server: assert timeouts on the served http.Server, not just the constructor (closes #120)

The timeout tests called newHTTPServer directly, leaving Run's call
site unguarded: a Run that built its http.Server inline would drop
every timeout with the suite still green. TestRunWiresSocketTimeouts
now wires a Server as cmd/dnswatcher does (minus watcher and resolver,
so no live DNS), drives Run with an unbindable port so it stores its
http.Server and returns without listening, and asserts the served
server carries all four timeouts and both required relationships.
Reverting Run to an inline http.Server without timeouts fails it. The
near-tautological addr/handler test is dropped; the wiring test covers
the handler end to end.

The read-deadline note is corrected: a too-small ReadTimeout does not
make ReadHeaderTimeout unreachable (net/http applies it directly); it
installs an already-expired whole-request deadline. Verified against
the pinned go1.25 net/http.

Model: opus-4-8 (implementation); opus-5-5 (rebase)

Dockerfile

@@ -41,15 +41,33 @@ FROM alpine@sha256:c3f8e73fdb79deaebaa2037150150191b9dcbfba68b4a46d70103204c53f4
 
 RUN apk add --no-cache ca-certificates tzdata
 
-WORKDIR /app
+COPY --from=builder /src/bin/dnswatcher /usr/local/bin/dnswatcher
 
-COPY --from=builder /src/bin/dnswatcher /app/dnswatcher
+# Run as an unprivileged user that owns the data directory. A fresh named
-
+# volume inherits this ownership; a bind-mounted host directory must be
-# Create data directory
+# owned by uid 10001 (see "Running under upaas" in README.md), or startup
-RUN mkdir -p /var/lib/dnswatcher
+# fails.
+RUN addgroup -S -g 10001 dnswatcher \
+    && adduser -S -G dnswatcher -u 10001 dnswatcher \
+    && mkdir -p /var/lib/dnswatcher \
+    && chown dnswatcher:dnswatcher /var/lib/dnswatcher
 
 ENV DNSWATCHER_DATA_DIR=/var/lib/dnswatcher
 
+# Config loading also reads a `.env` file and a file named `dnswatcher`
+# (any config extension, or none) from the working directory. `/` holds
+# neither, so every setting comes from the environment. Do not make the
+# data directory, or the binary's directory, the working directory.
+WORKDIR /
+
+USER dnswatcher
+
 EXPOSE 8080
 
-ENTRYPOINT ["/app/dnswatcher"]
+# busybox wget (already in alpine) probes the health endpoint every 10
+# seconds, so the container is healthy well before upaas reads its health
+# 60 seconds after a deploy and fails the deploy unless it is healthy.
+HEALTHCHECK --interval=10s --timeout=5s --start-period=10s --retries=3 \
+    CMD wget -q -O /dev/null "http://127.0.0.1:${PORT:-8080}/.well-known/healthcheck" || exit 1
+
+ENTRYPOINT ["/usr/local/bin/dnswatcher"]

README.md

@@ -508,11 +508,57 @@ docker run -d \
 
 ---
 
+## Running under upaas
+
+[upaas](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/upaas) builds the image from this
+repository's `Dockerfile` and runs it. The app needs:
+
+- **Branch:** `prod`. `prod` is cut from `main`, and merging a `main` to
+  `prod` pull request is a deploy.
+- **Volume:** one host directory mounted at `/var/lib/dnswatcher`, where
+  the state file lives. upaas bind-mounts the host path it is given and
+  does not create it. The container runs as uid 10001 and does not start
+  unless it can write there. Create the directory before the first
+  deploy:
+
+  ```sh
+  mkdir -p /path/to/data
+  chown 10001:10001 /path/to/data
+  chmod 700 /path/to/data
+  ```
+
+- **Network and port:** the dashboard is unauthenticated and shows every
+  watched name and recent alert, and upaas publishes every mapped port on
+  all interfaces of the host
+  ([upaas issue 113](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/upaas/issues/113)). Add a
+  port mapping to container port `8080` only if the dashboard should be
+  public. Otherwise add none: set the app's Docker network in upaas to
+  your reverse proxy's Docker network, and the proxy reaches the app at
+  `upaas-` followed by the app name, port `8080`.
+- **Required environment:** `DNSWATCHER_TARGETS`, a comma-separated list
+  of the domains and hostnames to watch. dnswatcher refuses to start
+  without it.
+- **Recommended environment:** at least one notification endpoint
+  (`DNSWATCHER_SLACK_WEBHOOK`, `DNSWATCHER_MATTERMOST_WEBHOOK`,
+  `DNSWATCHER_NTFY_TOPIC`); without one, changes show only on the
+  dashboard. `DNSWATCHER_METRICS_USERNAME` and
+  `DNSWATCHER_METRICS_PASSWORD` serve `/metrics` behind basic auth.
+- **Leave unset:** `DNSWATCHER_DATA_DIR`, which the image sets to
+  `/var/lib/dnswatcher`, and `PORT`, which defaults to `8080`. Every
+  setting comes from the environment; the image holds no config file.
+- **Health check:** the image's own, which requests
+  `/.well-known/healthcheck` every 10 seconds. upaas reads the
+  container's health 60 seconds after a deploy and marks the deploy
+  failed unless it is `healthy`.
+
+---
+
 ## Monitoring Lifecycle
 
