diff --git a/temporalio/contrib/external_workflow_streams/_api.py b/temporalio/contrib/external_workflow_streams/_api.py
index c89986954..feca4ca7d 100644
--- a/temporalio/contrib/external_workflow_streams/_api.py
+++ b/temporalio/contrib/external_workflow_streams/_api.py
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
 and diverge from the live run.
 """
 
-#: Where per-Run subscription state hangs off the Workflow instance. Reserved,
+#: Where per-Run subscription state hangs off the SDK's Run object. Reserved,
 #: and deliberately not in the ``__temporal_workflow_stream*`` namespace the
 #: shipped contrib feature already owns.
 _RUN_STATE_ATTR = "__temporal_external_stream_state"
@@ -175,9 +175,11 @@ def discard_pending(self, wait_id: int) -> None:
 class _RunState:
     """Per-Run subscription bookkeeping.
 
-    Lives on the Workflow instance rather than in a module global, so it shares
-    the instance's lifetime exactly -- a module global would outlive an evicted
-    Run and hand its wait ids to the next one.
+    Lives on the SDK's object for the Run rather than in a module global, so it
+    shares the Run's lifetime exactly -- a module global would outlive an evicted
+    Run and hand its wait ids to the next one. Not on the user's Workflow object
+    either: that object does not exist while its ``@workflow.init`` constructor
+    runs, and a constructor may publish.
     """
 
     runtime: ExternalStreamRuntime | None = None
@@ -186,26 +188,32 @@ class _RunState:
     pending: dict[int, Any] = field(default_factory=dict)
 
 
+def _run_holder() -> Any:
+    """The object per-Run state hangs off: the SDK's runtime for the current Run."""
+    return temporalio.workflow._Runtime.current()
+
+
 def _run_state() -> _RunState:
-    instance = temporalio.workflow.instance()
-    state = getattr(instance, _RUN_STATE_ATTR, None)
+    holder = _run_holder()
+    state = getattr(holder, _RUN_STATE_ATTR, None)
     if state is None:
         state = _RunState()
-        setattr(instance, _RUN_STATE_ATTR, state)
+        setattr(holder, _RUN_STATE_ATTR, state)
     return state
 
 
 def _install_runtime(  # pyright: ignore[reportUnusedFunction]
-    instance: Any, runtime: ExternalStreamRuntime
+    holder: Any, runtime: ExternalStreamRuntime
 ) -> None:
-    """Gives a Workflow instance its handle to the Worker's manager.
+    """Gives a Run its handle to the Worker's manager.
 
-    Called by the Worker when it creates the instance.
+    Called by the Worker with its object for the Run, before the Workflow's
+    constructor runs, so a constructor can subscribe and publish.
     """
-    state = getattr(instance, _RUN_STATE_ATTR, None)
+    state = getattr(holder, _RUN_STATE_ATTR, None)
     if state is None:
         state = _RunState()
-        setattr(instance, _RUN_STATE_ATTR, state)
+        setattr(holder, _RUN_STATE_ATTR, state)
     state.runtime = runtime
 
 
diff --git a/temporalio/worker/_workflow_instance.py b/temporalio/worker/_workflow_instance.py
index c7a8ae7ca..8dcd507ff 100644
--- a/temporalio/worker/_workflow_instance.py
+++ b/temporalio/worker/_workflow_instance.py
@@ -315,6 +315,19 @@ def __init__(self, det: WorkflowInstanceDetails) -> None:
         self._extern_functions = det.extern_functions
         self._external_stream_runtime = det.external_stream_runtime
         self._external_streams_configured = det.external_streams_configured
+        # Installed on this object, before the Workflow's constructor runs, so a
+        # ``@workflow.init`` constructor can publish and subscribe. Per-Run state
+        # must share the Run's lifetime, which this object has and a module global
+        # would not.
+        if (
+            self._external_stream_runtime is not None
+            and self._external_streams_configured
+        ):
+            from temporalio.contrib.external_workflow_streams._api import (
+                _install_runtime,
+            )
+
+            _install_runtime(self, self._external_stream_runtime)
         self._pending_replay_finish: Any = None
         """A marker replay whose last segment the activation's own drain serves.
 
