Repository: juanfont/headscale

Issue:
[Bug] headscale nodes backfillips flag not working
### Is this a support request?

- [x] This is not a support request

### Is there an existing issue for this?

- [x] I have searched the existing issues

### Current Behavior

Current behavior is it shows the prompt message

### Expected Behavior

To not show the prompt message when passing in --force

### Steps To Reproduce

1. headscale nodes backfillips --force

### Environment

```markdown
- OS: docker
- Headscale version: 0.26.0
- Tailscale version: 1.82.0
```

### Runtime environment

- [ ] Headscale is behind a (reverse) proxy
- [x] Headscale runs in a container

### Debug information

N/A

Discussion:

Solution patch:
diff --git a/.dockerignore b/.dockerignore
index e3acf996..9ea3e4a4 100644
--- a/.dockerignore
+++ b/.dockerignore
@@ -17,3 +17,7 @@ LICENSE
 .vscode
 
 *.sock
+
+node_modules/
+package-lock.json
+package.json
diff --git a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yaml b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yaml
index 2472e715..2cbaaf10 100644
--- a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yaml
+++ b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yaml
@@ -77,6 +77,10 @@ body:
     attributes:
       label: Debug information
       description: |
+        Please have a look at our [Debugging and troubleshooting
+        guide](https://headscale.net/development/ref/debug/) to learn about
+        common debugging techniques.
+
         Links? References? Anything that will give us more context about the issue you are encountering.
         If **any** of these are omitted we will likely close your issue, do **not** ignore them.
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-generated.yml b/.github/workflows/check-generated.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..17073a35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/check-generated.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+name: Check Generated Files
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - main
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - main
+
+concurrency:
+  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-$${{ github.head_ref || github.run_id }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+jobs:
+  check-generated:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@11bd71901bbe5b1630ceea73d27597364c9af683 # v4.2.2
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 2
+      - name: Get changed files
+        id: changed-files
+        uses: dorny/paths-filter@de90cc6fb38fc0963ad72b210f1f284cd68cea36 # v3.0.2
+        with:
+          filters: |
+            files:
+              - '*.nix'
+              - 'go.*'
+              - '**/*.go'
+              - '**/*.proto'
+              - 'buf.gen.yaml'
+              - 'tools/**'
+      - uses: nixbuild/nix-quick-install-action@889f3180bb5f064ee9e3201428d04ae9e41d54ad # v31
+        if: steps.changed-files.outputs.files == 'true'
+      - uses: nix-community/cache-nix-action@135667ec418502fa5a3598af6fb9eb733888ce6a # v6.1.3
+        if: steps.changed-files.outputs.files == 'true'
+        with:
+          primary-key: nix-${{ runner.os }}-${{ runner.arch }}-${{ hashFiles('**/*.nix', '**/flake.lock') }}
+          restore-prefixes-first-match: nix-${{ runner.os }}-${{ runner.arch }}
+
+      - name: Run make generate
+        if: steps.changed-files.outputs.files == 'true'
+        run: nix develop --command -- make generate
+
+      - name: Check for uncommitted changes
+        if: steps.changed-files.outputs.files == 'true'
+        run: |
+          if ! git diff --exit-code; then
+            echo "❌ Generated files are not up to date!"
+            echo "Please run 'make generate' and commit the changes."
+            exit 1
+          else
+            echo "✅ All generated files are up to date."
+          fi
diff --git a/.github/workflows/integration-test-template.yml b/.github/workflows/integration-test-template.yml
index 939451d4..292985ad 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/integration-test-template.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/integration-test-template.yml
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ jobs:
           attempt_delay: 300000 # 5 min
           attempt_limit: 2
           command: |
-            nix develop --command -- hi run "^${{ inputs.test }}$" \
+            nix develop --command -- hi run --stats --ts-memory-limit=300 --hs-memory-limit=500 "^${{ inputs.test }}$" \
               --timeout=120m \
               ${{ inputs.postgres_flag }}
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@ea165f8d65b6e75b540449e92b4886f43607fa02 # v4.6.2
diff --git a/.github/workflows/lint.yml b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
index 1e06f4de..2959c18a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/lint.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
@@ -38,7 +38,10 @@ jobs:
         if: steps.changed-files.outputs.files == 'true'
         run: nix develop --command -- golangci-lint run
           --new-from-rev=${{github.event.pull_request.base.sha}}
-          --format=colored-line-number
+          --output.text.path=stdout
+          --output.text.print-linter-name
+          --output.text.print-issued-lines
+          --output.text.colors
 
   prettier-lint:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 2ea56ad7..28d23c09 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 ignored/
 tailscale/
 .vscode/
+.claude/
+
+*.prof
 
 # Binaries for programs and plugins
 *.exe
@@ -46,3 +49,7 @@ integration_test/etc/config.dump.yaml
 /site
 
 __debug_bin
+
+node_modules/
+package-lock.json
+package.json
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2bac683b..0a1d671b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 ## Next
 
+**Minimum supported Tailscale client version: v1.64.0**
+
 ### Database integrity improvements
 
 This release includes a significant database migration that addresses longstanding
@@ -65,6 +67,8 @@ systemctl start headscale
   [#2625](https://github.com/juanfont/headscale/pull/2625)
 - Don't crash if config file is missing
   [#2656](https://github.com/juanfont/headscale/pull/2656)
+- Adds `/robots.txt` endpoint to avoid crawlers
+  [#2643](https://github.com/juanfont/headscale/pull/2643)
 
 ## 0.26.1 (2025-06-06)
 
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8f2571ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -0,0 +1,395 @@
+# CLAUDE.md
+
+This file provides guidance to Claude Code (claude.ai/code) when working with code in this repository.
+
+## Overview
+
+Headscale is an open-source implementation of the Tailscale control server written in Go. It provides self-hosted coordination for Tailscale networks (tailnets), managing node registration, IP allocation, policy enforcement, and DERP routing.
+
+## Development Commands
+
+### Quick Setup
+```bash
+# Recommended: Use Nix for dependency management
+nix develop
+
+# Full development workflow
+make dev  # runs fmt + lint + test + build
+```
+
+### Essential Commands
+```bash
+# Build headscale binary
+make build
+
+# Run tests
+make test
+go test ./...                    # All unit tests
+go test -race ./...              # With race detection
+
+# Run specific integration test
+go run ./cmd/hi run "TestName" --postgres
+
+# Code formatting and linting
+make fmt         # Format all code (Go, docs, proto)
+make lint        # Lint all code (Go, proto)
+make fmt-go      # Format Go code only
+make lint-go     # Lint Go code only
+
+# Protocol buffer generation (after modifying proto/)
+make generate
+
+# Clean build artifacts  
+make clean
+```
+
+### Integration Testing
+```bash
+# Use the hi (Headscale Integration) test runner
+go run ./cmd/hi doctor                    # Check system requirements
+go run ./cmd/hi run "TestPattern"         # Run specific test
+go run ./cmd/hi run "TestPattern" --postgres  # With PostgreSQL backend
+
+# Test artifacts are saved to control_logs/ with logs and debug data
+```
+
+## Project Structure & Architecture
+
+### Top-Level Organization
+
+```
+headscale/
+├── cmd/                    # Command-line applications
+│   ├── headscale/         # Main headscale server binary
+│   └── hi/               # Headscale Integration test runner
+├── hscontrol/            # Core control plane logic
+├── integration/          # End-to-end Docker-based tests
+├── proto/               # Protocol buffer definitions
+├── gen/                 # Generated code (protobuf)
+├── docs/                # Documentation
+└── packaging/           # Distribution packaging
+```
+
+### Core Packages (`hscontrol/`)
+
+**Main Server (`hscontrol/`)**
+- `app.go`: Application setup, dependency injection, server lifecycle
+- `handlers.go`: HTTP/gRPC API endpoints for management operations
+- `grpcv1.go`: gRPC service implementation for headscale API
+- `poll.go`: **Critical** - Handles Tailscale MapRequest/MapResponse protocol
+- `noise.go`: Noise protocol implementation for secure client communication
+- `auth.go`: Authentication flows (web, OIDC, command-line)
+- `oidc.go`: OpenID Connect integration for user authentication
+
+**State Management (`hscontrol/state/`)**
+- `state.go`: Central coordinator for all subsystems (database, policy, IP allocation, DERP)
+- `node_store.go`: **Performance-critical** - In-memory cache with copy-on-write semantics
+- Thread-safe operations with deadlock detection
+- Coordinates between database persistence and real-time operations
+
+**Database Layer (`hscontrol/db/`)**
+- `db.go`: Database abstraction, GORM setup, migration management
+- `node.go`: Node lifecycle, registration, expiration, IP assignment
+- `users.go`: User management, namespace isolation
+- `api_key.go`: API authentication tokens
+- `preauth_keys.go`: Pre-authentication keys for automated node registration
+- `ip.go`: IP address allocation and management
+- `policy.go`: Policy storage and retrieval
+- Schema migrations in `schema.sql` with extensive test data coverage
+
+**Policy Engine (`hscontrol/policy/`)**
+- `policy.go`: Core ACL evaluation logic, HuJSON parsing
+- `v2/`: Next-generation policy system with improved filtering
+- `matcher/`: ACL rule matching and evaluation engine
+- Determines peer visibility, route approval, and network access rules
+- Supports both file-based and database-stored policies
+
+**Network Management (`hscontrol/`)**
+- `derp/`: DERP (Designated Encrypted Relay for Packets) server implementation
+  - NAT traversal when direct connections fail
+  - Fallback relay for firewall-restricted environments
+- `mapper/`: Converts internal Headscale state to Tailscale's wire protocol format
+  - `tail.go`: Tailscale-specific data structure generation
+- `routes/`: Subnet route management and primary route selection
+- `dns/`: DNS record management and MagicDNS implementation
+
+**Utilities & Support (`hscontrol/`)**
+- `types/`: Core data structures, configuration, validation
+- `util/`: Helper functions for networking, DNS, key management
+- `templates/`: Client configuration templates (Apple, Windows, etc.)
+- `notifier/`: Event notification system for real-time updates
+- `metrics.go`: Prometheus metrics collection
+- `capver/`: Tailscale capability version management
+
+### Key Subsystem Interactions
+
+**Node Registration Flow**
+1. **Client Connection**: `noise.go` handles secure protocol handshake
+2. **Authentication**: `auth.go` validates credentials (web/OIDC/preauth)
+3. **State Creation**: `state.go` coordinates IP allocation via `db/ip.go`
+4. **Storage**: `db/node.go` persists node, `NodeStore` caches in memory
+5. **Network Setup**: `mapper/` generates initial Tailscale network map
+
+**Ongoing Operations**
+1. **Poll Requests**: `poll.go` receives periodic client updates
+2. **State Updates**: `NodeStore` maintains real-time node information
+3. **Policy Application**: `policy/` evaluates ACL rules for peer relationships
+4. **Map Distribution**: `mapper/` sends network topology to all affected clients
+
+**Route Management**
+1. **Advertisement**: Clients announce routes via `poll.go` Hostinfo updates
+2. **Storage**: `db/` persists routes, `NodeStore` caches for performance
+3. **Approval**: `policy/` auto-approves routes based on ACL rules
+4. **Distribution**: `routes/` selects primary routes, `mapper/` distributes to peers
+
+### Command-Line Tools (`cmd/`)
+
+**Main Server (`cmd/headscale/`)**
+- `headscale.go`: CLI parsing, configuration loading, server startup
+- Supports daemon mode, CLI operations (user/node management), database operations
+
+**Integration Test Runner (`cmd/hi/`)**
+- `main.go`: Test execution framework with Docker orchestration
+- `run.go`: Individual test execution with artifact collection
+- `doctor.go`: System requirements validation
+- `docker.go`: Container lifecycle management
+- Essential for validating changes against real Tailscale clients
+
+### Generated & External Code
+
+**Protocol Buffers (`proto/` → `gen/`)**
+- Defines gRPC API for headscale management operations
+- Client libraries can generate from these definitions
+- Run `make generate` after modifying `.proto` files
+
+**Integration Testing (`integration/`)**
+- `scenario.go`: Docker test environment setup
+- `tailscale.go`: Tailscale client container management
+- Individual test files for specific functionality areas
+- Real end-to-end validation with network isolation
+
+### Critical Performance Paths
+
+**High-Frequency Operations**
+1. **MapRequest Processing** (`poll.go`): Every 15-60 seconds per client
+2. **NodeStore Reads** (`node_store.go`): Every operation requiring node data
+3. **Policy Evaluation** (`policy/`): On every peer relationship calculation
+4. **Route Lookups** (`routes/`): During network map generation
+
+**Database Write Patterns**
+- **Frequent**: Node heartbeats, endpoint updates, route changes
+- **Moderate**: User operations, policy updates, API key management
+- **Rare**: Schema migrations, bulk operations
+
+### Configuration & Deployment
+
+**Configuration** (`hscontrol/types/config.go`)**
+- Database connection settings (SQLite/PostgreSQL)
+- Network configuration (IP ranges, DNS settings)
+- Policy mode (file vs database)
+- DERP relay configuration
+- OIDC provider settings
+
+**Key Dependencies**
+- **GORM**: Database ORM with migration support
+- **Tailscale Libraries**: Core networking and protocol code
+- **Zerolog**: Structured logging throughout the application
+- **Buf**: Protocol buffer toolchain for code generation
+
+### Development Workflow Integration
+
+The architecture supports incremental development:
+- **Unit Tests**: Focus on individual packages (`*_test.go` files)
+- **Integration Tests**: Validate cross-component interactions
+- **Database Tests**: Extensive migration and data integrity validation
+- **Policy Tests**: ACL rule evaluation and edge cases
+- **Performance Tests**: NodeStore and high-frequency operation validation
+
+## Integration Test System
+
+### Overview
+Integration tests use Docker containers running real Tailscale clients against a Headscale server. Tests validate end-to-end functionality including routing, ACLs, node lifecycle, and network coordination.
+
+### Running Integration Tests
+
+**System Requirements**
+```bash
+# Check if your system is ready
+go run ./cmd/hi doctor
+```
+This verifies Docker, Go, required images, and disk space.
+
+**Test Execution Patterns**
+```bash
+# Run a single test (recommended for development)
+go run ./cmd/hi run "TestSubnetRouterMultiNetwork"
+
+# Run with PostgreSQL backend (for database-heavy tests)
+go run ./cmd/hi run "TestExpireNode" --postgres
+
+# Run multiple tests with pattern matching
+go run ./cmd/hi run "TestSubnet*"
+
+# Run all integration tests (CI/full validation)
+go test ./integration -timeout 30m
+```
+
+**Test Categories & Timing**
+- **Fast tests** (< 2 min): Basic functionality, CLI operations
+- **Medium tests** (2-5 min): Route management, ACL validation  
+- **Slow tests** (5+ min): Node expiration, HA failover
+- **Long-running tests** (10+ min): `TestNodeOnlineStatus` (12 min duration)
+
+### Test Infrastructure
+
+**Docker Setup**
+- Headscale server container with configurable database backend
+- Multiple Tailscale client containers with different versions
+- Isolated networks per test scenario
+- Automatic cleanup after test completion
+
+**Test Artifacts**
+All test runs save artifacts to `control_logs/TIMESTAMP-ID/`:
+```
+control_logs/20250713-213106-iajsux/
+├── hs-testname-abc123.stderr.log     # Headscale server logs
+├── hs-testname-abc123.stdout.log
+├── hs-testname-abc123.db             # Database snapshot
+├── hs-testname-abc123_metrics.txt    # Prometheus metrics
+├── hs-testname-abc123-mapresponses/  # Protocol debug data
+├── ts-client-xyz789.stderr.log       # Tailscale client logs
+├── ts-client-xyz789.stdout.log
+└── ts-client-xyz789_status.json      # Client status dump
+```
+
+### Test Development Guidelines
+
+**Timing Considerations**
+Integration tests involve real network operations and Docker container lifecycle:
+
+```go
+// ❌ Wrong: Immediate assertions after async operations
+client.Execute([]string{"tailscale", "set", "--advertise-routes=10.0.0.0/24"})
+nodes, _ := headscale.ListNodes()
+require.Len(t, nodes[0].GetAvailableRoutes(), 1) // May fail due to timing
+
+// ✅ Correct: Wait for async operations to complete
+client.Execute([]string{"tailscale", "set", "--advertise-routes=10.0.0.0/24"})
+require.EventuallyWithT(t, func(c *assert.CollectT) {
+    nodes, err := headscale.ListNodes()
+    assert.NoError(c, err)
+    assert.Len(c, nodes[0].GetAvailableRoutes(), 1)
+}, 10*time.Second, 100*time.Millisecond, "route should be advertised")
+```
+
+**Common Test Patterns**
+- **Route Advertisement**: Use `EventuallyWithT` for route propagation
+- **Node State Changes**: Wait for NodeStore synchronization  
+- **ACL Policy Changes**: Allow time for policy recalculation
+- **Network Connectivity**: Use ping tests with retries
+
+**Test Data Management**
+```go
+// Node identification: Don't assume array ordering
+expectedRoutes := map[string]string{"1": "10.33.0.0/16"}
+for _, node := range nodes {
+    nodeIDStr := fmt.Sprintf("%d", node.GetId())
+    if route, shouldHaveRoute := expectedRoutes[nodeIDStr]; shouldHaveRoute {
+        // Test the node that should have the route
+    }
+}
+```
+
+### Troubleshooting Integration Tests
+
+**Common Failure Patterns**
+1. **Timing Issues**: Test assertions run before async operations complete
+   - **Solution**: Use `EventuallyWithT` with appropriate timeouts
+   - **Timeout Guidelines**: 3-5s for route operations, 10s for complex scenarios
+
+2. **Infrastructure Problems**: Disk space, Docker issues, network conflicts
+   - **Check**: `go run ./cmd/hi doctor` for system health
+   - **Clean**: Remove old test containers and networks
+
+3. **NodeStore Synchronization**: Tests expecting immediate data availability
+   - **Key Points**: Route advertisements must propagate through poll requests
+   - **Fix**: Wait for NodeStore updates after Hostinfo changes
+
+4. **Database Backend Differences**: SQLite vs PostgreSQL behavior differences
+   - **Use**: `--postgres` flag for database-intensive tests
+   - **Note**: Some timing characteristics differ between backends
+
+**Debugging Failed Tests**
+1. **Check test artifacts** in `control_logs/` for detailed logs
+2. **Examine MapResponse JSON** files for protocol-level debugging
+3. **Review Headscale stderr logs** for server-side error messages
+4. **Check Tailscale client status** for network-level issues
+
+**Resource Management**
+- Tests require significant disk space (each run ~100MB of logs)
+- Docker containers are cleaned up automatically on success
+- Failed tests may leave containers running - clean manually if needed
+- Use `docker system prune` periodically to reclaim space
+
+### Best Practices for Test Modifications
+
+1. **Always test locally** before committing integration test changes
+2. **Use appropriate timeouts** - too short causes flaky tests, too long slows CI
+3. **Clean up properly** - ensure tests don't leave persistent state
+4. **Handle both success and failure paths** in test scenarios
+5. **Document timing requirements** for complex test scenarios
+
+## NodeStore Implementation Details
+
+**Key Insight from Recent Work**: The NodeStore is a critical performance optimization that caches node data in memory while ensuring consistency with the database. When working with route advertisements or node state changes:
+
+1. **Timing Considerations**: Route advertisements need time to propagate from clients to server. Use `require.EventuallyWithT()` patterns in tests instead of immediate assertions.
+
+2. **Synchronization Points**: NodeStore updates happen at specific points like `poll.go:420` after Hostinfo changes. Ensure these are maintained when modifying the polling logic.
+
+3. **Peer Visibility**: The NodeStore's `peersFunc` determines which nodes are visible to each other. Policy-based filtering is separate from monitoring visibility - expired nodes should remain visible for debugging but marked as expired.
+
+## Testing Guidelines
+
+### Integration Test Patterns
+```go
+// Use EventuallyWithT for async operations
+require.EventuallyWithT(t, func(c *assert.CollectT) {
+    nodes, err := headscale.ListNodes()
+    assert.NoError(c, err)
+    // Check expected state
+}, 10*time.Second, 100*time.Millisecond, "description")
+
+// Node route checking by actual node properties, not array position
+var routeNode *v1.Node
+for _, node := range nodes {
+    if nodeIDStr := fmt.Sprintf("%d", node.GetId()); expectedRoutes[nodeIDStr] != "" {
+        routeNode = node
+        break
+    }
+}
+```
+
+### Running Problematic Tests
+- Some tests require significant time (e.g., `TestNodeOnlineStatus` runs for 12 minutes)
+- Infrastructure issues like disk space can cause test failures unrelated to code changes  
+- Use `--postgres` flag when testing database-heavy scenarios
+
+## Important Notes
+
+- **Dependencies**: Use `nix develop` for consistent toolchain (Go, buf, protobuf tools, linting)
+- **Protocol Buffers**: Changes to `proto/` require `make generate` and should be committed separately
+- **Code Style**: Enforced via golangci-lint with golines (width 88) and gofumpt formatting
+- **Database**: Supports both SQLite (development) and PostgreSQL (production/testing)
+- **Integration Tests**: Require Docker and can consume significant disk space
+- **Performance**: NodeStore optimizations are critical for scale - be careful with changes to state management
+
+## Debugging Integration Tests
+
+Test artifacts are preserved in `control_logs/TIMESTAMP-ID/` including:
+- Headscale server logs (stderr/stdout)
+- Tailscale client logs and status
+- Database dumps and network captures
+- MapResponse JSON files for protocol debugging
+
+When tests fail, check these artifacts first before assuming code issues.
diff --git a/Dockerfile.integration b/Dockerfile.integration
index e9f1d865..0317d126 100644
--- a/Dockerfile.integration
+++ b/Dockerfile.integration
@@ -13,14 +13,18 @@ RUN apt-get update \
   && apt-get clean
 RUN mkdir -p /var/run/headscale
 
+# Install delve debugger
+RUN go install github.com/go-delve/delve/cmd/dlv@latest
+
 COPY go.mod go.sum /go/src/headscale/
 RUN go mod download
 
 COPY . .
 
-RUN CGO_ENABLED=0 GOOS=linux go install -a ./cmd/headscale && test -e /go/bin/headscale
+# Build debug binary with debug symbols for delve
+RUN CGO_ENABLED=0 GOOS=linux go build -gcflags="all=-N -l" -o /go/bin/headscale ./cmd/headscale
 
 # Need to reset the entrypoint or everything will run as a busybox script
 ENTRYPOINT []
-EXPOSE 8080/tcp
-CMD ["headscale"]
+EXPOSE 8080/tcp 40000/tcp
+CMD ["/go/bin/dlv", "--listen=0.0.0.0:40000", "--headless=true", "--api-version=2", "--accept-multiclient", "exec", "/go/bin/headscale", "--"]
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 563109a6..d9b2c76b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -87,10 +87,9 @@ lint-proto: check-deps $(PROTO_SOURCES)
 
 # Code generation
 .PHONY: generate
-generate: check-deps $(PROTO_SOURCES)
-	@echo "Generating code from Protocol Buffers..."
-	rm -rf gen
-	buf generate proto
+generate: check-deps
+	@echo "Generating code..."
+	go generate ./...
 
