diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index ab850738..5688f6c3 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -69,13 +69,8 @@ ROUTSTR_SECRET_KEY=
 
 # Upstream Connection Pools (one pool per upstream origin)
 # UPSTREAM_MAX_CONNECTIONS=200
-# UPSTREAM_MAX_KEEPALIVE_CONNECTIONS=50
-# UPSTREAM_KEEPALIVE_EXPIRY=60
 # UPSTREAM_POOL_TIMEOUT=5
-# UPSTREAM_CONNECT_TIMEOUT=30
 # UPSTREAM_READ_TIMEOUT=900
-# UPSTREAM_WRITE_TIMEOUT=30
-# UPSTREAM_CONNECT_RETRIES=1
 
 # Logging
 # LOG_LEVEL=INFO
diff --git a/routstr/core/settings.py b/routstr/core/settings.py
index 77a22963..da503a50 100644
--- a/routstr/core/settings.py
+++ b/routstr/core/settings.py
@@ -181,25 +181,10 @@ class Settings(BaseSettings):
     upstream_max_connections: int = Field(
         default=200, ge=1, env="UPSTREAM_MAX_CONNECTIONS"
     )
-    upstream_max_keepalive_connections: int = Field(
-        default=50, ge=0, env="UPSTREAM_MAX_KEEPALIVE_CONNECTIONS"
-    )
-    upstream_keepalive_expiry: float = Field(
-        default=60.0, gt=0, env="UPSTREAM_KEEPALIVE_EXPIRY"
-    )
     upstream_pool_timeout: float = Field(default=5.0, gt=0, env="UPSTREAM_POOL_TIMEOUT")
     upstream_read_timeout: float = Field(
         default=900.0, gt=0, env="UPSTREAM_READ_TIMEOUT"
     )
-    upstream_connect_timeout: float = Field(
-        default=30.0, gt=0, env="UPSTREAM_CONNECT_TIMEOUT"
-    )
-    upstream_write_timeout: float = Field(
-        default=30.0, gt=0, env="UPSTREAM_WRITE_TIMEOUT"
-    )
-    upstream_connect_retries: int = Field(
-        default=1, ge=0, env="UPSTREAM_CONNECT_RETRIES"
-    )
 
     # Logging
     log_level: str = Field(default="INFO", env="LOG_LEVEL")
@@ -264,13 +249,8 @@ ENV_ONLY_FIELDS = frozenset(
         "database_busy_timeout",
         # Reconfiguring a live pool would disrupt in-flight streams.
         "upstream_max_connections",
-        "upstream_max_keepalive_connections",
-        "upstream_keepalive_expiry",
         "upstream_pool_timeout",
         "upstream_read_timeout",
-        "upstream_connect_timeout",
-        "upstream_write_timeout",
-        "upstream_connect_retries",
     }
 )
 
diff --git a/routstr/upstream/base.py b/routstr/upstream/base.py
index 122a8ddc..ebeb2e22 100644
--- a/routstr/upstream/base.py
+++ b/routstr/upstream/base.py
@@ -72,7 +72,12 @@ from .cache_breakpoints import (
     is_explicit_cache_model,
 )
 from .count_tokens import MissingUsageEstimator, count_tokens_locally
-from .http_client import acquire_upstream_http_client
+from .http_client import (
+    UPSTREAM_CONNECT_RETRIES,
+    UPSTREAM_CONNECT_TIMEOUT,
+    UPSTREAM_WRITE_TIMEOUT,
+    acquire_upstream_http_client,
+)
 from .litellm_routing import detect_litellm_prefix
 from .model_paths import public_provider_url
 from .rate_limit import UPSTREAM_RATE_LIMIT, classify_rate_limit
@@ -280,12 +285,12 @@ def _build_x_cashu_client() -> httpx.AsyncClient:
     """
     return httpx.AsyncClient(
         transport=httpx.AsyncHTTPTransport(
-            retries=settings.upstream_connect_retries,
+            retries=UPSTREAM_CONNECT_RETRIES,
         ),
         timeout=httpx.Timeout(
-            connect=settings.upstream_connect_timeout,
+            connect=UPSTREAM_CONNECT_TIMEOUT,
             read=settings.upstream_read_timeout,
-            write=settings.upstream_write_timeout,
+            write=UPSTREAM_WRITE_TIMEOUT,
             pool=settings.upstream_pool_timeout,
         ),
     )
diff --git a/routstr/upstream/http_client.py b/routstr/upstream/http_client.py
index 0a09c8ca..253e80a0 100644
--- a/routstr/upstream/http_client.py
+++ b/routstr/upstream/http_client.py
@@ -31,6 +31,12 @@ _clients: dict[str, httpx.AsyncClient] = {}
 _client_loop: asyncio.AbstractEventLoop | None = None
 _closing = False
 
