diff --git a/src/Core/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Cluster/AkkaClusterOptions.cs b/src/Core/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Cluster/AkkaClusterOptions.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..89a7cc7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Core/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Cluster/AkkaClusterOptions.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+namespace ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Cluster;
+
+public sealed class AkkaClusterOptions
+{
+    public const string SectionName = "Cluster";
+
+    public string SystemName { get; set; } = "otopcua";
+    public string Hostname { get; set; } = "0.0.0.0";
+    public int Port { get; set; } = 4053;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Hostname advertised in cluster gossip. Must be reachable by other nodes.
+    /// In docker-compose this is the container DNS name; in bare metal it's the
+    /// host's stable LAN address.
+    /// </summary>
+    public string PublicHostname { get; set; } = "127.0.0.1";
+
+    public string[] SeedNodes { get; set; } = Array.Empty<string>();
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Cluster roles for this node. When empty the role list comes from
+    /// <c>OTOPCUA_ROLES</c> via <see cref="RoleParser"/>. Allowed values:
+    /// <c>admin</c>, <c>driver</c>, <c>dev</c>.
+    /// </summary>
+    public string[] Roles { get; set; } = Array.Empty<string>();
+}
diff --git a/src/Core/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Cluster/AkkaHostedService.cs b/src/Core/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Cluster/AkkaHostedService.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..86e359f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Core/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Cluster/AkkaHostedService.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+using Akka.Actor;
+using Akka.Configuration;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Options;
+
+namespace ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Cluster;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Starts the local <see cref="ActorSystem"/>, applies the embedded HOCON plus an overlay
+/// generated from <see cref="AkkaClusterOptions"/>, and joins the cluster. On shutdown,
+/// runs <c>CoordinatedShutdown</c> with the <c>ClusterLeavingReason</c> so the local node
+/// leaves the cluster cleanly before the process exits.
+/// </summary>
+public sealed class AkkaHostedService : IHostedService
+{
+    private readonly AkkaClusterOptions _options;
+    private readonly ILogger<AkkaHostedService> _logger;
+    private ActorSystem? _actorSystem;
+
+    public AkkaHostedService(IOptions<AkkaClusterOptions> options, ILogger<AkkaHostedService> logger)
+    {
+        _options = options.Value;
+        _logger = logger;
+    }
+
+    public ActorSystem ActorSystem =>
+        _actorSystem ?? throw new InvalidOperationException(
+            "ActorSystem requested before AkkaHostedService.StartAsync ran.");
+
+    public Task StartAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+    {
+        var overlay = BuildOverlay(_options);
+        var baseConfig = ConfigurationFactory.ParseString(HoconLoader.LoadBaseConfig());
+        var config = ConfigurationFactory.ParseString(overlay).WithFallback(baseConfig);
+
+        _logger.LogInformation(
+            "Starting ActorSystem '{System}' on {Host}:{Port} with roles=[{Roles}]",
+            _options.SystemName, _options.PublicHostname, _options.Port,
+            string.Join(",", _options.Roles));
+
+        _actorSystem = ActorSystem.Create(_options.SystemName, config);
+
+        if (_options.SeedNodes.Length > 0)
+        {
+            var seeds = _options.SeedNodes.Select(Address.Parse).ToList();
+            Akka.Cluster.Cluster.Get(_actorSystem).JoinSeedNodes(seeds);
+        }
+
+        return Task.CompletedTask;
+    }
+
+    public async Task StopAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+    {
+        if (_actorSystem is null) return;
+
+        _logger.LogInformation("Initiating cluster-leave CoordinatedShutdown");
+        var shutdown = CoordinatedShutdown.Get(_actorSystem);
+        using var cts = CancellationTokenSource.CreateLinkedTokenSource(cancellationToken);
+        cts.CancelAfter(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(30));
+
+        try
+        {
+            await shutdown.Run(CoordinatedShutdown.ClusterLeavingReason.Instance)
+                .WaitAsync(cts.Token).ConfigureAwait(false);
+        }
+        catch (OperationCanceledException)
+        {
+            _logger.LogWarning("Cluster leave timed out after 30s; forcing terminate");
+            await _actorSystem.Terminate().ConfigureAwait(false);
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static string BuildOverlay(AkkaClusterOptions o)
+    {
+        var seeds = string.Join(",", o.SeedNodes.Select(Quote));
+        var roles = string.Join(",", o.Roles.Select(Quote));
+        return $@"
+akka {{
+    remote.dot-netty.tcp {{
+        hostname = {Quote(o.Hostname)}
+        port = {o.Port}
+        public-hostname = {Quote(o.PublicHostname)}
+    }}
+    cluster {{
+        seed-nodes = [{seeds}]
+        roles = [{roles}]
+    }}
+}}";
+    }
+
+    private static string Quote(string? value)
+    {
+        var escaped = (value ?? string.Empty).Replace("\\", "\\\\").Replace("\"", "\\\"");
+        return $"\"{escaped}\"";
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/Core/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Cluster/ServiceCollectionExtensions.cs b/src/Core/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Cluster/ServiceCollectionExtensions.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7d22e4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Core/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Cluster/ServiceCollectionExtensions.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+using Akka.Actor;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting;
+using ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Commons.Interfaces;
+
+namespace ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Cluster;
+
+public static class ServiceCollectionExtensions
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Registers the Akka cluster hosted service and exposes <see cref="ActorSystem"/> and
+    /// <see cref="IClusterRoleInfo"/> as singletons resolved from it. Call after binding
+    /// <c>OTOPCUA_ROLES</c> into <c>AkkaClusterOptions.Roles</c> via the calling Program.cs.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static IServiceCollection AddOtOpcUaCluster(this IServiceCollection services, IConfiguration configuration)
+    {
+        services.AddOptions<AkkaClusterOptions>()
+            .Bind(configuration.GetSection(AkkaClusterOptions.SectionName));
+
+        services.AddSingleton<AkkaHostedService>();
+        services.AddHostedService(sp => sp.GetRequiredService<AkkaHostedService>());
+        services.AddSingleton<ActorSystem>(sp => sp.GetRequiredService<AkkaHostedService>().ActorSystem);
+        services.AddSingleton<IClusterRoleInfo, ClusterRoleInfo>();
+
+        return services;
+    }
+}