diff --git a/src/utils/workloadState.test.ts b/src/utils/workloadState.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4d546a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/workloadState.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+import { formatWorkloadLogResponse } from './workloadState';
+
+describe('Workload Log Response Formatting', () => {
+  it('should include running state for active workload', () => {
+    const res = formatWorkloadLogResponse('test/app', 'log line 1', { running: true, state: 'running' });
+    expect(res.ok).toBe(true);
+    expect(res.running).toBe(true);
+    expect(res.state).toBe('running');
+  });
+
+  it('should surface exited state for stopped workload', () => {
+    const res = formatWorkloadLogResponse('test/app', 'probe line', { running: false, state: 'exited' });
+    expect(res.ok).toBe(true);
+    expect(res.running).toBe(false);
+    expect(res.state).toBe('exited');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/utils/workloadState.ts b/src/utils/workloadState.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4cb60b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/workloadState.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+export interface WorkloadLogStatus {
+  ok: boolean;
+  workload: string;
+  running: boolean;
+  state: string;
+  logs: string;
+}
+
+export function formatWorkloadLogResponse(
+  workload: string,
+  logs: string,
+  containerStatus?: { running?: boolean; state?: string }
+): WorkloadLogStatus {
+  const running = containerStatus?.running ?? true;
+  const state = containerStatus?.state ?? (running ? 'running' : 'exited');
+
+  return {
+    ok: true,
+    workload,
+    running,
+    state,
+    logs
+  };
+}