+UPSTREAM_MAX_KEEPALIVE_CONNECTIONS = 50
+UPSTREAM_KEEPALIVE_EXPIRY = 60.0
+UPSTREAM_CONNECT_TIMEOUT = 30.0
+UPSTREAM_WRITE_TIMEOUT = 30.0
+UPSTREAM_CONNECT_RETRIES = 1
+
 
 @dataclass
 class _CloseSubmission:
@@ -117,19 +123,19 @@ def _shared_ssl_context() -> ssl.SSLContext:
 def _build_client() -> httpx.AsyncClient:
     limits = httpx.Limits(
         max_connections=settings.upstream_max_connections,
-        max_keepalive_connections=settings.upstream_max_keepalive_connections,
-        keepalive_expiry=settings.upstream_keepalive_expiry,
+        max_keepalive_connections=UPSTREAM_MAX_KEEPALIVE_CONNECTIONS,
+        keepalive_expiry=UPSTREAM_KEEPALIVE_EXPIRY,
     )
     client = httpx.AsyncClient(
         transport=httpx.AsyncHTTPTransport(
             verify=_shared_ssl_context(),
             limits=limits,
-            retries=settings.upstream_connect_retries,
+            retries=UPSTREAM_CONNECT_RETRIES,
         ),
         timeout=httpx.Timeout(
-            connect=settings.upstream_connect_timeout,
+            connect=UPSTREAM_CONNECT_TIMEOUT,
             read=settings.upstream_read_timeout,
-            write=settings.upstream_write_timeout,
+            write=UPSTREAM_WRITE_TIMEOUT,
             pool=settings.upstream_pool_timeout,
         ),
     )
@@ -441,7 +447,7 @@ def get_upstream_http_client(url: str) -> httpx.AsyncClient:
             extra={
                 "origin": key,
                 "max_connections": settings.upstream_max_connections,
-                "max_keepalive_connections": settings.upstream_max_keepalive_connections,
+                "max_keepalive_connections": UPSTREAM_MAX_KEEPALIVE_CONNECTIONS,
                 "pool_timeout": settings.upstream_pool_timeout,
                 "read_timeout": settings.upstream_read_timeout,
             },
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_upstream_http_client.py b/tests/unit/test_upstream_http_client.py
index 82b46057..bb8bb6b8 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_upstream_http_client.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_upstream_http_client.py
@@ -158,17 +158,17 @@ async def test_upstream_http_client_applies_configured_pool_bounds() -> None:
     try:
         assert client.timeout.pool == settings.upstream_pool_timeout
         assert client.timeout.read == settings.upstream_read_timeout
-        assert client.timeout.connect == settings.upstream_connect_timeout
-        assert client.timeout.write == settings.upstream_write_timeout
+        assert client.timeout.connect == http_client_module.UPSTREAM_CONNECT_TIMEOUT
+        assert client.timeout.write == http_client_module.UPSTREAM_WRITE_TIMEOUT
         build_limits.assert_called_once_with(
             max_connections=settings.upstream_max_connections,
-            max_keepalive_connections=settings.upstream_max_keepalive_connections,
-            keepalive_expiry=settings.upstream_keepalive_expiry,
+            max_keepalive_connections=http_client_module.UPSTREAM_MAX_KEEPALIVE_CONNECTIONS,
+            keepalive_expiry=http_client_module.UPSTREAM_KEEPALIVE_EXPIRY,
         )
         build_transport.assert_called_once()
         assert (
             build_transport.call_args.kwargs["retries"]
-            == settings.upstream_connect_retries
+            == http_client_module.UPSTREAM_CONNECT_RETRIES
         )
     finally:
         await close_upstream_http_client()