diff --git a/store.go b/store.go
index 00a4aa4..79efb11 100644
--- a/store.go
+++ b/store.go
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ func New(databasePath string, options ...StoreOption) (*Store, error) {
 		}
 	}
 	storeInstance.startBackgroundPurge(purgeContext)
+	storeInstance.cleanUpOrphanedWorkspaces(defaultWorkspaceStateDirectory)
 	return storeInstance, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/workspace.go b/workspace.go
index 47cb3a5..ac1f8b8 100644
--- a/workspace.go
+++ b/workspace.go
@@ -133,6 +133,12 @@ func (storeInstance *Store) RecoverOrphans(stateDirectory string) []*Workspace {
 	return workspaces
 }
 
+func (storeInstance *Store) cleanUpOrphanedWorkspaces(stateDirectory string) {
+	for _, orphanWorkspace := range storeInstance.RecoverOrphans(stateDirectory) {
+		orphanWorkspace.Discard()
+	}
+}
+
 // Put appends one entry to the workspace buffer.
 // Usage example: `err := workspace.Put("like", map[string]any{"user": "@alice", "post": "video_123"})`
 func (workspace *Workspace) Put(kind string, data map[string]any) error {
diff --git a/workspace_test.go b/workspace_test.go
index 4e95d4c..2b9aedd 100644
--- a/workspace_test.go
+++ b/workspace_test.go
@@ -182,3 +182,22 @@ func TestWorkspace_RecoverOrphans_Good(t *testing.T) {
 	orphans[0].Discard()
 	assert.False(t, testFilesystem().Exists(workspaceFilePath(stateDirectory, "orphan-session")))
 }
+
+func TestWorkspace_New_Good_CleansUpOrphanedWorkspaces(t *testing.T) {
+	stateDirectory := useWorkspaceStateDirectory(t)
+	requireCoreOK(t, testFilesystem().EnsureDir(stateDirectory))
+
+	orphanDatabasePath := workspaceFilePath(stateDirectory, "orphan-session")
+	orphanDatabase, err := openWorkspaceDatabase(orphanDatabasePath)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NoError(t, orphanDatabase.Close())
+	assert.True(t, testFilesystem().Exists(orphanDatabasePath))
+
+	storeInstance, err := New(":memory:")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer storeInstance.Close()
+
+	assert.False(t, testFilesystem().Exists(orphanDatabasePath))
+	assert.False(t, testFilesystem().Exists(orphanDatabasePath+"-wal"))
+	assert.False(t, testFilesystem().Exists(orphanDatabasePath+"-shm"))
+}