diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 09f42ba..09138dd 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -220,7 +220,6 @@ proptest-regressions/
 
 # Package manager caches
 .cargo/
-!.cargo/config.toml
 
 # Claude/AI assistant files
 .claude/
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 8b8cc78..7f98bc1 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -859,7 +859,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "ant-node"
-version = "0.6.0"
+version = "0.7.0"
 dependencies = [
  "aes-gcm-siv",
  "alloy",
@@ -5217,8 +5217,6 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "saorsa-core"
 version = "0.18.1"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "0d3d05b97f789b0e0b7d54b2fe05f05edfafb94f72d065482fc20ce1e9fab69e"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "async-trait",
diff --git a/src/bin/ant-node/main.rs b/src/bin/ant-node/main.rs
index c3f557d..390798b 100644
--- a/src/bin/ant-node/main.rs
+++ b/src/bin/ant-node/main.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,14 @@ use tracing::{info, warn};
 use tracing_subscriber::prelude::*;
 use tracing_subscriber::{fmt, EnvFilter, Layer};
 
-#[tokio::main]
+/// Force at least 4 worker threads regardless of CPU count.
+///
+/// On small VMs (1-2 vCPU), the default `num_cpus` gives only 1-2 worker
+/// threads.  The NAT traversal `poll()` function does synchronous work
+/// (`parking_lot` locks, `DashMap` iteration) that blocks its worker thread.
+/// With only 1 worker, this freezes the entire runtime — timers stop,
+/// keepalives can't fire, and connections die silently.
+#[tokio::main(flavor = "multi_thread", worker_threads = 4)]
 async fn main() -> color_eyre::Result<()> {
     // Initialize error handling
     color_eyre::install()?;