 # Clean targets
 .PHONY: clean
diff --git a/cmd/headscale/cli/nodes.go b/cmd/headscale/cli/nodes.go
index fb49f4a3..caac986c 100644
--- a/cmd/headscale/cli/nodes.go
+++ b/cmd/headscale/cli/nodes.go
@@ -539,19 +539,25 @@ be assigned to nodes.`,
 		output, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString("output")
 
 		confirm := false
-		prompt := &survey.Confirm{
-			Message: "Are you sure that you want to assign/remove IPs to/from nodes?",
-		}
-		err = survey.AskOne(prompt, &confirm)
-		if err != nil {
-			return
+
+		force, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool("force")
+		if !force {
+			prompt := &survey.Confirm{
+				Message: "Are you sure that you want to assign/remove IPs to/from nodes?",
+			}
+			err = survey.AskOne(prompt, &confirm)
+			if err != nil {
+				return
+			}
 		}
-		if confirm {
+
+
+		if confirm || force {
 			ctx, client, conn, cancel := newHeadscaleCLIWithConfig()
 			defer cancel()
 			defer conn.Close()
 
-			changes, err := client.BackfillNodeIPs(ctx, &v1.BackfillNodeIPsRequest{Confirmed: confirm})
+			changes, err := client.BackfillNodeIPs(ctx, &v1.BackfillNodeIPsRequest{Confirmed: confirm || force })
 			if err != nil {
 				ErrorOutput(
 					err,
diff --git a/cmd/headscale/cli/users.go b/cmd/headscale/cli/users.go
index c482299c..8b32d935 100644
--- a/cmd/headscale/cli/users.go
+++ b/cmd/headscale/cli/users.go
@@ -212,13 +212,10 @@ var listUsersCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		switch {
 		case id > 0:
 			request.Id = uint64(id)
-			break
 		case username != "":
 			request.Name = username
-			break
 		case email != "":
 			request.Email = email
-			break
 		}
 
 		response, err := client.ListUsers(ctx, request)
diff --git a/cmd/hi/docker.go b/cmd/hi/docker.go
index 9abc6d4f..e7a50485 100644
--- a/cmd/hi/docker.go
+++ b/cmd/hi/docker.go
@@ -90,6 +90,32 @@ func runTestContainer(ctx context.Context, config *RunConfig) error {
 
 	log.Printf("Starting test: %s", config.TestPattern)
 
+	// Start stats collection for container resource monitoring (if enabled)
+	var statsCollector *StatsCollector
+	if config.Stats {
+		var err error
+		statsCollector, err = NewStatsCollector()
+		if err != nil {
+			if config.Verbose {
+				log.Printf("Warning: failed to create stats collector: %v", err)
+			}
+			statsCollector = nil
+		}
+
+		if statsCollector != nil {
+			defer statsCollector.Close()
+			
+			// Start stats collection immediately - no need for complex retry logic
+			// The new implementation monitors Docker events and will catch containers as they start
+			if err := statsCollector.StartCollection(ctx, runID, config.Verbose); err != nil {
+				if config.Verbose {
+					log.Printf("Warning: failed to start stats collection: %v", err)
+				}
+			}
+			defer statsCollector.StopCollection()
+		}
+	}
+
 	exitCode, err := streamAndWait(ctx, cli, resp.ID)
 
 	// Ensure all containers have finished and logs are flushed before extracting artifacts
@@ -105,6 +131,20 @@ func runTestContainer(ctx context.Context, config *RunConfig) error {
 	// Always list control files regardless of test outcome
 	listControlFiles(logsDir)
 
+	// Print stats summary and check memory limits if enabled
+	if config.Stats && statsCollector != nil {
+		violations := statsCollector.PrintSummaryAndCheckLimits(config.HSMemoryLimit, config.TSMemoryLimit)
+		if len(violations) > 0 {
+			log.Printf("MEMORY LIMIT VIOLATIONS DETECTED:")
+			log.Printf("=================================")
+			for _, violation := range violations {
+				log.Printf("Container %s exceeded memory limit: %.1f MB > %.1f MB", 
+					violation.ContainerName, violation.MaxMemoryMB, violation.LimitMB)
+			}
+			return fmt.Errorf("test failed: %d container(s) exceeded memory limits", len(violations))
+		}
+	}
+
 	shouldCleanup := config.CleanAfter && (!config.KeepOnFailure || exitCode == 0)
 	if shouldCleanup {
 		if config.Verbose {
@@ -379,10 +419,37 @@ func getDockerSocketPath() string {
 	return "/var/run/docker.sock"
 }
 
-// ensureImageAvailable pulls the specified Docker image to ensure it's available.
+// checkImageAvailableLocally checks if the specified Docker image is available locally.
+func checkImageAvailableLocally(ctx context.Context, cli *client.Client, imageName string) (bool, error) {
+	_, _, err := cli.ImageInspectWithRaw(ctx, imageName)
+	if err != nil {
+		if client.IsErrNotFound(err) {
+			return false, nil
+		}
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("failed to inspect image %s: %w", imageName, err)
+	}
+
+	return true, nil
+}
+
+// ensureImageAvailable checks if the image is available locally first, then pulls if needed.
 func ensureImageAvailable(ctx context.Context, cli *client.Client, imageName string, verbose bool) error {
+	// First check if image is available locally
+	available, err := checkImageAvailableLocally(ctx, cli, imageName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to check local image availability: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if available {
+		if verbose {
+			log.Printf("Image %s is available locally", imageName)
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// Image not available locally, try to pull it
 	if verbose {
-		log.Printf("Pulling image %s...", imageName)
+		log.Printf("Image %s not found locally, pulling...", imageName)
 	}
 
 	reader, err := cli.ImagePull(ctx, imageName, image.PullOptions{})
diff --git a/cmd/hi/doctor.go b/cmd/hi/doctor.go
index a45bfa8f..8af6051f 100644
--- a/cmd/hi/doctor.go
+++ b/cmd/hi/doctor.go
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ func checkDockerSocket(ctx context.Context) DoctorResult {
 	}
 }
 
-// checkGolangImage verifies we can access the golang Docker image.
+// checkGolangImage verifies the golang Docker image is available locally or can be pulled.
 func checkGolangImage(ctx context.Context) DoctorResult {
 	cli, err := createDockerClient()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -205,17 +205,40 @@ func checkGolangImage(ctx context.Context) DoctorResult {
 	goVersion := detectGoVersion()
 	imageName := "golang:" + goVersion
 
-	// Check if we can pull the image
+	// First check if image is available locally
+	available, err := checkImageAvailableLocally(ctx, cli, imageName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return DoctorResult{
+			Name:    "Golang Image",
+			Status:  "FAIL",
+			Message: fmt.Sprintf("Cannot check golang image %s: %v", imageName, err),
+			Suggestions: []string{
+				"Check Docker daemon status",
+				"Try: docker images | grep golang",
+			},
+		}
+	}
+
+	if available {
+		return DoctorResult{
+			Name:    "Golang Image",
+			Status:  "PASS",
+			Message: fmt.Sprintf("Golang image %s is available locally", imageName),
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Image not available locally, try to pull it
 	err = ensureImageAvailable(ctx, cli, imageName, false)
 	if err != nil {
 		return DoctorResult{
 			Name:    "Golang Image",
 			Status:  "FAIL",
-			Message: fmt.Sprintf("Cannot pull golang image %s: %v", imageName, err),
+			Message: fmt.Sprintf("Golang image %s not available locally and cannot pull: %v", imageName, err),
 			Suggestions: []string{
 				"Check internet connectivity",
 				"Verify Docker Hub access",
 				"Try: docker pull " + imageName,
+				"Or run tests offline if image was pulled previously",
 			},
 		}
 	}
@@ -223,7 +246,7 @@ func checkGolangImage(ctx context.Context) DoctorResult {
 	return DoctorResult{
 		Name:    "Golang Image",
 		Status:  "PASS",
-		Message: fmt.Sprintf("Golang image %s is available", imageName),
+		Message: fmt.Sprintf("Golang image %s is now available", imageName),
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/cmd/hi/run.go b/cmd/hi/run.go
index f40f563d..cd06b2d1 100644
--- a/cmd/hi/run.go
+++ b/cmd/hi/run.go
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ type RunConfig struct {
 	KeepOnFailure bool          `flag:"keep-on-failure,default=false,Keep containers on test failure"`
 	LogsDir       string        `flag:"logs-dir,default=control_logs,Control logs directory"`
 	Verbose       bool          `flag:"verbose,default=false,Verbose output"`
+	Stats           bool          `flag:"stats,default=false,Collect and display container resource usage statistics"`
+	HSMemoryLimit   float64       `flag:"hs-memory-limit,default=0,Fail test if any Headscale container exceeds this memory limit in MB (0 = disabled)"`
+	TSMemoryLimit   float64       `flag:"ts-memory-limit,default=0,Fail test if any Tailscale container exceeds this memory limit in MB (0 = disabled)"`
 }
 
 // runIntegrationTest executes the integration test workflow.
diff --git a/cmd/hi/stats.go b/cmd/hi/stats.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ecb3f4fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/hi/stats.go
@@ -0,0 +1,468 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+	"log"
+	"sort"
+	"strings"
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/container"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/events"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/filters"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/client"
+)
+
+// ContainerStats represents statistics for a single container
+type ContainerStats struct {
+	ContainerID   string
+	ContainerName string
+	Stats         []StatsSample
+	mutex         sync.RWMutex
+}
+
+// StatsSample represents a single stats measurement
+type StatsSample struct {
+	Timestamp time.Time
+	CPUUsage  float64 // CPU usage percentage
+	MemoryMB  float64 // Memory usage in MB
+}
+
+// StatsCollector manages collection of container statistics
+type StatsCollector struct {
+	client            *client.Client
+	containers        map[string]*ContainerStats
+	stopChan          chan struct{}
+	wg                sync.WaitGroup
+	mutex             sync.RWMutex
+	collectionStarted bool
+}
+
+// NewStatsCollector creates a new stats collector instance
+func NewStatsCollector() (*StatsCollector, error) {
+	cli, err := createDockerClient()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create Docker client: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return &StatsCollector{
+		client:     cli,
+		containers: make(map[string]*ContainerStats),
+		stopChan:   make(chan struct{}),
+	}, nil
+}
+
+// StartCollection begins monitoring all containers and collecting stats for hs- and ts- containers with matching run ID
+func (sc *StatsCollector) StartCollection(ctx context.Context, runID string, verbose bool) error {
+	sc.mutex.Lock()
+	defer sc.mutex.Unlock()
+
+	if sc.collectionStarted {
+		return fmt.Errorf("stats collection already started")
+	}
+
+	sc.collectionStarted = true
+
+	// Start monitoring existing containers
+	sc.wg.Add(1)
+	go sc.monitorExistingContainers(ctx, runID, verbose)
+
+	// Start Docker events monitoring for new containers
+	sc.wg.Add(1)
+	go sc.monitorDockerEvents(ctx, runID, verbose)
+
+	if verbose {
+		log.Printf("Started container monitoring for run ID %s", runID)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// StopCollection stops all stats collection
+func (sc *StatsCollector) StopCollection() {
+	// Check if already stopped without holding lock
+	sc.mutex.RLock()
+	if !sc.collectionStarted {
+		sc.mutex.RUnlock()
+		return
+	}
+	sc.mutex.RUnlock()
+
+	// Signal stop to all goroutines
+	close(sc.stopChan)
+	
+	// Wait for all goroutines to finish
+	sc.wg.Wait()
+	
+	// Mark as stopped
+	sc.mutex.Lock()
+	sc.collectionStarted = false
+	sc.mutex.Unlock()
+}
+
+// monitorExistingContainers checks for existing containers that match our criteria
+func (sc *StatsCollector) monitorExistingContainers(ctx context.Context, runID string, verbose bool) {
+	defer sc.wg.Done()
+
+	containers, err := sc.client.ContainerList(ctx, container.ListOptions{})
+	if err != nil {
+		if verbose {
+			log.Printf("Failed to list existing containers: %v", err)
+		}
+		return
+	}
+
+	for _, cont := range containers {
+		if sc.shouldMonitorContainer(cont, runID) {
+			sc.startStatsForContainer(ctx, cont.ID, cont.Names[0], verbose)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// monitorDockerEvents listens for container start events and begins monitoring relevant containers
+func (sc *StatsCollector) monitorDockerEvents(ctx context.Context, runID string, verbose bool) {
+	defer sc.wg.Done()
+
+	filter := filters.NewArgs()
+	filter.Add("type", "container")
+	filter.Add("event", "start")
+	
+	eventOptions := events.ListOptions{
+		Filters: filter,
+	}
+
+	events, errs := sc.client.Events(ctx, eventOptions)
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-sc.stopChan:
+			return
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return
+		case event := <-events:
+			if event.Type == "container" && event.Action == "start" {
+				// Get container details
+				containerInfo, err := sc.client.ContainerInspect(ctx, event.ID)
+				if err != nil {
+					continue
+				}
+
+				// Convert to types.Container format for consistency
+				cont := types.Container{
+					ID:     containerInfo.ID,
+					Names:  []string{containerInfo.Name},
+					Labels: containerInfo.Config.Labels,
+				}
+
+				if sc.shouldMonitorContainer(cont, runID) {
+					sc.startStatsForContainer(ctx, cont.ID, cont.Names[0], verbose)
+				}
+			}
+		case err := <-errs:
+			if verbose {
+				log.Printf("Error in Docker events stream: %v", err)
+			}
+			return
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// shouldMonitorContainer determines if a container should be monitored
+func (sc *StatsCollector) shouldMonitorContainer(cont types.Container, runID string) bool {
+	// Check if it has the correct run ID label
+	if cont.Labels == nil || cont.Labels["hi.run-id"] != runID {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	// Check if it's an hs- or ts- container
+	for _, name := range cont.Names {
+		containerName := strings.TrimPrefix(name, "/")
+		if strings.HasPrefix(containerName, "hs-") || strings.HasPrefix(containerName, "ts-") {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+
+	return false
+}
+
+// startStatsForContainer begins stats collection for a specific container
+func (sc *StatsCollector) startStatsForContainer(ctx context.Context, containerID, containerName string, verbose bool) {
+	containerName = strings.TrimPrefix(containerName, "/")
+
+	sc.mutex.Lock()
+	// Check if we're already monitoring this container
+	if _, exists := sc.containers[containerID]; exists {
+		sc.mutex.Unlock()
+		return
+	}
+
+	sc.containers[containerID] = &ContainerStats{
+		ContainerID:   containerID,
+		ContainerName: containerName,
+		Stats:         make([]StatsSample, 0),
+	}
+	sc.mutex.Unlock()
+
+	if verbose {
+		log.Printf("Starting stats collection for container %s (%s)", containerName, containerID[:12])
+	}
+
+	sc.wg.Add(1)
+	go sc.collectStatsForContainer(ctx, containerID, verbose)
+}
+
+// collectStatsForContainer collects stats for a specific container using Docker API streaming
+func (sc *StatsCollector) collectStatsForContainer(ctx context.Context, containerID string, verbose bool) {
+	defer sc.wg.Done()
+
+	// Use Docker API streaming stats - much more efficient than CLI
+	statsResponse, err := sc.client.ContainerStats(ctx, containerID, true)
+	if err != nil {
+		if verbose {
+			log.Printf("Failed to get stats stream for container %s: %v", containerID[:12], err)
+		}
+		return
+	}
+	defer statsResponse.Body.Close()
+
+	decoder := json.NewDecoder(statsResponse.Body)
+	var prevStats *container.Stats
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-sc.stopChan:
+			return
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return
+		default:
+			var stats container.Stats
+			if err := decoder.Decode(&stats); err != nil {
+				// EOF is expected when container stops or stream ends
+				if err.Error() != "EOF" && verbose {
+					log.Printf("Failed to decode stats for container %s: %v", containerID[:12], err)
+				}
+				return
+			}
+
+			// Calculate CPU percentage (only if we have previous stats)
+			var cpuPercent float64
+			if prevStats != nil {
+				cpuPercent = calculateCPUPercent(prevStats, &stats)
+			}
+
+			// Calculate memory usage in MB
+			memoryMB := float64(stats.MemoryStats.Usage) / (1024 * 1024)
+
+			// Store the sample (skip first sample since CPU calculation needs previous stats)
+			if prevStats != nil {
+				// Get container stats reference without holding the main mutex
+				var containerStats *ContainerStats
+				var exists bool
+				
+				sc.mutex.RLock()
+				containerStats, exists = sc.containers[containerID]
+				sc.mutex.RUnlock()
+
+				if exists && containerStats != nil {
+					containerStats.mutex.Lock()
+					containerStats.Stats = append(containerStats.Stats, StatsSample{
+						Timestamp: time.Now(),
+						CPUUsage:  cpuPercent,
+						MemoryMB:  memoryMB,
+					})
+					containerStats.mutex.Unlock()
+				}
+			}
+
+			// Save current stats for next iteration
+			prevStats = &stats
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// calculateCPUPercent calculates CPU usage percentage from Docker stats
+func calculateCPUPercent(prevStats, stats *container.Stats) float64 {
+	// CPU calculation based on Docker's implementation
+	cpuDelta := float64(stats.CPUStats.CPUUsage.TotalUsage) - float64(prevStats.CPUStats.CPUUsage.TotalUsage)
+	systemDelta := float64(stats.CPUStats.SystemUsage) - float64(prevStats.CPUStats.SystemUsage)
+	
+	if systemDelta > 0 && cpuDelta >= 0 {
+		// Calculate CPU percentage: (container CPU delta / system CPU delta) * number of CPUs * 100
+		numCPUs := float64(len(stats.CPUStats.CPUUsage.PercpuUsage))
+		if numCPUs == 0 {
+			// Fallback: if PercpuUsage is not available, assume 1 CPU
+			numCPUs = 1.0
+		}
+		return (cpuDelta / systemDelta) * numCPUs * 100.0
+	}
+	return 0.0
+}
+
+// ContainerStatsSummary represents summary statistics for a container
+type ContainerStatsSummary struct {
+	ContainerName string
+	SampleCount   int
+	CPU           StatsSummary
+	Memory        StatsSummary
+}
+
+// MemoryViolation represents a container that exceeded the memory limit
+type MemoryViolation struct {
+	ContainerName string
+	MaxMemoryMB   float64
+	LimitMB       float64
+}
+
+// StatsSummary represents min, max, and average for a metric
+type StatsSummary struct {
+	Min     float64
+	Max     float64
+	Average float64
+}
+
+// GetSummary returns a summary of collected statistics
+func (sc *StatsCollector) GetSummary() []ContainerStatsSummary {
+	// Take snapshot of container references without holding main lock long
+	sc.mutex.RLock()
+	containerRefs := make([]*ContainerStats, 0, len(sc.containers))
+	for _, containerStats := range sc.containers {
+		containerRefs = append(containerRefs, containerStats)
+	}
+	sc.mutex.RUnlock()
+
+	summaries := make([]ContainerStatsSummary, 0, len(containerRefs))
+
+	for _, containerStats := range containerRefs {
+		containerStats.mutex.RLock()
+		stats := make([]StatsSample, len(containerStats.Stats))
+		copy(stats, containerStats.Stats)
+		containerName := containerStats.ContainerName
+		containerStats.mutex.RUnlock()
+
+		if len(stats) == 0 {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		summary := ContainerStatsSummary{
+			ContainerName: containerName,
+			SampleCount:   len(stats),
+		}
+
+		// Calculate CPU stats
+		cpuValues := make([]float64, len(stats))
+		memoryValues := make([]float64, len(stats))
+		
+		for i, sample := range stats {
+			cpuValues[i] = sample.CPUUsage
+			memoryValues[i] = sample.MemoryMB
+		}
+
+		summary.CPU = calculateStatsSummary(cpuValues)
+		summary.Memory = calculateStatsSummary(memoryValues)
+
+		summaries = append(summaries, summary)
+	}
+
+	// Sort by container name for consistent output
+	sort.Slice(summaries, func(i, j int) bool {
+		return summaries[i].ContainerName < summaries[j].ContainerName
+	})
+
+	return summaries
+}
+
+// calculateStatsSummary calculates min, max, and average for a slice of values
+func calculateStatsSummary(values []float64) StatsSummary {
+	if len(values) == 0 {
+		return StatsSummary{}
+	}
+
+	min := values[0]
+	max := values[0]
+	sum := 0.0
+
+	for _, value := range values {
+		if value < min {
+			min = value
+		}
+		if value > max {
+			max = value
+		}
+		sum += value
+	}
+
+	return StatsSummary{
+		Min:     min,
+		Max:     max,
+		Average: sum / float64(len(values)),
+	}
+}
+
+// PrintSummary prints the statistics summary to the console
+func (sc *StatsCollector) PrintSummary() {
+	summaries := sc.GetSummary()
+	
+	if len(summaries) == 0 {
+		log.Printf("No container statistics collected")
+		return
+	}
+
+	log.Printf("Container Resource Usage Summary:")
+	log.Printf("================================")
+	
+	for _, summary := range summaries {
+		log.Printf("Container: %s (%d samples)", summary.ContainerName, summary.SampleCount)
+		log.Printf("  CPU Usage:    Min: %6.2f%%  Max: %6.2f%%  Avg: %6.2f%%", 
+			summary.CPU.Min, summary.CPU.Max, summary.CPU.Average)
+		log.Printf("  Memory Usage: Min: %6.1f MB Max: %6.1f MB Avg: %6.1f MB", 
+			summary.Memory.Min, summary.Memory.Max, summary.Memory.Average)
+		log.Printf("")
+	}
+}
+
+// CheckMemoryLimits checks if any containers exceeded their memory limits
+func (sc *StatsCollector) CheckMemoryLimits(hsLimitMB, tsLimitMB float64) []MemoryViolation {
+	if hsLimitMB <= 0 && tsLimitMB <= 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	summaries := sc.GetSummary()
+	var violations []MemoryViolation
+
+	for _, summary := range summaries {
+		var limitMB float64
+		if strings.HasPrefix(summary.ContainerName, "hs-") {
+			limitMB = hsLimitMB
+		} else if strings.HasPrefix(summary.ContainerName, "ts-") {
+			limitMB = tsLimitMB
+		} else {
+			continue // Skip containers that don't match our patterns
+		}
+
+		if limitMB > 0 && summary.Memory.Max > limitMB {
+			violations = append(violations, MemoryViolation{
+				ContainerName: summary.ContainerName,
+				MaxMemoryMB:   summary.Memory.Max,
+				LimitMB:       limitMB,
+			})
+		}
+	}
+
+	return violations
+}
+
+// PrintSummaryAndCheckLimits prints the statistics summary and returns memory violations if any
+func (sc *StatsCollector) PrintSummaryAndCheckLimits(hsLimitMB, tsLimitMB float64) []MemoryViolation {
+	sc.PrintSummary()
+	return sc.CheckMemoryLimits(hsLimitMB, tsLimitMB)
+}
+
+// Close closes the stats collector and cleans up resources
+func (sc *StatsCollector) Close() error {
+	sc.StopCollection()
+	return sc.client.Close()
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/config-example.yaml b/config-example.yaml
index 44f87676..43dbd056 100644
--- a/config-example.yaml
+++ b/config-example.yaml
@@ -225,9 +225,11 @@ tls_cert_path: ""
 tls_key_path: ""
 
 log:
+  # Valid log levels: panic, fatal, error, warn, info, debug, trace
+  level: info
+
   # Output formatting for logs: text or json
   format: text
-  level: info
 
 ## Policy
 # headscale supports Tailscale's ACL policies.
diff --git a/docs/about/faq.md b/docs/about/faq.md
index 6d66297e..e4711a13 100644
--- a/docs/about/faq.md
+++ b/docs/about/faq.md
@@ -51,11 +51,11 @@ is homelabbers and self-hosters. Of course, we do not prevent people from using
 it in a commercial/professional setting and often get questions about scaling.
 
 Please note that when Headscale is developed, performance is not part of the
-consideration as the main audience is considered to be users with a moddest
+consideration as the main audience is considered to be users with a modest
 amount of devices. We focus on correctness and feature parity with Tailscale
 SaaS over time.
 