-1. **Startup**: Load state from disk. If no state file exists, start
+1. **Startup**: Check that the data directory can be written, and exit
-   with empty state (first check will establish baseline without
+   with an error naming it if not. Load state from disk. If no state
-   triggering change notifications).
+   file exists, start with empty state (first check will establish
+   baseline without triggering change notifications).
 2. **Initial check**: Immediately perform all DNS, port, and TLS checks
    on startup.
 3. **Periodic checks** (DNS always runs first):

TODO.md

@@ -23,8 +23,18 @@ Rationale, Design, TODO, License, Author) if any are still missing.
 
 # Completed Steps
 
+- 2026-09-21: server timeout test now drives `Run` and asserts the
+  served `http.Server` carries the timeouts; corrected the inverted
+  `ReadTimeout` rationale note (#120).
+
+- 2026-09-28: upaas deploy readiness — runtime image runs as unprivileged
+  `dnswatcher`, Docker `HEALTHCHECK`, startup fails when the data directory is
+  not writable, README "Running under upaas" (closes #147).
+- 2026-09-21: added behavioural tests for `internal/globals`,
+  `internal/healthcheck`, and `internal/logger` (closes #110).
 - 2026-09-21: `go mod tidy` dropped the redundant `golang.org/x/sync`
   `// indirect` line so `script/bootstrap` leaves a clean tree (#132)
+
 - 2026-08-10: comment-only corrections to `script/bootstrap`,
   `script/cibuild`, and `Dockerfile.lint`. The `goimports` pin in
   `script/bootstrap` was justified by a claim that `script/fmt-check`

internal/globals/globals_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+package globals_test
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	"sneak.berlin/go/dnswatcher/internal/globals"
+)
+
+// TestGlobals exercises the package-level version and appname
+// variables through their setters and read-back via New. These are
+// shared package state, so the test mutates a global and must run
+// sequentially; it cannot use t.Parallel().
+//
+//nolint:paralleltest // mutates shared package-level globals, must run sequentially
+func TestGlobals(t *testing.T) {
+	versions := []string{"v1.2.3", "dev", "", "v1.2.3-4-gabcdef"}
+	for _, want := range versions {
+		globals.SetVersion(want)
+
+		g, err := globals.New(nil)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, want, g.Version,
+			"New must surface the version set by SetVersion")
+	}
+
+	names := []string{"dnswatcher", "other", ""}
+	for _, want := range names {
+		globals.SetAppname(want)
+
+		g, err := globals.New(nil)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, want, g.Appname,
+			"New must surface the appname set by SetAppname")
+	}
+
+	// New returns a snapshot: a later SetVersion must not mutate a
+	// Globals handed out earlier.
+	globals.SetVersion("first")
+
+	g, err := globals.New(nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	globals.SetVersion("second")
+	assert.Equal(t, "first", g.Version,
+		"a Globals returned by New must not change when the "+
+			"package variable is set again")
+}

