diff --git a/platformio.ini b/platformio.ini
index 8f56c6dca2..e775c61f52 100644
--- a/platformio.ini
+++ b/platformio.ini
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ lib_deps =
     IRremoteESP8266 @ 2.8.2
     makuna/NeoPixelBus @ 2.8.0
     #https://github.com/makuna/NeoPixelBus.git#CoreShaderBeta
-    https://github.com/Aircoookie/ESPAsyncWebServer.git#v2.2.1
+    https://github.com/Aircoookie/ESPAsyncWebServer.git#v2.4.0
   # for I2C interface
     ;Wire
   # ESP-NOW library
@@ -236,14 +236,15 @@ lib_deps_compat =
   IRremoteESP8266 @ 2.8.2
   makuna/NeoPixelBus @ 2.7.9
   https://github.com/blazoncek/QuickESPNow.git#optional-debug
-  https://github.com/Aircoookie/ESPAsyncWebServer.git#v2.2.1
+  https://github.com/Aircoookie/ESPAsyncWebServer.git#v2.4.0
 
 [esp32_all_variants]
 lib_deps =
-  https://github.com/pbolduc/AsyncTCP.git @ 1.2.0
+  willmmiles/AsyncTCP @ 1.3.1
   bitbank2/AnimatedGIF@^1.4.7
   https://github.com/Aircoookie/GifDecoder#bc3af18
 build_flags =
+  -D CONFIG_ASYNC_TCP_USE_WDT=0
   -D WLED_ENABLE_GIF
 
 [esp32]
@@ -254,7 +255,6 @@ build_unflags = ${common.build_unflags}
 build_flags = -g
   -DARDUINO_ARCH_ESP32
   #-DCONFIG_LITTLEFS_FOR_IDF_3_2
-  -D CONFIG_ASYNC_TCP_USE_WDT=0
   #use LITTLEFS library by lorol in ESP32 core 1.x.x instead of built-in in 2.x.x
   -D LOROL_LITTLEFS
   ; -DARDUINO_USB_CDC_ON_BOOT=0 ;; this flag is mandatory for "classic ESP32" when building with arduino-esp32 >=2.0.3
@@ -289,7 +289,6 @@ build_unflags = ${common.build_unflags}
 build_flags = -g
   -Wshadow=compatible-local ;; emit warning in case a local variable "shadows" another local one
   -DARDUINO_ARCH_ESP32 -DESP32
-  -D CONFIG_ASYNC_TCP_USE_WDT=0
   -DARDUINO_USB_CDC_ON_BOOT=0 ;; this flag is mandatory for "classic ESP32" when building with arduino-esp32 >=2.0.3
   ${esp32_all_variants.build_flags}
   -D WLED_ENABLE_DMX_INPUT
@@ -307,7 +306,6 @@ build_flags = -g
   -DARDUINO_ARCH_ESP32
   -DARDUINO_ARCH_ESP32S2
   -DCONFIG_IDF_TARGET_ESP32S2=1
-  -D CONFIG_ASYNC_TCP_USE_WDT=0
   -DARDUINO_USB_MSC_ON_BOOT=0 -DARDUINO_USB_DFU_ON_BOOT=0
   -DCO
   -DARDUINO_USB_MODE=0 ;; this flag is mandatory for ESP32-S2 !
@@ -327,7 +325,6 @@ build_flags = -g
   -DARDUINO_ARCH_ESP32
   -DARDUINO_ARCH_ESP32C3
   -DCONFIG_IDF_TARGET_ESP32C3=1
-  -D CONFIG_ASYNC_TCP_USE_WDT=0
   -DCO
   -DARDUINO_USB_MODE=1 ;; this flag is mandatory for ESP32-C3
   ;; please make sure that the following flags are properly set (to 0 or 1) by your board.json, or included in your custom platformio_override.ini entry:
@@ -348,7 +345,6 @@ build_flags = -g
   -DARDUINO_ARCH_ESP32
   -DARDUINO_ARCH_ESP32S3
   -DCONFIG_IDF_TARGET_ESP32S3=1
-  -D CONFIG_ASYNC_TCP_USE_WDT=0
   -DARDUINO_USB_MSC_ON_BOOT=0 -DARDUINO_DFU_ON_BOOT=0
   -DCO
   ;; please make sure that the following flags are properly set (to 0 or 1) by your board.json, or included in your custom platformio_override.ini entry:
@@ -646,7 +642,6 @@ build_flags = ${common.build_flags} ${esp32s2.build_flags} -D WLED_RELEASE_NAME=
   -DBOARD_HAS_PSRAM
   -DLOLIN_WIFI_FIX ; seems to work much better with this
   -D WLED_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT=0
-  -D CONFIG_ASYNC_TCP_USE_WDT=0
   -D DATA_PINS=16
   -D HW_PIN_SCL=35
   -D HW_PIN_SDA=33
diff --git a/tools/stress_test.sh b/tools/stress_test.sh
index d7c344c58b..d86c508642 100644
--- a/tools/stress_test.sh
+++ b/tools/stress_test.sh
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ read -a JSON_TINY_TARGETS <<< $(replicate "json/nodes")
 read -a JSON_SMALL_TARGETS <<< $(replicate "json/info")
 read -a JSON_LARGE_TARGETS <<< $(replicate "json/si")
 read -a JSON_LARGER_TARGETS <<< $(replicate "json/fxdata")
+read -a INDEX_TARGETS <<< $(replicate "")
 