@@ -3211,20 +3224,6 @@ def _instantiate_workflow_object(self) -> Any:
         else:
             workflow_instance = self._defn.cls()
 
-        # Hand the workflow object its External Stream handle. It goes on the
-        # object rather than in a module global because per-Run state must share
-        # the Run's lifetime exactly -- a global would outlive an evicted Run and
-        # hand its wait ids to the next one.
-        if (
-            self._external_stream_runtime is not None
-            and self._external_streams_configured
-        ):
-            from temporalio.contrib.external_workflow_streams._api import (
-                _install_runtime,
-            )
-
-            _install_runtime(workflow_instance, self._external_stream_runtime)
-
         if self._defn.versioning_behavior:
             self._versioning_behavior = self._defn.versioning_behavior
         # If there's a dynamic config function, call it now after we've instantiated the object
diff --git a/tests/contrib/external_workflow_streams/test_api.py b/tests/contrib/external_workflow_streams/test_api.py
index 08d725761..86f36bf33 100644
--- a/tests/contrib/external_workflow_streams/test_api.py
+++ b/tests/contrib/external_workflow_streams/test_api.py
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 import pytest
 
 import temporalio.converter
-import temporalio.workflow
 from temporalio.contrib.external_workflow_streams import _api
 from temporalio.contrib.external_workflow_streams._api import (
     DEFAULT_IDLE_TIMEOUT,
@@ -129,7 +128,10 @@ class FakeInstance:
 @pytest.fixture
 def workflow_instance(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> FakeInstance:
     instance = FakeInstance()
-    monkeypatch.setattr(temporalio.workflow, "instance", lambda: instance)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "temporalio.contrib.external_workflow_streams._api._run_holder",
+        lambda: instance,
+    )
     return instance
 
 
@@ -223,7 +225,10 @@ def test_wait_ids_reproduce_across_two_runs_of_the_same_code(
 
     def run_once() -> list[int]:
         instance = FakeInstance()
-        monkeypatch.setattr(temporalio.workflow, "instance", lambda: instance)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            "temporalio.contrib.external_workflow_streams._api._run_holder",
+            lambda: instance,
+        )
         _install_runtime(instance, FakeRuntime())
         return [
             external_stream.topic(name).subscribe().wait_id
@@ -257,12 +262,18 @@ def test_a_second_run_restarts_the_counter(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> N
     A module global would outlive the Run and hand its wait ids to the next one.
     """
     first_instance = FakeInstance()
-    monkeypatch.setattr(temporalio.workflow, "instance", lambda: first_instance)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "temporalio.contrib.external_workflow_streams._api._run_holder",
+        lambda: first_instance,
+    )
     _install_runtime(first_instance, FakeRuntime())
     external_stream.topic("tokens").subscribe()
 
     second_instance = FakeInstance()
-    monkeypatch.setattr(temporalio.workflow, "instance", lambda: second_instance)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "temporalio.contrib.external_workflow_streams._api._run_holder",
+        lambda: second_instance,
+    )
     _install_runtime(second_instance, FakeRuntime())
 
     assert external_stream.topic("tokens").subscribe().wait_id == 1
diff --git a/tests/contrib/external_workflow_streams/test_delivery_budget.py b/tests/contrib/external_workflow_streams/test_delivery_budget.py
index 79386d6fe..3c766417b 100644
--- a/tests/contrib/external_workflow_streams/test_delivery_budget.py
+++ b/tests/contrib/external_workflow_streams/test_delivery_budget.py
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 import pytest
 
 import temporalio.converter
-import temporalio.workflow
 from temporalio.contrib.external_workflow_streams import _runtime as _runtime_module
 from temporalio.contrib.external_workflow_streams._annotation import (
     MAX_ANNOTATION_BYTES,
@@ -73,7 +72,10 @@ class FakeInstance:
 @pytest.fixture
 def workflow_instance(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> FakeInstance:
     instance = FakeInstance()
-    monkeypatch.setattr(temporalio.workflow, "instance", lambda: instance)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "temporalio.contrib.external_workflow_streams._api._run_holder",
+        lambda: instance,
+    )
     return instance
 
 
diff --git a/tests/contrib/external_workflow_streams/test_multi_stream.py b/tests/contrib/external_workflow_streams/test_multi_stream.py
index c90acb21c..2bdb5c90b 100644
--- a/tests/contrib/external_workflow_streams/test_multi_stream.py
+++ b/tests/contrib/external_workflow_streams/test_multi_stream.py
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 import pytest_asyncio
 
 import temporalio.converter
-import temporalio.workflow
 from temporalio import workflow
 from temporalio.client import Client
 from temporalio.contrib.external_workflow_streams._annotation import decode_annotation
@@ -215,7 +214,10 @@ class Instance:
         """Stands in for the Workflow object the per-Run state hangs off."""
 