internal/healthcheck/healthcheck_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+package healthcheck_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"go.uber.org/fx"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	"sneak.berlin/go/dnswatcher/internal/config"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/dnswatcher/internal/globals"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/dnswatcher/internal/healthcheck"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/dnswatcher/internal/logger"
+)
+
+// recordingLifecycle is a minimal fx.Lifecycle that records the hooks
+// appended to it, so healthcheck.New can be exercised through its real
+// constructor without standing up a whole fx application.
+type recordingLifecycle struct {
+	hooks []fx.Hook
+}
+
+func (l *recordingLifecycle) Append(hook fx.Hook) {
+	l.hooks = append(l.hooks, hook)
+}
+
+// newHealthcheck builds a Healthcheck through the real constructor and
+// runs the registered OnStart hook so StartupTime is set the same way
+// the fx lifecycle would set it.
+func newHealthcheck(
+	t *testing.T,
+	maintenance bool,
+	version string,
+) *healthcheck.Healthcheck {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	g := &globals.Globals{Appname: "dnswatcher", Version: version}
+
+	log, err := logger.New(nil, logger.Params{Globals: g})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	lifecycle := &recordingLifecycle{}
+
+	hc, err := healthcheck.New(lifecycle, healthcheck.Params{
+		Globals: g,
+		Config:  &config.Config{MaintenanceMode: maintenance},
+		Logger:  log,
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	require.Len(t, lifecycle.hooks, 1,
+		"New must register exactly one lifecycle hook")
+	require.NotNil(t, lifecycle.hooks[0].OnStart)
+	require.NoError(t, lifecycle.hooks[0].OnStart(context.Background()))
+
+	return hc
+}
+
+func TestCheckStatusAndPayloadShape(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	hc := newHealthcheck(t, false, "v9.9.9")
+	resp := hc.Check()
+
+	assert.Equal(t, "ok", resp.Status)
+
+	// The JSON shape and field names are part of the contract for the
+	// /health and /.well-known/healthcheck routes, so assert on the
+	// exact set of keys the response marshals to.
+	raw, err := json.Marshal(resp)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	var fields map[string]json.RawMessage
+	require.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal(raw, &fields))
+
+	wantKeys := []string{
+		"status",
+		"now",
+		"uptimeSeconds",
+		"uptimeHuman",
+		"version",
+		"appname",
+		"maintenanceMode",
+	}
+	assert.Len(t, fields, len(wantKeys),
+		"response must marshal to exactly the documented fields")
+
+	for _, key := range wantKeys {
+		assert.Contains(t, fields, key, "missing JSON field %q", key)
+	}
+
+	// The Now field is documented as RFC3339Nano; a change to the
+	// format constant should turn this red.
+	_, err = time.Parse(time.RFC3339Nano, resp.Now)
+	assert.NoError(t, err, "Now must be RFC3339Nano")
+}
+
+func TestCheckMaintenanceModeReflectsConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name        string
+		maintenance bool
+	}{
+		{"maintenance off", false},
+		{"maintenance on", true},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			hc := newHealthcheck(t, tt.maintenance, "test")
+			resp := hc.Check()
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.maintenance, resp.Maintenance,
+				"maintenanceMode must mirror Config.MaintenanceMode")
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCheckSurfacesVersionAndAppname(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	hc := newHealthcheck(t, false, "surfaced-version-123")
+	resp := hc.Check()
+
+	assert.Equal(t, "surfaced-version-123", resp.Version,
+		"version from globals must appear in the payload")
+	assert.Equal(t, "dnswatcher", resp.Appname)
+}

internal/logger/logger_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+package logger_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"log/slog"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	"sneak.berlin/go/dnswatcher/internal/globals"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/dnswatcher/internal/logger"
+)
+
+func newTestLogger(t *testing.T) *logger.Logger {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	g := &globals.Globals{Appname: "dnswatcher", Version: "test"}
+
+	l, err := logger.New(nil, logger.Params{Globals: g})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	return l
+}
+
+// TestNewReturnsUsableLogger checks that the constructor yields a
+// working *slog.Logger.
+func TestNewReturnsUsableLogger(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	l := newTestLogger(t)
+	require.NotNil(t, l.Get(), "Get must return a non-nil logger")
+}
+
+// TestDefaultLevelExcludesDebug verifies the default configuration
+// logs at info: debug records are suppressed, info records pass.
+func TestDefaultLevelExcludesDebug(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	log := newTestLogger(t).Get()
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	assert.False(t, log.Enabled(ctx, slog.LevelDebug),
+		"debug must be suppressed at the default level")
+	assert.True(t, log.Enabled(ctx, slog.LevelInfo),
+		"info must be enabled at the default level")
+}
+
+// TestEnableDebugLoggingChangesLevel verifies the debug and non-debug
+// configurations differ as intended: enabling debug makes debug
+// records pass where they previously did not.
+func TestEnableDebugLoggingChangesLevel(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	l := newTestLogger(t)
+	log := l.Get()
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	require.False(t, log.Enabled(ctx, slog.LevelDebug),
+		"debug must start disabled")
+
+	l.EnableDebugLogging()
+
+	assert.True(t, log.Enabled(ctx, slog.LevelDebug),
+		"debug must be enabled after EnableDebugLogging")
+}

