Index: flexoentity/domain_manager.py
===================================================================
--- flexoentity/domain_manager.py	(revision 1f5bf2d93db39da80b62ad71327aec892abbf357)
+++ flexoentity/domain_manager.py	(revision e230c4058e9588cd8c4bb65512c19bdbdb5d076b)
@@ -73,5 +73,5 @@
 
     def delete(self, flexo_id: str):
-        dom = self.backend.load(flexo_id)
+        dom = self.local_backend.load(flexo_id)
         if dom is None:
             return
@@ -130,5 +130,5 @@
 
     def clear(self):
-        self.backend.clear()
+        self.local_backend.clear()
 
     def __repr__(self):
Index: tests/conftest.py
===================================================================
--- tests/conftest.py	(revision 1f5bf2d93db39da80b62ad71327aec892abbf357)
+++ tests/conftest.py	(revision e230c4058e9588cd8c4bb65512c19bdbdb5d076b)
@@ -28,12 +28,22 @@
 
 @pytest.fixture
-def backend():
+def local_backend():
     return InMemoryBackend(Domain)
 
+@pytest.fixture
+def staging_backend():
+    return InMemoryBackend(Domain)
 
 @pytest.fixture
-def sample_domain_manager(backend):
-    return DomainManager(CompositeBackend(authoritative_backend=backend,
-                                          sync_backends=None), EntityRegistry())
+def permanent_backend():
+    return InMemoryBackend(Domain)
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def sample_domain_manager(local_backend, staging_backend, permanent_backend):
+    return DomainManager(local_backend=local_backend,
+                         staging_backend=staging_backend,
+                         permanent_backend=CompositeBackend(authoritative_backend=permanent_backend,
+                                                            sync_backends=None),
+                         registry=EntityRegistry())
 
 # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Index: tests/test_in_memory_backend.py
===================================================================
--- tests/test_in_memory_backend.py	(revision 1f5bf2d93db39da80b62ad71327aec892abbf357)
+++ tests/test_in_memory_backend.py	(revision e230c4058e9588cd8c4bb65512c19bdbdb5d076b)
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@
 
 
-def test_save_and_load_roundtrip(backend, sample_domain):
-    backend.save(sample_domain)
+def test_save_and_load_roundtrip(local_backend, sample_domain):
+    local_backend.save(sample_domain)
 
-    loaded = backend.load(sample_domain.flexo_id)
+    loaded = local_backend.load(sample_domain.flexo_id)
     assert isinstance(loaded, Domain)
     # important: entity equality is probably identity-based, so compare dicts:
@@ -15,27 +15,27 @@
 
 
-def test_update_overwrites_entity(backend, sample_domain):
-    backend.save(sample_domain)
+def test_update_overwrites_entity(local_backend, sample_domain):
+    local_backend.save(sample_domain)
 
     # change something
     sample_domain.description = "UPDATED DESC"
-    backend.update(sample_domain)
+    local_backend.update(sample_domain)
 
-    loaded = backend.load(sample_domain.flexo_id)
+    loaded = local_backend.load(sample_domain.flexo_id)
     assert loaded.description == "UPDATED DESC"
 
 
-def test_delete_removes_entity(backend, sample_domain):
-    backend.save(sample_domain)
-    backend.delete(sample_domain.flexo_id)
+def test_delete_removes_entity(local_backend, sample_domain):
+    local_backend.save(sample_domain)
+    local_backend.delete(sample_domain.flexo_id)
 
-    assert backend.load(sample_domain.flexo_id) is None
-    assert backend.load_all() == []
+    assert local_backend.load(sample_domain.flexo_id) is None
+    assert local_backend.load_all() == []
 
 
-def test_clear_removes_all(backend, sample_domain):
-    backend.save(sample_domain)
-    backend.clear()
+def test_clear_removes_all(local_backend, sample_domain):
+    local_backend.save(sample_domain)
+    local_backend.clear()
 
-    assert backend.load(sample_domain.flexo_id) is None
-    assert backend.load_all() == []
+    assert local_backend.load(sample_domain.flexo_id) is None
+    assert local_backend.load_all() == []