diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 2f2fd2771..af6161062 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ aider_stdlib_map.md
 
 # Local tools and notes
 .local-tools/
+*.local/
+*.local
 
 # Release artifacts (downloaded binaries)
 release-artifacts/
diff --git a/CLAUDE.local.md b/CLAUDE.local.md
index ab3de5c02..0b8fa34c3 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.local.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.local.md
@@ -1,95 +1,74 @@
 - contract states are commutative monoids, they can be "merged" in any order to arrive at the same result. This may reduce some potential race conditions.
 
-## Transport Layer Key Management Issues (2025-01-06)
+## Important Testing Notes
 
-### Problem
-Integration test `test_put_contract` was failing with "Failed to decrypt packet" errors after v0.1.5 deployment to production. The same decryption failures were affecting the River app in production.
+### Always Use Network Mode for Testing
+- **NEVER use local mode for testing** - it uses very different code paths
+- Local mode bypasses critical networking components that need to be tested
+- Always test with `freenet network` to ensure realistic behavior
 
-### Root Cause  
-The transport layer was incorrectly handling symmetric key establishment for gateway connections:
+## Quick Reference - Essential Commands
 
-1. **Gateway connection key misuse**: Gateway was using different keys for inbound/outbound when it should use the same client key for both directions
-2. **Client ACK encryption error**: Client was encrypting its final ACK response with the gateway's key instead of its own key
-3. **Packet routing overflow**: When existing connection channels became full, packets were misrouted to new gateway connection handlers instead of waiting
+### River Development
+```bash
+# Publish River (use this, not custom scripts)
+cd ~/code/freenet/river && RUST_MIN_STACK=16777216 cargo make publish-river-debug
 