internal/server/export_test.go

@@ -5,15 +5,20 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
-// NewHTTPServer exports newHTTPServer for testing.
-func NewHTTPServer(
-	listenAddr string,
-	handler http.Handler,
-) *http.Server {
-	return newHTTPServer(listenAddr, handler)
-}
-
 // RequestTimeout exports the handler execution budget applied by
 // chimw.Timeout in SetupRoutes, so tests can assert the relationship
 // between it and the server's WriteTimeout.
 const RequestTimeout time.Duration = requestTimeout
+
+// SetListenPort overrides the port Run binds. A test uses it to hand
+// Run an unbindable port so ListenAndServe fails immediately and Run
+// returns after storing its http.Server.
+func SetListenPort(s *Server, port int) {
+	s.port = port
+}
+
+// HTTPServerOf returns the http.Server that Run built and stored, so a
+// test can inspect the timeouts the running server actually carries.
+func HTTPServerOf(s *Server) *http.Server {
+	return s.httpServer
+}

internal/server/server_test.go

@@ -1,112 +1,136 @@
 package server_test
 
 import (
-	"net/http"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/spf13/viper"
+	"go.uber.org/fx"
+
+	"sneak.berlin/go/dnswatcher/internal/config"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/dnswatcher/internal/globals"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/dnswatcher/internal/handlers"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/dnswatcher/internal/healthcheck"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/dnswatcher/internal/logger"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/dnswatcher/internal/middleware"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/dnswatcher/internal/notify"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/dnswatcher/internal/server"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/dnswatcher/internal/state"
 )
 
-// noopHandler stands in for the router; newHTTPServer only stores it.
+// buildServer wires a *server.Server exactly as cmd/dnswatcher does,
-func noopHandler() http.Handler {
+// minus the watcher/resolver subtree that would touch live DNS. fx
-	return http.HandlerFunc(
+// builds the object graph but the lifecycle is never started, so no
-		func(w http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) {
+// OnStart hook runs and nothing listens or resolves. The caller must
-			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+// first configure viper (config.New reads it), which is also why the
-		},
+// caller cannot run in parallel.
+func buildServer(t *testing.T) *server.Server {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	var srv *server.Server
+
+	app := fx.New(
+		fx.NopLogger,
+		fx.Provide(
+			globals.New,
+			logger.New,
+			config.New,
+			state.New,
+			healthcheck.New,
+			notify.New,
+			middleware.New,
+			handlers.New,
+			server.New,
+		),
+		fx.Populate(&srv),
 	)
+
+	err := app.Err()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("building server graph: %v", err)
 	}
 
-// TestHTTPServerTimeoutsAreSet asserts that every socket-level
+	return srv
-// timeout is configured. A zero value in net/http means "no limit",
+}
-// so a refactor that silently drops one of these reintroduces the
+
-// slowloris / unreaped-keep-alive exposure this guards against.
+// TestRunWiresSocketTimeouts pins that the http.Server the running
+// server actually serves — the one Run builds and hands to
+// ListenAndServe — carries every socket-level timeout, plus the two
+// relationships the values must satisfy. Earlier tests asserted these
+// on newHTTPServer directly, which left the call site unguarded: a Run
+// that built its http.Server inline would drop every timeout with the
+// suite still green (https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/dnswatcher/issues/120).
 //
-// The assertions are on the configured field values only; nothing
+// Run is driven to completion with an unbindable port: it builds and
-// here measures elapsed time, so the test cannot flake on timing.
+// stores s.httpServer, then ListenAndServe fails at once and Run
-func TestHTTPServerTimeoutsAreSet(t *testing.T) {
+// returns without ever listening. The assertions run in the same
-	t.Parallel()
+// goroutine after Run returns, so reading s.httpServer is free of any
+// data race. Nothing here measures elapsed time.
+//
+// On the ReadTimeout >= ReadHeaderTimeout relationship: a smaller
+// ReadTimeout does NOT make the header phase unreachable. net/http's
+// (*Server).readHeaderTimeout applies ReadHeaderTimeout directly, so
+// the header read keeps its full budget. What breaks is the
+// whole-request deadline: once the headers are read, readRequest
+// installs a read deadline of t0+ReadTimeout, which is already in the
+// past when ReadTimeout is the smaller value, severing the request.
+// Verified against the pinned go1.25 net/http (Dockerfile golang
+// 1.25-alpine; go.mod go 1.25.5): src/net/http/server.go readRequest
+// and (*Server).readHeaderTimeout.
+func TestRunWiresSocketTimeouts(t *testing.T) {
+	// Sets an env var and touches viper global state, so like the
+	// config tests it cannot use t.Parallel.
+	viper.Reset()
+	t.Setenv("DNSWATCHER_TARGETS", "example.com")
 
