diff --git a/cluster_api/core.py b/cluster_api/core.py
index 9590c1e..d9eaba1 100644
--- a/cluster_api/core.py
+++ b/cluster_api/core.py
@@ -380,6 +380,43 @@ async def _call(
 
     # --- Properties ---
 
+    def track(
+        self,
+        job_id: str,
+        status: JobStatus = JobStatus.PENDING,
+    ) -> JobRecord:
+        """Begin tracking a job by ID without re-submitting it.
+
+        Use this to seed the executor from a persistent store (e.g. a
+        database) so subsequent :meth:`poll` and :meth:`cancel` calls can
+        act on jobs that were submitted by a previous process.
+
+        The created :class:`JobRecord` has minimal fields populated; the
+        next :meth:`poll` will fill in ``exec_host``, ``exit_code``,
+        ``start_time``, etc. from the scheduler. ``name`` and ``command``
+        are not recoverable from the scheduler in general — set them on
+        the returned record if you need them.
+
+        Replaces any existing record with the same ``job_id``.
+
+        Args:
+            job_id: Scheduler-assigned job ID to track.
+            status: Initial status. Use the last status known to your
+                persistent store so :meth:`poll` doesn't transiently
+                report the job as PENDING.
+
+        Returns:
+            The newly tracked :class:`JobRecord`.
+        """
+        record = JobRecord(
+            job_id=job_id,
+            name="",
+            command="",
+            status=status,
+        )
+        self._jobs[job_id] = record
+        return record
+
     def remove_job(self, job_id: str) -> None:
         """Remove a job from tracking."""
         self._jobs.pop(job_id, None)
diff --git a/pixi.lock b/pixi.lock
index 8a9579b..b8e4b55 100644
--- a/pixi.lock
+++ b/pixi.lock
@@ -845,8 +845,8 @@ packages:
   timestamp: 1764896838868
 - pypi: ./
   name: py-cluster-api
-  version: 0.5.0
-  sha256: 6a42ec3a63e266d02359e62e4e0fa4d54476083e606b2625beb97828b5de5e60
+  version: 0.6.0
+  sha256: fe978178d2a54f14773c59d45530950f53cfb1ba925c07d080d4f37c0fc0203e
   requires_dist:
   - pyyaml
   - pytest ; extra == 'test'
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index f95831d..5bd432a 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [project]
 name = "py-cluster-api"
-version = "0.5.0"
+version = "0.6.0"
 description = "Generic Python library for running jobs on HPC clusters"
 readme = "README.md"
 license = { file = "LICENSE" }
diff --git a/tests/test_core.py b/tests/test_core.py
index 8996803..f981967 100644
--- a/tests/test_core.py
+++ b/tests/test_core.py
@@ -215,3 +215,32 @@ async def test_cancel_all_done(self, default_config, work_dir):
 
         await executor.cancel_all(done=True)
         assert job.status == JobStatus.DONE
+
+
+class TestTrack:
+
+    def test_track_default_status(self, default_config):
+        executor = LocalExecutor(default_config)
+        record = executor.track("12345")
+        assert record.job_id == "12345"
+        assert record.status == JobStatus.PENDING
+        assert executor.jobs["12345"] is record
+
+    def test_track_with_status(self, default_config):
+        executor = LocalExecutor(default_config)
+        record = executor.track("99", status=JobStatus.RUNNING)
+        assert record.status == JobStatus.RUNNING
+
+    def test_track_replaces_existing_record(self, default_config):
+        executor = LocalExecutor(default_config)
+        first = executor.track("7", status=JobStatus.PENDING)
+        second = executor.track("7", status=JobStatus.RUNNING)
+        assert first is not second
+        assert executor.jobs["7"] is second
+        assert executor.jobs["7"].status == JobStatus.RUNNING
+
+    def test_remove_job_after_track(self, default_config):
+        executor = LocalExecutor(default_config)
+        executor.track("42")
+        executor.remove_job("42")
+        assert "42" not in executor.jobs