-### Key Protocol Rules
-- **Gateway connections**: Use the same symmetric key (client's key) for both inbound and outbound communication
-- **Peer-to-peer connections**: Use different symmetric keys for each direction (each peer's own inbound key)
-- **Connection establishment**: Only initial gateway connections and explicit connect operations should create new connections
-- **PUT/GET/SUBSCRIBE/UPDATE operations**: Should only use existing active connections, never create new ones
-
-### Fixes Applied
-
-#### 1. Gateway Connection Key Fix (`crates/core/src/transport/connection_handler.rs:578-584`)
-```rust
-// For gateway connections, use the same key for both directions
-let inbound_key = outbound_key.clone();
-let outbound_ack_packet = SymmetricMessage::ack_ok(
-    &outbound_key,
-    outbound_key_bytes.try_into().unwrap(),
-    remote_addr,
-)?;
-```
-
-#### 2. Client ACK Response Fix (`crates/core/src/transport/connection_handler.rs:798-811`)
-```rust
-// Use our own key to encrypt the ACK response (same key for both directions with gateway)
-outbound_packets
-    .send((
-        remote_addr,
-        SymmetricMessage::ack_ok(
-            &inbound_sym_key,  // Use our own key, not the gateway's
-            inbound_sym_key_bytes,
-            remote_addr,
-        )?
-        .prepared_send(),
-    ))
-    .await
-    .map_err(|_| TransportError::ChannelClosed)?;
-```
-
-#### 3. Packet Sending Consistency (`crates/core/src/transport/connection_handler.rs:740-747`)
-```rust
-let packet_to_send = our_inbound.prepared_send();
-outbound_packets
-    .send((remote_addr, packet_to_send.clone()))
-    .await
-    .map_err(|_| TransportError::ChannelClosed)?;
-sent_tracker
-    .report_sent_packet(SymmetricMessage::FIRST_PACKET_ID, packet_to_send);
+# Verify River build time (CRITICAL - only way to confirm new version is served)
+curl -s http://127.0.0.1:50509/v1/contract/web/BcfxyjCH4snaknrBoCiqhYc9UFvmiJvhsp5d4L5DuvRa/ | grep -o 'Built: [^<]*' | head -1
 ```
 
-### Testing
-- Created specialized transport tests in `crates/core/src/transport/test_gateway_handshake.rs`
-- `test_gateway_handshake_symmetric_key_usage()`: Verifies gateway connections use same key for both directions  
-- `test_peer_to_peer_different_keys()`: Verifies peer-to-peer connections use different keys
-- Both specialized tests pass, confirming the transport layer fixes work correctly
+### Freenet Management
+```bash
+# Start Freenet
+./target/release/freenet network > freenet-debug.log 2>&1 &
 
-### Root Cause Analysis Complete
+# Check status
+ps aux | grep freenet | grep -v grep | grep -v tail | grep -v journalctl
 
-#### PUT Operation Connection Creation Issue
-**Location**: `crates/core/src/node/network_bridge/p2p_protoc.rs:242-291`
-
-**Problem**: PUT/GET/SUBSCRIBE/UPDATE operations create new connections when no existing connection is found, violating the protocol rule that these operations should only use existing active connections.
-
-**Behavior**: When `NetworkBridge.send()` is called and no existing connection exists:
-1. System logs warning: "No existing outbound connection, establishing connection first"  
-2. Creates new connection via `NodeEvent::ConnectPeer`
-3. Waits up to 5 seconds for connection establishment
-4. Attempts to send message on newly created connection
-
-**Channel Overflow Root Cause**: Channels fill up due to throughput mismatch:
-- **Fast UDP ingress**: Socket receives packets quickly
-- **Slow application processing**: `peer_connection_listener` processes one message at a time sequentially
-- **Limited buffering**: 100-packet channel buffer insufficient for high-throughput scenarios
-- **No flow control**: System creates new connections instead of implementing proper backpressure
-
-**Cascade Effect**: Channel overflow → packet misrouting → wrong connection handlers → decryption failures → new connection creation
-
-#### Required Fix
-The network bridge should fail gracefully or retry with existing connections instead of creating new ones for PUT/GET/SUBSCRIBE/UPDATE operations. Only initial gateway connections and explicit CONNECT operations should establish new connections.
+# Monitor logs
+tail -f freenet-debug.log
+```
 
-### Next Steps
-1. Modify PUT/GET operation handling to use only existing connections
-2. Implement proper backpressure handling for full channels instead of creating new connections
-3. Test that integration test `test_put_contract` passes after the fix
\ No newline at end of file
+## Detailed Documentation Files
+
+### Current Active Debugging
+- **Directory**: `freenet-invitation-bug.local/` (consolidated debugging)
+  - `README.md` - Overview and quick commands
+  - `river-notes/` - River-specific debugging documentation
+  - `contract-test/` - Minimal Rust test to reproduce PUT/GET issue
+  
+### River Invitation Bug (2025-01-18)
+- **Status**: CONFIRMED - Contract operations hang on live network, work in integration tests
+- **Root Cause**: Freenet node receives WebSocket requests but never responds
+- **Test Directory**: `freenet-invitation-bug.local/live-network-test/`
+- **Confirmed Findings**:
+  - River correctly sends PUT/GET requests via WebSocket
+  - Raw WebSocket test: Receives binary error response from server
+  - freenet-stdlib test: GET request sent but never receives response (2min timeout)
+  - Integration test `test_put_contract` passes when run in isolation
+  - Issue affects both PUT and GET operations
+- **Current Investigation**: Systematically debugging why Freenet node doesn't respond to contract operations
+- **See**: `freenet-invitation-bug.local/river-notes/invitation-bug-analysis-update.md`
+
+### Historical Analysis (Reference Only)
+- **Transport Layer Issues**: See lines 3-145 in previous version of this file (archived)
+- **River Testing Procedures**: See lines 97-145 in previous version of this file (archived)
+
+### CI Tools
+- **GitHub CI Monitoring**: `~/code/agent.scripts/wait-for-ci.sh [PR_NUMBER]`
+
+### Testing Tools
+- **Puppeteer Testing Guide**: `puppeteer-testing-guide.local.md` - Essential patterns for testing Dioxus apps with MCP Puppeteer tools
+
+## Key Code Locations
+- **River Room Creation**: `/home/ian/code/freenet/river/ui/src/components/room_list/create_room_modal.rs`
+- **River Room Synchronizer**: `/home/ian/code/freenet/river/ui/src/components/app/freenet_api/room_synchronizer.rs`
