diff --git a/docs/wasm-runtime-architecture.md b/docs/wasm-runtime-architecture.md
index ea677fb..c3e4b7d 100644
--- a/docs/wasm-runtime-architecture.md
+++ b/docs/wasm-runtime-architecture.md
@@ -159,6 +159,13 @@ suspend the native SIGSEGV/SIGILL recovery handler around the wasm call so that
 Wasmtime's own trap signals are not escalated into a native fatal signal (see
 `serve_via_wasm` in `handle_complete`).
 
+Render workers are long-lived. The generic FastCGI transport retains a legacy
+eight-connection recycle default, but `listen_for_connections()` disables it
+for the UCE pool: recycling a healthy worker discards its Wasmtime engine and
+module cache, adding a visible cold-start request. Request state remains bounded
+by the fresh workspace and the normal per-request database/resource cleanup;
+faulted workers still exit and are replaced by the parent.
+
 ### Task callbacks and workspace lifetime
 
 `task()` and `task_repeat()` are fork-backed. The `uce_host_task_spawn` hostcall
@@ -333,7 +340,10 @@ header free-functions are `inline`. The wasm backend exposes only declarations
   in-runtime CLI suite (`site/tests/cli_runner.uce`) plus the site test pages and
   `scripts/test_dependency_invalidation.sh`. The latter changes a transitive
   `#load`, then replaces a warmed worker artifact while preserving its
-  whole-second mtime to prove both compiler and worker caches invalidate it.
+  whole-second mtime to prove both compiler and worker caches invalidate it. It
+  also sends 48 requests and asserts the observed worker PID set does not exceed
+  `WORKER_COUNT`, guarding against accidental reintroduction of request-count
+  recycling.
   `scripts/test_cold_component_deadline.sh` separately compiles a deliberately
   cold component that exceeds the development epoch window and proves the
   parent request still renders it.
diff --git a/scripts/test_dependency_invalidation.sh b/scripts/test_dependency_invalidation.sh
index 5e72b38..03a7e1e 100755
--- a/scripts/test_dependency_invalidation.sh
+++ b/scripts/test_dependency_invalidation.sh
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ printf '%s\n' \
 	'#endif' >"$source_dir/child.uce"
 printf '%s\n' \
 	'#load "child.uce"' \
-	'CLI(Request& context) { print(dependency_cache_marker()); }' \
-	'RENDER(Request& context) { print(dependency_cache_marker()); }' >"$source_dir/parent.uce"
+	'CLI(Request& context) { print(dependency_cache_marker(), ":", request_perf()["worker_pid"].to_string()); }' \
+	'RENDER(Request& context) { print(dependency_cache_marker(), ":", request_perf()["worker_pid"].to_string()); }' >"$source_dir/parent.uce"
 
 assert_marker() {
 	local path="$1"
@@ -62,4 +62,17 @@ touch -d "@$parent_mtime" "$parent_wasm"
 rm -f "$cache_dir/parent.uce.cwasm"
 for _ in {1..16}; do assert_marker parent dependency-marker-c; done
 
+worker_count=$(awk -F= '/^[[:space:]]*WORKER_COUNT[[:space:]]*=/ {gsub(/^[[:space:]]+|[[:space:]]+$/, "", $2); print $2; exit}' /etc/uce/settings.cfg 2>/dev/null || true)
+worker_count="${worker_count:-4}"
+worker_pids=""
+for _ in {1..48}; do
+	output=$(scripts/uce-cli "/$test_name/parent.uce")
+	worker_pids+="${output##*:}"$'\n'
+done
+unique_workers=$(printf '%s' "$worker_pids" | sed '/^$/d' | sort -u | wc -l)
+if (( unique_workers > worker_count )); then
+	echo "worker pool recycled during 48 requests: $unique_workers PIDs for $worker_count workers" >&2
+	exit 1
+fi
+
 echo "dependency invalidation passed"
diff --git a/src/linux_fastcgi.cpp b/src/linux_fastcgi.cpp
index 3dd16b6..53242d0 100644
--- a/src/linux_fastcgi.cpp
+++ b/src/linux_fastcgi.cpp
@@ -1352,6 +1352,10 @@ void listen_for_connections()
 	// Workers are uniform FastCGI/CLI renderers; the WS broker owns the HTTP/WS
 	// port and every connection, so workers never accept raw HTTP themselves.
 	server.close_http_listeners();
+	// The transport's legacy eight-connection recycle predates persistent
+	// Wasmtime engines. Recycling makes every ninth request pay engine/module
+	// startup; request-scoped workspaces already isolate and release user state.
+	server.calls_until_termination = -1;
 	server.on_request = &handle_request;
 	server.on_data = &handle_data;
 	server.on_complete = &handle_complete;