diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-testing-deploy.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-testing-deploy.yml
index 857601cfb93c..02bd934b643b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-testing-deploy.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-testing-deploy.yml
@@ -1897,14 +1897,14 @@ jobs:
             path: /${{ runner.temp }}/build
           attempt_limit: 5
           attempt_delay: 1000
-      - name: load docker images
-        run: make load-images local-src=/${{ runner.temp }}/build
       - name: install uv
         uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v5
         with:
           version: "0.5.x"
           enable-cache: false
           cache-dependency-glob: "**/web/server/requirements/ci.txt"
+      - name: load docker images
+        run: make load-images local-src=/${{ runner.temp }}/build
       - name: show system version
         run: ./ci/helpers/show_system_versions.bash
       - name: install
@@ -1961,14 +1961,14 @@ jobs:
             path: /${{ runner.temp }}/build
           attempt_limit: 5
           attempt_delay: 1000
-      - name: load docker images
-        run: make load-images local-src=/${{ runner.temp }}/build
       - name: install uv
         uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v5
         with:
           version: "0.5.x"
           enable-cache: false
           cache-dependency-glob: "**/web/server/requirements/ci.txt"
+      - name: load docker images
+        run: make load-images local-src=/${{ runner.temp }}/build
       - name: show system version
         run: ./ci/helpers/show_system_versions.bash
       - name: install
@@ -2025,14 +2025,14 @@ jobs:
             path: /${{ runner.temp }}/build
           attempt_limit: 5
           attempt_delay: 1000
-      - name: load docker images
-        run: make load-images local-src=/${{ runner.temp }}/build
       - name: install uv
         uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v5
         with:
           version: "0.5.x"
           enable-cache: false
           cache-dependency-glob: "**/director-v2/requirements/ci.txt"
+      - name: load docker images
+        run: make load-images local-src=/${{ runner.temp }}/build
       - name: show system version
         run: ./ci/helpers/show_system_versions.bash
       - name: install
@@ -2096,8 +2096,6 @@ jobs:
             path: /${{ runner.temp }}/build
           attempt_limit: 5
           attempt_delay: 1000
-      - name: load docker images
-        run: make load-images local-src=/${{ runner.temp }}/build
       - name: install rclone
         run: sudo ./ci/github/helpers/install_rclone.bash
       - name: install uv
@@ -2106,6 +2104,8 @@ jobs:
           version: "0.5.x"
           enable-cache: false
           cache-dependency-glob: "**/director-v2/requirements/ci.txt"
+      - name: load docker images
+        run: make load-images local-src=/${{ runner.temp }}/build
       - name: show system version
         run: ./ci/helpers/show_system_versions.bash
       - name: install
@@ -2162,8 +2162,6 @@ jobs:
             path: /${{ runner.temp }}/build
           attempt_limit: 5
           attempt_delay: 1000
-      - name: load docker images
-        run: make load-images local-src=/${{ runner.temp }}/build
       - name: install rclone
         run: sudo ./ci/github/helpers/install_rclone.bash
       - name: install uv
@@ -2172,6 +2170,8 @@ jobs:
           version: "0.5.x"
           enable-cache: false
           cache-dependency-glob: "**/dynamic-sidecar/requirements/ci.txt"
+      - name: load docker images
+        run: make load-images local-src=/${{ runner.temp }}/build
       - name: show system version
         run: ./ci/helpers/show_system_versions.bash
       - name: install
@@ -2229,14 +2229,14 @@ jobs:
             path: /${{ runner.temp }}/build
           attempt_limit: 5
           attempt_delay: 1000
-      - name: load docker images
-        run: make load-images local-src=/${{ runner.temp }}/build
       - name: install uv
         uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v5
         with:
           version: "0.5.x"
           enable-cache: false
           cache-dependency-glob: "**/docker-api-proxy/requirements/ci.txt"
+      - name: load docker images
+        run: make load-images local-src=/${{ runner.temp }}/build
       - name: show system version
         run: ./ci/helpers/show_system_versions.bash
       - name: install
@@ -2293,14 +2293,14 @@ jobs:
             path: /${{ runner.temp }}/build
           attempt_limit: 5
           attempt_delay: 1000
-      - name: load docker images
-        run: make load-images local-src=/${{ runner.temp }}/build
       - name: install uv
         uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v5
         with:
           version: "0.5.x"
           enable-cache: false
           cache-dependency-glob: "**/simcore-sdk/requirements/ci.txt"
+      - name: load docker images
+        run: make load-images local-src=/${{ runner.temp }}/build
       - name: show system version
         run: ./ci/helpers/show_system_versions.bash
       - name: install
@@ -2381,14 +2381,14 @@ jobs:
             path: /${{ runner.temp }}/build
           attempt_limit: 5
           attempt_delay: 1000
-      - name: load docker images
-        run: make load-images local-src=/${{ runner.temp }}/build
       - name: install uv
         uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v5
         with:
           version: "0.5.x"
           enable-cache: false
           cache-dependency-glob: "**/public-api/requirements/ci.txt"
+      - name: load docker images
+        run: make load-images local-src=/${{ runner.temp }}/build
       - name: show system version
         run: ./ci/helpers/show_system_versions.bash
       - name: install
@@ -2441,14 +2441,14 @@ jobs:
             path: /${{ runner.temp }}/build
           attempt_limit: 5
           attempt_delay: 1000
-      - name: load docker images
-        run: make load-images local-src=/${{ runner.temp }}/build
       - name: install uv
         uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v5
         with:
           version: "0.5.x"
           enable-cache: false
           cache-dependency-glob: "**/swarm-deploy/requirements/ci.txt"
+      - name: load docker images
+        run: make load-images local-src=/${{ runner.temp }}/build
       - name: show system version
         run: ./ci/helpers/show_system_versions.bash
       - name: install
@@ -2512,14 +2512,14 @@ jobs:
             path: /${{ runner.temp }}/build
           attempt_limit: 5
           attempt_delay: 1000
-      - name: load docker images
-        run: make load-images local-src=/${{ runner.temp }}/build
       - name: install uv
         uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v5
         with:
           version: "0.5.x"
           enable-cache: false
           cache-dependency-glob: "**/e2e/requirements/requirements.txt"
+      - name: load docker images
+        run: make load-images local-src=/${{ runner.temp }}/build
       - name: show system version
         run: ./ci/helpers/show_system_versions.bash
       - name: setup
@@ -2699,6 +2699,12 @@ jobs:
         uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
         with:
           driver: docker-container
+      - name: install uv
+        uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v5
+        with:
+          version: "0.5.x"
+          enable-cache: false
+          cache-dependency-glob: "**/e2e-playwright/requirements/ci.txt"
       # FIXME: Workaround for https://github.com/actions/download-artifact/issues/249
       - name: download docker images with retry
         uses: Wandalen/wretry.action@master
diff --git a/packages/service-library/src/servicelib/fastapi/client_session.py b/packages/service-library/src/servicelib/fastapi/client_session.py
index de700737399e..c3bc2728c647 100644
--- a/packages/service-library/src/servicelib/fastapi/client_session.py
+++ b/packages/service-library/src/servicelib/fastapi/client_session.py
@@ -2,9 +2,12 @@
 from fastapi import FastAPI
 
 
-def setup_client_session(app: FastAPI) -> None:
+def setup_client_session(app: FastAPI, *, max_keepalive_connections: int = 20) -> None:
     async def on_startup() -> None:
-        session = httpx.AsyncClient(transport=httpx.AsyncHTTPTransport(http2=True))
+        session = httpx.AsyncClient(
+            transport=httpx.AsyncHTTPTransport(http2=True),
+            limits=httpx.Limits(max_keepalive_connections=max_keepalive_connections),
+        )
         app.state.aiohttp_client_session = session
 
     async def on_shutdown() -> None:
diff --git a/services/director/src/simcore_service_director/core/application.py b/services/director/src/simcore_service_director/core/application.py
index af9a787e1679..c6df150dde31 100644
--- a/services/director/src/simcore_service_director/core/application.py
+++ b/services/director/src/simcore_service_director/core/application.py
@@ -53,8 +53,10 @@ def create_app(settings: ApplicationSettings) -> FastAPI:
     if app.state.settings.DIRECTOR_TRACING:
         initialize_tracing(app, app.state.settings.DIRECTOR_TRACING, APP_NAME)
 
-    # replace by httpx client
-    setup_client_session(app)
+    setup_client_session(
+        app,
+        max_keepalive_connections=settings.DIRECTOR_REGISTRY_CLIENT_MAX_KEEPALIVE_CONNECTIONS,
+    )
     setup_registry(app)
 
     setup_instrumentation(app)
diff --git a/services/director/src/simcore_service_director/core/settings.py b/services/director/src/simcore_service_director/core/settings.py
index a17f9175bff4..bf949cb58279 100644
--- a/services/director/src/simcore_service_director/core/settings.py
+++ b/services/director/src/simcore_service_director/core/settings.py
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ class ApplicationSettings(BaseApplicationSettings, MixinLoggingSettings):
         ),
     )
 
+    DIRECTOR_REGISTRY_CLIENT_MAX_KEEPALIVE_CONNECTIONS: NonNegativeInt = 0
     DIRECTOR_REGISTRY_CLIENT_MAX_CONCURRENT_CALLS: PositiveInt = 20
     DIRECTOR_REGISTRY_CLIENT_MAX_NUMBER_OF_RETRIEVED_OBJECTS: PositiveInt = 30