context()
 
 	if err := c.Start(ctx); err != nil {
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ func TestCache_DeletedEvent(t *testing.T) {
 func TestCache_Disconnect_ResyncsWithFreshSnapshot(t *testing.T) {
 	w1 := makeWorker("ns", "pod1", 1)
 	fs := newFakeStore(w1)
-	c := workercache.New(fs)
+	c := workercache.New(fs, time.Hour)
 	ctx := t.Context()
 
 	if err := c.Start(ctx); err != nil {
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ func TestCache_Disconnect_ResyncsWithFreshSnapshot(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestCache_MultipleDisconnects(t *testing.T) {
 	fs := newFakeStore()
-	c := workercache.New(fs)
+	c := workercache.New(fs, time.Hour)
 	ctx := t.Context()
 
 	if err := c.Start(ctx); err != nil {
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ func TestCache_MultipleDisconnects(t *testing.T) {
 func TestCache_WatchClosedOnListWorkersFailure(t *testing.T) {
 	fs := newFakeStore()
 	fs.listErr = errors.New("valkey unavailable")
-	c := workercache.New(fs)
+	c := workercache.New(fs, time.Hour)
 
 	if err := c.Start(t.Context()); err == nil {
 		t.Fatal("expected Start to fail when ListWorkers errors")
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ func TestCache_WatchClosedOnListWorkersFailure(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestCache_WatchClosedOnShutdown(t *testing.T) {
 	fs := newFakeStore()
-	c := workercache.New(fs)
+	c := workercache.New(fs, time.Hour)
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(t.Context())
 
 	if err := c.Start(ctx); err != nil {
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ func TestCache_WatchClosedOnShutdown(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestCache_WatchClosedOnDisconnectAndShutdown(t *testing.T) {
 	fs := newFakeStore()
-	c := workercache.New(fs)
+	c := workercache.New(fs, time.Hour)
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(t.Context())
 
 	if err := c.Start(ctx); err != nil {
@@ -268,6 +268,87 @@ func TestCache_WatchClosedOnDisconnectAndShutdown(t *testing.T) {
 	}, 2*time.Second)
 }
 
+func TestCache_Relist_RecoversFromMissedCreate(t *testing.T) {
+	w1 := makeWorker("ns", "pod1", 1)
+	fs := newFakeStore(w1)
+	c := workercache.New(fs, 10*time.Millisecond)
+
+	if err := c.Start(t.Context()); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Start: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Add a worker directly to the store without sending a watch event,
+	// simulating a silent PUBLISH failure.
+	w2 := makeWorker("ns", "pod2", 1)
+	fs.setWorkers(w1, w2)
+
+	eventually(t, func() bool {
+		workers, err := c.Workers()
+		return err == nil && len(workers) == 2
+	}, 2*time.Second)
+
+	got, _ := c.Workers()
+	if diff := cmp.Diff([]*ateapipb.Worker{w1, w2}, got, protocmp.Transform(), workerSortOpt); diff != "" {
+		t.Errorf("workers after relist (-want +got):\n%s", diff)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCache_Relist_RecoversFromMissedDelete(t *testing.T) {
+	w1 := makeWorker("ns", "pod1", 1)
+	w2 := makeWorker("ns", "pod2", 1)
+	fs := newFakeStore(w1, w2)
+	c := workercache.New(fs, 10*time.Millisecond)
+
+	if err := c.Start(t.Context()); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Start: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Remove a worker from the store without a watch event,
+	// simulating a silent PUBLISH failure on delete.
+	fs.setWorkers(w1)
+
+	eventually(t, func() bool {
+		workers, err := c.Workers()
+		return err == nil && len(workers) == 1
+	}, 2*time.Second)
+
+	got, _ := c.Workers()
+	if diff := cmp.Diff([]*ateapipb.Worker{w1}, got, protocmp.Transform(), workerSortOpt); diff != "" {
+		t.Errorf("workers after relist (-want +got):\n%s", diff)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCache_Relist_FailureIsNonFatal(t *testing.T) {
+	w1 := makeWorker("ns", "pod1", 1)
+	fs := newFakeStore(w1)
+	c := workercache.New(fs, 10*time.Millisecond)
+
+	if err := c.Start(t.Context()); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Start: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Make ListWorkers fail to simulate a transient Valkey error.
+	fs.mu.Lock()
+	fs.listErr = errors.New("valkey unavailable")
+	fs.mu.Unlock()
+
+	// Wait long enough for at least one relist attempt.
+	time.Sleep(50 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	// Clear the error; the cache should still be usable with the old snapshot.
+	fs.mu.Lock()
+	fs.listErr = nil
+	fs.mu.Unlock()
+
+	workers, err := c.Workers()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Workers: %v", err)
+	}
+	if diff := cmp.Diff([]*ateapipb.Worker{w1}, workers, protocmp.Transform(), workerSortOpt); diff != "" {
+		t.Errorf("workers mismatch (-want +got):\n%s", diff)
+	}
+}
+
 type fakeStore struct {
 	store.Interface
 
diff --git a/cmd/ateapi/main.go b/cmd/ateapi/main.go
index af638d30d..165561617 100644
--- a/cmd/ateapi/main.go
+++ b/cmd/ateapi/main.go
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	redisPersistence := ateredis.NewPersistence(redisClient)
 
-	workerCache := workercache.New(redisPersistence)
+	workerCache := workercache.New(redisPersistence, 5*time.Minute)
 	if err := workerCache.Start(ctx); err != nil {
 		serverboot.Fatal(ctx, "Failed to seed worker cache", err)
 	}