-To understand if you might be able to use Headscale for your usecase, I will
+To understand if you might be able to use Headscale for your use case, I will
 describe two scenarios in an effort to explain what is the central bottleneck
 of Headscale:
 
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ new "world map" is created for every node in the network.
 This means that under certain conditions, Headscale can likely handle 100s
 of devices (maybe more), if there is _little to no change_ happening in the
 network. For example, in Scenario 1, the process of computing the world map is
-extremly demanding due to the size of the network, but when the map has been
+extremely demanding due to the size of the network, but when the map has been
 created and the nodes are not changing, the Headscale instance will likely
 return to a very low resource usage until the next time there is an event
 requiring the new map.
@@ -94,14 +94,14 @@ learn about the current state of the world.
 We expect that the performance will improve over time as we improve the code
 base, but it is not a focus. In general, we will never make the tradeoff to make
 things faster on the cost of less maintainable or readable code. We are a small
-team and have to optimise for maintainabillity.
+team and have to optimise for maintainability.
 
 ## Which database should I use?
 
 We recommend the use of SQLite as database for headscale:
 
 - SQLite is simple to setup and easy to use
-- It scales well for all of headscale's usecases
+- It scales well for all of headscale's use cases
 - Development and testing happens primarily on SQLite
 - PostgreSQL is still supported, but is considered to be in "maintenance mode"
 
diff --git a/docs/ref/debug.md b/docs/ref/debug.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2c6ef5b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/ref/debug.md
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+# Debugging and troubleshooting
+
+Headscale and Tailscale provide debug and introspection capabilities that can be helpful when things don't work as
+expected. This page explains some debugging techniques to help pinpoint problems.
+
+Please also have a look at [Tailscale's Troubleshooting guide](https://tailscale.com/kb/1023/troubleshooting). It offers
+a many tips and suggestions to troubleshoot common issues.
+
+## Tailscale
+
+The Tailscale client itself offers many commands to introspect its state as well as the state of the network:
+
+- [Check local network conditions](https://tailscale.com/kb/1080/cli#netcheck): `tailscale netcheck`
+- [Get the client status](https://tailscale.com/kb/1080/cli#status): `tailscale status --json`
+- [Get DNS status](https://tailscale.com/kb/1080/cli#dns): `tailscale dns status --all`
+- Client logs: `tailscale debug daemon-logs`
+- Client netmap: `tailscale debug netmap`
+- Test DERP connection: `tailscale debug derp headscale`
+- And many more, see: `tailscale debug --help`
+
+Many of the commands are helpful when trying to understand differences between Headscale and Tailscale SaaS.
+
+## Headscale
+
+### Application logging
+
+The log levels `debug` and `trace` can be useful to get more information from Headscale.
+
+```yaml hl_lines="3"
+log:
+  # Valid log levels: panic, fatal, error, warn, info, debug, trace
+  level: debug
+```
+
+### Database logging
+
+The database debug mode logs all database queries. Enable it to see how Headscale interacts with its database. This also
+requires the application log level to be set to either `debug` or `trace`.
+
+```yaml hl_lines="3 7"
+database:
+  # Enable debug mode. This setting requires the log.level to be set to "debug" or "trace".
+  debug: false
+
+log:
+  # Valid log levels: panic, fatal, error, warn, info, debug, trace
+  level: debug
+```
+
+### Metrics and debug endpoint
+
+Headscale provides a metrics and debug endpoint. It allows to introspect different aspects such as:
+
+- Information about the Go runtime, memory usage and statistics
+- Connected nodes and pending registrations
+- Active ACLs, filters and SSH policy
+- Current DERPMap
+- Prometheus metrics
+
+!!! warning "Keep the metrics and debug endpoint private"
+
+    The listen address and port can be configured with the `metrics_listen_addr` variable in the [configuration
+    file](./configuration.md). By default it listens on localhost, port 9090.
+
+    Keep the metrics and debug endpoint private to your internal network and don't expose it to the Internet.
+
+Query metrics via <http://localhost:9090/metrics> and get an overview of available debug information via
+<http://localhost:9090/debug/>. Metrics may be queried from outside localhost but the debug interface is subject to
+additional protection despite listening on all interfaces.
+
+=== "Direct access"
+
+    Access the debug interface directly on the server where Headscale is installed.
+
+    ```console
+    curl http://localhost:9090/debug/
+    ```
+
+=== "SSH port forwarding"
+
+    Use SSH port forwarding to forward Headscale's metrics and debug port to your device.
+
+    ```console
+    ssh <HEADSCALE_SERVER> -L 9090:localhost:9090
+    ```
+
+    Access the debug interface on your device by opening <http://localhost:9090/debug/> in your web browser.
+
+=== "Via debug key"
+
+    The access control of the debug interface supports the use of a debug key. Traffic is accepted if the path to a
+    debug key is set via the environment variable `TS_DEBUG_KEY_PATH` and the debug key sent as value for `debugkey`
+    parameter with each request.
+
+    ```console
+    openssl rand -hex 32 | tee debugkey.txt
+    export TS_DEBUG_KEY_PATH=debugkey.txt
+    headscale serve
+    ```
+
+    Access the debug interface on your device by opening `http://<IP_OF_HEADSCALE>:9090/debug/?debugkey=<DEBUG_KEY>` in
+    your web browser. The `debugkey` parameter must be sent with every request.
+
+=== "Via debug IP address"
+
+    The debug endpoint expects traffic from localhost. A different debug IP address may be configured by setting the
+    `TS_ALLOW_DEBUG_IP` environment variable before starting Headscale. The debug IP address is ignored when the HTTP
+    header `X-Forwarded-For` is present.
+
+    ```console
+    export TS_ALLOW_DEBUG_IP=192.168.0.10       # IP address of your device
+    headscale serve
+    ```
+
+    Access the debug interface on your device by opening `http://<IP_OF_HEADSCALE>:9090/debug/` in your web browser.
diff --git a/docs/ref/oidc.md b/docs/ref/oidc.md
index ac4516d5..5de952a2 100644
--- a/docs/ref/oidc.md
+++ b/docs/ref/oidc.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 Headscale supports authentication via external identity providers using OpenID Connect (OIDC). It features:
 
-- Autoconfiguration via OpenID Connect Discovery Protocol
+- Auto configuration via OpenID Connect Discovery Protocol
 - [Proof Key for Code Exchange (PKCE) code verification](#enable-pkce-recommended)
 - [Authorization based on a user's domain, email address or group membership](#authorize-users-with-filters)
 - Synchronization of [standard OIDC claims](#supported-oidc-claims)
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ Access Token.
 === "Use expiration from Access Token"
 
     Please keep in mind that the Access Token is typically a short-lived token that expires within a few minutes. You
-    will have to configure token expiration in your identity provider to avoid frequent reauthentication.
+    will have to configure token expiration in your identity provider to avoid frequent re-authentication.
 
 
     ```yaml hl_lines="5"
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index 17a99b56..70b51c7b 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
       overlay = _: prev: let
         pkgs = nixpkgs.legacyPackages.${prev.system};
         buildGo = pkgs.buildGo124Module;
-        vendorHash = "sha256-S2GnCg2dyfjIyi5gXhVEuRs5Bop2JAhZcnhg1fu4/Gg=";
+        vendorHash = "sha256-83L2NMyOwKCHWqcowStJ7Ze/U9CJYhzleDRLrJNhX2g=";
       in {
         headscale = buildGo {
           pname = "headscale";
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 399cc807..f719bc0b 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ require (
 	github.com/gorilla/mux v1.8.1
 	github.com/grpc-ecosystem/grpc-gateway/v2 v2.27.0
 	github.com/jagottsicher/termcolor v1.0.2
-	github.com/klauspost/compress v1.18.0
 	github.com/oauth2-proxy/mockoidc v0.0.0-20240214162133-caebfff84d25
 	github.com/ory/dockertest/v3 v3.12.0
 	github.com/philip-bui/grpc-zerolog v1.0.1
@@ -43,11 +42,11 @@ require (
 	github.com/tailscale/tailsql v0.0.0-20250421235516-02f85f087b97
 	github.com/tcnksm/go-latest v0.0.0-20170313132115-e3007ae9052e
 	go4.org/netipx v0.0.0-20231129151722-fdeea329fbba
-	golang.org/x/crypto v0.39.0
+	golang.org/x/crypto v0.40.0
 	golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20250408133849-7e4ce0ab07d0
-	golang.org/x/net v0.41.0
+	golang.org/x/net v0.42.0
 	golang.org/x/oauth2 v0.30.0
-	golang.org/x/sync v0.15.0
+	golang.org/x/sync v0.16.0
 	google.golang.org/genproto/googleapis/api v0.0.0-20250603155806-513f23925822
 	google.golang.org/grpc v1.73.0
 	google.golang.org/protobuf v1.36.6
@@ -55,7 +54,7 @@ require (
 	gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1
 	gorm.io/driver/postgres v1.6.0
 	gorm.io/gorm v1.30.0
-	tailscale.com v1.84.2
+	tailscale.com v1.84.3
 	zgo.at/zcache/v2 v2.2.0
 	zombiezen.com/go/postgrestest v1.0.1
 )
@@ -81,7 +80,7 @@ require (
 	modernc.org/libc v1.62.1 // indirect
 	modernc.org/mathutil v1.7.1 // indirect
 	modernc.org/memory v1.10.0 // indirect
-	modernc.org/sqlite v1.37.0 // indirect
+	modernc.org/sqlite v1.37.0
 )
 
 require (
@@ -166,6 +165,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/jmespath/go-jmespath v0.4.0 // indirect
 	github.com/jsimonetti/rtnetlink v1.4.1 // indirect
 	github.com/kballard/go-shellquote v0.0.0-20180428030007-95032a82bc51 // indirect
+	github.com/klauspost/compress v1.18.0 // indirect
 	github.com/kr/pretty v0.3.1 // indirect
 	github.com/kr/text v0.2.0 // indirect
 	github.com/lib/pq v1.10.9 // indirect
@@ -231,14 +231,19 @@ require (
 	go.opentelemetry.io/otel/trace v1.36.0 // indirect
 	go.uber.org/multierr v1.11.0 // indirect
 	go4.org/mem v0.0.0-20240501181205-ae6ca9944745 // indirect
-	golang.org/x/mod v0.25.0 // indirect
-	golang.org/x/sys v0.33.0 // indirect
-	golang.org/x/term v0.32.0 // indirect
-	golang.org/x/text v0.26.0 // indirect
+	golang.org/x/mod v0.26.0 // indirect
+	golang.org/x/sys v0.34.0 // indirect
+	golang.org/x/term v0.33.0 // indirect
+	golang.org/x/text v0.27.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/time v0.10.0 // indirect
-	golang.org/x/tools v0.33.0 // indirect
+	golang.org/x/tools v0.35.0 // indirect
 	golang.zx2c4.com/wintun v0.0.0-20230126152724-0fa3db229ce2 // indirect
 	golang.zx2c4.com/wireguard/windows v0.5.3 // indirect
 	google.golang.org/genproto/googleapis/rpc v0.0.0-20250603155806-513f23925822 // indirect
 	gvisor.dev/gvisor v0.0.0-20250205023644-9414b50a5633 // indirect
 )
+
+tool (
+	golang.org/x/tools/cmd/stringer
+	tailscale.com/cmd/viewer
+)
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 3696736b..5571e67f 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -555,8 +555,8 @@ golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20191011191535-87dc89f01550/go.mod h1:yigFU9vqHzYiE8U
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20200622213623-75b288015ac9/go.mod h1:LzIPMQfyMNhhGPhUkYOs5KpL4U8rLKemX1yGLhDgUto=
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20210921155107-089bfa567519/go.mod h1:GvvjBRRGRdwPK5ydBHafDWAxML/pGHZbMvKqRZ5+Abc=
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.19.0/go.mod h1:Iy9bg/ha4yyC70EfRS8jz+B6ybOBKMaSxLj6P6oBDfU=
-golang.org/x/crypto v0.39.0 h1:SHs+kF4LP+f+p14esP5jAoDpHU8Gu/v9lFRK6IT5imM=
-golang.org/x/crypto v0.39.0/go.mod h1:L+Xg3Wf6HoL4Bn4238Z6ft6KfEpN0tJGo53AAPC632U=
+golang.org/x/crypto v0.40.0 h1:r4x+VvoG5Fm+eJcxMaY8CQM7Lb0l1lsmjGBQ6s8BfKM=
+golang.org/x/crypto v0.40.0/go.mod h1:Qr1vMER5WyS2dfPHAlsOj01wgLbsyWtFn/aY+5+ZdxY=
 golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20250408133849-7e4ce0ab07d0 h1:R84qjqJb5nVJMxqWYb3np9L5ZsaDtB+a39EqjV0JSUM=
 golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20250408133849-7e4ce0ab07d0/go.mod h1:S9Xr4PYopiDyqSyp5NjCrhFrqg6A5zA2E/iPHPhqnS8=
 golang.org/x/exp/typeparams v0.0.0-20240314144324-c7f7c6466f7f h1:phY1HzDcf18Aq9A8KkmRtY9WvOFIxN8wgfvy6Zm1DV8=
@@ -567,8 +567,8 @@ golang.org/x/mod v0.2.0/go.mod h1:s0Qsj1ACt9ePp/hMypM3fl4fZqREWJwdYDEqhRiZZUA=
 golang.org/x/mod v0.3.0/go.mod h1:s0Qsj1ACt9ePp/hMypM3fl4fZqREWJwdYDEqhRiZZUA=
 golang.org/x/mod v0.6.0-dev.0.20220419223038-86c51ed26bb4/go.mod h1:jJ57K6gSWd91VN4djpZkiMVwK6gcyfeH4XE8wZrZaV4=
 golang.org/x/mod v0.8.0/go.mod h1:iBbtSCu2XBx23ZKBPSOrRkjjQPZFPuis4dIYUhu/chs=
-golang.org/x/mod v0.25.0 h1:n7a+ZbQKQA/Ysbyb0/6IbB1H/X41mKgbhfv7AfG/44w=
-golang.org/x/mod v0.25.0/go.mod h1:IXM97Txy2VM4PJ3gI61r1YEk/gAj6zAHN3AdZt6S9Ww=
+golang.org/x/mod v0.26.0 h1:EGMPT//Ezu+ylkCijjPc+f4Aih7sZvaAr+O3EHBxvZg=
+golang.org/x/mod v0.26.0/go.mod h1:/j6NAhSk8iQ723BGAUyoAcn7SlD7s15Dp9Nd/SfeaFQ=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20190404232315-eb5bcb51f2a3/go.mod h1:t9HGtf8HONx5eT2rtn7q6eTqICYqUVnKs3thJo3Qplg=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20190620200207-3b0461eec859/go.mod h1:z5CRVTTTmAJ677TzLLGU+0bjPO0LkuOLi4/5GtJWs/s=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20200226121028-0de0cce0169b/go.mod h1:z5CRVTTTmAJ677TzLLGU+0bjPO0LkuOLi4/5GtJWs/s=
@@ -577,8 +577,8 @@ golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20210226172049-e18ecbb05110/go.mod h1:m0MpNAwzfU5UDzcl9v
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20220722155237-a158d28d115b/go.mod h1:XRhObCWvk6IyKnWLug+ECip1KBveYUHfp+8e9klMJ9c=
 golang.org/x/net v0.6.0/go.mod h1:2Tu9+aMcznHK/AK1HMvgo6xiTLG5rD5rZLDS+rp2Bjs=
 golang.org/x/net v0.10.0/go.mod h1:0qNGK6F8kojg2nk9dLZ2mShWaEBan6FAoqfSigmmuDg=
-golang.org/x/net v0.41.0 h1:vBTly1HeNPEn3wtREYfy4GZ/NECgw2Cnl+nK6Nz3uvw=
-golang.org/x/net v0.41.0/go.mod h1:B/K4NNqkfmg07DQYrbwvSluqCJOOXwUjeb/5lOisjbA=
+golang.org/x/net v0.42.0 h1:jzkYrhi3YQWD6MLBJcsklgQsoAcw89EcZbJw8Z614hs=
+golang.org/x/net v0.42.0/go.mod h1:FF1RA5d3u7nAYA4z2TkclSCKh68eSXtiFwcWQpPXdt8=
 golang.org/x/oauth2 v0.30.0 h1:dnDm7JmhM45NNpd8FDDeLhK6FwqbOf4MLCM9zb1BOHI=
 golang.org/x/oauth2 v0.30.0/go.mod h1:B++QgG3ZKulg6sRPGD/mqlHQs5rB3Ml9erfeDY7xKlU=
 golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20190423024810-112230192c58/go.mod h1:RxMgew5VJxzue5/jJTE5uejpjVlOe/izrB70Jof72aM=
@@ -587,8 +587,8 @@ golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20201020160332-67f06af15bc9/go.mod h1:RxMgew5VJxzue5/jJ
 golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20210220032951-036812b2e83c/go.mod h1:RxMgew5VJxzue5/jJTE5uejpjVlOe/izrB70Jof72aM=
 golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20220722155255-886fb9371eb4/go.mod h1:RxMgew5VJxzue5/jJTE5uejpjVlOe/izrB70Jof72aM=
 golang.org/x/sync v0.1.0/go.mod h1:RxMgew5VJxzue5/jJTE5uejpjVlOe/izrB70Jof72aM=
-golang.org/x/sync v0.15.0 h1:KWH3jNZsfyT6xfAfKiz6MRNmd46ByHDYaZ7KSkCtdW8=
-golang.org/x/sync v0.15.0/go.mod h1:1dzgHSNfp02xaA81J2MS99Qcpr2w7fw1gpm99rleRqA=
+golang.org/x/sync v0.16.0 h1:ycBJEhp9p4vXvUZNszeOq0kGTPghopOL8q0fq3vstxw=
+golang.org/x/sync v0.16.0/go.mod h1:1dzgHSNfp02xaA81J2MS99Qcpr2w7fw1gpm99rleRqA=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20190215142949-d0b11bdaac8a/go.mod h1:STP8DvDyc/dI5b8T5hshtkjS+E42TnysNCUPdjciGhY=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20190222072716-a9d3bda3a223/go.mod h1:STP8DvDyc/dI5b8T5hshtkjS+E42TnysNCUPdjciGhY=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20190412213103-97732733099d/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
@@ -615,8 +615,8 @@ golang.org/x/sys v0.6.0/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.8.0/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.12.0/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.17.0/go.mod h1:/VUhepiaJMQUp4+oa/7Zr1D23ma6VTLIYjOOTFZPUcA=
-golang.org/x/sys v0.33.0 h1:q3i8TbbEz+JRD9ywIRlyRAQbM0qF7hu24q3teo2hbuw=
-golang.org/x/sys v0.33.0/go.mod h1:BJP2sWEmIv4KK5OTEluFJCKSidICx8ciO85XgH3Ak8k=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.34.0 h1:H5Y5sJ2L2JRdyv7ROF1he/lPdvFsd0mJHFw2ThKHxLA=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.34.0/go.mod h1:BJP2sWEmIv4KK5OTEluFJCKSidICx8ciO85XgH3Ak8k=
 golang.org/x/term v0.0.0-20201126162022-7de9c90e9dd1/go.mod h1:bj7SfCRtBDWHUb9snDiAeCFNEtKQo2Wmx5Cou7ajbmo=
 golang.org/x/term v0.0.0-20210220032956-6a3ed077a48d/go.mod h1:bj7SfCRtBDWHUb9snDiAeCFNEtKQo2Wmx5Cou7ajbmo=
 golang.org/x/term v0.0.0-20210615171337-6886f2dfbf5b/go.mod h1:jbD1KX2456YbFQfuXm/mYQcufACuNUgVhRMnK/tPxf8=
@@ -624,8 +624,8 @@ golang.org/x/term v0.0.0-20210927222741-03fcf44c2211/go.mod h1:jbD1KX2456YbFQfuX
 golang.org/x/term v0.5.0/go.mod h1:jMB1sMXY+tzblOD4FWmEbocvup2/aLOaQEp7JmGp78k=
 golang.org/x/term v0.8.0/go.mod h1:xPskH00ivmX89bAKVGSKKtLOWNx2+17Eiy94tnKShWo=
 golang.org/x/term v0.17.0/go.mod h1:lLRBjIVuehSbZlaOtGMbcMncT+aqLLLmKrsjNrUguwk=
-golang.org/x/term v0.32.0 h1:DR4lr0TjUs3epypdhTOkMmuF5CDFJ/8pOnbzMZPQ7bg=
-golang.org/x/term v0.32.0/go.mod h1:uZG1FhGx848Sqfsq4/DlJr3xGGsYMu/L5GW4abiaEPQ=
+golang.org/x/term v0.33.0 h1:NuFncQrRcaRvVmgRkvM3j/F00gWIAlcmlB8ACEKmGIg=
+golang.org/x/term v0.33.0/go.mod h1:s18+ql9tYWp1IfpV9DmCtQDDSRBUjKaw9M1eAv5UeF0=
 golang.org/x/text v0.3.0/go.mod h1:NqM8EUOU14njkJ3fqMW+pc6Ldnwhi/IjpwHt7yyuwOQ=
 golang.org/x/text v0.3.3/go.mod h1:5Zoc/QRtKVWzQhOtBMvqHzDpF6irO9z98xDceosuGiQ=
 golang.org/x/text v0.3.7/go.mod h1:u+2+/6zg+i71rQMx5EYifcz6MCKuco9NR6JIITiCfzQ=
@@ -633,8 +633,8 @@ golang.org/x/text v0.4.0/go.mod h1:mrYo+phRRbMaCq/xk9113O4dZlRixOauAjOtrjsXDZ8=
 golang.org/x/text v0.7.0/go.mod h1:mrYo+phRRbMaCq/xk9113O4dZlRixOauAjOtrjsXDZ8=
 golang.org/x/text v0.9.0/go.mod h1:e1OnstbJyHTd6l/uOt8jFFHp6TRDWZR/bV3emEE/zU8=
 golang.org/x/text v0.14.0/go.mod h1:18ZOQIKpY8NJVqYksKHtTdi31H5itFRjB5/qKTNYzSU=
-golang.org/x/text v0.26.0 h1:P42AVeLghgTYr4+xUnTRKDMqpar+PtX7KWuNQL21L8M=
-golang.org/x/text v0.26.0/go.mod h1:QK15LZJUUQVJxhz7wXgxSy/CJaTFjd0G+YLonydOVQA=
+golang.org/x/text v0.27.0 h1:4fGWRpyh641NLlecmyl4LOe6yDdfaYNrGb2zdfo4JV4=
+golang.org/x/text v0.27.0/go.mod h1:1D28KMCvyooCX9hBiosv5Tz/+YLxj0j7XhWjpSUF7CU=
 golang.org/x/time v0.10.0 h1:3usCWA8tQn0L8+hFJQNgzpWbd89begxN66o1Ojdn5L4=
 golang.org/x/time v0.10.0/go.mod h1:3BpzKBy/shNhVucY/MWOyx10tF3SFh9QdLuxbVysPQM=
 golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20180917221912-90fa682c2a6e/go.mod h1:n7NCudcB/nEzxVGmLbDWY5pfWTLqBcC2KZ6jyYvM4mQ=
@@ -643,8 +643,8 @@ golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20200619180055-7c47624df98f/go.mod h1:EkVYQZoAsY45+roY
 golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20210106214847-113979e3529a/go.mod h1:emZCQorbCU4vsT4fOWvOPXz4eW1wZW4PmDk9uLelYpA=
 golang.org/x/tools v0.1.12/go.mod h1:hNGJHUnrk76NpqgfD5Aqm5Crs+Hm0VOH/i9J2+nxYbc=
 golang.org/x/tools v0.6.0/go.mod h1:Xwgl3UAJ/d3gWutnCtw505GrjyAbvKui8lOU390QaIU=
-golang.org/x/tools v0.33.0 h1:4qz2S3zmRxbGIhDIAgjxvFutSvH5EfnsYrRBj0UI0bc=
-golang.org/x/tools v0.33.0/go.mod h1:CIJMaWEY88juyUfo7UbgPqbC8rU2OqfAV1h2Qp0oMYI=
+golang.org/x/tools v0.35.0 h1:mBffYraMEf7aa0sB+NuKnuCy8qI/9Bughn8dC2Gu5r0=
+golang.org/x/tools v0.35.0/go.mod h1:NKdj5HkL/73byiZSJjqJgKn3ep7KjFkBOkR/Hps3VPw=
 golang.org/x/xerrors v0.0.0-20190717185122-a985d3407aa7/go.mod h1:I/5z698sn9Ka8TeJc9MKroUUfqBBauWjQqLJ2OPfmY0=
 golang.org/x/xerrors v0.0.0-20191011141410-1b5146add898/go.mod h1:I/5z698sn9Ka8TeJc9MKroUUfqBBauWjQqLJ2OPfmY0=
 golang.org/x/xerrors v0.0.0-20191204190536-9bdfabe68543/go.mod h1:I/5z698sn9Ka8TeJc9MKroUUfqBBauWjQqLJ2OPfmY0=
@@ -714,6 +714,8 @@ software.sslmate.com/src/go-pkcs12 v0.4.0 h1:H2g08FrTvSFKUj+D309j1DPfk5APnIdAQAB
 software.sslmate.com/src/go-pkcs12 v0.4.0/go.mod h1:Qiz0EyvDRJjjxGyUQa2cCNZn/wMyzrRJ/qcDXOQazLI=
 tailscale.com v1.84.2 h1:v6aM4RWUgYiV52LRAx6ET+dlGnvO/5lnqPXb7/pMnR0=
 tailscale.com v1.84.2/go.mod h1:6/S63NMAhmncYT/1zIPDJkvCuZwMw+JnUuOfSPNazpo=
+tailscale.com v1.84.3 h1:Ur9LMedSgicwbqpy5xn7t49G8490/s6rqAJOk5Q5AYE=
+tailscale.com v1.84.3/go.mod h1:6/S63NMAhmncYT/1zIPDJkvCuZwMw+JnUuOfSPNazpo=
 zgo.at/zcache/v2 v2.2.0 h1:K29/IPjMniZfveYE+IRXfrl11tMzHkIPuyGrfVZ2fGo=
 zgo.at/zcache/v2 v2.2.0/go.mod h1:gyCeoLVo01QjDZynjime8xUGHHMbsLiPyUTBpDGd4Gk=
 zombiezen.com/go/postgrestest v1.0.1 h1:aXoADQAJmZDU3+xilYVut0pHhgc0sF8ZspPW9gFNwP4=
diff --git a/hscontrol/app.go b/hscontrol/app.go
index bb98f82d..ec8e2550 100644
--- a/hscontrol/app.go
+++ b/hscontrol/app.go
@@ -28,14 +28,15 @@ import (
 	derpServer "github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/derp/server"
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/dns"
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/mapper"
-	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/notifier"
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/state"
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types"
+	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types/change"
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/util"
 	zerolog "github.com/philip-bui/grpc-zerolog"
 	"github.com/pkg/profile"
 	zl "github.com/rs/zerolog"
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
+	"github.com/sasha-s/go-deadlock"
 	"golang.org/x/crypto/acme"
 	"golang.org/x/crypto/acme/autocert"
 	"golang.org/x/sync/errgroup"
@@ -64,6 +65,19 @@ var (
 	)
 )
 