     instance = Instance()
-    monkeypatch.setattr(temporalio.workflow, "instance", lambda: instance)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "temporalio.contrib.external_workflow_streams._api._run_holder",
+        lambda: instance,
+    )
     runtime = make_runtime(manager, backend, idle=timedelta(seconds=1))
     _install_runtime(instance, runtime)  # type: ignore[arg-type]
 
@@ -518,7 +520,10 @@ class FakeInstance:
 @pytest.fixture
 def fake_runtime(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> FakeRuntime:
     instance = FakeInstance()
-    monkeypatch.setattr(temporalio.workflow, "instance", lambda: instance)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "temporalio.contrib.external_workflow_streams._api._run_holder",
+        lambda: instance,
+    )
     runtime = FakeRuntime()
     _install_runtime(instance, runtime)  # type: ignore[arg-type]
     return runtime
@@ -802,7 +807,10 @@ class Instance:
         pass
 
     instance = Instance()
-    monkeypatch.setattr(temporalio.workflow, "instance", lambda: instance)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "temporalio.contrib.external_workflow_streams._api._run_holder",
+        lambda: instance,
+    )
     runtime = make_runtime(manager, backend)
     _install_runtime(instance, runtime)  # type: ignore[arg-type]
     return runtime
diff --git a/tests/contrib/external_workflow_streams/test_replay.py b/tests/contrib/external_workflow_streams/test_replay.py
index bc9ee978c..d0d15490b 100644
--- a/tests/contrib/external_workflow_streams/test_replay.py
+++ b/tests/contrib/external_workflow_streams/test_replay.py
@@ -2103,7 +2103,10 @@ async def test_a_segment_replays_in_its_recorded_cross_stream_order(
 
     runtime = make_runtime(manager, backend)
     instance = FakeInstance()
-    monkeypatch.setattr(temporalio.workflow, "instance", lambda: instance)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "temporalio.contrib.external_workflow_streams._api._run_holder",
+        lambda: instance,
+    )
     _install_runtime(instance, runtime)
 
     runtime.begin_replay(plan.annotation.header.streams)
diff --git a/tests/contrib/external_workflow_streams/test_worker_integration.py b/tests/contrib/external_workflow_streams/test_worker_integration.py
index cf797719f..f2ed9d9fb 100644
--- a/tests/contrib/external_workflow_streams/test_worker_integration.py
+++ b/tests/contrib/external_workflow_streams/test_worker_integration.py
@@ -132,6 +132,32 @@ async def run(self) -> None:
             timer.cancel()
 
 
+@workflow.defn
+class SubscribeInInitWorkflow:
+    """Subscribes from its ``@workflow.init`` constructor and consumes in ``run``.
+
+    The user's object does not exist yet while the constructor runs, so per-Run
+    stream state cannot hang off it.
+    """
+
+    @workflow.init
+    def __init__(self, expected: int) -> None:
+        self._tokens = (
+            external_stream.with_options(idle_timeout=timedelta(seconds=30))
+            .topic("tokens", type=str)
+            .subscribe()
+        )
+
+    @workflow.run
+    async def run(self, expected: int) -> list[str]:
+        seen: list[str] = []
+        async for token in self._tokens:
+            seen.append(token)
+            if len(seen) >= expected:
+                break
+        return seen
+
+
 @pytest.fixture
 def backend() -> MemoryStreamBackend:
     return MemoryStreamBackend()
@@ -210,6 +236,34 @@ async def test_a_workflow_consumes_records_it_never_read_itself(
         ]
 
 
+async def test_a_constructor_can_subscribe(
+    client: Client, backend: MemoryStreamBackend
+) -> None:
+    task_queue = f"tq-{uuid.uuid4()}"
+    async with Worker(
+        client,
+        task_queue=task_queue,
+        workflows=[SubscribeInInitWorkflow],
+        external_stream_backend=backend,
+    ):
+        handle = await client.start_workflow(
+            SubscribeInInitWorkflow.run,
+            2,
+            id=f"wf-{uuid.uuid4()}",
+            task_queue=task_queue,
+        )
+        description = await handle.describe()
+        key = StreamKey(
+            client.namespace,
+            handle.id,
+            description.raw_description.workflow_execution_info.first_run_id,
+            "tokens",
+        )
+        await publish(backend, key, ["alpha", "beta"])
+
+        assert await asyncio.wait_for(handle.result(), 30) == ["alpha", "beta"]
+
+
 async def test_no_stream_payload_reaches_history(
     client: Client, backend: MemoryStreamBackend
 ) -> None: