diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 3e3306a..80f69f7 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+### Fixed
+
+- TEMPLATE `cloneWorkerDatabase`: process-once memo lives on `globalThis` so Jest `setupFiles` (module reload per file) no longer re-clones and hits `database already exists` on `_c_<workerId>`
+
 ## 0.2.0-alpha.0
 
 Breaking-ish alpha cut (still `alpha` dist-tag). Public lifecycle verb is now **`acquire`** (was `ensure`).
diff --git a/src/adapters/jest-template.ts b/src/adapters/jest-template.ts
index 9b58685..9ffd6b1 100644
--- a/src/adapters/jest-template.ts
+++ b/src/adapters/jest-template.ts
@@ -20,8 +20,11 @@ export type {
  * module.exports = createGlobalSetup({ migrate: async ({ databaseUrl }) => {} });
  *
  * // jest.config.cjs
+ * // When .env has a real TEST_DATABASE_URL, set once here (inherits to workers):
+ * // process.env.CEDAR_PG_FORCE = "1";
  * globalSetup: "<rootDir>/jest.cedar-global.cjs",
  * globalTeardown: require.resolve("@cedarjs/pg/jest-teardown"),
+ * // Prefer setupFilesAfterEnv + beforeAll; setupFiles also works (memo is process-scoped).
  * setupFilesAfterEnv: ["<rootDir>/jest.cedar-worker.cjs"],
  *
  * // jest.cedar-worker.cjs
diff --git a/src/adapters/template-mode.ts b/src/adapters/template-mode.ts
index 76c0245..ef89c62 100644
--- a/src/adapters/template-mode.ts
+++ b/src/adapters/template-mode.ts
@@ -69,8 +69,27 @@ export type CloneWorkerDatabaseOptions = {
   name?: string;
 };
 
-let workerOnce: Promise<void> | undefined;
-let workerOnceKey: string | undefined;
+/** Survives Jest `setupFiles` module reloads (module-scoped `let` does not). */
+const CLONE_WORKER_MEMO = Symbol.for("@cedarjs/pg/cloneWorkerDatabase");
+
+type CloneWorkerMemo = {
+  promise: Promise<void>;
+  key: string;
+};
+
+type GlobalWithCloneWorkerMemo = typeof globalThis & {
+  [CLONE_WORKER_MEMO]?: CloneWorkerMemo;
+};
+
+function readCloneWorkerMemo(): CloneWorkerMemo | undefined {
+  return (globalThis as GlobalWithCloneWorkerMemo)[CLONE_WORKER_MEMO];
+}
+
+function writeCloneWorkerMemo(memo: CloneWorkerMemo | undefined): void {
+  const g = globalThis as GlobalWithCloneWorkerMemo;
+  if (memo === undefined) delete g[CLONE_WORKER_MEMO];
+  else g[CLONE_WORKER_MEMO] = memo;
+}
 
 function resolveWorkerName(options: CloneWorkerDatabaseOptions): string {
   return (
@@ -86,21 +105,24 @@ function workerOptionsKey(root: string | undefined, name: string): string {
  * Process-once per-worker clone (JEST_WORKER_ID / VITEST_POOL_ID / pid by default).
  * Uses `cloneFromTemplateIfNeeded` (same skip policy as `acquireIfNeeded`) with `setEnv: true`.
  * First call wins for `root`/`name`; conflicting later calls throw.
+ *
+ * Memo lives on `globalThis` so Jest `setupFiles` (module reload per file) still
+ * shares one clone per worker. `setupFilesAfterEnv` + `beforeAll` also works.
  */
 export function cloneWorkerDatabase(options: CloneWorkerDatabaseOptions = {}): Promise<void> {
   const name = resolveWorkerName(options);
   const key = workerOptionsKey(options.root, name);
-  if (workerOnce) {
-    if (workerOnceKey !== key) {
+  const existing = readCloneWorkerMemo();
+  if (existing) {
+    if (existing.key !== key) {
       throw new Error(
         `cloneWorkerDatabase already started with different root/name ` +
-          `(first: ${JSON.stringify(workerOnceKey)}, now: ${JSON.stringify(key)})`,
+          `(first: ${JSON.stringify(existing.key)}, now: ${JSON.stringify(key)})`,
       );
     }
-    return workerOnce;
+    return existing.promise;
   }
-  workerOnceKey = key;
-  workerOnce = (async () => {
+  const promise = (async () => {
     await cloneFromTemplateIfNeeded({
       root: options.root,
       mode: "test",
@@ -108,9 +130,9 @@ export function cloneWorkerDatabase(options: CloneWorkerDatabaseOptions = {}): P
       setEnv: true,
     });
   })().catch((err) => {
-    workerOnce = undefined;
-    workerOnceKey = undefined;
+    writeCloneWorkerMemo(undefined);
     throw err;
   });
-  return workerOnce;
+  writeCloneWorkerMemo({ promise, key });
+  return promise;
 }
diff --git a/tests/template-mode.test.ts b/tests/template-mode.test.ts
index 2e0f1e1..124c7f2 100644
--- a/tests/template-mode.test.ts
+++ b/tests/template-mode.test.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ async function withMockedCore<T>(
   },
   run: () => Promise<T>,
 ): Promise<T> {
+  const cloneWorkerMemo = Symbol.for("@cedarjs/pg/cloneWorkerDatabase");
+  delete (globalThis as typeof globalThis & { [cloneWorkerMemo]?: unknown })[cloneWorkerMemo];
   vi.resetModules();
   vi.doMock("../src/core/lifecycle.ts", async () => {
     const actual = await vi.importActual<typeof import("../src/core/lifecycle.ts")>(
@@ -74,6 +76,7 @@ async function withMockedCore<T>(
     vi.doUnmock("../src/core/lifecycle.ts");
     vi.doUnmock("../src/core/template.ts");
     vi.resetModules();
+    delete (globalThis as typeof globalThis & { [cloneWorkerMemo]?: unknown })[cloneWorkerMemo];
   }
 }
 
@@ -198,6 +201,33 @@ test("cloneWorkerDatabase clones via cloneFromTemplateIfNeeded with setEnv true"
   }
 });
 
+test("cloneWorkerDatabase memo survives module reload (Jest setupFiles)", async () => {
+  const prevJest = process.env.JEST_WORKER_ID;
+  const prevCedar = process.env.CEDAR_PG;
+  process.env.JEST_WORKER_ID = "1";
+  delete process.env.CEDAR_PG;
+
+  const cloneFromTemplateIfNeeded = vi.fn(async () =>
+    clonedWorker({ databaseName: "cpg_tmpl_c_1" }),
+  );
+
+  try {
+    await withMockedCore({ cloneFromTemplateIfNeeded }, async () => {
+      const first = await import("../src/adapters/template-mode.ts");
+      await first.cloneWorkerDatabase({ root: "/tmp/wt" });
+      vi.resetModules();
+      const second = await import("../src/adapters/template-mode.ts");
+      await second.cloneWorkerDatabase({ root: "/tmp/wt" });
+      expect(cloneFromTemplateIfNeeded).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    });
+  } finally {
+    if (prevJest === undefined) delete process.env.JEST_WORKER_ID;
+    else process.env.JEST_WORKER_ID = prevJest;
+    if (prevCedar === undefined) delete process.env.CEDAR_PG;
+    else process.env.CEDAR_PG = prevCedar;
+  }
+});
+
 test("cloneWorkerDatabase is idempotent per process", async () => {
   const prevJest = process.env.JEST_WORKER_ID;
   const prevCedar = process.env.CEDAR_PG;