+var (
+	debugDeadlock        = envknob.Bool("HEADSCALE_DEBUG_DEADLOCK")
+	debugDeadlockTimeout = envknob.RegisterDuration("HEADSCALE_DEBUG_DEADLOCK_TIMEOUT")
+)
+
+func init() {
+	deadlock.Opts.Disable = !debugDeadlock
+	if debugDeadlock {
+		deadlock.Opts.DeadlockTimeout = debugDeadlockTimeout()
+		deadlock.Opts.PrintAllCurrentGoroutines = true
+	}
+}
+
 const (
 	AuthPrefix         = "Bearer "
 	updateInterval     = 5 * time.Second
@@ -82,9 +96,8 @@ type Headscale struct {
 
 	// Things that generate changes
 	extraRecordMan *dns.ExtraRecordsMan
-	mapper         *mapper.Mapper
-	nodeNotifier   *notifier.Notifier
 	authProvider   AuthProvider
+	mapBatcher     mapper.Batcher
 
 	pollNetMapStreamWG sync.WaitGroup
 }
@@ -118,7 +131,6 @@ func NewHeadscale(cfg *types.Config) (*Headscale, error) {
 		cfg:                cfg,
 		noisePrivateKey:    noisePrivateKey,
 		pollNetMapStreamWG: sync.WaitGroup{},
-		nodeNotifier:       notifier.NewNotifier(cfg),
 		state:              s,
 	}
 
@@ -136,12 +148,7 @@ func NewHeadscale(cfg *types.Config) (*Headscale, error) {
 			return
 		}
 
-		// Send policy update notifications if needed
-		if policyChanged {
-			ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "ephemeral-gc-policy", node.Hostname)
-			app.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdateFull())
-		}
-
+		app.Change(policyChanged)
 		log.Debug().Uint64("node.id", ni.Uint64()).Msgf("deleted ephemeral node")
 	})
 	app.ephemeralGC = ephemeralGC
@@ -153,10 +160,9 @@ func NewHeadscale(cfg *types.Config) (*Headscale, error) {
 		defer cancel()
 		oidcProvider, err := NewAuthProviderOIDC(
 			ctx,
+			&app,
 			cfg.ServerURL,
 			&cfg.OIDC,
-			app.state,
-			app.nodeNotifier,
 		)
 		if err != nil {
 			if cfg.OIDC.OnlyStartIfOIDCIsAvailable {
@@ -262,16 +268,18 @@ func (h *Headscale) scheduledTasks(ctx context.Context) {
 			return
 
 		case <-expireTicker.C:
-			var update types.StateUpdate
+			var expiredNodeChanges []change.ChangeSet
 			var changed bool
 
-			lastExpiryCheck, update, changed = h.state.ExpireExpiredNodes(lastExpiryCheck)
+			lastExpiryCheck, expiredNodeChanges, changed = h.state.ExpireExpiredNodes(lastExpiryCheck)
 
 			if changed {
-				log.Trace().Interface("nodes", update.ChangePatches).Msgf("expiring nodes")
+				log.Trace().Interface("changes", expiredNodeChanges).Msgf("expiring nodes")
 
-				ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "expire-expired", "na")
-				h.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, update)
+				// Send the changes directly since they're already in the new format
+				for _, nodeChange := range expiredNodeChanges {
+					h.Change(nodeChange)
+				}
 			}
 
 		case <-derpTickerChan:
@@ -282,11 +290,7 @@ func (h *Headscale) scheduledTasks(ctx context.Context) {
 				derpMap.Regions[region.RegionID] = &region
 			}
 
-			ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "derpmap-update", "na")
-			h.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.StateUpdate{
-				Type:    types.StateDERPUpdated,
-				DERPMap: derpMap,
-			})
+			h.Change(change.DERPSet)
 
 		case records, ok := <-extraRecordsUpdate:
 			if !ok {
@@ -294,19 +298,16 @@ func (h *Headscale) scheduledTasks(ctx context.Context) {
 			}
 			h.cfg.TailcfgDNSConfig.ExtraRecords = records
 
-			ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "dns-extrarecord", "all")
-			// TODO(kradalby): We can probably do better than sending a full update here,
-			// but for now this will ensure that all of the nodes get the new records.
-			h.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdateFull())
+			h.Change(change.ExtraRecordsSet)
 		}
 	}
 }
 
 func (h *Headscale) grpcAuthenticationInterceptor(ctx context.Context,
-	req interface{},
+	req any,
 	info *grpc.UnaryServerInfo,
 	handler grpc.UnaryHandler,
-) (interface{}, error) {
+) (any, error) {
 	// Check if the request is coming from the on-server client.
 	// This is not secure, but it is to maintain maintainability
 	// with the "legacy" database-based client
@@ -448,6 +449,7 @@ func (h *Headscale) createRouter(grpcMux *grpcRuntime.ServeMux) *mux.Router {
 	router.HandleFunc(ts2021UpgradePath, h.NoiseUpgradeHandler).
 		Methods(http.MethodPost, http.MethodGet)
 
+	router.HandleFunc("/robots.txt", h.RobotsHandler).Methods(http.MethodGet)
 	router.HandleFunc("/health", h.HealthHandler).Methods(http.MethodGet)
 	router.HandleFunc("/key", h.KeyHandler).Methods(http.MethodGet)
 	router.HandleFunc("/register/{registration_id}", h.authProvider.RegisterHandler).
@@ -484,58 +486,6 @@ func (h *Headscale) createRouter(grpcMux *grpcRuntime.ServeMux) *mux.Router {
 	return router
 }
 
-// // TODO(kradalby): Do a variant of this, and polman which only updates the node that has changed.
-// // Maybe we should attempt a new in memory state and not go via the DB?
-// // Maybe this should be implemented as an event bus?
-// // A bool is returned indicating if a full update was sent to all nodes
-// func usersChangedHook(db *db.HSDatabase, polMan policy.PolicyManager, notif *notifier.Notifier) error {
-// 	users, err := db.ListUsers()
-// 	if err != nil {
-// 		return err
-// 	}
-
-// 	changed, err := polMan.SetUsers(users)
-// 	if err != nil {
-// 		return err
-// 	}
-
-// 	if changed {
-// 		ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "acl-users-change", "all")
-// 		notif.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdateFull())
-// 	}
-
-// 	return nil
-// }
-
-// // TODO(kradalby): Do a variant of this, and polman which only updates the node that has changed.
-// // Maybe we should attempt a new in memory state and not go via the DB?
-// // Maybe this should be implemented as an event bus?
-// // A bool is returned indicating if a full update was sent to all nodes
-// func nodesChangedHook(
-// 	db *db.HSDatabase,
-// 	polMan policy.PolicyManager,
-// 	notif *notifier.Notifier,
-// ) (bool, error) {
-// 	nodes, err := db.ListNodes()
-// 	if err != nil {
-// 		return false, err
-// 	}
-
-// 	filterChanged, err := polMan.SetNodes(nodes)
-// 	if err != nil {
-// 		return false, err
-// 	}
-
-// 	if filterChanged {
-// 		ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "acl-nodes-change", "all")
-// 		notif.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdateFull())
-
-// 		return true, nil
-// 	}
-
-// 	return false, nil
-// }
-
 // Serve launches the HTTP and gRPC server service Headscale and the API.
 func (h *Headscale) Serve() error {
 	capver.CanOldCodeBeCleanedUp()
@@ -562,8 +512,9 @@ func (h *Headscale) Serve() error {
 		Str("minimum_version", capver.TailscaleVersion(capver.MinSupportedCapabilityVersion)).
 		Msg("Clients with a lower minimum version will be rejected")
 
-	// Fetch an initial DERP Map before we start serving
-	h.mapper = mapper.NewMapper(h.state, h.cfg, h.nodeNotifier)
+	h.mapBatcher = mapper.NewBatcherAndMapper(h.cfg, h.state)
+	h.mapBatcher.Start()
+	defer h.mapBatcher.Close()
 
 	// TODO(kradalby): fix state part.
 	if h.cfg.DERP.ServerEnabled {
@@ -838,8 +789,12 @@ func (h *Headscale) Serve() error {
 					log.Info().
 						Msg("ACL policy successfully reloaded, notifying nodes of change")
 
-					ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "acl-sighup", "na")
-					h.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdateFull())
+					err = h.state.AutoApproveNodes()
+					if err != nil {
+						log.Error().Err(err).Msg("failed to approve routes after new policy")
+					}
+
+					h.Change(change.PolicySet)
 				}
 			default:
 				info := func(msg string) { log.Info().Msg(msg) }
@@ -865,7 +820,6 @@ func (h *Headscale) Serve() error {
 				}
 
 				info("closing node notifier")
-				h.nodeNotifier.Close()
 
 				info("waiting for netmap stream to close")
 				h.pollNetMapStreamWG.Wait()
@@ -1047,3 +1001,10 @@ func readOrCreatePrivateKey(path string) (*key.MachinePrivate, error) {
 
 	return &machineKey, nil
 }
+
+// Change is used to send changes to nodes.
+// All change should be enqueued here and empty will be automatically
+// ignored.
+func (h *Headscale) Change(c change.ChangeSet) {
+	h.mapBatcher.AddWork(c)
+}
diff --git a/hscontrol/auth.go b/hscontrol/auth.go
index 986bbabc..dcf248d4 100644
--- a/hscontrol/auth.go
+++ b/hscontrol/auth.go
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types"
+	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types/change"
+
 	"gorm.io/gorm"
 	"tailscale.com/tailcfg"
 	"tailscale.com/types/key"
@@ -32,6 +34,21 @@ func (h *Headscale) handleRegister(
 	}
 
 	if node != nil {
+		// If an existing node is trying to register with an auth key,
+		// we need to validate the auth key even for existing nodes
+		if regReq.Auth != nil && regReq.Auth.AuthKey != "" {
+			resp, err := h.handleRegisterWithAuthKey(regReq, machineKey)
+			if err != nil {
+				// Preserve HTTPError types so they can be handled properly by the HTTP layer
+				var httpErr HTTPError
+				if errors.As(err, &httpErr) {
+					return nil, httpErr
+				}
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("handling register with auth key for existing node: %w", err)
+			}
+			return resp, nil
+		}
+
 		resp, err := h.handleExistingNode(node, regReq, machineKey)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("handling existing node: %w", err)
@@ -47,6 +64,11 @@ func (h *Headscale) handleRegister(
 	if regReq.Auth != nil && regReq.Auth.AuthKey != "" {
 		resp, err := h.handleRegisterWithAuthKey(regReq, machineKey)
 		if err != nil {
+			// Preserve HTTPError types so they can be handled properly by the HTTP layer
+			var httpErr HTTPError
+			if errors.As(err, &httpErr) {
+				return nil, httpErr
+			}
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("handling register with auth key: %w", err)
 		}
 
@@ -66,11 +88,13 @@ func (h *Headscale) handleExistingNode(
 	regReq tailcfg.RegisterRequest,
 	machineKey key.MachinePublic,
 ) (*tailcfg.RegisterResponse, error) {
+
 	if node.MachineKey != machineKey {
 		return nil, NewHTTPError(http.StatusUnauthorized, "node exist with different machine key", nil)
 	}
 
 	expired := node.IsExpired()
+
 	if !expired && !regReq.Expiry.IsZero() {
 		requestExpiry := regReq.Expiry
 
@@ -82,42 +106,26 @@ func (h *Headscale) handleExistingNode(
 		// If the request expiry is in the past, we consider it a logout.
 		if requestExpiry.Before(time.Now()) {
 			if node.IsEphemeral() {
-				policyChanged, err := h.state.DeleteNode(node)
+				c, err := h.state.DeleteNode(node)
 				if err != nil {
 					return nil, fmt.Errorf("deleting ephemeral node: %w", err)
 				}
 
-				// Send policy update notifications if needed
-				if policyChanged {
-					ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "auth-logout-ephemeral-policy", "na")
-					h.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdateFull())
-				} else {
-					ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "logout-ephemeral", "na")
-					h.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdatePeerRemoved(node.ID))
-				}
+				h.Change(c)
 
 				return nil, nil
 			}
 		}
 
-		n, policyChanged, err := h.state.SetNodeExpiry(node.ID, requestExpiry)
+		_, c, err := h.state.SetNodeExpiry(node.ID, requestExpiry)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("setting node expiry: %w", err)
 		}
 
-		// Send policy update notifications if needed
-		if policyChanged {
-			ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "auth-expiry-policy", "na")
-			h.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdateFull())
-		} else {
-			ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "logout-expiry", "na")
-			h.nodeNotifier.NotifyWithIgnore(ctx, types.UpdateExpire(node.ID, requestExpiry), node.ID)
+		h.Change(c)
 		}
 
-		return nodeToRegisterResponse(n), nil
-	}
-
-	return nodeToRegisterResponse(node), nil
+		return nodeToRegisterResponse(node), nil
 }
 
 func nodeToRegisterResponse(node *types.Node) *tailcfg.RegisterResponse {
@@ -168,7 +176,7 @@ func (h *Headscale) handleRegisterWithAuthKey(
 	regReq tailcfg.RegisterRequest,
 	machineKey key.MachinePublic,
 ) (*tailcfg.RegisterResponse, error) {
-	node, changed, err := h.state.HandleNodeFromPreAuthKey(
+	node, changed, policyChanged, err := h.state.HandleNodeFromPreAuthKey(
 		regReq,
 		machineKey,
 	)
@@ -184,6 +192,12 @@ func (h *Headscale) handleRegisterWithAuthKey(
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	// If node is nil, it means an ephemeral node was deleted during logout
+	if node == nil {
+		h.Change(changed)
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+
 	// This is a bit of a back and forth, but we have a bit of a chicken and egg
 	// dependency here.
 	// Because the way the policy manager works, we need to have the node
@@ -195,23 +209,22 @@ func (h *Headscale) handleRegisterWithAuthKey(
 	// ensure we send an update.
 	// This works, but might be another good candidate for doing some sort of
 	// eventbus.
-	routesChanged := h.state.AutoApproveRoutes(node)
+	// TODO(kradalby): This needs to be ran as part of the batcher maybe?
+	// now since we dont update the node/pol here anymore
+	routeChange := h.state.AutoApproveRoutes(node)
 	if _, _, err := h.state.SaveNode(node); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("saving auto approved routes to node: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	if routesChanged {
-		ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "node updated", node.Hostname)
-		h.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdatePeerChanged(node.ID))
-	} else if changed {
-		ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "node created", node.Hostname)
-		h.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdateFull())
-	} else {
-		// Existing node re-registering without route changes
-		// Still need to notify peers about the node being active again
-		// Use UpdateFull to ensure all peers get complete peer maps
-		ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "node re-registered", node.Hostname)
-		h.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdateFull())
+	if routeChange && changed.Empty() {
+		changed = change.NodeAdded(node.ID)
+	}
+	h.Change(changed)
+
+	// If policy changed due to node registration, send a separate policy change
+	if policyChanged {
+		policyChange := change.PolicyChange()
+		h.Change(policyChange)
 	}
 
 	return &tailcfg.RegisterResponse{
diff --git a/hscontrol/capver/capver.go b/hscontrol/capver/capver.go
index 347ec981..b6bbca5b 100644
--- a/hscontrol/capver/capver.go
+++ b/hscontrol/capver/capver.go
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 package capver
 
+//go:generate go run ../../tools/capver/main.go
+
 import (
 	"slices"
 	"sort"
@@ -10,7 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"tailscale.com/util/set"
 )
 
-const MinSupportedCapabilityVersion tailcfg.CapabilityVersion = 88
+const MinSupportedCapabilityVersion tailcfg.CapabilityVersion = 90
 
 // CanOldCodeBeCleanedUp is intended to be called on startup to see if
 // there are old code that can ble cleaned up, entries should contain
diff --git a/hscontrol/capver/capver_generated.go b/hscontrol/capver/capver_generated.go
index 687e3d51..79590000 100644
--- a/hscontrol/capver/capver_generated.go
+++ b/hscontrol/capver/capver_generated.go
@@ -1,14 +1,10 @@
 package capver
 
-// Generated DO NOT EDIT
+//Generated DO NOT EDIT
 
 import "tailscale.com/tailcfg"
 
 var tailscaleToCapVer = map[string]tailcfg.CapabilityVersion{
-	"v1.60.0": 87,
-	"v1.60.1": 87,
-	"v1.62.0": 88,
-	"v1.62.1": 88,
 	"v1.64.0": 90,
 	"v1.64.1": 90,
 	"v1.64.2": 90,
@@ -36,18 +32,21 @@ var tailscaleToCapVer = map[string]tailcfg.CapabilityVersion{
 	"v1.80.3": 113,
 	"v1.82.0": 115,
 	"v1.82.5": 115,
+	"v1.84.0": 116,
+	"v1.84.1": 116,
+	"v1.84.2": 116,
 }
 
+
 var capVerToTailscaleVer = map[tailcfg.CapabilityVersion]string{
-	87:  "v1.60.0",
-	88:  "v1.62.0",
-	90:  "v1.64.0",
-	95:  "v1.66.0",
-	97:  "v1.68.0",
-	102: "v1.70.0",
-	104: "v1.72.0",
-	106: "v1.74.0",
-	109: "v1.78.0",
-	113: "v1.80.0",
-	115: "v1.82.0",
+	90:		"v1.64.0",
+	95:		"v1.66.0",
+	97:		"v1.68.0",
+	102:		"v1.70.0",
+	104:		"v1.72.0",
+	106:		"v1.74.0",
+	109:		"v1.78.0",
+	113:		"v1.80.0",
+	115:		"v1.82.0",
+	116:		"v1.84.0",
 }
diff --git a/hscontrol/db/db.go b/hscontrol/db/db.go
index abda802c..d2f39ff0 100644
--- a/hscontrol/db/db.go
+++ b/hscontrol/db/db.go
@@ -496,7 +496,7 @@ func NewHeadscaleDatabase(
 				ID: "202407191627",
 				Migrate: func(tx *gorm.DB) error {
 					// Fix an issue where the automigration in GORM expected a constraint to
-					// exists that didnt, and add the one it wanted.
+					// exists that didn't, and add the one it wanted.
 					// Fixes https://github.com/juanfont/headscale/issues/2351
 					if cfg.Type == types.DatabasePostgres {
 						err := tx.Exec(`
@@ -934,7 +934,7 @@ AND auth_key_id NOT IN (
 			},
 			// From this point, the following rules must be followed:
 			// - NEVER use gorm.AutoMigrate, write the exact migration steps needed
-			// - AutoMigrate depends on the struct staying exactly the same, which it wont over time.
+			// - AutoMigrate depends on the struct staying exactly the same, which it won't over time.
 			// - Never write migrations that requires foreign keys to be disabled.
 		},
 	)
diff --git a/hscontrol/db/node.go b/hscontrol/db/node.go
index 2de29e69..83d62d3d 100644
--- a/hscontrol/db/node.go
+++ b/hscontrol/db/node.go
@@ -7,15 +7,19 @@ import (
 	"net/netip"
 	"slices"
 	"sort"
+	"strconv"
 	"sync"
+	"testing"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types"
+	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types/change"
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/util"
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
 	"gorm.io/gorm"
 	"tailscale.com/tailcfg"
 	"tailscale.com/types/key"
+	"tailscale.com/types/ptr"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -39,9 +43,7 @@ var (
 // If no peer IDs are given, all peers are returned.
 // If at least one peer ID is given, only these peer nodes will be returned.
 func (hsdb *HSDatabase) ListPeers(nodeID types.NodeID, peerIDs ...types.NodeID) (types.Nodes, error) {
-	return Read(hsdb.DB, func(rx *gorm.DB) (types.Nodes, error) {
-		return ListPeers(rx, nodeID, peerIDs...)
-	})
+	return ListPeers(hsdb.DB, nodeID, peerIDs...)
 }
 
 // ListPeers returns peers of node, regardless of any Policy or if the node is expired.
@@ -66,9 +68,7 @@ func ListPeers(tx *gorm.DB, nodeID types.NodeID, peerIDs ...types.NodeID) (types
 // ListNodes queries the database for either all nodes if no parameters are given
 // or for the given nodes if at least one node ID is given as parameter.
 func (hsdb *HSDatabase) ListNodes(nodeIDs ...types.NodeID) (types.Nodes, error) {
-	return Read(hsdb.DB, func(rx *gorm.DB) (types.Nodes, error) {
-		return ListNodes(rx, nodeIDs...)
-	})
+	return ListNodes(hsdb.DB, nodeIDs...)
 }
 