-	srv := server.NewHTTPServer(":8080", noopHandler())
+	srv := buildServer(t)
+	server.SetListenPort(srv, -1)
 
-	if srv.ReadTimeout <= 0 {
+	srv.Run()
-		t.Errorf(
+
-			"ReadTimeout must be non-zero, got %v",
+	hs := server.HTTPServerOf(srv)
-			srv.ReadTimeout,
+	if hs == nil {
-		)
+		t.Fatal("Run did not build an http.Server")
 	}
 
-	if srv.ReadHeaderTimeout <= 0 {
+	if hs.ReadTimeout <= 0 {
+		t.Errorf("ReadTimeout must be non-zero, got %v", hs.ReadTimeout)
+	}
+
+	if hs.ReadHeaderTimeout <= 0 {
 		t.Errorf(
 			"ReadHeaderTimeout must be non-zero, got %v",
-			srv.ReadHeaderTimeout,
+			hs.ReadHeaderTimeout,
 		)
 	}
 
-	if srv.WriteTimeout <= 0 {
+	if hs.WriteTimeout <= 0 {
-		t.Errorf(
+		t.Errorf("WriteTimeout must be non-zero, got %v", hs.WriteTimeout)
-			"WriteTimeout must be non-zero, got %v",
-			srv.WriteTimeout,
-		)
 	}
 
-	if srv.IdleTimeout <= 0 {
+	if hs.IdleTimeout <= 0 {
-		t.Errorf(
+		t.Errorf("IdleTimeout must be non-zero, got %v", hs.IdleTimeout)
-			"IdleTimeout must be non-zero, got %v",
-			srv.IdleTimeout,
-		)
-	}
 	}
 
-// TestWriteTimeoutExceedsHandlerBudget pins the one relationship the
+	if hs.WriteTimeout <= server.RequestTimeout {
-// values must satisfy. net/http arms the write deadline once request
-// headers are read, so it covers handler execution plus the response
-// flush. If WriteTimeout were not greater than the chimw.Timeout
-// handler budget, the connection would be severed before a handler
-// that used its full budget could respond, making that budget
-// unreachable.
-func TestWriteTimeoutExceedsHandlerBudget(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	srv := server.NewHTTPServer(":8080", noopHandler())
-
-	if srv.WriteTimeout <= server.RequestTimeout {
 		t.Errorf(
 			"WriteTimeout (%v) must exceed handler budget (%v)",
-			srv.WriteTimeout,
+			hs.WriteTimeout,
 			server.RequestTimeout,
 		)
 	}
-}
 
-// TestReadTimeoutCoversHeaderTimeout asserts the read deadline for
+	if hs.ReadTimeout < hs.ReadHeaderTimeout {
-// the whole request is at least as long as the header-only deadline;
-// a smaller ReadTimeout would make ReadHeaderTimeout unreachable.
-func TestReadTimeoutCoversHeaderTimeout(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	srv := server.NewHTTPServer(":8080", noopHandler())
-
-	if srv.ReadTimeout < srv.ReadHeaderTimeout {
 		t.Errorf(
 			"ReadTimeout (%v) must be >= ReadHeaderTimeout (%v)",
-			srv.ReadTimeout,
+			hs.ReadTimeout,
-			srv.ReadHeaderTimeout,
+			hs.ReadHeaderTimeout,
+		)
+	}
+
+	if hs.Handler != srv {
+		t.Errorf(
+			"Run wired handler %T, want the *server.Server",
+			hs.Handler,
 		)
 	}
 }
-
-// TestHTTPServerAddrAndHandler covers the rest of the constructor so
-// a future edit cannot drop the listen address or the handler.
-func TestHTTPServerAddrAndHandler(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	srv := server.NewHTTPServer(":9999", noopHandler())
-
-	if srv.Addr != ":9999" {
-		t.Errorf("Addr = %q, want %q", srv.Addr, ":9999")
-	}
-
-	if srv.Handler == nil {
-		t.Error("Handler must not be nil")
-	}
-}

internal/state/state.go

@@ -148,6 +148,11 @@ func New(
 
 	lifecycle.Append(fx.Hook{
 		OnStart: func(_ context.Context) error {
+			err := state.checkDataDirWritable()
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+
 			return state.Load()
 		},
 		OnStop: func(_ context.Context) error {
@@ -345,3 +350,27 @@ func (s *State) GetCertificateState(
 
 	return cs, ok
 }
+
+// checkDataDirWritable creates the data directory if needed, then writes
+// and removes the temp file that Save uses. It runs at startup so that an
+// unwritable directory stops the process, instead of the process running
+// with every save failing and only logged.
+func (s *State) checkDataDirWritable() error {
+	dir := s.config.DataDir
+	tmpPath := s.config.StatePath() + ".tmp"
+
+	err := os.MkdirAll(dir, dirPermissions)
+	if err == nil {
+		err = os.WriteFile(tmpPath, nil, filePermissions)
+	}
+
+	if err == nil {
+		err = os.Remove(tmpPath)
+	}
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("data directory %s is not writable: %w", dir, err)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}

internal/state/state_test.go

@@ -4,10 +4,16 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	"go.uber.org/fx/fxtest"
+
+	"sneak.berlin/go/dnswatcher/internal/config"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/dnswatcher/internal/globals"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/dnswatcher/internal/logger"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/dnswatcher/internal/state"
 )
 
@@ -493,6 +499,107 @@ func TestSaveWritePermissionError(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// startState builds a State through the real constructor and runs its
+// startup hook against dataDir, returning the startup error.
+func startState(t *testing.T, dataDir string) error {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	g, err := globals.New(nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("globals.New: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	log, err := logger.New(nil, logger.Params{Globals: g})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("logger.New: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	lifecycle := fxtest.NewLifecycle(t)
+
+	_, err = state.New(lifecycle, state.Params{
+		Logger: log,
+		Config: &config.Config{DataDir: dataDir},
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("state.New: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	return lifecycle.Start(t.Context())
+}
+
+// TestStartupFailsWhenDataDirNotWritable verifies that startup stops
+// with an error naming the data directory when it cannot be written.
+// The directory's parent is a regular file, which also fails as root.
+func TestStartupFailsWhenDataDirNotWritable(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	parent := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "file")
+
+	err := os.WriteFile(parent, nil, 0o600)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("writing file: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	dataDir := filepath.Join(parent, "data")
+
+	err = startState(t, dataDir)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("startup should fail when the data directory is not writable")
+	}
+
+	want := "data directory " + dataDir + " is not writable"
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), want) {
+		t.Errorf("startup error %q does not contain %q", err, want)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestStartupFailsWhenExistingDataDirNotWritable verifies that startup
+// stops when the data directory exists but the temp file that saving uses
+// cannot be written in it. A directory sitting at the temp file's path
+// makes that write fail, which also holds as root.
+func TestStartupFailsWhenExistingDataDirNotWritable(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	dataDir := t.TempDir()
+
+	err := os.Mkdir(filepath.Join(dataDir, "state.json.tmp"), 0o700)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("creating directory: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	err = startState(t, dataDir)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("startup should fail when the data directory is not writable")
+	}
+
+	want := "data directory " + dataDir + " is not writable"
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), want) {
+		t.Errorf("startup error %q does not contain %q", err, want)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestStartupCreatesDataDir verifies that startup creates a missing
+// data directory and leaves nothing behind in it.
+func TestStartupCreatesDataDir(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	dataDir := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "data")
+
+	err := startState(t, dataDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("startup error: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	entries, err := os.ReadDir(dataDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("reading data directory: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if len(entries) != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("startup left %d entries in the data directory", len(entries))
+	}
+}
+
 // TestPortStateUnmarshalJSON_NewFormat verifies deserialization of the
 // current multi-hostname format.
 func TestPortStateUnmarshalJSON_NewFormat(t *testing.T) {