+- **River Room Data**: `/home/ian/code/freenet/river/ui/src/room_data.rs`
+
+## Organization Rules
+1. **Check this file first** for command reference and active debugging directories
+2. **Use standard commands** instead of creating custom scripts
+3. **Verify River build timestamps** after publishing
+4. **Create timestamped .local directories** for complex debugging sessions
+5. **Update this index** when adding new debugging directories or tools
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/apps/freenet-ping/Cargo.lock b/apps/freenet-ping/Cargo.lock
index 32182971c..6e5311916 100644
--- a/apps/freenet-ping/Cargo.lock
+++ b/apps/freenet-ping/Cargo.lock
@@ -1247,7 +1247,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "freenet"
-version = "0.1.8"
+version = "0.1.11"
 dependencies = [
  "aes-gcm",
  "ahash",
@@ -1326,7 +1326,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "freenet-ping-app"
-version = "0.1.0"
+version = "0.1.11"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "chrono",
@@ -1350,7 +1350,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "freenet-ping-contract"
-version = "0.1.0"
+version = "0.1.11"
 dependencies = [
  "freenet-ping-types",
  "freenet-stdlib",
@@ -1359,7 +1359,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "freenet-ping-types"
-version = "0.1.0"
+version = "0.1.11"
 dependencies = [
  "chrono",
  "clap",
diff --git a/ci_test_log.txt b/ci_test_log.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b5435a605
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci_test_log.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{
+  "message": "Not Found",
+  "documentation_url": "https://docs.github.com/rest",
+  "status": "404"
+}
diff --git a/crates/core/src/client_events/websocket.rs b/crates/core/src/client_events/websocket.rs
index 87a12501e..fb7ace0ac 100644
--- a/crates/core/src/client_events/websocket.rs
+++ b/crates/core/src/client_events/websocket.rs
@@ -325,7 +325,10 @@ async fn websocket_commands(
         }
     };
 
-    ws.on_upgrade(on_upgrade)
+    // Increase max message size to 100MB to handle contract uploads
+    // Default is ~64KB which is too small for WASM contracts
+    ws.max_message_size(100 * 1024 * 1024)
+        .on_upgrade(on_upgrade)
 }
 
 async fn websocket_interface(
diff --git a/crates/core/tests/operations.rs b/crates/core/tests/operations.rs
index 7356ed538..90c2552ba 100644
--- a/crates/core/tests/operations.rs
+++ b/crates/core/tests/operations.rs
@@ -630,11 +630,13 @@ async fn test_multiple_clients_subscription() -> TestResult {
     }
     .boxed_local();
 
-    let test = tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(180), async {
-        // Wait for nodes to start up
-        tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_secs(20)).await;
+    let test = tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(600), async {
+        // Wait for nodes to start up - CI environments need more time
+        tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_secs(40)).await;
 
         // Connect first client to node A's websocket API
+        tracing::info!("Starting WebSocket connections after 40s startup wait");
+        let start_time = std::time::Instant::now();
         let uri_a = format!(
             "ws://127.0.0.1:{}/v1/contract/command?encodingProtocol=native",
             ws_api_port_a
@@ -655,6 +657,10 @@ async fn test_multiple_clients_subscription() -> TestResult {
         let mut client_api_node_b = WebApi::start(stream3);
 
         // First client puts contract with initial state (without subscribing)
+        tracing::info!(
+            "Client 1: Starting PUT operation (elapsed: {:?})",
+            start_time.elapsed()
+        );
         make_put(
             &mut client_api1_node_a,
             wrapped_state.clone(),
@@ -666,10 +672,14 @@ async fn test_multiple_clients_subscription() -> TestResult {
         // Wait for put response
         loop {
             let resp =
-                tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(60), client_api1_node_a.recv()).await;
+                tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(120), client_api1_node_a.recv()).await;
             match resp {
                 Ok(Ok(HostResponse::ContractResponse(ContractResponse::PutResponse { key }))) => {
                     assert_eq!(key, contract_key, "Contract key mismatch in PUT response");
+                    tracing::info!(
+                        "Client 1: PUT completed successfully (elapsed: {:?})",
+                        start_time.elapsed()
+                    );
                     break;
                 }
                 Ok(Ok(other)) => {
diff --git a/scripts/deploy-to-gateways.sh b/scripts/deploy-to-gateways.sh
index 9372e7d57..416ad948e 100755
--- a/scripts/deploy-to-gateways.sh
+++ b/scripts/deploy-to-gateways.sh
@@ -175,14 +175,14 @@ compile_for_target() {
     # Create cross-compiled directory
     mkdir -p "$CROSS_BINARIES_DIR"
     
-    local compile_output
-    local compile_result
+    local compile_output=""
+    local compile_result=0
     
     # Download from GitHub workflow artifacts for both architectures
     show_progress "Downloading binary from GitHub workflow" "start"
     
-    # Get the latest successful workflow run for main branch with timestamp
-    local run_info=$(gh run list --repo freenet/freenet-core --workflow cross-compile.yml --branch main --status success --limit 1 --json databaseId,createdAt --jq '.[0]')
+    # Get the latest successful workflow run (any branch) with timestamp
+    local run_info=$(gh run list --repo freenet/freenet-core --workflow cross-compile.yml --status success --limit 1 --json databaseId,createdAt,headBranch --jq '.[0]')
     
     if [ -z "$run_info" ]; then
         compile_output="Failed to find successful workflow run"
@@ -190,6 +190,9 @@ compile_for_target() {
     else
         local run_id=$(echo "$run_info" | jq -r '.databaseId')
         local created_at=$(echo "$run_info" | jq -r '.createdAt')
+        local branch=$(echo "$run_info" | jq -r '.headBranch')
+        
+        log_verbose "Using workflow run $run_id from branch $branch"
         
         # Check if artifact is older than 12 hours
         local current_time=$(date +%s)