Techniques for maintaining mirrored storage cluster data consistency on systems with two-node, highly available storage solutions can employ an initiator-side agent operable to prevent split-brain scenarios. Split brain syndrome can be avoided, information identifying changes of synchronization states can be maintained, and both graceful and ungraceful shutdowns (or failures) of either one of the nodes or of the intelligent initiator itself can be mitigated. Technology presented herein supports load balancing and hot failover/failback in systems that may feature redundant network connectivity. Moreover, a method is supported for communicating storage cluster status between the storage nodes and the initiator.