 // ListNodes queries the database for either all nodes if no parameters are given
@@ -120,9 +120,7 @@ func getNode(tx *gorm.DB, uid types.UserID, name string) (*types.Node, error) {
 }
 
 func (hsdb *HSDatabase) GetNodeByID(id types.NodeID) (*types.Node, error) {
-	return Read(hsdb.DB, func(rx *gorm.DB) (*types.Node, error) {
-		return GetNodeByID(rx, id)
-	})
+	return GetNodeByID(hsdb.DB, id)
 }
 
 // GetNodeByID finds a Node by ID and returns the Node struct.
@@ -140,9 +138,7 @@ func GetNodeByID(tx *gorm.DB, id types.NodeID) (*types.Node, error) {
 }
 
 func (hsdb *HSDatabase) GetNodeByMachineKey(machineKey key.MachinePublic) (*types.Node, error) {
-	return Read(hsdb.DB, func(rx *gorm.DB) (*types.Node, error) {
-		return GetNodeByMachineKey(rx, machineKey)
-	})
+	return GetNodeByMachineKey(hsdb.DB, machineKey)
 }
 
 // GetNodeByMachineKey finds a Node by its MachineKey and returns the Node struct.
@@ -163,9 +159,7 @@ func GetNodeByMachineKey(
 }
 
 func (hsdb *HSDatabase) GetNodeByNodeKey(nodeKey key.NodePublic) (*types.Node, error) {
-	return Read(hsdb.DB, func(rx *gorm.DB) (*types.Node, error) {
-		return GetNodeByNodeKey(rx, nodeKey)
-	})
+	return GetNodeByNodeKey(hsdb.DB, nodeKey)
 }
 
 // GetNodeByNodeKey finds a Node by its NodeKey and returns the Node struct.
@@ -352,8 +346,8 @@ func (hsdb *HSDatabase) HandleNodeFromAuthPath(
 	registrationMethod string,
 	ipv4 *netip.Addr,
 	ipv6 *netip.Addr,
-) (*types.Node, bool, error) {
-	var newNode bool
+) (*types.Node, change.ChangeSet, error) {
+	var nodeChange change.ChangeSet
 	node, err := Write(hsdb.DB, func(tx *gorm.DB) (*types.Node, error) {
 		if reg, ok := hsdb.regCache.Get(registrationID); ok {
 			if node, _ := GetNodeByNodeKey(tx, reg.Node.NodeKey); node == nil {
@@ -405,7 +399,7 @@ func (hsdb *HSDatabase) HandleNodeFromAuthPath(
 				}
 				close(reg.Registered)
 
-				newNode = true
+				nodeChange = change.NodeAdded(node.ID)
 
 				return node, err
 			} else {
@@ -415,6 +409,8 @@ func (hsdb *HSDatabase) HandleNodeFromAuthPath(
 					return nil, err
 				}
 
+				nodeChange = change.KeyExpiry(node.ID)
+
 				return node, nil
 			}
 		}
@@ -422,7 +418,7 @@ func (hsdb *HSDatabase) HandleNodeFromAuthPath(
 		return nil, ErrNodeNotFoundRegistrationCache
 	})
 
-	return node, newNode, err
+	return node, nodeChange, err
 }
 
 func (hsdb *HSDatabase) RegisterNode(node types.Node, ipv4 *netip.Addr, ipv6 *netip.Addr) (*types.Node, error) {
@@ -448,6 +444,7 @@ func RegisterNode(tx *gorm.DB, node types.Node, ipv4 *netip.Addr, ipv6 *netip.Ad
 	if oldNode != nil && oldNode.UserID == node.UserID {
 		node.ID = oldNode.ID
 		node.GivenName = oldNode.GivenName
+		node.ApprovedRoutes = oldNode.ApprovedRoutes
 		ipv4 = oldNode.IPv4
 		ipv6 = oldNode.IPv6
 	}
@@ -594,17 +591,18 @@ func ensureUniqueGivenName(
 // containing the expired nodes, and a boolean indicating if any nodes were found.
 func ExpireExpiredNodes(tx *gorm.DB,
 	lastCheck time.Time,
-) (time.Time, types.StateUpdate, bool) {
+) (time.Time, []change.ChangeSet, bool) {
 	// use the time of the start of the function to ensure we
 	// dont miss some nodes by returning it _after_ we have
 	// checked everything.
 	started := time.Now()
 
 	expired := make([]*tailcfg.PeerChange, 0)
+	var updates []change.ChangeSet
 
 	nodes, err := ListNodes(tx)
 	if err != nil {
-		return time.Unix(0, 0), types.StateUpdate{}, false
+		return time.Unix(0, 0), nil, false
 	}
 	for _, node := range nodes {
 		if node.IsExpired() && node.Expiry.After(lastCheck) {
@@ -612,14 +610,15 @@ func ExpireExpiredNodes(tx *gorm.DB,
 				NodeID:    tailcfg.NodeID(node.ID),
 				KeyExpiry: node.Expiry,
 			})
+			updates = append(updates, change.KeyExpiry(node.ID))
 		}
 	}
 
 	if len(expired) > 0 {
-		return started, types.UpdatePeerPatch(expired...), true
+		return started, updates, true
 	}
 
-	return started, types.StateUpdate{}, false
+	return started, nil, false
 }
 
 // EphemeralGarbageCollector is a garbage collector that will delete nodes after
@@ -732,3 +731,114 @@ func (e *EphemeralGarbageCollector) Start() {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func (hsdb *HSDatabase) CreateNodeForTest(user *types.User, hostname ...string) *types.Node {
+	if !testing.Testing() {
+		panic("CreateNodeForTest can only be called during tests")
+	}
+
+	if user == nil {
+		panic("CreateNodeForTest requires a valid user")
+	}
+
+	nodeName := "testnode"
+	if len(hostname) > 0 && hostname[0] != "" {
+		nodeName = hostname[0]
+	}
+
+	// Create a preauth key for the node
+	pak, err := hsdb.CreatePreAuthKey(types.UserID(user.ID), false, false, nil, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("failed to create preauth key for test node: %v", err))
+	}
+
+	nodeKey := key.NewNode()
+	machineKey := key.NewMachine()
+	discoKey := key.NewDisco()
+
+	node := &types.Node{
+		MachineKey:     machineKey.Public(),
+		NodeKey:        nodeKey.Public(),
+		DiscoKey:       discoKey.Public(),
+		Hostname:       nodeName,
+		UserID:         user.ID,
+		RegisterMethod: util.RegisterMethodAuthKey,
+		AuthKeyID:      ptr.To(pak.ID),
+	}
+
+	err = hsdb.DB.Save(node).Error
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("failed to create test node: %v", err))
+	}
+
+	return node
+}
+
+func (hsdb *HSDatabase) CreateRegisteredNodeForTest(user *types.User, hostname ...string) *types.Node {
+	if !testing.Testing() {
+		panic("CreateRegisteredNodeForTest can only be called during tests")
+	}
+
+	node := hsdb.CreateNodeForTest(user, hostname...)
+
+	err := hsdb.DB.Transaction(func(tx *gorm.DB) error {
+		_, err := RegisterNode(tx, *node, nil, nil)
+		return err
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("failed to register test node: %v", err))
+	}
+
+	registeredNode, err := hsdb.GetNodeByID(node.ID)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("failed to get registered test node: %v", err))
+	}
+
+	return registeredNode
+}
+
+func (hsdb *HSDatabase) CreateNodesForTest(user *types.User, count int, hostnamePrefix ...string) []*types.Node {
+	if !testing.Testing() {
+		panic("CreateNodesForTest can only be called during tests")
+	}
+
+	if user == nil {
+		panic("CreateNodesForTest requires a valid user")
+	}
+
+	prefix := "testnode"
+	if len(hostnamePrefix) > 0 && hostnamePrefix[0] != "" {
+		prefix = hostnamePrefix[0]
+	}
+
+	nodes := make([]*types.Node, count)
+	for i := range count {
+		hostname := prefix + "-" + strconv.Itoa(i)
+		nodes[i] = hsdb.CreateNodeForTest(user, hostname)
+	}
+
+	return nodes
+}
+
+func (hsdb *HSDatabase) CreateRegisteredNodesForTest(user *types.User, count int, hostnamePrefix ...string) []*types.Node {
+	if !testing.Testing() {
+		panic("CreateRegisteredNodesForTest can only be called during tests")
+	}
+
+	if user == nil {
+		panic("CreateRegisteredNodesForTest requires a valid user")
+	}
+
+	prefix := "testnode"
+	if len(hostnamePrefix) > 0 && hostnamePrefix[0] != "" {
+		prefix = hostnamePrefix[0]
+	}
+
+	nodes := make([]*types.Node, count)
+	for i := range count {
+		hostname := prefix + "-" + strconv.Itoa(i)
+		nodes[i] = hsdb.CreateRegisteredNodeForTest(user, hostname)
+	}
+
+	return nodes
+}
diff --git a/hscontrol/db/preauth_keys.go b/hscontrol/db/preauth_keys.go
index ee977ae3..2e60de2e 100644
--- a/hscontrol/db/preauth_keys.go
+++ b/hscontrol/db/preauth_keys.go
@@ -109,9 +109,7 @@ func ListPreAuthKeysByUser(tx *gorm.DB, uid types.UserID) ([]types.PreAuthKey, e
 }
 
 func (hsdb *HSDatabase) GetPreAuthKey(key string) (*types.PreAuthKey, error) {
-	return Read(hsdb.DB, func(rx *gorm.DB) (*types.PreAuthKey, error) {
-		return GetPreAuthKey(rx, key)
-	})
+	return GetPreAuthKey(hsdb.DB, key)
 }
 
 // GetPreAuthKey returns a PreAuthKey for a given key. The caller is responsible
@@ -155,11 +153,8 @@ func UsePreAuthKey(tx *gorm.DB, k *types.PreAuthKey) error {
 
 // MarkExpirePreAuthKey marks a PreAuthKey as expired.
 func ExpirePreAuthKey(tx *gorm.DB, k *types.PreAuthKey) error {
-	if err := tx.Model(&k).Update("Expiration", time.Now()).Error; err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	return nil
+	now := time.Now()
+	return tx.Model(&types.PreAuthKey{}).Where("id = ?", k.ID).Update("expiration", now).Error
 }
 
 func generateKey() (string, error) {
diff --git a/hscontrol/db/users.go b/hscontrol/db/users.go
index 76415a9d..1b333792 100644
--- a/hscontrol/db/users.go
+++ b/hscontrol/db/users.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package db
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"strconv"
+	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types"
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/util"
@@ -110,9 +112,7 @@ func RenameUser(tx *gorm.DB, uid types.UserID, newName string) error {
 }
 
 func (hsdb *HSDatabase) GetUserByID(uid types.UserID) (*types.User, error) {
-	return Read(hsdb.DB, func(rx *gorm.DB) (*types.User, error) {
-		return GetUserByID(rx, uid)
-	})
+	return GetUserByID(hsdb.DB, uid)
 }
 
 func GetUserByID(tx *gorm.DB, uid types.UserID) (*types.User, error) {
@@ -146,9 +146,7 @@ func GetUserByOIDCIdentifier(tx *gorm.DB, id string) (*types.User, error) {
 }
 
 func (hsdb *HSDatabase) ListUsers(where ...*types.User) ([]types.User, error) {
-	return Read(hsdb.DB, func(rx *gorm.DB) ([]types.User, error) {
-		return ListUsers(rx, where...)
-	})
+	return ListUsers(hsdb.DB, where...)
 }
 
 // ListUsers gets all the existing users.
@@ -217,3 +215,40 @@ func AssignNodeToUser(tx *gorm.DB, nodeID types.NodeID, uid types.UserID) error
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+func (hsdb *HSDatabase) CreateUserForTest(name ...string) *types.User {
+	if !testing.Testing() {
+		panic("CreateUserForTest can only be called during tests")
+	}
+
+	userName := "testuser"
+	if len(name) > 0 && name[0] != "" {
+		userName = name[0]
+	}
+
+	user, err := hsdb.CreateUser(types.User{Name: userName})
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("failed to create test user: %v", err))
+	}
+
+	return user
+}
+
+func (hsdb *HSDatabase) CreateUsersForTest(count int, namePrefix ...string) []*types.User {
+	if !testing.Testing() {
+		panic("CreateUsersForTest can only be called during tests")
+	}
+
+	prefix := "testuser"
+	if len(namePrefix) > 0 && namePrefix[0] != "" {
+		prefix = namePrefix[0]
+	}
+
+	users := make([]*types.User, count)
+	for i := range count {
+		name := prefix + "-" + strconv.Itoa(i)
+		users[i] = hsdb.CreateUserForTest(name)
+	}
+
+	return users
+}
diff --git a/hscontrol/debug.go b/hscontrol/debug.go
index 038582c8..481ce589 100644
--- a/hscontrol/debug.go
+++ b/hscontrol/debug.go
@@ -17,10 +17,6 @@ import (
 func (h *Headscale) debugHTTPServer() *http.Server {
 	debugMux := http.NewServeMux()
 	debug := tsweb.Debugger(debugMux)
-	debug.Handle("notifier", "Connected nodes in notifier", http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
-		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
-		w.Write([]byte(h.nodeNotifier.String()))
-	}))
 	debug.Handle("config", "Current configuration", http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		config, err := json.MarshalIndent(h.cfg, "", "  ")
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/hscontrol/derp/derp.go b/hscontrol/derp/derp.go
index 9d358598..1ed619ec 100644
--- a/hscontrol/derp/derp.go
+++ b/hscontrol/derp/derp.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"io"
+	"maps"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"os"
@@ -72,9 +73,7 @@ func mergeDERPMaps(derpMaps []*tailcfg.DERPMap) *tailcfg.DERPMap {
 	}
 
 	for _, derpMap := range derpMaps {
-		for id, region := range derpMap.Regions {
-			result.Regions[id] = region
-		}
+		maps.Copy(result.Regions, derpMap.Regions)
 	}
 
 	return &result
diff --git a/hscontrol/grpcv1.go b/hscontrol/grpcv1.go
index 7df4c92e..722f8421 100644
--- a/hscontrol/grpcv1.go
+++ b/hscontrol/grpcv1.go
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+//go:generate buf generate --template ../buf.gen.yaml -o .. ../proto
+
 // nolint
 package hscontrol
 
@@ -27,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 	v1 "github.com/juanfont/headscale/gen/go/headscale/v1"
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/state"
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types"
+	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types/change"
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/util"
 )
 
@@ -56,12 +59,14 @@ func (api headscaleV1APIServer) CreateUser(
 		return nil, status.Errorf(codes.Internal, "failed to create user: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	// Send policy update notifications if needed
+
+	c := change.UserAdded(types.UserID(user.ID))
 	if policyChanged {
-		ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "grpc-user-created", user.Name)
-		api.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdateFull())
+		c.Change = change.Policy
 	}
 
+	api.h.Change(c)
+
 	return &v1.CreateUserResponse{User: user.Proto()}, nil
 }
 
@@ -81,8 +86,7 @@ func (api headscaleV1APIServer) RenameUser(
 
 	// Send policy update notifications if needed
 	if policyChanged {
-		ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "grpc-user-renamed", request.GetNewName())
-		api.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdateFull())
+		api.h.Change(change.PolicyChange())
 	}
 
 	newUser, err := api.h.state.GetUserByName(request.GetNewName())
@@ -107,6 +111,8 @@ func (api headscaleV1APIServer) DeleteUser(
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	api.h.Change(change.UserRemoved(types.UserID(user.ID)))
+
 	return &v1.DeleteUserResponse{}, nil
 }
 
@@ -246,7 +252,7 @@ func (api headscaleV1APIServer) RegisterNode(
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("looking up user: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	node, _, err := api.h.state.HandleNodeFromAuthPath(
+	node, nodeChange, err := api.h.state.HandleNodeFromAuthPath(
 		registrationId,
 		types.UserID(user.ID),
 		nil,
@@ -267,22 +273,13 @@ func (api headscaleV1APIServer) RegisterNode(
 	// ensure we send an update.
 	// This works, but might be another good candidate for doing some sort of
 	// eventbus.
-	routesChanged := api.h.state.AutoApproveRoutes(node)
-	_, policyChanged, err := api.h.state.SaveNode(node)
+	_ = api.h.state.AutoApproveRoutes(node)
+	_, _, err = api.h.state.SaveNode(node)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("saving auto approved routes to node: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	// Send policy update notifications if needed (from SaveNode or route changes)
-	if policyChanged {
-		ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "grpc-nodes-change", "all")
-		api.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdateFull())
-	}
-
-	if routesChanged {
-		ctx = types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "web-node-login", node.Hostname)
-		api.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdatePeerChanged(node.ID))
-	}
+	api.h.Change(nodeChange)
 
 	return &v1.RegisterNodeResponse{Node: node.Proto()}, nil
 }
@@ -300,7 +297,7 @@ func (api headscaleV1APIServer) GetNode(
 
 	// Populate the online field based on
 	// currently connected nodes.
-	resp.Online = api.h.nodeNotifier.IsConnected(node.ID)
+	resp.Online = api.h.mapBatcher.IsConnected(node.ID)
 
 	return &v1.GetNodeResponse{Node: resp}, nil
 }
@@ -316,21 +313,14 @@ func (api headscaleV1APIServer) SetTags(
 		}
 	}
 
-	node, policyChanged, err := api.h.state.SetNodeTags(types.NodeID(request.GetNodeId()), request.GetTags())
+	node, nodeChange, err := api.h.state.SetNodeTags(types.NodeID(request.GetNodeId()), request.GetTags())
 	if err != nil {
 		return &v1.SetTagsResponse{
 			Node: nil,
 		}, status.Error(codes.InvalidArgument, err.Error())
 	}
 
-	// Send policy update notifications if needed
-	if policyChanged {
-		ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "grpc-node-tags", node.Hostname)
-		api.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdateFull())
-	}
-
-	ctx = types.NotifyCtx(ctx, "cli-settags", node.Hostname)
-	api.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyWithIgnore(ctx, types.UpdatePeerChanged(node.ID), node.ID)
+	api.h.Change(nodeChange)
 
 	log.Trace().
 		Str("node", node.Hostname).
@@ -362,23 +352,19 @@ func (api headscaleV1APIServer) SetApprovedRoutes(
 	tsaddr.SortPrefixes(routes)
 	routes = slices.Compact(routes)
 
-	node, policyChanged, err := api.h.state.SetApprovedRoutes(types.NodeID(request.GetNodeId()), routes)
+	node, nodeChange, err := api.h.state.SetApprovedRoutes(types.NodeID(request.GetNodeId()), routes)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, status.Error(codes.InvalidArgument, err.Error())
 	}
 
-	// Send policy update notifications if needed
-	if policyChanged {
-		ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "grpc-routes-approved", node.Hostname)
-		api.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdateFull())
-	}
+	routeChange := api.h.state.SetNodeRoutes(node.ID, node.SubnetRoutes()...)
 
-	if api.h.state.SetNodeRoutes(node.ID, node.SubnetRoutes()...) {
-		ctx := types.NotifyCtx(ctx, "poll-primary-change", node.Hostname)
-		api.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdateFull())
-	} else {
-		ctx = types.NotifyCtx(ctx, "cli-approveroutes", node.Hostname)
-		api.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyWithIgnore(ctx, types.UpdatePeerChanged(node.ID), node.ID)
+	// Always propagate node changes from SetApprovedRoutes
+	api.h.Change(nodeChange)
+
+	// If routes changed, propagate those changes too
+	if !routeChange.Empty() {
+		api.h.Change(routeChange)
 	}
 
 	proto := node.Proto()
@@ -409,19 +395,12 @@ func (api headscaleV1APIServer) DeleteNode(
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	policyChanged, err := api.h.state.DeleteNode(node)
+	nodeChange, err := api.h.state.DeleteNode(node)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	// Send policy update notifications if needed
-	if policyChanged {
-		ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "grpc-node-deleted", node.Hostname)
-		api.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdateFull())
-	}
-
-	ctx = types.NotifyCtx(ctx, "cli-deletenode", node.Hostname)
-	api.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdatePeerRemoved(node.ID))
+	api.h.Change(nodeChange)
 
 	return &v1.DeleteNodeResponse{}, nil
 }
@@ -432,25 +411,13 @@ func (api headscaleV1APIServer) ExpireNode(
 ) (*v1.ExpireNodeResponse, error) {
 	now := time.Now()
 
-	node, policyChanged, err := api.h.state.SetNodeExpiry(types.NodeID(request.GetNodeId()), now)
+	node, nodeChange, err := api.h.state.SetNodeExpiry(types.NodeID(request.GetNodeId()), now)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	// Send policy update notifications if needed
-	if policyChanged {
-		ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "grpc-node-expired", node.Hostname)
-		api.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdateFull())
-	}
-
-	ctx = types.NotifyCtx(ctx, "cli-expirenode-self", node.Hostname)
-	api.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyByNodeID(
-		ctx,
-		types.UpdateSelf(node.ID),
-		node.ID)
-
-	ctx = types.NotifyCtx(ctx, "cli-expirenode-peers", node.Hostname)
-	api.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyWithIgnore(ctx, types.UpdateExpire(node.ID, now), node.ID)
+	// TODO(kradalby): Ensure that both the selfupdate and peer updates are sent
+	api.h.Change(nodeChange)
 
 	log.Trace().
 		Str("node", node.Hostname).
@@ -464,22 +431,13 @@ func (api headscaleV1APIServer) RenameNode(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	request *v1.RenameNodeRequest,
 ) (*v1.RenameNodeResponse, error) {
-	node, policyChanged, err := api.h.state.RenameNode(types.NodeID(request.GetNodeId()), request.GetNewName())
+	node, nodeChange, err := api.h.state.RenameNode(types.NodeID(request.GetNodeId()), request.GetNewName())
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	// Send policy update notifications if needed
-	if policyChanged {
-		ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "grpc-node-renamed", node.Hostname)
-		api.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdateFull())
-	}
-
-	ctx = types.NotifyCtx(ctx, "cli-renamenode-self", node.Hostname)
-	api.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyByNodeID(ctx, types.UpdateSelf(node.ID), node.ID)
-
-	ctx = types.NotifyCtx(ctx, "cli-renamenode-peers", node.Hostname)
-	api.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyWithIgnore(ctx, types.UpdatePeerChanged(node.ID), node.ID)
+	// TODO(kradalby): investigate if we need selfupdate
+	api.h.Change(nodeChange)
 
 	log.Trace().
 		Str("node", node.Hostname).
@@ -498,7 +456,7 @@ func (api headscaleV1APIServer) ListNodes(
 	// probably be done once.
 	// TODO(kradalby): This should be done in one tx.
 
-	isLikelyConnected := api.h.nodeNotifier.LikelyConnectedMap()
+	IsConnected := api.h.mapBatcher.ConnectedMap()
 	if request.GetUser() != "" {
 		user, err := api.h.state.GetUserByName(request.GetUser())
 		if err != nil {
@@ -510,7 +468,7 @@ func (api headscaleV1APIServer) ListNodes(
 			return nil, err
 		}
 
-		response := nodesToProto(api.h.state, isLikelyConnected, nodes)
+		response := nodesToProto(api.h.state, IsConnected, nodes)
 		return &v1.ListNodesResponse{Nodes: response}, nil
 	}
 
@@ -523,18 +481,18 @@ func (api headscaleV1APIServer) ListNodes(
 		return nodes[i].ID < nodes[j].ID
 	})
 
-	response := nodesToProto(api.h.state, isLikelyConnected, nodes)
+	response := nodesToProto(api.h.state, IsConnected, nodes)
 	return &v1.ListNodesResponse{Nodes: response}, nil
 }
 
-func nodesToProto(state *state.State, isLikelyConnected *xsync.MapOf[types.NodeID, bool], nodes types.Nodes) []*v1.Node {
+func nodesToProto(state *state.State, IsConnected *xsync.MapOf[types.NodeID, bool], nodes types.Nodes) []*v1.Node {
 	response := make([]*v1.Node, len(nodes))
 	for index, node := range nodes {
 		resp := node.Proto()
 
 		// Populate the online field based on
 		// currently connected nodes.
-		if val, ok := isLikelyConnected.Load(node.ID); ok && val {
+		if val, ok := IsConnected.Load(node.ID); ok && val {
 			resp.Online = true
 		}
 
@@ -556,24 +514,14 @@ func (api headscaleV1APIServer) MoveNode(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	request *v1.MoveNodeRequest,
 ) (*v1.MoveNodeResponse, error) {
-	node, policyChanged, err := api.h.state.AssignNodeToUser(types.NodeID(request.GetNodeId()), types.UserID(request.GetUser()))
+	node, nodeChange, err := api.h.state.AssignNodeToUser(types.NodeID(request.GetNodeId()), types.UserID(request.GetUser()))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	// Send policy update notifications if needed
-	if policyChanged {
-		ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "grpc-node-moved", node.Hostname)
-		api.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdateFull())
-	}
-
-	ctx = types.NotifyCtx(ctx, "cli-movenode-self", node.Hostname)
-	api.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyByNodeID(
-		ctx,
-		types.UpdateSelf(node.ID),
-		node.ID)
-	ctx = types.NotifyCtx(ctx, "cli-movenode", node.Hostname)
-	api.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyWithIgnore(ctx, types.UpdatePeerChanged(node.ID), node.ID)
+	// TODO(kradalby): Ensure the policy is also sent
+	// TODO(kradalby): ensure that both the selfupdate and peer updates are sent
+	api.h.Change(nodeChange)
 
 	return &v1.MoveNodeResponse{Node: node.Proto()}, nil
 }
@@ -754,8 +702,7 @@ func (api headscaleV1APIServer) SetPolicy(
 			return nil, err
 		}
 
-		ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "acl-update", "na")
-		api.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdateFull())
+		api.h.Change(change.PolicyChange())
 	}
 
 	response := &v1.SetPolicyResponse{
diff --git a/hscontrol/handlers.go b/hscontrol/handlers.go
index 590541b0..d6d32e6d 100644
--- a/hscontrol/handlers.go
+++ b/hscontrol/handlers.go
@@ -180,6 +180,21 @@ func (h *Headscale) HealthHandler(
 	respond(nil)
 }
 
+func (h *Headscale) RobotsHandler(
+	writer http.ResponseWriter,
+	req *http.Request,
+) {
+	writer.Header().Set("Content-Type", "text/plain")
+	writer.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+	_, err := writer.Write([]byte("User-agent: *\nDisallow: /"))
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Error().
+			Caller().
+			Err(err).
+			Msg("Failed to write response")
+	}
+}
+
 var codeStyleRegisterWebAPI = styles.Props{
 	styles.Display:         "block",
 	styles.Padding:         "20px",
diff --git a/hscontrol/mapper/batcher.go b/hscontrol/mapper/batcher.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..21b2209f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hscontrol/mapper/batcher.go
@@ -0,0 +1,155 @@
+package mapper
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/state"
+	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types"
+	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types/change"
+	"github.com/puzpuzpuz/xsync/v4"
+	"tailscale.com/tailcfg"
+	"tailscale.com/types/ptr"
+)
+
+type batcherFunc func(cfg *types.Config, state *state.State) Batcher
+
+// Batcher defines the common interface for all batcher implementations.
+type Batcher interface {
+	Start()
+	Close()
+	AddNode(id types.NodeID, c chan<- *tailcfg.MapResponse, isRouter bool, version tailcfg.CapabilityVersion) error
+	RemoveNode(id types.NodeID, c chan<- *tailcfg.MapResponse, isRouter bool)
+	IsConnected(id types.NodeID) bool
+	ConnectedMap() *xsync.Map[types.NodeID, bool]
+	AddWork(c change.ChangeSet)
+	MapResponseFromChange(id types.NodeID, c change.ChangeSet) (*tailcfg.MapResponse, error)
+}
+
+func NewBatcher(batchTime time.Duration, workers int, mapper *mapper) *LockFreeBatcher {
+	return &LockFreeBatcher{
+		mapper:  mapper,
+		workers: workers,
+		tick:    time.NewTicker(batchTime),
+
+		// The size of this channel is arbitrary chosen, the sizing should be revisited.
+		workCh:         make(chan work, workers*200),
+		nodes:          xsync.NewMap[types.NodeID, *nodeConn](),
+		connected:      xsync.NewMap[types.NodeID, *time.Time](),
+		pendingChanges: xsync.NewMap[types.NodeID, []change.ChangeSet](),
+	}
+}
+
+// NewBatcherAndMapper creates a Batcher implementation.
+func NewBatcherAndMapper(cfg *types.Config, state *state.State) Batcher {
+	m := newMapper(cfg, state)
+	b := NewBatcher(cfg.Tuning.BatchChangeDelay, cfg.Tuning.BatcherWorkers, m)
+	m.batcher = b
+	return b
+}
+
+// nodeConnection interface for different connection implementations.
+type nodeConnection interface {
+	nodeID() types.NodeID
+	version() tailcfg.CapabilityVersion
+	send(data *tailcfg.MapResponse) error
+}
+
+// generateMapResponse generates a [tailcfg.MapResponse] for the given NodeID that is based on the provided [change.ChangeSet].
+func generateMapResponse(nodeID types.NodeID, version tailcfg.CapabilityVersion, mapper *mapper, c change.ChangeSet) (*tailcfg.MapResponse, error) {
+	if c.Empty() {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+
+	// Validate inputs before processing
+	if nodeID == 0 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid nodeID: %d", nodeID)
+	}
+
+	if mapper == nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("mapper is nil for nodeID %d", nodeID)
+	}
+
+	var mapResp *tailcfg.MapResponse
+	var err error
+
+	switch c.Change {
+	case change.DERP:
+		mapResp, err = mapper.derpMapResponse(nodeID)
+
+	case change.NodeCameOnline, change.NodeWentOffline:
+		if c.IsSubnetRouter {
+			// TODO(kradalby): This can potentially be a peer update of the old and new subnet router.
+			mapResp, err = mapper.fullMapResponse(nodeID, version)
+		} else {
+			mapResp, err = mapper.peerChangedPatchResponse(nodeID, []*tailcfg.PeerChange{
+				{
+					NodeID: c.NodeID.NodeID(),
+					Online: ptr.To(c.Change == change.NodeCameOnline),
+				},
+			})
+		}
+
+	case change.NodeNewOrUpdate:
+		mapResp, err = mapper.fullMapResponse(nodeID, version)
+
+	case change.NodeRemove:
+		mapResp, err = mapper.peerRemovedResponse(nodeID, c.NodeID)
+
+	default:
+		// The following will always hit this:
+		// change.Full, change.Policy
+		mapResp, err = mapper.fullMapResponse(nodeID, version)
+	}
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("generating map response for nodeID %d: %w", nodeID, err)
+	}
+
+	// TODO(kradalby): Is this necessary?
+	// Validate the generated map response - only check for nil response
+	// Note: mapResp.Node can be nil for peer updates, which is valid
+	if mapResp == nil && c.Change != change.DERP && c.Change != change.NodeRemove {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("generated nil map response for nodeID %d change %s", nodeID, c.Change.String())
+	}
+
+	return mapResp, nil
+}
+
+// handleNodeChange generates and sends a [tailcfg.MapResponse] for a given node and [change.ChangeSet].
+func handleNodeChange(nc nodeConnection, mapper *mapper, c change.ChangeSet) error {
+	if nc == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("nodeConnection is nil")
+	}
+
+	nodeID := nc.nodeID()
+	data, err := generateMapResponse(nodeID, nc.version(), mapper, c)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("generating map response for node %d: %w", nodeID, err)
+	}
+
+	if data == nil {
+		// No data to send is valid for some change types
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// Send the map response
+	if err := nc.send(data); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("sending map response to node %d: %w", nodeID, err)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// workResult represents the result of processing a change.
+type workResult struct {
+	mapResponse *tailcfg.MapResponse
+	err         error
+}
+
+// work represents a unit of work to be processed by workers.
+type work struct {
+	c        change.ChangeSet
+	nodeID   types.NodeID
+	resultCh chan<- workResult // optional channel for synchronous operations
+}
diff --git a/hscontrol/mapper/batcher_lockfree.go b/hscontrol/mapper/batcher_lockfree.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..aeafa001
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hscontrol/mapper/batcher_lockfree.go
@@ -0,0 +1,491 @@
+package mapper
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types"
+	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types/change"
+	"github.com/puzpuzpuz/xsync/v4"
+	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
+	"tailscale.com/tailcfg"
+	"tailscale.com/types/ptr"
+)
+
+// LockFreeBatcher uses atomic operations and concurrent maps to eliminate mutex contention.
+type LockFreeBatcher struct {
+	tick    *time.Ticker
+	mapper  *mapper
+	workers int
+
+	// Lock-free concurrent maps
+	nodes     *xsync.Map[types.NodeID, *nodeConn]
+	connected *xsync.Map[types.NodeID, *time.Time]
+
+	// Work queue channel
+	workCh chan work
+	ctx    context.Context
+	cancel context.CancelFunc
+
+	// Batching state
+	pendingChanges *xsync.Map[types.NodeID, []change.ChangeSet]
+	batchMutex     sync.RWMutex
+
+	// Metrics
+	totalNodes      atomic.Int64
+	totalUpdates    atomic.Int64
+	workQueuedCount atomic.Int64
+	workProcessed   atomic.Int64
+	workErrors      atomic.Int64
+}
+
+// AddNode registers a new node connection with the batcher and sends an initial map response.
+// It creates or updates the node's connection data, validates the initial map generation,
+// and notifies other nodes that this node has come online.
+// TODO(kradalby): See if we can move the isRouter argument somewhere else.
+func (b *LockFreeBatcher) AddNode(id types.NodeID, c chan<- *tailcfg.MapResponse, isRouter bool, version tailcfg.CapabilityVersion) error {
+	// First validate that we can generate initial map before doing anything else
+	fullSelfChange := change.FullSelf(id)
+
+	// TODO(kradalby): This should not be generated here, but rather in MapResponseFromChange.
+	// This currently means that the goroutine for the node connection will do the processing
+	// which means that we might have uncontrolled concurrency.
+	// When we use MapResponseFromChange, it will be processed by the same worker pool, causing
+	// it to be processed in a more controlled manner.
+	initialMap, err := generateMapResponse(id, version, b.mapper, fullSelfChange)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to generate initial map for node %d: %w", id, err)
+	}
+
+	// Only after validation succeeds, create or update node connection
+	newConn := newNodeConn(id, c, version, b.mapper)
+
+	var conn *nodeConn
+	if existing, loaded := b.nodes.LoadOrStore(id, newConn); loaded {
+		// Update existing connection
+		existing.updateConnection(c, version)
+		conn = existing
+	} else {
+		b.totalNodes.Add(1)
+		conn = newConn
+	}
+
+	// Mark as connected only after validation succeeds
+	b.connected.Store(id, nil) // nil = connected
+
+	log.Info().Uint64("node.id", id.Uint64()).Bool("isRouter", isRouter).Msg("Node connected to batcher")
+
+	// Send the validated initial map
+	if initialMap != nil {
+		if err := conn.send(initialMap); err != nil {
+			// Clean up the connection state on send failure
+			b.nodes.Delete(id)
+			b.connected.Delete(id)
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to send initial map to node %d: %w", id, err)
+		}
+
+		// Notify other nodes that this node came online
+		b.addWork(change.ChangeSet{NodeID: id, Change: change.NodeCameOnline, IsSubnetRouter: isRouter})
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// RemoveNode disconnects a node from the batcher, marking it as offline and cleaning up its state.
+// It validates the connection channel matches the current one, closes the connection,
+// and notifies other nodes that this node has gone offline.
+func (b *LockFreeBatcher) RemoveNode(id types.NodeID, c chan<- *tailcfg.MapResponse, isRouter bool) {
+	// Check if this is the current connection and mark it as closed
+	if existing, ok := b.nodes.Load(id); ok {
+		if !existing.matchesChannel(c) {
+			log.Debug().Uint64("node.id", id.Uint64()).Msg("RemoveNode called for non-current connection, ignoring")
+			return // Not the current connection, not an error
+		}
+
+		// Mark the connection as closed to prevent further sends
+		if connData := existing.connData.Load(); connData != nil {
+			connData.closed.Store(true)
+		}
+	}
+
+	log.Info().Uint64("node.id", id.Uint64()).Bool("isRouter", isRouter).Msg("Node disconnected from batcher, marking as offline")
+
+	// Remove node and mark disconnected atomically
+	b.nodes.Delete(id)
+	b.connected.Store(id, ptr.To(time.Now()))
+	b.totalNodes.Add(-1)
+
+	// Notify other nodes that this node went offline
+	b.addWork(change.ChangeSet{NodeID: id, Change: change.NodeWentOffline, IsSubnetRouter: isRouter})
+}
+
+// AddWork queues a change to be processed by the batcher.
+// Critical changes are processed immediately, while others are batched for efficiency.
+func (b *LockFreeBatcher) AddWork(c change.ChangeSet) {
+	b.addWork(c)
+}
+
+func (b *LockFreeBatcher) Start() {
+	b.ctx, b.cancel = context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	go b.doWork()
+}
+
+func (b *LockFreeBatcher) Close() {
+	if b.cancel != nil {
+		b.cancel()
+	}
+	close(b.workCh)
+}
+
+func (b *LockFreeBatcher) doWork() {
+	log.Debug().Msg("batcher doWork loop started")
+	defer log.Debug().Msg("batcher doWork loop stopped")
+
+	for i := range b.workers {
+		go b.worker(i + 1)
+	}
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-b.tick.C:
+			// Process batched changes
+			b.processBatchedChanges()
+		case <-b.ctx.Done():
+			return
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (b *LockFreeBatcher) worker(workerID int) {
+	log.Debug().Int("workerID", workerID).Msg("batcher worker started")
+	defer log.Debug().Int("workerID", workerID).Msg("batcher worker stopped")
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		case w, ok := <-b.workCh:
+			if !ok {
+				return
+			}
+
+			startTime := time.Now()
+			b.workProcessed.Add(1)
+
+			// If the resultCh is set, it means that this is a work request
+			// where there is a blocking function waiting for the map that
+			// is being generated.
+			// This is used for synchronous map generation.
+			if w.resultCh != nil {
+				var result workResult
+				if nc, exists := b.nodes.Load(w.nodeID); exists {
+					result.mapResponse, result.err = generateMapResponse(nc.nodeID(), nc.version(), b.mapper, w.c)
+					if result.err != nil {
+						b.workErrors.Add(1)
+						log.Error().Err(result.err).
+							Int("workerID", workerID).
+							Uint64("node.id", w.nodeID.Uint64()).
+							Str("change", w.c.Change.String()).
+							Msg("failed to generate map response for synchronous work")
+					}
+				} else {
+					result.err = fmt.Errorf("node %d not found", w.nodeID)
+					b.workErrors.Add(1)
+					log.Error().Err(result.err).
+						Int("workerID", workerID).
+						Uint64("node.id", w.nodeID.Uint64()).
+						Msg("node not found for synchronous work")
+				}
+
+				// Send result
+				select {
+				case w.resultCh <- result:
+				case <-b.ctx.Done():
+					return
+				}
+
+				duration := time.Since(startTime)
+				if duration > 100*time.Millisecond {
+					log.Warn().
+						Int("workerID", workerID).
+						Uint64("node.id", w.nodeID.Uint64()).
+						Str("change", w.c.Change.String()).
+						Dur("duration", duration).
+						Msg("slow synchronous work processing")
+				}
+				continue
+			}
+
+			// If resultCh is nil, this is an asynchronous work request
+			// that should be processed and sent to the node instead of
+			// returned to the caller.
+			if nc, exists := b.nodes.Load(w.nodeID); exists {
+				// Check if this connection is still active before processing
+				if connData := nc.connData.Load(); connData != nil && connData.closed.Load() {
+					log.Debug().
+						Int("workerID", workerID).
+						Uint64("node.id", w.nodeID.Uint64()).
+						Str("change", w.c.Change.String()).
+						Msg("skipping work for closed connection")
+					continue
+				}
+
+				err := nc.change(w.c)
+				if err != nil {
+					b.workErrors.Add(1)
+					log.Error().Err(err).
+						Int("workerID", workerID).
+						Uint64("node.id", w.c.NodeID.Uint64()).
+						Str("change", w.c.Change.String()).
+						Msg("failed to apply change")
+				}
+			} else {
+				log.Debug().
+					Int("workerID", workerID).
+					Uint64("node.id", w.nodeID.Uint64()).
+					Str("change", w.c.Change.String()).
+					Msg("node not found for asynchronous work - node may have disconnected")
+			}
+
+			duration := time.Since(startTime)
+			if duration > 100*time.Millisecond {
+				log.Warn().
+					Int("workerID", workerID).
+					Uint64("node.id", w.nodeID.Uint64()).
+					Str("change", w.c.Change.String()).
+					Dur("duration", duration).
+					Msg("slow asynchronous work processing")
+			}
+
+		case <-b.ctx.Done():
+			return
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (b *LockFreeBatcher) addWork(c change.ChangeSet) {
+	// For critical changes that need immediate processing, send directly
+	if b.shouldProcessImmediately(c) {
+		if c.SelfUpdateOnly {
+			b.queueWork(work{c: c, nodeID: c.NodeID, resultCh: nil})
+			return
+		}
+		b.nodes.Range(func(nodeID types.NodeID, _ *nodeConn) bool {
+			if c.NodeID == nodeID && !c.AlsoSelf() {
+				return true
+			}
+			b.queueWork(work{c: c, nodeID: nodeID, resultCh: nil})
+			return true
+		})
+		return
+	}
+
+	// For non-critical changes, add to batch
+	b.addToBatch(c)
+}
+
+// queueWork safely queues work
+func (b *LockFreeBatcher) queueWork(w work) {
+	b.workQueuedCount.Add(1)
+
+	select {
+	case b.workCh <- w:
+		// Successfully queued
+	case <-b.ctx.Done():
+		// Batcher is shutting down
+		return
+	}
+}
+
+// shouldProcessImmediately determines if a change should bypass batching
+func (b *LockFreeBatcher) shouldProcessImmediately(c change.ChangeSet) bool {
+	// Process these changes immediately to avoid delaying critical functionality
+	switch c.Change {
+	case change.Full, change.NodeRemove, change.NodeCameOnline, change.NodeWentOffline, change.Policy:
+		return true
+	default:
+		return false
+	}
+}
+
+// addToBatch adds a change to the pending batch
+func (b *LockFreeBatcher) addToBatch(c change.ChangeSet) {
+	b.batchMutex.Lock()
+	defer b.batchMutex.Unlock()
+
+	if c.SelfUpdateOnly {
+		changes, _ := b.pendingChanges.LoadOrStore(c.NodeID, []change.ChangeSet{})
+		changes = append(changes, c)
+		b.pendingChanges.Store(c.NodeID, changes)
+		return
+	}
+
+	b.nodes.Range(func(nodeID types.NodeID, _ *nodeConn) bool {
+		if c.NodeID == nodeID && !c.AlsoSelf() {
+			return true
+		}
+
+		changes, _ := b.pendingChanges.LoadOrStore(nodeID, []change.ChangeSet{})
+		changes = append(changes, c)
+		b.pendingChanges.Store(nodeID, changes)
+		return true
+	})
+}
+
+// processBatchedChanges processes all pending batched changes
+func (b *LockFreeBatcher) processBatchedChanges() {
+	b.batchMutex.Lock()
+	defer b.batchMutex.Unlock()
+
+	if b.pendingChanges == nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	// Process all pending changes
+	b.pendingChanges.Range(func(nodeID types.NodeID, changes []change.ChangeSet) bool {
+		if len(changes) == 0 {
+			return true
+		}
+
+		// Send all batched changes for this node
+		for _, c := range changes {
+			b.queueWork(work{c: c, nodeID: nodeID, resultCh: nil})
+		}
+
+		// Clear the pending changes for this node
+		b.pendingChanges.Delete(nodeID)
+		return true
+	})
+}
+
+// IsConnected is lock-free read.
+func (b *LockFreeBatcher) IsConnected(id types.NodeID) bool {
+	if val, ok := b.connected.Load(id); ok {
+		// nil means connected
+		return val == nil
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+// ConnectedMap returns a lock-free map of all connected nodes.
+func (b *LockFreeBatcher) ConnectedMap() *xsync.Map[types.NodeID, bool] {
+	ret := xsync.NewMap[types.NodeID, bool]()
+
+	b.connected.Range(func(id types.NodeID, val *time.Time) bool {
+		// nil means connected
+		ret.Store(id, val == nil)
+		return true
+	})
+
+	return ret
+}
+
+// MapResponseFromChange queues work to generate a map response and waits for the result.
+// This allows synchronous map generation using the same worker pool.
+func (b *LockFreeBatcher) MapResponseFromChange(id types.NodeID, c change.ChangeSet) (*tailcfg.MapResponse, error) {
+	resultCh := make(chan workResult, 1)
+
+	// Queue the work with a result channel using the safe queueing method
+	b.queueWork(work{c: c, nodeID: id, resultCh: resultCh})
+
+	// Wait for the result
+	select {
+	case result := <-resultCh:
+		return result.mapResponse, result.err
+	case <-b.ctx.Done():
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("batcher shutting down while generating map response for node %d", id)
+	}
+}
+
+// connectionData holds the channel and connection parameters.
+type connectionData struct {
+	c       chan<- *tailcfg.MapResponse
+	version tailcfg.CapabilityVersion
+	closed  atomic.Bool // Track if this connection has been closed
+}
+
+// nodeConn described the node connection and its associated data.
+type nodeConn struct {
+	id     types.NodeID
+	mapper *mapper
+
+	// Atomic pointer to connection data - allows lock-free updates
+	connData atomic.Pointer[connectionData]
+
+	updateCount atomic.Int64
+}
+
+func newNodeConn(id types.NodeID, c chan<- *tailcfg.MapResponse, version tailcfg.CapabilityVersion, mapper *mapper) *nodeConn {
+	nc := &nodeConn{
+		id:     id,
+		mapper: mapper,
+	}
+
+	// Initialize connection data
+	data := &connectionData{
+		c:       c,
+		version: version,
+	}
+	nc.connData.Store(data)
+
+	return nc
+}
+
+// updateConnection atomically updates connection parameters.
+func (nc *nodeConn) updateConnection(c chan<- *tailcfg.MapResponse, version tailcfg.CapabilityVersion) {
+	newData := &connectionData{
+		c:       c,
+		version: version,
+	}
+	nc.connData.Store(newData)
+}
+
+// matchesChannel checks if the given channel matches current connection.
+func (nc *nodeConn) matchesChannel(c chan<- *tailcfg.MapResponse) bool {
+	data := nc.connData.Load()
+	if data == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	// Compare channel pointers directly
+	return data.c == c
+}
+
+// compressAndVersion atomically reads connection settings.
+func (nc *nodeConn) version() tailcfg.CapabilityVersion {
+	data := nc.connData.Load()
+	if data == nil {
+		return 0
+	}
+
+	return data.version
+}
+
+func (nc *nodeConn) nodeID() types.NodeID {
+	return nc.id
+}
+
+func (nc *nodeConn) change(c change.ChangeSet) error {
+	return handleNodeChange(nc, nc.mapper, c)
+}
+
+// send sends data to the node's channel.
+// The node will pick it up and send it to the HTTP handler.
+func (nc *nodeConn) send(data *tailcfg.MapResponse) error {
+	connData := nc.connData.Load()
+	if connData == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("node %d: no connection data", nc.id)
+	}
+
+	// Check if connection has been closed
+	if connData.closed.Load() {
+		return fmt.Errorf("node %d: connection closed", nc.id)
+	}
+
+	// TODO(kradalby): We might need some sort of timeout here if the client is not reading
+	// the channel. That might mean that we are sending to a node that has gone offline, but
+	// the channel is still open.
+	connData.c <- data
+	nc.updateCount.Add(1)
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/hscontrol/mapper/builder.go b/hscontrol/mapper/builder.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b6102c01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hscontrol/mapper/builder.go
@@ -0,0 +1,259 @@
+package mapper
+
+import (
+	"net/netip"
+	"sort"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/policy"
+	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types"
+	"tailscale.com/tailcfg"
+	"tailscale.com/types/views"
+	"tailscale.com/util/multierr"
+)
+
+// MapResponseBuilder provides a fluent interface for building tailcfg.MapResponse
+type MapResponseBuilder struct {
+	resp   *tailcfg.MapResponse
+	mapper *mapper
+	nodeID types.NodeID
+	capVer tailcfg.CapabilityVersion
+	errs   []error
+}
+
+// NewMapResponseBuilder creates a new builder with basic fields set
+func (m *mapper) NewMapResponseBuilder(nodeID types.NodeID) *MapResponseBuilder {
+	now := time.Now()
+	return &MapResponseBuilder{
+		resp: &tailcfg.MapResponse{
+			KeepAlive:   false,
+			ControlTime: &now,
+		},
+		mapper: m,
+		nodeID: nodeID,
+		errs:   nil,
+	}
+}
+
+// addError adds an error to the builder's error list
+func (b *MapResponseBuilder) addError(err error) {
+	if err != nil {
+		b.errs = append(b.errs, err)
+	}
+}
+
+// hasErrors returns true if the builder has accumulated any errors
+func (b *MapResponseBuilder) hasErrors() bool {
+	return len(b.errs) > 0
+}
+
+// WithCapabilityVersion sets the capability version for the response
+func (b *MapResponseBuilder) WithCapabilityVersion(capVer tailcfg.CapabilityVersion) *MapResponseBuilder {
+	b.capVer = capVer
+	return b
+}
+
+// WithSelfNode adds the requesting node to the response
+func (b *MapResponseBuilder) WithSelfNode() *MapResponseBuilder {
+	node, err := b.mapper.state.GetNodeByID(b.nodeID)
+	if err != nil {
+		b.addError(err)
+		return b
+	}
+
+	_, matchers := b.mapper.state.Filter()
+	tailnode, err := tailNode(
+		node.View(), b.capVer, b.mapper.state,
+		func(id types.NodeID) []netip.Prefix {
+			return policy.ReduceRoutes(node.View(), b.mapper.state.GetNodePrimaryRoutes(id), matchers)
+		},
+		b.mapper.cfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		b.addError(err)
+		return b
+	}
+
+	b.resp.Node = tailnode
+	return b
+}
+
+// WithDERPMap adds the DERP map to the response
+func (b *MapResponseBuilder) WithDERPMap() *MapResponseBuilder {
+	b.resp.DERPMap = b.mapper.state.DERPMap()
+	return b
+}
+
+// WithDomain adds the domain configuration
+func (b *MapResponseBuilder) WithDomain() *MapResponseBuilder {
+	b.resp.Domain = b.mapper.cfg.Domain()
+	return b
+}
+
+// WithCollectServicesDisabled sets the collect services flag to false
+func (b *MapResponseBuilder) WithCollectServicesDisabled() *MapResponseBuilder {
+	b.resp.CollectServices.Set(false)
+	return b
+}
+
+// WithDebugConfig adds debug configuration
+// It disables log tailing if the mapper's LogTail is not enabled
+func (b *MapResponseBuilder) WithDebugConfig() *MapResponseBuilder {
+	b.resp.Debug = &tailcfg.Debug{
+		DisableLogTail: !b.mapper.cfg.LogTail.Enabled,
+	}
+	return b
+}
+
+// WithSSHPolicy adds SSH policy configuration for the requesting node
+func (b *MapResponseBuilder) WithSSHPolicy() *MapResponseBuilder {
+	node, err := b.mapper.state.GetNodeByID(b.nodeID)
+	if err != nil {
+		b.addError(err)
+		return b
+	}
+
+	sshPolicy, err := b.mapper.state.SSHPolicy(node.View())
+	if err != nil {
+		b.addError(err)
+		return b
+	}
+
+	b.resp.SSHPolicy = sshPolicy
+	return b
+}
+
+// WithDNSConfig adds DNS configuration for the requesting node
+func (b *MapResponseBuilder) WithDNSConfig() *MapResponseBuilder {
+	node, err := b.mapper.state.GetNodeByID(b.nodeID)
+	if err != nil {
+		b.addError(err)
+		return b
+	}
+
+	b.resp.DNSConfig = generateDNSConfig(b.mapper.cfg, node)
+	return b
+}
+
+// WithUserProfiles adds user profiles for the requesting node and given peers
+func (b *MapResponseBuilder) WithUserProfiles(peers types.Nodes) *MapResponseBuilder {
+	node, err := b.mapper.state.GetNodeByID(b.nodeID)
+	if err != nil {
+		b.addError(err)
+		return b
+	}
+
+	b.resp.UserProfiles = generateUserProfiles(node, peers)
+	return b
+}
+
+// WithPacketFilters adds packet filter rules based on policy
+func (b *MapResponseBuilder) WithPacketFilters() *MapResponseBuilder {
+	node, err := b.mapper.state.GetNodeByID(b.nodeID)
+	if err != nil {
+		b.addError(err)
+		return b
+	}
+
+	filter, _ := b.mapper.state.Filter()
+
+	// CapVer 81: 2023-11-17: MapResponse.PacketFilters (incremental packet filter updates)
+	// Currently, we do not send incremental package filters, however using the
+	// new PacketFilters field and "base" allows us to send a full update when we
+	// have to send an empty list, avoiding the hack in the else block.
+	b.resp.PacketFilters = map[string][]tailcfg.FilterRule{
+		"base": policy.ReduceFilterRules(node.View(), filter),
+	}
+
+	return b
+}
+
+// WithPeers adds full peer list with policy filtering (for full map response)
+func (b *MapResponseBuilder) WithPeers(peers types.Nodes) *MapResponseBuilder {
+
+	tailPeers, err := b.buildTailPeers(peers)
+	if err != nil {
+		b.addError(err)
+		return b
+	}
+
+	b.resp.Peers = tailPeers
+	return b
+}
+
+// WithPeerChanges adds changed peers with policy filtering (for incremental updates)
+func (b *MapResponseBuilder) WithPeerChanges(peers types.Nodes) *MapResponseBuilder {
+
+	tailPeers, err := b.buildTailPeers(peers)
+	if err != nil {
+		b.addError(err)
+		return b
+	}
+
+	b.resp.PeersChanged = tailPeers
+	return b
+}
+
+// buildTailPeers converts types.Nodes to []tailcfg.Node with policy filtering and sorting
+func (b *MapResponseBuilder) buildTailPeers(peers types.Nodes) ([]*tailcfg.Node, error) {
+	node, err := b.mapper.state.GetNodeByID(b.nodeID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	filter, matchers := b.mapper.state.Filter()
+
+	// If there are filter rules present, see if there are any nodes that cannot
+	// access each-other at all and remove them from the peers.
+	var changedViews views.Slice[types.NodeView]
+	if len(filter) > 0 {
+		changedViews = policy.ReduceNodes(node.View(), peers.ViewSlice(), matchers)
+	} else {
+		changedViews = peers.ViewSlice()
+	}
+
+	tailPeers, err := tailNodes(
+		changedViews, b.capVer, b.mapper.state,
+		func(id types.NodeID) []netip.Prefix {
+			return policy.ReduceRoutes(node.View(), b.mapper.state.GetNodePrimaryRoutes(id), matchers)
+		},
+		b.mapper.cfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	// Peers is always returned sorted by Node.ID.
+	sort.SliceStable(tailPeers, func(x, y int) bool {
+		return tailPeers[x].ID < tailPeers[y].ID
+	})
+
+	return tailPeers, nil
+}
+
+// WithPeerChangedPatch adds peer change patches
+func (b *MapResponseBuilder) WithPeerChangedPatch(changes []*tailcfg.PeerChange) *MapResponseBuilder {
+	b.resp.PeersChangedPatch = changes
+	return b
+}
+
+// WithPeersRemoved adds removed peer IDs
+func (b *MapResponseBuilder) WithPeersRemoved(removedIDs ...types.NodeID) *MapResponseBuilder {
+
+	var tailscaleIDs []tailcfg.NodeID
+	for _, id := range removedIDs {
+		tailscaleIDs = append(tailscaleIDs, id.NodeID())
+	}
+	b.resp.PeersRemoved = tailscaleIDs
+	return b
+}
+
+// Build finalizes the response and returns marshaled bytes
+func (b *MapResponseBuilder) Build(messages ...string) (*tailcfg.MapResponse, error) {
+	if len(b.errs) > 0 {
+		return nil, multierr.New(b.errs...)
+	}
+	if debugDumpMapResponsePath != "" {
+		writeDebugMapResponse(b.resp, b.nodeID)
+	}
+
+	return b.resp, nil
+}
diff --git a/hscontrol/mapper/mapper.go b/hscontrol/mapper/mapper.go
index 553658f5..43764457 100644
--- a/hscontrol/mapper/mapper.go
+++ b/hscontrol/mapper/mapper.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package mapper
 