 # Expand target URLS to full arguments for curl
 TARGETS=(${TARGET_STR[@]})
diff --git a/wled00/const.h b/wled00/const.h
index 3f82219d31..1ebcb9397d 100644
--- a/wled00/const.h
+++ b/wled00/const.h
@@ -560,8 +560,25 @@
   #endif
 #endif
 
-//#define MIN_HEAP_SIZE (8k for AsyncWebServer)
-#define MIN_HEAP_SIZE 8192
+//#define MIN_HEAP_SIZE
+#define MIN_HEAP_SIZE 2048
+
+// Web server limits
+#ifdef ESP8266
+// Minimum heap to consider handling a request
+#define WLED_REQUEST_MIN_HEAP (8*1024)
+// Estimated maximum heap required by any one request
+#define WLED_REQUEST_HEAP_USAGE (6*1024)
+#else
+// ESP32 TCP stack needs much more RAM than ESP8266
+// Minimum heap remaining before queuing a request
+#define WLED_REQUEST_MIN_HEAP (12*1024)
+// Estimated maximum heap required by any one request
+#define WLED_REQUEST_HEAP_USAGE (12*1024)
+#endif
+// Maximum number of requests in queue; absolute cap on web server resource usage.
+// Websockets do not count against this limit.
+#define WLED_REQUEST_MAX_QUEUE 6
 
 // Maximum size of node map (list of other WLED instances)
 #ifdef ESP8266
diff --git a/wled00/json.cpp b/wled00/json.cpp
index 5fae9544ef..d4f0d77714 100644
--- a/wled00/json.cpp
+++ b/wled00/json.cpp
@@ -1060,7 +1060,7 @@ void serveJson(AsyncWebServerRequest* request)
   }
 
   if (!requestJSONBufferLock(17)) {
-    serveJsonError(request, 503, ERR_NOBUF);
+    request->deferResponse();    
     return;
   }
   // releaseJSONBufferLock() will be called when "response" is destroyed (from AsyncWebServer)
diff --git a/wled00/set.cpp b/wled00/set.cpp
index 88249d3c45..c0977f262c 100644
--- a/wled00/set.cpp
+++ b/wled00/set.cpp
@@ -628,7 +628,10 @@ void handleSettingsSet(AsyncWebServerRequest *request, byte subPage)
   //USERMODS
   if (subPage == SUBPAGE_UM)
   {
-    if (!requestJSONBufferLock(5)) return;
+    if (!requestJSONBufferLock(5)) {
+      request->deferResponse();
+      return;
+    }
 
     // global I2C & SPI pins
     int8_t hw_sda_pin  = !request->arg(F("SDA")).length() ? -1 : (int)request->arg(F("SDA")).toInt();
diff --git a/wled00/wled.cpp b/wled00/wled.cpp
index da1c33044c..dd260b1c26 100644
--- a/wled00/wled.cpp
+++ b/wled00/wled.cpp
@@ -303,6 +303,7 @@ void WLED::loop()
       DEBUG_PRINTF_P(PSTR("Strip time[ms]:%u/%lu\n"), avgStripMillis/loops,   maxStripMillis);
     }
     strip.printSize();
+    server.printStatus(DEBUGOUT);
     loops = 0;
     maxLoopMillis = 0;
     maxUsermodMillis = 0;
diff --git a/wled00/wled.h b/wled00/wled.h
index 3715466133..a18199446c 100644
--- a/wled00/wled.h
+++ b/wled00/wled.h
@@ -874,7 +874,7 @@ WLED_GLOBAL bool ledStatusState _INIT(false); // the current LED state
 #endif
 
 // server library objects
-WLED_GLOBAL AsyncWebServer server _INIT_N(((80)));
+WLED_GLOBAL AsyncWebServer server _INIT_N(((80, {0, WLED_REQUEST_MAX_QUEUE, WLED_REQUEST_MIN_HEAP, WLED_REQUEST_HEAP_USAGE})));
 #ifdef WLED_ENABLE_WEBSOCKETS
 WLED_GLOBAL AsyncWebSocket ws _INIT_N((("/ws")));
 #endif
diff --git a/wled00/wled_server.cpp b/wled00/wled_server.cpp
index 8768b2b4e7..da7fd2a3aa 100644
--- a/wled00/wled_server.cpp
+++ b/wled00/wled_server.cpp
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ void initServer()
     bool isConfig = false;
 
     if (!requestJSONBufferLock(14)) {
-      serveJsonError(request, 503, ERR_NOBUF);
+      request->deferResponse();
       return;
     }