diff --git a/dask_mpi/tests/test_cli.py b/dask_mpi/tests/test_cli.py
index e05de19..6437595 100644
--- a/dask_mpi/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/dask_mpi/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -10,6 +10,12 @@
 
 import requests
 
+import json
+
+import tempfile
+
+import subprocess
+
 from distributed import Client
 from distributed.comm.addressing import get_address_host_port
 from distributed.metrics import time
@@ -157,3 +163,61 @@ def test_bokeh_worker(loop, mpirun):
 
         with popen(cmd, stdin=FNULL):
             check_port_okay(59584)
+
+
+def tmpfile_static(extension="", dir=None):
+    """
+    utility function for test_stale_sched test
+    """
+
+    extension = "." + extension.lstrip(".")
+    handle, filename = tempfile.mkstemp(extension, dir=dir)
+    return handle, filename
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("nanny", ["--nanny", "--no-nanny"])
+def test_stale_sched(loop, nanny, mpirun):
+    """
+    the purpose of this unit test is to simulate the situation in which
+    an old scheduler file has been left behind from a non-clean dask exit.
+    in this situation the scheduler should wake up and overwrite the stale
+    file before the workers start.
+    """
+
+    fhandle, fn = tmpfile_static(extension="json")
+
+    stale_json = {
+        "type": "Scheduler",
+        "id": "Scheduler-edb63f9c-9e83-4021-8563-44bcffc451cc",
+        "address": "tcp://10.128.0.32:45373",
+        "services": {"dashboard": 8787},
+        "workers": {},
+    }
+
+    with open(fn, "w") as f:
+        json.dump(stale_json, f)
+
+    cmd = mpirun + [
+        "-np",
+        "4",
+        "dask-mpi",
+        "--scheduler-file",
+        fn,
+        "--dashboard-address",
+        "0",
+        nanny,
+    ]
+
+    p = subprocess.Popen(cmd)
+
+    sleep(5)
+
+    p.kill()
+
+    with open(fn) as f:
+        new_json = json.load(f)
+
+    os.close(fhandle)
+    os.remove(fn)
+
+    assert new_json != stale_json