 import (
-	"encoding/binary"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/fs"
@@ -10,31 +9,21 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path"
 	"slices"
-	"sort"
 	"strings"
-	"sync"
-	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/notifier"
-	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/policy"
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/state"
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types"
-	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/util"
-	"github.com/klauspost/compress/zstd"
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
 	"tailscale.com/envknob"
-	"tailscale.com/smallzstd"
 	"tailscale.com/tailcfg"
 	"tailscale.com/types/dnstype"
-	"tailscale.com/types/views"
 )
 
 const (
-	nextDNSDoHPrefix           = "https://dns.nextdns.io"
-	reservedResponseHeaderSize = 4
-	mapperIDLength             = 8
-	debugMapResponsePerm       = 0o755
+	nextDNSDoHPrefix     = "https://dns.nextdns.io"
+	mapperIDLength       = 8
+	debugMapResponsePerm = 0o755
 )
 
 var debugDumpMapResponsePath = envknob.String("HEADSCALE_DEBUG_DUMP_MAPRESPONSE_PATH")
@@ -50,15 +39,13 @@ var debugDumpMapResponsePath = envknob.String("HEADSCALE_DEBUG_DUMP_MAPRESPONSE_
 // - Create a "minifier" that removes info not needed for the node
 // - some sort of batching, wait for 5 or 60 seconds before sending
 
-type Mapper struct {
+type mapper struct {
 	// Configuration
-	state *state.State
-	cfg   *types.Config
-	notif *notifier.Notifier
+	state   *state.State
+	cfg     *types.Config
+	batcher Batcher
 
-	uid     string
 	created time.Time
-	seq     uint64
 }
 
 type patch struct {
@@ -66,41 +53,31 @@ type patch struct {
 	change    *tailcfg.PeerChange
 }
 
-func NewMapper(
-	state *state.State,
+func newMapper(
 	cfg *types.Config,
-	notif *notifier.Notifier,
-) *Mapper {
-	uid, _ := util.GenerateRandomStringDNSSafe(mapperIDLength)
+	state *state.State,
+) *mapper {
+	// uid, _ := util.GenerateRandomStringDNSSafe(mapperIDLength)
 
-	return &Mapper{
+	return &mapper{
 		state: state,
 		cfg:   cfg,
-		notif: notif,
 
-		uid:     uid,
 		created: time.Now(),
-		seq:     0,
 	}
 }
 
-func (m *Mapper) String() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("Mapper: { seq: %d, uid: %s, created: %s }", m.seq, m.uid, m.created)
-}
-
 func generateUserProfiles(
-	node types.NodeView,
-	peers views.Slice[types.NodeView],
+	node *types.Node,
+	peers types.Nodes,
 ) []tailcfg.UserProfile {
 	userMap := make(map[uint]*types.User)
-	ids := make([]uint, 0, peers.Len()+1)
-	user := node.User()
-	userMap[user.ID] = &user
-	ids = append(ids, user.ID)
-	for _, peer := range peers.All() {
-		peerUser := peer.User()
-		userMap[peerUser.ID] = &peerUser
-		ids = append(ids, peerUser.ID)
+	ids := make([]uint, 0, len(userMap))
+	userMap[node.User.ID] = &node.User
+	ids = append(ids, node.User.ID)
+	for _, peer := range peers {
+		userMap[peer.User.ID] = &peer.User
+		ids = append(ids, peer.User.ID)
 	}
 
 	slices.Sort(ids)
@@ -117,7 +94,7 @@ func generateUserProfiles(
 
 func generateDNSConfig(
 	cfg *types.Config,
-	node types.NodeView,
+	node *types.Node,
 ) *tailcfg.DNSConfig {
 	if cfg.TailcfgDNSConfig == nil {
 		return nil
@@ -137,17 +114,16 @@ func generateDNSConfig(
 //
 // This will produce a resolver like:
 // `https://dns.nextdns.io/<nextdns-id>?device_name=node-name&device_model=linux&device_ip=100.64.0.1`
-func addNextDNSMetadata(resolvers []*dnstype.Resolver, node types.NodeView) {
+func addNextDNSMetadata(resolvers []*dnstype.Resolver, node *types.Node) {
 	for _, resolver := range resolvers {
 		if strings.HasPrefix(resolver.Addr, nextDNSDoHPrefix) {
 			attrs := url.Values{
-				"device_name":  []string{node.Hostname()},
-				"device_model": []string{node.Hostinfo().OS()},
+				"device_name":  []string{node.Hostname},
+				"device_model": []string{node.Hostinfo.OS},
 			}
 
-			nodeIPs := node.IPs()
-			if len(nodeIPs) > 0 {
-				attrs.Add("device_ip", nodeIPs[0].String())
+			if len(node.IPs()) > 0 {
+				attrs.Add("device_ip", node.IPs()[0].String())
 			}
 
 			resolver.Addr = fmt.Sprintf("%s?%s", resolver.Addr, attrs.Encode())
@@ -155,434 +131,151 @@ func addNextDNSMetadata(resolvers []*dnstype.Resolver, node types.NodeView) {
 	}
 }
 
-// fullMapResponse creates a complete MapResponse for a node.
-// It is a separate function to make testing easier.
-func (m *Mapper) fullMapResponse(
-	node types.NodeView,
-	peers views.Slice[types.NodeView],
+// fullMapResponse returns a MapResponse for the given node.
+func (m *mapper) fullMapResponse(
+	nodeID types.NodeID,
 	capVer tailcfg.CapabilityVersion,
-) (*tailcfg.MapResponse, error) {
-	resp, err := m.baseWithConfigMapResponse(node, capVer)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	err = appendPeerChanges(
-		resp,
-		true, // full change
-		m.state,
-		node,
-		capVer,
-		peers,
-		m.cfg,
-	)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	return resp, nil
-}
-
-// FullMapResponse returns a MapResponse for the given node.
-func (m *Mapper) FullMapResponse(
-	mapRequest tailcfg.MapRequest,
-	node types.NodeView,
-	messages ...string,
-) ([]byte, error) {
-	peers, err := m.ListPeers(node.ID())
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	resp, err := m.fullMapResponse(node, peers.ViewSlice(), mapRequest.Version)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	return m.marshalMapResponse(mapRequest, resp, node, mapRequest.Compress, messages...)
-}
-
-// ReadOnlyMapResponse returns a MapResponse for the given node.
-// Lite means that the peers has been omitted, this is intended
-// to be used to answer MapRequests with OmitPeers set to true.
-func (m *Mapper) ReadOnlyMapResponse(
-	mapRequest tailcfg.MapRequest,
-	node types.NodeView,
 	messages ...string,
-) ([]byte, error) {
-	resp, err := m.baseWithConfigMapResponse(node, mapRequest.Version)
+) (*tailcfg.MapResponse, error) {
+	peers, err := m.listPeers(nodeID)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	return m.marshalMapResponse(mapRequest, resp, node, mapRequest.Compress, messages...)
+	return m.NewMapResponseBuilder(nodeID).
+		WithCapabilityVersion(capVer).
+		WithSelfNode().
+		WithDERPMap().
+		WithDomain().
+		WithCollectServicesDisabled().
+		WithDebugConfig().
+		WithSSHPolicy().
+		WithDNSConfig().
+		WithUserProfiles(peers).
+		WithPacketFilters().
+		WithPeers(peers).
+		Build(messages...)
 }
 
-func (m *Mapper) KeepAliveResponse(
-	mapRequest tailcfg.MapRequest,
-	node types.NodeView,
-) ([]byte, error) {
-	resp := m.baseMapResponse()
-	resp.KeepAlive = true
-
-	return m.marshalMapResponse(mapRequest, &resp, node, mapRequest.Compress)
+func (m *mapper) derpMapResponse(
+	nodeID types.NodeID,
+) (*tailcfg.MapResponse, error) {
+	return m.NewMapResponseBuilder(nodeID).
+		WithDERPMap().
+		Build()
 }
 
-func (m *Mapper) DERPMapResponse(
-	mapRequest tailcfg.MapRequest,
-	node types.NodeView,
-	derpMap *tailcfg.DERPMap,
-) ([]byte, error) {
-	resp := m.baseMapResponse()
-	resp.DERPMap = derpMap
-
-	return m.marshalMapResponse(mapRequest, &resp, node, mapRequest.Compress)
+// PeerChangedPatchResponse creates a patch MapResponse with
+// incoming update from a state change.
+func (m *mapper) peerChangedPatchResponse(
+	nodeID types.NodeID,
+	changed []*tailcfg.PeerChange,
+) (*tailcfg.MapResponse, error) {
+	return m.NewMapResponseBuilder(nodeID).
+		WithPeerChangedPatch(changed).
+		Build()
 }
 
-func (m *Mapper) PeerChangedResponse(
-	mapRequest tailcfg.MapRequest,
-	node types.NodeView,
-	changed map[types.NodeID]bool,
-	patches []*tailcfg.PeerChange,
-	messages ...string,
-) ([]byte, error) {
-	var err error
-	resp := m.baseMapResponse()
-
-	var removedIDs []tailcfg.NodeID
-	var changedIDs []types.NodeID
-	for nodeID, nodeChanged := range changed {
-		if nodeChanged {
-			if nodeID != node.ID() {
-				changedIDs = append(changedIDs, nodeID)
-			}
-		} else {
-			removedIDs = append(removedIDs, nodeID.NodeID())
-		}
-	}
-	changedNodes := types.Nodes{}
-	if len(changedIDs) > 0 {
-		changedNodes, err = m.ListNodes(changedIDs...)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-	}
-
-	err = appendPeerChanges(
-		&resp,
-		false, // partial change
-		m.state,
-		node,
-		mapRequest.Version,
-		changedNodes.ViewSlice(),
-		m.cfg,
-	)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	resp.PeersRemoved = removedIDs
-
-	// Sending patches as a part of a PeersChanged response
-	// is technically not suppose to be done, but they are
-	// applied after the PeersChanged. The patch list
-	// should _only_ contain Nodes that are not in the
-	// PeersChanged or PeersRemoved list and the caller
-	// should filter them out.
-	//
-	// From tailcfg docs:
-	// These are applied after Peers* above, but in practice the
-	// control server should only send these on their own, without
-	// the Peers* fields also set.
-	if patches != nil {
-		resp.PeersChangedPatch = patches
-	}
-
-	_, matchers := m.state.Filter()
-	// Add the node itself, it might have changed, and particularly
-	// if there are no patches or changes, this is a self update.
-	tailnode, err := tailNode(
-		node, mapRequest.Version, m.state,
-		func(id types.NodeID) []netip.Prefix {
-			return policy.ReduceRoutes(node, m.state.GetNodePrimaryRoutes(id), matchers)
-		},
-		m.cfg)
+// peerChangeResponse returns a MapResponse with changed or added nodes.
+func (m *mapper) peerChangeResponse(
+	nodeID types.NodeID,
+	capVer tailcfg.CapabilityVersion,
+	changedNodeID types.NodeID,
+) (*tailcfg.MapResponse, error) {
+	peers, err := m.listPeers(nodeID, changedNodeID)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	resp.Node = tailnode
 
-	return m.marshalMapResponse(mapRequest, &resp, node, mapRequest.Compress, messages...)
+	return m.NewMapResponseBuilder(nodeID).
+		WithCapabilityVersion(capVer).
+		WithSelfNode().
+		WithUserProfiles(peers).
+		WithPeerChanges(peers).
+		Build()
 }
 
-// PeerChangedPatchResponse creates a patch MapResponse with
-// incoming update from a state change.
-func (m *Mapper) PeerChangedPatchResponse(
-	mapRequest tailcfg.MapRequest,
-	node types.NodeView,
-	changed []*tailcfg.PeerChange,
-) ([]byte, error) {
-	resp := m.baseMapResponse()
-	resp.PeersChangedPatch = changed
-
-	return m.marshalMapResponse(mapRequest, &resp, node, mapRequest.Compress)
+// peerRemovedResponse creates a MapResponse indicating that a peer has been removed.
+func (m *mapper) peerRemovedResponse(
+	nodeID types.NodeID,
+	removedNodeID types.NodeID,
+) (*tailcfg.MapResponse, error) {
+	return m.NewMapResponseBuilder(nodeID).
+		WithPeersRemoved(removedNodeID).
+		Build()
 }
 
-func (m *Mapper) marshalMapResponse(
-	mapRequest tailcfg.MapRequest,
+func writeDebugMapResponse(
 	resp *tailcfg.MapResponse,
-	node types.NodeView,
-	compression string,
+	nodeID types.NodeID,
 	messages ...string,
-) ([]byte, error) {
-	atomic.AddUint64(&m.seq, 1)
-
-	jsonBody, err := json.Marshal(resp)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("marshalling map response: %w", err)
+) {
+	data := map[string]any{
+		"Messages":    messages,
+		"MapResponse": resp,
 	}
 
-	if debugDumpMapResponsePath != "" {
-		data := map[string]any{
-			"Messages":    messages,
-			"MapRequest":  mapRequest,
-			"MapResponse": resp,
-		}
-
-		responseType := "keepalive"
-
-		switch {
-		case resp.Peers != nil && len(resp.Peers) > 0:
-			responseType = "full"
-		case resp.Peers == nil && resp.PeersChanged == nil && resp.PeersChangedPatch == nil && resp.DERPMap == nil && !resp.KeepAlive:
-			responseType = "self"
-		case resp.PeersChanged != nil && len(resp.PeersChanged) > 0:
-			responseType = "changed"
-		case resp.PeersChangedPatch != nil && len(resp.PeersChangedPatch) > 0:
-			responseType = "patch"
-		case resp.PeersRemoved != nil && len(resp.PeersRemoved) > 0:
-			responseType = "removed"
-		}
-
-		body, err := json.MarshalIndent(data, "", "  ")
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("marshalling map response: %w", err)
-		}
-
-		perms := fs.FileMode(debugMapResponsePerm)
-		mPath := path.Join(debugDumpMapResponsePath, node.Hostname())
-		err = os.MkdirAll(mPath, perms)
-		if err != nil {
-			panic(err)
-		}
-
-		now := time.Now().Format("2006-01-02T15-04-05.999999999")
-
-		mapResponsePath := path.Join(
-			mPath,
-			fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s-%d-%s.json", now, m.uid, atomic.LoadUint64(&m.seq), responseType),
-		)
-
-		log.Trace().Msgf("Writing MapResponse to %s", mapResponsePath)
-		err = os.WriteFile(mapResponsePath, body, perms)
-		if err != nil {
-			panic(err)
-		}
-	}
-
-	var respBody []byte
-	if compression == util.ZstdCompression {
-		respBody = zstdEncode(jsonBody)
-	} else {
-		respBody = jsonBody
-	}
-
-	data := make([]byte, reservedResponseHeaderSize)
-	binary.LittleEndian.PutUint32(data, uint32(len(respBody)))
-	data = append(data, respBody...)
-
-	return data, nil
-}
-
-func zstdEncode(in []byte) []byte {
-	encoder, ok := zstdEncoderPool.Get().(*zstd.Encoder)
-	if !ok {
-		panic("invalid type in sync pool")
+	responseType := "keepalive"
+
+	switch {
+	case len(resp.Peers) > 0:
+		responseType = "full"
+	case resp.Peers == nil && resp.PeersChanged == nil && resp.PeersChangedPatch == nil && resp.DERPMap == nil && !resp.KeepAlive:
+		responseType = "self"
+	case len(resp.PeersChanged) > 0:
+		responseType = "changed"
+	case len(resp.PeersChangedPatch) > 0:
+		responseType = "patch"
+	case len(resp.PeersRemoved) > 0:
+		responseType = "removed"
 	}
-	out := encoder.EncodeAll(in, nil)
-	_ = encoder.Close()
-	zstdEncoderPool.Put(encoder)
-
-	return out
-}
 
