diff --git a/nomad/fsm.go b/nomad/fsm.go
index 26dba94ed..77a47a6c3 100644
--- a/nomad/fsm.go
+++ b/nomad/fsm.go
@@ -1513,10 +1513,11 @@ func (n *nomadFSM) restoreImpl(old io.ReadCloser, filter *FSMFilter) error {
 
 	// Create a new state store
 	config := &state.StateStoreConfig{
-		Logger:          n.config.Logger,
-		Region:          n.config.Region,
-		EnablePublisher: n.config.EnableEventBroker,
-		EventBufferSize: n.config.EventBufferSize,
+		Logger:             n.config.Logger,
+		Region:             n.config.Region,
+		EnablePublisher:    n.config.EnableEventBroker,
+		EventBufferSize:    n.config.EventBufferSize,
+		JobTrackedVersions: n.config.JobTrackedVersions,
 	}
 	newState, err := state.NewStateStore(config)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/nomad/state/state_store.go b/nomad/state/state_store.go
index 63db0b092..bc21105ae 100644
--- a/nomad/state/state_store.go
+++ b/nomad/state/state_store.go
@@ -105,6 +105,13 @@ type StateStoreConfig struct {
 	JobTrackedVersions int
 }
 
+func (c *StateStoreConfig) Validate() error {
+	if c.JobTrackedVersions <= 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("JobTrackedVersions must be positive; got: %d", c.JobTrackedVersions)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // The StateStore is responsible for maintaining all the Nomad
 // state. It is manipulated by the FSM which maintains consistency
 // through the use of Raft. The goals of the StateStore are to provide
@@ -139,6 +146,10 @@ func (a *streamACLDelegate) TokenProvider() stream.ACLTokenProvider {
 
 // NewStateStore is used to create a new state store
 func NewStateStore(config *StateStoreConfig) (*StateStore, error) {
+	if err := config.Validate(); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	// Create the MemDB
 	db, err := memdb.NewMemDB(stateStoreSchema())
 	if err != nil {
@@ -2031,6 +2042,11 @@ func (s *StateStore) deleteJobVersions(index uint64, job *structs.Job, txn *txn)
 // upsertJobVersion inserts a job into its historic version table and limits the
 // number of job versions that are tracked.
 func (s *StateStore) upsertJobVersion(index uint64, job *structs.Job, txn *txn) error {
+	// JobTrackedVersions really must not be zero here
+	if err := s.config.Validate(); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	// Insert the job
 	if err := txn.Insert("job_version", job); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to insert job into job_version table: %v", err)
diff --git a/nomad/state/state_store_test.go b/nomad/state/state_store_test.go
index 52778d092..9f67e78c6 100644
--- a/nomad/state/state_store_test.go
+++ b/nomad/state/state_store_test.go
@@ -29,6 +29,17 @@ func testStateStore(t *testing.T) *StateStore {
 	return TestStateStore(t)
 }
 
+func TestStateStore_InvalidConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	config := &StateStoreConfig{
+		// default zero value, but explicit because it causes validation failure
+		JobTrackedVersions: 0,
+	}
+	store, err := NewStateStore(config)
+	must.Nil(t, store)
+	must.Error(t, err)
+	must.ErrorContains(t, err, "JobTrackedVersions must be positive")
+}
+
 func TestStateStore_Blocking_Error(t *testing.T) {
 	ci.Parallel(t)
 
diff --git a/nomad/state/testing.go b/nomad/state/testing.go
index dcad49098..cb955ffa4 100644
--- a/nomad/state/testing.go
+++ b/nomad/state/testing.go
@@ -32,11 +32,13 @@ func TestStateStore(t testing.TB) *StateStore {
 
 func TestStateStorePublisher(t testing.TB) *StateStoreConfig {
 	return &StateStoreConfig{
-		Logger:          testlog.HCLogger(t),
-		Region:          "global",
-		EnablePublisher: true,
+		Logger:             testlog.HCLogger(t),
+		Region:             "global",
+		EnablePublisher:    true,
+		JobTrackedVersions: structs.JobDefaultTrackedVersions,
 	}
 }
+
 func TestStateStoreCfg(t testing.TB, cfg *StateStoreConfig) *StateStore {
 	state, err := NewStateStore(cfg)
 	if err != nil {