diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 702f946ec..a06a4ff81 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1673,7 +1673,7 @@ checksum = "37909eebbb50d72f9059c3b6d82c0463f2ff062c9e95845c43a6c9c0355411be"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "fdev"
-version = "0.3.30"
+version = "0.3.31"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "axum",
@@ -1803,7 +1803,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "freenet"
-version = "0.1.52"
+version = "0.1.53"
 dependencies = [
  "aes-gcm",
  "ahash",
diff --git a/crates/core/Cargo.toml b/crates/core/Cargo.toml
index bbddf02d6..79953919b 100644
--- a/crates/core/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/core/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "freenet"
-version = "0.1.52"
+version = "0.1.53"
 edition = "2021"
 rust-version = "1.80"
 publish = true
diff --git a/crates/core/src/node/network_bridge/p2p_protoc.rs b/crates/core/src/node/network_bridge/p2p_protoc.rs
index c5e72b69b..6eb89bcec 100644
--- a/crates/core/src/node/network_bridge/p2p_protoc.rs
+++ b/crates/core/src/node/network_bridge/p2p_protoc.rs
@@ -1194,8 +1194,11 @@ impl P2pConnManager {
 
                                 // Collect system metrics
                                 if config.include_system_metrics {
+                                    // Use the actual seeding cache count, not the subscriber count.
+                                    // The seeding cache tracks contracts this node is actively caching,
+                                    // while subscribers tracks remote peers subscribed to updates.
                                     let seeding_contracts =
-                                        op_manager.ring.all_network_subscriptions().len() as u32;
+                                        op_manager.ring.seeding_contracts_count() as u32;
                                     response.system_metrics = Some(SystemMetrics {
                                         active_connections: connected_peer_ids.len() as u32,
                                         seeding_contracts,
diff --git a/crates/core/src/ring/mod.rs b/crates/core/src/ring/mod.rs
index bbaf5f953..d0e36d14d 100644
--- a/crates/core/src/ring/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/core/src/ring/mod.rs
@@ -380,6 +380,12 @@ impl Ring {
         self.seeding_manager.all_subscriptions()
     }
 
+    /// Get the number of contracts in the seeding cache.
+    /// This is the actual count of contracts this node is caching/seeding.
+    pub fn seeding_contracts_count(&self) -> usize {
+        self.seeding_manager.seeding_contracts_count()
+    }
+
     pub async fn prune_connection(&self, peer: PeerId) {
         tracing::debug!(peer = %peer, "Removing connection");
         self.live_tx_tracker.prune_transactions_from_peer(peer.addr);
diff --git a/crates/core/src/ring/seeding.rs b/crates/core/src/ring/seeding.rs
index bf392ec7c..8ed476031 100644
--- a/crates/core/src/ring/seeding.rs
+++ b/crates/core/src/ring/seeding.rs
@@ -268,6 +268,12 @@ impl SeedingManager {
             .map(|entry| (*entry.key(), entry.value().clone()))
             .collect()
     }
+
+    /// Get the number of contracts in the seeding cache.
+    /// This is the actual count of contracts this node is caching/seeding.
+    pub fn seeding_contracts_count(&self) -> usize {
+        self.seeding_cache.read().len()
+    }
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
@@ -768,4 +774,33 @@ mod tests {
             "sender (peer1) should NOT be in broadcast targets"
         );
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_seeding_contracts_count() {
+        use super::super::seeding_cache::AccessType;
+
+        let seeding_manager = SeedingManager::new();
+
+        // Initially no contracts are seeded
+        assert_eq!(seeding_manager.seeding_contracts_count(), 0);
+
+        // Add first contract
+        let key1 = make_contract_key(1);
+        seeding_manager.record_contract_access(key1, 1000, AccessType::Put);
+        assert_eq!(seeding_manager.seeding_contracts_count(), 1);
+
+        // Add second contract
+        let key2 = make_contract_key(2);
+        seeding_manager.record_contract_access(key2, 1000, AccessType::Put);
+        assert_eq!(seeding_manager.seeding_contracts_count(), 2);
+
+        // Add third contract
+        let key3 = make_contract_key(3);
+        seeding_manager.record_contract_access(key3, 1000, AccessType::Get);
+        assert_eq!(seeding_manager.seeding_contracts_count(), 3);
+
+        // Re-accessing a contract doesn't increase count
+        seeding_manager.record_contract_access(key1, 1000, AccessType::Get);
+        assert_eq!(seeding_manager.seeding_contracts_count(), 3);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/crates/core/src/transport/connection_handler.rs b/crates/core/src/transport/connection_handler.rs
index 996d69e23..7c7b60fa0 100644
--- a/crates/core/src/transport/connection_handler.rs
+++ b/crates/core/src/transport/connection_handler.rs
@@ -2372,7 +2372,7 @@ pub mod mock_transport {
         let peer_a = tokio::spawn(async move {
             let peer_b_conn = peer_a.connect(peer_b_pub, peer_b_addr).await;
             let mut conn = tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(5), peer_b_conn).await??;
-            let msg = conn.recv().await?;
+            let msg = tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(10), conn.recv()).await??;
             assert!(msg.len() <= MAX_DATA_SIZE);
             Ok::<_, anyhow::Error>(())
         });
diff --git a/crates/fdev/Cargo.toml b/crates/fdev/Cargo.toml
index 19537cdca..9a142a079 100644
--- a/crates/fdev/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/fdev/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "fdev"
-version = "0.3.30"
+version = "0.3.31"
 edition = "2021"
 rust-version = "1.80"
 publish = true
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ reqwest = { version = "0.12", features = ["json"] }
 http = "1.4"
 
 # internal
-freenet = { path = "../core", version = "0.1.52" }
+freenet = { path = "../core", version = "0.1.53" }
 freenet-stdlib = { workspace = true }
 
 [features]