diff --git a/hscontrol/policy/pm.go b/hscontrol/policy/pm.go
index 04269a672..78bf62438 100644
--- a/hscontrol/policy/pm.go
+++ b/hscontrol/policy/pm.go
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ type PolicyManager interface {
 	// adjacency may have changed. Both are false when the list is unchanged.
 	SetUsers(users []types.User) (policyChanged, peerMapChanged bool, err error)
 	SetNodes(nodes views.Slice[types.NodeView]) (bool, error)
+	// NodesGeneration counts SetNodes calls that reported a change; see
+	// [policyv2.PolicyManager.NodesGeneration].
+	NodesGeneration() uint64
 	// NodeCanHaveTag reports whether the given node can have the given tag.
 	NodeCanHaveTag(node types.NodeView, tag string) bool
 
diff --git a/hscontrol/policy/v2/policy.go b/hscontrol/policy/v2/policy.go
index 4939c27fb..8ca9819fe 100644
--- a/hscontrol/policy/v2/policy.go
+++ b/hscontrol/policy/v2/policy.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"slices"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/policy/matcher"
@@ -88,6 +89,11 @@ type PolicyManager struct {
 	nodeAttrsMap     map[types.NodeID]tailcfg.NodeCapMap
 	nodeAttrsHashes  map[types.NodeID]deephash.Sum
 	nodeAttrsChanged []types.NodeID
+
+	// nodesGen counts SetNodes calls that reported a change, so a caller
+	// can tell the policy moved even when another goroutine (the
+	// NodeStore writer) applied the SetNodes.
+	nodesGen atomic.Uint64
 }
 
 // filterAndPolicy combines the compiled filter rules with policy content for hashing.
@@ -917,12 +923,25 @@ func (pm *PolicyManager) SetNodes(nodes views.Slice[types.NodeView]) (bool, erro
 		}
 		// Always return true when nodes changed, even if filter hash didn't change
 		// (can happen with autogroup:self or when nodes are added but don't affect rules)
+		pm.nodesGen.Add(1)
+
 		return true, nil
 	}
 
 	return false, nil
 }
 
+// NodesGeneration returns how many SetNodes calls have reported a change.
+// A value past the last one a caller acted on means some SetNodes since
+// then, possibly run on another goroutine, moved the policy.
+func (pm *PolicyManager) NodesGeneration() uint64 {
+	if pm == nil {
+		return 0
+	}
+
+	return pm.nodesGen.Load()
+}
+
 // nodeIDViewMap indexes a slice of node views by node ID. On duplicate IDs the
 // last view wins, matching the open-coded loops it replaces.
 func nodeIDViewMap(s views.Slice[types.NodeView]) map[types.NodeID]types.NodeView {
diff --git a/hscontrol/policy/v2/policy_test.go b/hscontrol/policy/v2/policy_test.go
index 77c49a2b0..87b9ab3df 100644
--- a/hscontrol/policy/v2/policy_test.go
+++ b/hscontrol/policy/v2/policy_test.go
@@ -2869,3 +2869,33 @@ func BenchmarkSetNodes(b *testing.B) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+// TestNodesGenerationCountsChangingSetNodes pins that NodesGeneration
+// moves exactly when SetNodes reports a change, so a caller that did not
+// run the SetNodes itself can still tell its write moved the policy.
+func TestNodesGenerationCountsChangingSetNodes(t *testing.T) {
+	users := types.Users{{ID: 1, Name: "user1"}}
+
+	nodes := types.Nodes{node("n1", "100.64.0.1", "fd7a:115c:a1e0::1", users[0])}
+	nodes[0].ID = 1
+
+	pm, err := NewPolicyManager([]byte(`{
+		"acls": [{"action": "accept", "src": ["user1@"], "dst": ["user1@:*"]}]
+	}`), users, nodes.ViewSlice())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	gen := pm.NodesGeneration()
+
+	changed, err := pm.SetNodes(nodes.ViewSlice())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.False(t, changed)
+	require.Equal(t, gen, pm.NodesGeneration(), "unchanged nodes must not advance the generation")
+
+	added := node("n2", "100.64.0.2", "fd7a:115c:a1e0::2", users[0])
+	added.ID = 2
+
+	changed, err = pm.SetNodes(append(nodes, added).ViewSlice())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.True(t, changed)
+	require.Equal(t, gen+1, pm.NodesGeneration(), "a changing SetNodes must advance the generation once")
+}