diff --git a/pathwaysutils/experimental/shared_pathways_service/gke_utils.py b/pathwaysutils/experimental/shared_pathways_service/gke_utils.py
index a47199a..09ad42d 100644
--- a/pathwaysutils/experimental/shared_pathways_service/gke_utils.py
+++ b/pathwaysutils/experimental/shared_pathways_service/gke_utils.py
@@ -298,6 +298,32 @@ def enable_port_forwarding(
   return (port_available, port_forward_process)
 
 
+def stream_pod_logs(pod_name: str) -> subprocess.Popen[str]:
+  """Streams logs from the given pod.
+
+  Args:
+    pod_name: The name of the pod.
+
+  Returns:
+    The process for streaming the logs.
+
+  Raises:
+    Exception: If the log streaming fails.
+  """
+  command = ["kubectl", "logs", "-f", pod_name]
+  try:
+    return subprocess.Popen(
+        command,
+        stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+        stderr=subprocess.STDOUT,
+        text=True,
+        bufsize=1,  # Line buffered
+    )
+  except Exception as _:
+    _logger.exception("Error streaming logs for pod %s", pod_name)
+    raise
+
+
 def delete_gke_job(job_name: str) -> None:
   """Deletes the given job from the GKE cluster.
 
diff --git a/pathwaysutils/experimental/shared_pathways_service/isc_pathways.py b/pathwaysutils/experimental/shared_pathways_service/isc_pathways.py
index 5e3c618..3c3b95a 100644
--- a/pathwaysutils/experimental/shared_pathways_service/isc_pathways.py
+++ b/pathwaysutils/experimental/shared_pathways_service/isc_pathways.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 import random
 import string
 import subprocess
+import threading
 from typing import Any
 
 import jax
@@ -123,6 +124,50 @@ def _deploy_pathways_proxy_server(
   _logger.info("Successfully deployed Pathways proxy.")
 
 
+def _wait_for_placement(
+    pod_name: str,
+    num_slices: int,
+    stream_logs_func=gke_utils.stream_pod_logs,
+) -> None:
+  """Waits for the placement to be complete by checking proxy logs."""
+  _logger.info("Streaming proxy logs until the placement is complete...")
+  with stream_logs_func(pod_name) as log_process:
+    keywords = [
+        "placement",
+        "Signaling to RM",
+        "Transition slice",
+        "FAILED_PRECONDITION",
+    ]
+    end_phrase = "unplaced -> placed"
+    placement_count = 0
+
+    if not log_process.stdout:
+      _logger.error("Log streaming process stdout is empty. Terminating.")
+      log_process.terminate()
+      _, stderr = log_process.communicate()
+      raise RuntimeError(
+          "Failed to stream proxy logs: stdout not available.\n"
+          f"STDERR: {stderr}"
+      )
+
+    for line in log_process.stdout:
+      line_lower = line.lower()
+      if any(keyword.lower() in line_lower for keyword in keywords):
+        _logger.info("Proxy log: %s", line.strip())
+
+      if end_phrase.lower() in line_lower:
+        placement_count += 1
+        if placement_count < num_slices:
+          _logger.info(
+              "TPU slice %d/%d placed!",
+              placement_count,
+              num_slices,
+          )
+        else:
+          _logger.info("TPU placement for %d slice(s) complete!", num_slices)
+          break
+
+
 def _restore_env_var(key: str, original_value: str | None) -> None:
   """Restores an environment variable to its original value or unsets it."""
   if original_value is None:
@@ -147,6 +192,7 @@ class _ISCPathways:
     expected_tpu_instances: A dictionary mapping TPU machine types to the number
       of instances.
     proxy_job_name: The name to use for the deployed proxy.
+    proxy_pod_name: The name of the proxy pod, assigned during deployment.
     proxy_server_image: The image to use for the proxy server.
     proxy_options: Configuration options for the Pathways proxy.
   """
@@ -171,6 +217,7 @@ def __init__(
     self.pathways_service = pathways_service
     self.expected_tpu_instances = expected_tpu_instances
     self._proxy_job_name = proxy_job_name
+    self.proxy_pod_name: str = ""
     self._port_forward_process = None
     self._proxy_port = None
     self.proxy_server_image = proxy_server_image
@@ -220,9 +267,11 @@ def __enter__(self):
       )
       _logger.info("View proxy logs in Cloud Logging: %s", cloud_logging_link)
 
-      proxy_pod = gke_utils.wait_for_pod(self._proxy_job_name)
+      self.proxy_pod_name = gke_utils.wait_for_pod(self._proxy_job_name)
       self._proxy_port, self._port_forward_process = (
-          gke_utils.enable_port_forwarding(proxy_pod, PROXY_SERVER_PORT)
+          gke_utils.enable_port_forwarding(
+              self.proxy_pod_name, PROXY_SERVER_PORT
+          )
       )
 
       # Update the JAX backend to use the proxy.
@@ -351,4 +400,20 @@ def connect(
       proxy_server_image=proxy_server_image,
       proxy_options=proxy_options,
   ) as t:
+    if t.proxy_pod_name:
+      num_slices = sum(t.expected_tpu_instances.values())
+      placement_thread = threading.Thread(
+          target=_wait_for_placement,
+          args=(
+              t.proxy_pod_name,
+              num_slices,
+          ),
+          daemon=True,
+      )
+      placement_thread.start()
+    else:
+      _logger.warning(
+          "proxy_pod_name not set on _ISCPathways instance, skipping background"
+          " _wait_for_placement."
+      )
     yield t