diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index d7a8789..a4a157f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ jobs:
         id: npm-ci-test
         run: npm run ci-test
 
-  test-action:
-    name: GitHub Actions Test
+  test-action-spawn-terminate:
+    name: GitHub Actions Test (spawn -> terminate)
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     strategy:
       matrix:
@@ -66,6 +66,11 @@ jobs:
           backend: ${{ matrix.provider }}
           profile: ci-test
 
+      - name: Test runner is alive
+        uses: ./.github/workflows/registered_runner.yml
+        with:
+          runner-name: ${{ steps.test-start.outputs.label }}
+
       - name: Test stop instance
         id: test-stop
         if: ${{ always() }}
@@ -76,3 +81,38 @@ jobs:
           slab-url: ${{ secrets.SLAB_BASE_URL_PRE_PROD }}
           job-secret: ${{ secrets.JOB_SECRET }}
           label: ${{ steps.test-start.outputs.label }}
+
+  test-action-start-stop:
+    name: GitHub Actions Test (start -> stop)
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        id: checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@eef61447b9ff4aafe5dcd4e0bbf5d482be7e7871
+
+      - name: Test start instance
+        id: test-start
+        uses: ./
+        with:
+          mode: start
+          github-token: ${{ secrets.SLAB_ACTION_TOKEN }}
+          slab-url: ${{ secrets.SLAB_BASE_URL_PRE_PROD }}
+          job-secret: ${{ secrets.JOB_SECRET }}
+          backend: aws
+          profile: ci-test-start-stop
+
+      - name: Test runner is alive
+        uses: ./.github/workflows/registered_runner.yml
+        with:
+          runner-name: ci-persistent-runner
+
+      - name: Test stop instance
+        id: test-stop
+        if: ${{ always() }}
+        uses: ./
+        with:
+          mode: stop
+          github-token: ${{ secrets.SLAB_ACTION_TOKEN }}
+          slab-url: ${{ secrets.SLAB_BASE_URL_PRE_PROD }}
+          job-secret: ${{ secrets.JOB_SECRET }}
+          label: ci-persistent-runner
diff --git a/.github/workflows/registered_runner.yml b/.github/workflows/registered_runner.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..16810ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/registered_runner.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# This simple workflow is used to test if a runner is registered on GitHub platform.
+name: Test registered runner
+
+on:
+  workflow_call:
+    inputs:
+      runner-name:
+        required: true
+        type: string
+
+jobs:
+  test-runner:
+    name: Test Runner
+    runs-on: ${{ inputs.runner-name }}
+    timeout-minutes: 5  # Job should be picked very quickly
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        id: checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@eef61447b9ff4aafe5dcd4e0bbf5d482be7e7871
diff --git a/ci/slab.toml b/ci/slab.toml
index 513defe..5941f70 100644
--- a/ci/slab.toml
+++ b/ci/slab.toml
@@ -6,6 +6,14 @@ image_id = "ami-01d21b7be69801c2f" # Ubuntu 22.04
 instance_type = "t3.2xlarge"
 user = "ubuntu"
 
+# This instance is a persistent one with a runner already registered
+[backend.aws.ci-test-start-stop]
+region = "eu-west-3"
+image_id = "ami-01d21b7be69801c2f" # Ubuntu 22.04
+instance_type = "t3.2xlarge"
+instance_id = "i-042a592f53f5ab592"
+runner_name = "ci-persistent-runner"
+
 [backend.hyperstack.ci-test]
 environment_name = "canada"
 image_name = "Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS R535 CUDA 12.2"
diff --git a/dist/index.js b/dist/index.js
index ea7be2e..b7b88e2 100644
--- a/dist/index.js
+++ b/dist/index.js
@@ -49671,7 +49671,7 @@ async function waitForRunnerRegistered(label) {
   )
   await utils.sleep(quietPeriodSeconds)
   core.info(
-    `Checking every ${retryIntervalSeconds}s if the GitHub self-hosted runner is registered`
+    `Checking every ${retryIntervalSeconds}s if the GitHub self-hosted runner is registered (runner: ${label})`
   )
 
   while (waitSeconds < timeoutSeconds) {
diff --git a/src/gh.js b/src/gh.js
index 0f1455e..de3da4c 100644
--- a/src/gh.js
+++ b/src/gh.js
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ async function waitForRunnerRegistered(label) {
   )
   await utils.sleep(quietPeriodSeconds)
   core.info(
-    `Checking every ${retryIntervalSeconds}s if the GitHub self-hosted runner is registered`
+    `Checking every ${retryIntervalSeconds}s if the GitHub self-hosted runner is registered (runner: ${label})`
   )
 
   while (waitSeconds < timeoutSeconds) {