diff --git a/server/pom.xml b/server/pom.xml
index 01ac31bb..9d18afa6 100644
--- a/server/pom.xml
+++ b/server/pom.xml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
         <project.reporting.outputEncoding>UTF-8</project.reporting.outputEncoding>
         <quarkus.platform.artifact-id>quarkus-bom</quarkus.platform.artifact-id>
         <quarkus.platform.group-id>io.quarkus.platform</quarkus.platform.group-id>
-        <quarkus.platform.version>3.10.0</quarkus.platform.version>
+        <quarkus.platform.version>3.11.3</quarkus.platform.version>
         <skipITs>true</skipITs>
         <surefire-plugin.version>3.2.5</surefire-plugin.version>
     </properties>
@@ -75,17 +75,14 @@
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.apache.commons</groupId>
             <artifactId>commons-lang3</artifactId>
-            <version>3.14.0</version>
         </dependency>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>commons-io</groupId>
             <artifactId>commons-io</artifactId>
-            <version>2.16.1</version>
         </dependency>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>commons-codec</groupId>
             <artifactId>commons-codec</artifactId>
-            <version>1.17.0</version>
         </dependency>
     </dependencies>
 
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/com/usatiuk/dhfs/storage/objects/repository/distributed/InvalidationQueueService.java b/server/src/main/java/com/usatiuk/dhfs/storage/objects/repository/distributed/InvalidationQueueService.java
index 74a86cac..5ea7b1ca 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/com/usatiuk/dhfs/storage/objects/repository/distributed/InvalidationQueueService.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/com/usatiuk/dhfs/storage/objects/repository/distributed/InvalidationQueueService.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package com.usatiuk.dhfs.storage.objects.repository.distributed;
 
 import io.quarkus.logging.Log;
 import io.quarkus.scheduler.Scheduled;
+import io.smallrye.common.annotation.Blocking;
 import io.smallrye.common.annotation.RunOnVirtualThread;
 import jakarta.enterprise.context.ApplicationScoped;
 import jakarta.inject.Inject;
@@ -17,7 +18,7 @@ public class InvalidationQueueService {
     RemoteObjectServiceClient remoteObjectServiceClient;
 
     @Scheduled(every = "1s", concurrentExecution = Scheduled.ConcurrentExecution.SKIP)
-    @RunOnVirtualThread
+    @Blocking
     public void trySend() {
         var data = _data.runReadLocked(InvalidationQueueData::pullAll);
         for (var forHost : data.entrySet()) {
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/com/usatiuk/dhfs/storage/objects/repository/distributed/ObjectMetaData.java b/server/src/main/java/com/usatiuk/dhfs/storage/objects/repository/distributed/ObjectMetaData.java
index 8d052cb8..da26789b 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/com/usatiuk/dhfs/storage/objects/repository/distributed/ObjectMetaData.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/com/usatiuk/dhfs/storage/objects/repository/distributed/ObjectMetaData.java
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ public class ObjectMetaData implements Serializable {
     }
 
     public Long getBestVersion() {
+        if (_remoteCopies.isEmpty()) return 0L;
         return _remoteCopies.values().stream().max(Long::compareTo).get();
     }
 
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/com/usatiuk/dhfs/storage/objects/repository/distributed/RemoteHostManager.java b/server/src/main/java/com/usatiuk/dhfs/storage/objects/repository/distributed/RemoteHostManager.java
index b001683f..f7092908 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/com/usatiuk/dhfs/storage/objects/repository/distributed/RemoteHostManager.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/com/usatiuk/dhfs/storage/objects/repository/distributed/RemoteHostManager.java
@@ -4,12 +4,13 @@ import com.usatiuk.dhfs.objects.repository.distributed.DhfsObjectSyncGrpcGrpc;
 import com.usatiuk.dhfs.objects.repository.distributed.PingRequest;
 import io.grpc.Status;
 import io.grpc.StatusRuntimeException;
+import io.grpc.netty.NegotiationType;
 import io.grpc.netty.NettyChannelBuilder;
 import io.quarkus.logging.Log;
 import io.quarkus.runtime.ShutdownEvent;
 import io.quarkus.runtime.StartupEvent;
 import io.quarkus.scheduler.Scheduled;
-import io.smallrye.common.annotation.RunOnVirtualThread;
+import io.smallrye.common.annotation.Blocking;
 import jakarta.annotation.Priority;
 import jakarta.enterprise.context.ApplicationScoped;
 import jakarta.enterprise.event.Observes;
@@ -39,7 +40,7 @@ public class RemoteHostManager {
     }
 
     @Scheduled(every = "10s", concurrentExecution = Scheduled.ConcurrentExecution.SKIP)
-    @RunOnVirtualThread
+    @Blocking
     public void tryConnectAll() {
         for (var host : persistentRemoteHostsService.getHosts()) {
             var shouldTry = _transientPeersState.runReadLocked(d -> {
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ public class RemoteHostManager {
     }
 
     private <R> R withClient(String addr, int port, Optional<Long> timeout, ClientFunction<R> fn) {
-        var channel = NettyChannelBuilder.forAddress(addr, port)
+        var channel = NettyChannelBuilder.forAddress(addr, port).negotiationType(NegotiationType.PLAINTEXT)
                 .usePlaintext().build();
         var client = DhfsObjectSyncGrpcGrpc.newBlockingStub(channel)
                 .withMaxOutboundMessageSize(Integer.MAX_VALUE)
@@ -119,7 +120,7 @@ public class RemoteHostManager {
     // FIXME:
     private boolean reachable(HostInfo hostInfo) {
         try {
-            return withClient(hostInfo.getAddr(), hostInfo.getPort(), Optional.of(4000L /*ms*/), c -> {
+            return withClient(hostInfo.getAddr(), hostInfo.getPort(), Optional.of(30000L /*ms*/), c -> {
                 var ret = c.ping(PingRequest.newBuilder().setSelfname(selfname).build());
                 if (!ret.getSelfname().equals(hostInfo.getName())) {
                     throw new IllegalStateException("Ping selfname returned " + ret.getSelfname() + " but expected " + hostInfo.getName());
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/com/usatiuk/dhfs/storage/objects/repository/distributed/RemoteObjectServiceServer.java b/server/src/main/java/com/usatiuk/dhfs/storage/objects/repository/distributed/RemoteObjectServiceServer.java
index 0b499b70..193314fc 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/com/usatiuk/dhfs/storage/objects/repository/distributed/RemoteObjectServiceServer.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/com/usatiuk/dhfs/storage/objects/repository/distributed/RemoteObjectServiceServer.java
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ public class RemoteObjectServiceServer implements DhfsObjectSyncGrpc {
     }
 
     @Override
+    @Blocking
     public Uni<PingReply> ping(PingRequest request) {
         if (request.getSelfname().isBlank()) throw new StatusRuntimeException(Status.INVALID_ARGUMENT);
         remoteHostManager.handleConnectionSuccess(request.getSelfname());
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/com/usatiuk/dhfs/storage/objects/repository/distributed/SyncHandler.java b/server/src/main/java/com/usatiuk/dhfs/storage/objects/repository/distributed/SyncHandler.java
index cf8d4d07..c26b7418 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/com/usatiuk/dhfs/storage/objects/repository/distributed/SyncHandler.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/com/usatiuk/dhfs/storage/objects/repository/distributed/SyncHandler.java
@@ -94,18 +94,18 @@ public class SyncHandler {
                 return null;
             }
 
-            // Before or after conflict resolution?
-            data.getRemoteCopies().put(request.getSelfname(), receivedTotalVer);
 
             if (data.getChangelog().get(selfname) > receivedSelfVer) return true;
 
+            data.getRemoteCopies().put(request.getSelfname(), receivedTotalVer);
+
             assert Objects.equals(data.getBestVersion(), data.getTotalVersion());
 
             // TODO: recheck this
             if (data.getBestVersion() >= receivedTotalVer) {
                 Log.info("Received older index update than known: "
                         + request.getSelfname() + " " + request.getHeader().getName());
-                return null;
+                return false;
             }
 
             data.getChangelog().clear();