-var zstdEncoderPool = &sync.Pool{
-	New: func() any {
-		encoder, err := smallzstd.NewEncoder(
-			nil,
-			zstd.WithEncoderLevel(zstd.SpeedFastest))
-		if err != nil {
-			panic(err)
-		}
-
-		return encoder
-	},
-}
-
-// baseMapResponse returns a tailcfg.MapResponse with
-// KeepAlive false and ControlTime set to now.
-func (m *Mapper) baseMapResponse() tailcfg.MapResponse {
-	now := time.Now()
-
-	resp := tailcfg.MapResponse{
-		KeepAlive:   false,
-		ControlTime: &now,
-		// TODO(kradalby): Implement PingRequest?
+	body, err := json.MarshalIndent(data, "", "  ")
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
 	}
 
-	return resp
-}
-
-// baseWithConfigMapResponse returns a tailcfg.MapResponse struct
-// with the basic configuration from headscale set.
-// It is used in for bigger updates, such as full and lite, not
-// incremental.
-func (m *Mapper) baseWithConfigMapResponse(
-	node types.NodeView,
-	capVer tailcfg.CapabilityVersion,
-) (*tailcfg.MapResponse, error) {
-	resp := m.baseMapResponse()
-
-	_, matchers := m.state.Filter()
-	tailnode, err := tailNode(
-		node, capVer, m.state,
-		func(id types.NodeID) []netip.Prefix {
-			return policy.ReduceRoutes(node, m.state.GetNodePrimaryRoutes(id), matchers)
-		},
-		m.cfg)
+	perms := fs.FileMode(debugMapResponsePerm)
+	mPath := path.Join(debugDumpMapResponsePath, nodeID.String())
+	err = os.MkdirAll(mPath, perms)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		panic(err)
 	}
-	resp.Node = tailnode
-
-	resp.DERPMap = m.state.DERPMap()
 
-	resp.Domain = m.cfg.Domain()
+	now := time.Now().Format("2006-01-02T15-04-05.999999999")
 
-	// Do not instruct clients to collect services we do not
-	// support or do anything with them
-	resp.CollectServices = "false"
-
-	resp.KeepAlive = false
+	mapResponsePath := path.Join(
+		mPath,
+		fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s.json", now, responseType),
+	)
 
-	resp.Debug = &tailcfg.Debug{
-		DisableLogTail: !m.cfg.LogTail.Enabled,
+	log.Trace().Msgf("Writing MapResponse to %s", mapResponsePath)
+	err = os.WriteFile(mapResponsePath, body, perms)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
 	}
-
-	return &resp, nil
 }
 
-// ListPeers returns peers of node, regardless of any Policy or if the node is expired.
+// listPeers returns peers of node, regardless of any Policy or if the node is expired.
 // If no peer IDs are given, all peers are returned.
 // If at least one peer ID is given, only these peer nodes will be returned.
-func (m *Mapper) ListPeers(nodeID types.NodeID, peerIDs ...types.NodeID) (types.Nodes, error) {
+func (m *mapper) listPeers(nodeID types.NodeID, peerIDs ...types.NodeID) (types.Nodes, error) {
 	peers, err := m.state.ListPeers(nodeID, peerIDs...)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	// TODO(kradalby): Add back online via batcher. This was removed
+	// to avoid a circular dependency between the mapper and the notification.
 	for _, peer := range peers {
-		online := m.notif.IsLikelyConnected(peer.ID)
+		online := m.batcher.IsConnected(peer.ID)
 		peer.IsOnline = &online
 	}
 
 	return peers, nil
 }
 
-// ListNodes queries the database for either all nodes if no parameters are given
-// or for the given nodes if at least one node ID is given as parameter.
-func (m *Mapper) ListNodes(nodeIDs ...types.NodeID) (types.Nodes, error) {
-	nodes, err := m.state.ListNodes(nodeIDs...)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	for _, node := range nodes {
-		online := m.notif.IsLikelyConnected(node.ID)
-		node.IsOnline = &online
-	}
-
-	return nodes, nil
-}
-
 // routeFilterFunc is a function that takes a node ID and returns a list of
 // netip.Prefixes that are allowed for that node. It is used to filter routes
 // from the primary route manager to the node.
 type routeFilterFunc func(id types.NodeID) []netip.Prefix
-
-// appendPeerChanges mutates a tailcfg.MapResponse with all the
-// necessary changes when peers have changed.
-func appendPeerChanges(
-	resp *tailcfg.MapResponse,
-
-	fullChange bool,
-	state *state.State,
-	node types.NodeView,
-	capVer tailcfg.CapabilityVersion,
-	changed views.Slice[types.NodeView],
-	cfg *types.Config,
-) error {
-	filter, matchers := state.Filter()
-
-	sshPolicy, err := state.SSHPolicy(node)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	// If there are filter rules present, see if there are any nodes that cannot
-	// access each-other at all and remove them from the peers.
-	var reducedChanged views.Slice[types.NodeView]
-	if len(filter) > 0 {
-		reducedChanged = policy.ReduceNodes(node, changed, matchers)
-	} else {
-		reducedChanged = changed
-	}
-
-	profiles := generateUserProfiles(node, reducedChanged)
-
-	dnsConfig := generateDNSConfig(cfg, node)
-
-	tailPeers, err := tailNodes(
-		reducedChanged, capVer, state,
-		func(id types.NodeID) []netip.Prefix {
-			return policy.ReduceRoutes(node, state.GetNodePrimaryRoutes(id), matchers)
-		},
-		cfg)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	// Peers is always returned sorted by Node.ID.
-	sort.SliceStable(tailPeers, func(x, y int) bool {
-		return tailPeers[x].ID < tailPeers[y].ID
-	})
-
-	if fullChange {
-		resp.Peers = tailPeers
-	} else {
-		resp.PeersChanged = tailPeers
-	}
-	resp.DNSConfig = dnsConfig
-	resp.UserProfiles = profiles
-	resp.SSHPolicy = sshPolicy
-
-	// CapVer 81: 2023-11-17: MapResponse.PacketFilters (incremental packet filter updates)
-	// Currently, we do not send incremental package filters, however using the
-	// new PacketFilters field and "base" allows us to send a full update when we
-	// have to send an empty list, avoiding the hack in the else block.
-	resp.PacketFilters = map[string][]tailcfg.FilterRule{
-		"base": policy.ReduceFilterRules(node, filter),
-	}
-
-	return nil
-}
diff --git a/hscontrol/mapper/utils.go b/hscontrol/mapper/utils.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c1dce1f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hscontrol/mapper/utils.go
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+package mapper
+
+import "tailscale.com/tailcfg"
+
+// mergePatch takes the current patch and a newer patch
+// and override any field that has changed.
+func mergePatch(currPatch, newPatch *tailcfg.PeerChange) {
+	if newPatch.DERPRegion != 0 {
+		currPatch.DERPRegion = newPatch.DERPRegion
+	}
+
+	if newPatch.Cap != 0 {
+		currPatch.Cap = newPatch.Cap
+	}
+
+	if newPatch.CapMap != nil {
+		currPatch.CapMap = newPatch.CapMap
+	}
+
+	if newPatch.Endpoints != nil {
+		currPatch.Endpoints = newPatch.Endpoints
+	}
+
+	if newPatch.Key != nil {
+		currPatch.Key = newPatch.Key
+	}
+
+	if newPatch.KeySignature != nil {
+		currPatch.KeySignature = newPatch.KeySignature
+	}
+
+	if newPatch.DiscoKey != nil {
+		currPatch.DiscoKey = newPatch.DiscoKey
+	}
+
+	if newPatch.Online != nil {
+		currPatch.Online = newPatch.Online
+	}
+
+	if newPatch.LastSeen != nil {
+		currPatch.LastSeen = newPatch.LastSeen
+	}
+
+	if newPatch.KeyExpiry != nil {
+		currPatch.KeyExpiry = newPatch.KeyExpiry
+	}
+}
diff --git a/hscontrol/noise.go b/hscontrol/noise.go
index ec4e4e5b..db39992e 100644
--- a/hscontrol/noise.go
+++ b/hscontrol/noise.go
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ func (ns *noiseServer) NoisePollNetMapHandler(
 
 	ns.nodeKey = nv.NodeKey()
 
-	sess := ns.headscale.newMapSession(req.Context(), mapRequest, writer, nv)
+	sess := ns.headscale.newMapSession(req.Context(), mapRequest, writer, nv.AsStruct())
 	sess.tracef("a node sending a MapRequest with Noise protocol")
 	if !sess.isStreaming() {
 		sess.serve()
@@ -279,28 +279,33 @@ func (ns *noiseServer) NoiseRegistrationHandler(
 		return
 	}
 
-	respBody, err := json.Marshal(registerResponse)
-	if err != nil {
-		httpError(writer, err)
+	writer.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json; charset=utf-8")
+	writer.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+
+	if err := json.NewEncoder(writer).Encode(registerResponse); err != nil {
+		log.Error().Err(err).Msg("NoiseRegistrationHandler: failed to encode RegisterResponse")
 		return
 	}
 
-	writer.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json; charset=utf-8")
-	writer.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
-	writer.Write(respBody)
+	// Ensure response is flushed to client
+	if flusher, ok := writer.(http.Flusher); ok {
+		flusher.Flush()
+	}
 }
 
 // getAndValidateNode retrieves the node from the database using the NodeKey
 // and validates that it matches the MachineKey from the Noise session.
 func (ns *noiseServer) getAndValidateNode(mapRequest tailcfg.MapRequest) (types.NodeView, error) {
-	nv, err := ns.headscale.state.GetNodeViewByNodeKey(mapRequest.NodeKey)
+	node, err := ns.headscale.state.GetNodeByNodeKey(mapRequest.NodeKey)
 	if err != nil {
 		if errors.Is(err, gorm.ErrRecordNotFound) {
 			return types.NodeView{}, NewHTTPError(http.StatusNotFound, "node not found", nil)
 		}
-		return types.NodeView{}, err
+		return types.NodeView{}, NewHTTPError(http.StatusInternalServerError, fmt.Sprintf("lookup node: %s", err), nil)
 	}
 
+	nv := node.View()
+
 	// Validate that the MachineKey in the Noise session matches the one associated with the NodeKey.
 	if ns.machineKey != nv.MachineKey() {
 		return types.NodeView{}, NewHTTPError(http.StatusNotFound, "node key in request does not match the one associated with this machine key", nil)
diff --git a/hscontrol/notifier/metrics.go b/hscontrol/notifier/metrics.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 8a7a8839..00000000
--- a/hscontrol/notifier/metrics.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,68 +0,0 @@
-package notifier
-
-import (
-	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
-	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus/promauto"
-	"tailscale.com/envknob"
-)
-
-const prometheusNamespace = "headscale"
-
-var debugHighCardinalityMetrics = envknob.Bool("HEADSCALE_DEBUG_HIGH_CARDINALITY_METRICS")
-
-var notifierUpdateSent *prometheus.CounterVec
-
-func init() {
-	if debugHighCardinalityMetrics {
-		notifierUpdateSent = promauto.NewCounterVec(prometheus.CounterOpts{
-			Namespace: prometheusNamespace,
-			Name:      "notifier_update_sent_total",
-			Help:      "total count of update sent on nodes channel",
-		}, []string{"status", "type", "trigger", "id"})
-	} else {
-		notifierUpdateSent = promauto.NewCounterVec(prometheus.CounterOpts{
-			Namespace: prometheusNamespace,
-			Name:      "notifier_update_sent_total",
-			Help:      "total count of update sent on nodes channel",
-		}, []string{"status", "type", "trigger"})
-	}
-}
-
-var (
-	notifierWaitersForLock = promauto.NewGaugeVec(prometheus.GaugeOpts{
-		Namespace: prometheusNamespace,
-		Name:      "notifier_waiters_for_lock",
-		Help:      "gauge of waiters for the notifier lock",
-	}, []string{"type", "action"})
-	notifierWaitForLock = promauto.NewHistogramVec(prometheus.HistogramOpts{
-		Namespace: prometheusNamespace,
-		Name:      "notifier_wait_for_lock_seconds",
-		Help:      "histogram of time spent waiting for the notifier lock",
-		Buckets:   []float64{0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 1, 3, 5, 10},
-	}, []string{"action"})
-	notifierUpdateReceived = promauto.NewCounterVec(prometheus.CounterOpts{
-		Namespace: prometheusNamespace,
-		Name:      "notifier_update_received_total",
-		Help:      "total count of updates received by notifier",
-	}, []string{"type", "trigger"})
-	notifierNodeUpdateChans = promauto.NewGauge(prometheus.GaugeOpts{
-		Namespace: prometheusNamespace,
-		Name:      "notifier_open_channels_total",
-		Help:      "total count open channels in notifier",
-	})
-	notifierBatcherWaitersForLock = promauto.NewGaugeVec(prometheus.GaugeOpts{
-		Namespace: prometheusNamespace,
-		Name:      "notifier_batcher_waiters_for_lock",
-		Help:      "gauge of waiters for the notifier batcher lock",
-	}, []string{"type", "action"})
-	notifierBatcherChanges = promauto.NewGaugeVec(prometheus.GaugeOpts{
-		Namespace: prometheusNamespace,
-		Name:      "notifier_batcher_changes_pending",
-		Help:      "gauge of full changes pending in the notifier batcher",
-	}, []string{})
-	notifierBatcherPatches = promauto.NewGaugeVec(prometheus.GaugeOpts{
-		Namespace: prometheusNamespace,
-		Name:      "notifier_batcher_patches_pending",
-		Help:      "gauge of patches pending in the notifier batcher",
-	}, []string{})
-)
diff --git a/hscontrol/notifier/notifier.go b/hscontrol/notifier/notifier.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 6bd990c7..00000000
--- a/hscontrol/notifier/notifier.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,488 +0,0 @@
-package notifier
-
-import (
-	"context"
-	"fmt"
-	"sort"
-	"strings"
-	"sync"
-	"time"
-
-	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types"
-	"github.com/puzpuzpuz/xsync/v4"
-	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
-	"github.com/sasha-s/go-deadlock"
-	"tailscale.com/envknob"
-	"tailscale.com/tailcfg"
-	"tailscale.com/util/set"
-)
-
-var (
-	debugDeadlock        = envknob.Bool("HEADSCALE_DEBUG_DEADLOCK")
-	debugDeadlockTimeout = envknob.RegisterDuration("HEADSCALE_DEBUG_DEADLOCK_TIMEOUT")
-)
-
-func init() {
-	deadlock.Opts.Disable = !debugDeadlock
-	if debugDeadlock {
-		deadlock.Opts.DeadlockTimeout = debugDeadlockTimeout()
-		deadlock.Opts.PrintAllCurrentGoroutines = true
-	}
-}
-
-type Notifier struct {
-	l         deadlock.Mutex
-	nodes     map[types.NodeID]chan<- types.StateUpdate
-	connected *xsync.MapOf[types.NodeID, bool]
-	b         *batcher
-	cfg       *types.Config
-	closed    bool
-}
-
-func NewNotifier(cfg *types.Config) *Notifier {
-	n := &Notifier{
-		nodes:     make(map[types.NodeID]chan<- types.StateUpdate),
-		connected: xsync.NewMapOf[types.NodeID, bool](),
-		cfg:       cfg,
-		closed:    false,
-	}
-	b := newBatcher(cfg.Tuning.BatchChangeDelay, n)
-	n.b = b
-
-	go b.doWork()
-
-	return n
-}
-
-// Close stops the batcher and closes all channels.
-func (n *Notifier) Close() {
-	notifierWaitersForLock.WithLabelValues("lock", "close").Inc()
-	n.l.Lock()
-	defer n.l.Unlock()
-	notifierWaitersForLock.WithLabelValues("lock", "close").Dec()
-
-	n.closed = true
-	n.b.close()
-
-	// Close channels safely using the helper method
-	for nodeID, c := range n.nodes {
-		n.safeCloseChannel(nodeID, c)
-	}
-
-	// Clear node map after closing channels
-	n.nodes = make(map[types.NodeID]chan<- types.StateUpdate)
-}
-
-// safeCloseChannel closes a channel and panic recovers if already closed.
-func (n *Notifier) safeCloseChannel(nodeID types.NodeID, c chan<- types.StateUpdate) {
-	defer func() {
-		if r := recover(); r != nil {
-			log.Error().
-				Uint64("node.id", nodeID.Uint64()).
-				Any("recover", r).
-				Msg("recovered from panic when closing channel in Close()")
-		}
-	}()
-	close(c)
-}
-
-func (n *Notifier) tracef(nID types.NodeID, msg string, args ...any) {
-	log.Trace().
-		Uint64("node.id", nID.Uint64()).
-		Int("open_chans", len(n.nodes)).Msgf(msg, args...)
-}
-
-func (n *Notifier) AddNode(nodeID types.NodeID, c chan<- types.StateUpdate) {
-	start := time.Now()
-	notifierWaitersForLock.WithLabelValues("lock", "add").Inc()
-	n.l.Lock()
-	defer n.l.Unlock()
-	notifierWaitersForLock.WithLabelValues("lock", "add").Dec()
-	notifierWaitForLock.WithLabelValues("add").Observe(time.Since(start).Seconds())
-
-	if n.closed {
-		return
-	}
-
-	// If a channel exists, it means the node has opened a new
-	// connection. Close the old channel and replace it.
-	if curr, ok := n.nodes[nodeID]; ok {
-		n.tracef(nodeID, "channel present, closing and replacing")
-		// Use the safeCloseChannel helper in a goroutine to avoid deadlocks
-		// if/when someone is waiting to send on this channel
-		go func(ch chan<- types.StateUpdate) {
-			n.safeCloseChannel(nodeID, ch)
-		}(curr)
-	}
-
-	n.nodes[nodeID] = c
-	n.connected.Store(nodeID, true)
-
-	n.tracef(nodeID, "added new channel")
-	notifierNodeUpdateChans.Inc()
-}
-
-// RemoveNode removes a node and a given channel from the notifier.
-// It checks that the channel is the same as currently being updated
-// and ignores the removal if it is not.
-// RemoveNode reports if the node/chan was removed.
-func (n *Notifier) RemoveNode(nodeID types.NodeID, c chan<- types.StateUpdate) bool {
-	start := time.Now()
-	notifierWaitersForLock.WithLabelValues("lock", "remove").Inc()
-	n.l.Lock()
-	defer n.l.Unlock()
-	notifierWaitersForLock.WithLabelValues("lock", "remove").Dec()
-	notifierWaitForLock.WithLabelValues("remove").Observe(time.Since(start).Seconds())
-
-	if n.closed {
-		return true
-	}
-
-	if len(n.nodes) == 0 {
-		return true
-	}
-
-	// If the channel exist, but it does not belong
-	// to the caller, ignore.
-	if curr, ok := n.nodes[nodeID]; ok {
-		if curr != c {
-			n.tracef(nodeID, "channel has been replaced, not removing")
-			return false
-		}
-	}
-
-	delete(n.nodes, nodeID)
-	n.connected.Store(nodeID, false)
-
-	n.tracef(nodeID, "removed channel")
-	notifierNodeUpdateChans.Dec()
-
-	return true
-}
-
-// IsConnected reports if a node is connected to headscale and has a
-// poll session open.
-func (n *Notifier) IsConnected(nodeID types.NodeID) bool {
-	notifierWaitersForLock.WithLabelValues("lock", "conncheck").Inc()
-	n.l.Lock()
-	defer n.l.Unlock()
-	notifierWaitersForLock.WithLabelValues("lock", "conncheck").Dec()
-
-	if val, ok := n.connected.Load(nodeID); ok {
-		return val
-	}
-
-	return false
-}
-
-// IsLikelyConnected reports if a node is connected to headscale and has a
-// poll session open, but doesn't lock, so might be wrong.
-func (n *Notifier) IsLikelyConnected(nodeID types.NodeID) bool {
-	if val, ok := n.connected.Load(nodeID); ok {
-		return val
-	}
-	return false
-}
-
-// LikelyConnectedMap returns a thread safe map of connected nodes.
-func (n *Notifier) LikelyConnectedMap() *xsync.MapOf[types.NodeID, bool] {
-	return n.connected
-}
-
-func (n *Notifier) NotifyAll(ctx context.Context, update types.StateUpdate) {
-	n.NotifyWithIgnore(ctx, update)
-}
-
-func (n *Notifier) NotifyWithIgnore(
-	ctx context.Context,
-	update types.StateUpdate,
-	ignoreNodeIDs ...types.NodeID,
-) {
-	if n.closed {
-		return
-	}
-
-	notifierUpdateReceived.WithLabelValues(update.Type.String(), types.NotifyOriginKey.Value(ctx)).Inc()
-	n.b.addOrPassthrough(update)
-}
-
-func (n *Notifier) NotifyByNodeID(
-	ctx context.Context,
-	update types.StateUpdate,
-	nodeID types.NodeID,
-) {
-	start := time.Now()
-	notifierWaitersForLock.WithLabelValues("lock", "notify").Inc()
-	n.l.Lock()
-	defer n.l.Unlock()
-	notifierWaitersForLock.WithLabelValues("lock", "notify").Dec()
-	notifierWaitForLock.WithLabelValues("notify").Observe(time.Since(start).Seconds())
-
-	if n.closed {
-		return
-	}
-
-	if c, ok := n.nodes[nodeID]; ok {
-		select {
-		case <-ctx.Done():
-			log.Error().
-				Err(ctx.Err()).
-				Uint64("node.id", nodeID.Uint64()).
-				Any("origin", types.NotifyOriginKey.Value(ctx)).
-				Any("origin-hostname", types.NotifyHostnameKey.Value(ctx)).
-				Msgf("update not sent, context cancelled")
-			if debugHighCardinalityMetrics {
-				notifierUpdateSent.WithLabelValues("cancelled", update.Type.String(), types.NotifyOriginKey.Value(ctx), nodeID.String()).Inc()
-			} else {
-				notifierUpdateSent.WithLabelValues("cancelled", update.Type.String(), types.NotifyOriginKey.Value(ctx)).Inc()
-			}
-
-			return
-		case c <- update:
-			n.tracef(nodeID, "update successfully sent on chan, origin: %s, origin-hostname: %s", ctx.Value("origin"), ctx.Value("hostname"))
-			if debugHighCardinalityMetrics {
-				notifierUpdateSent.WithLabelValues("ok", update.Type.String(), types.NotifyOriginKey.Value(ctx), nodeID.String()).Inc()
-			} else {
-				notifierUpdateSent.WithLabelValues("ok", update.Type.String(), types.NotifyOriginKey.Value(ctx)).Inc()
-			}
-		}
-	}
-}
-
-func (n *Notifier) sendAll(update types.StateUpdate) {
-	start := time.Now()
-	notifierWaitersForLock.WithLabelValues("lock", "send-all").Inc()
-	n.l.Lock()
-	defer n.l.Unlock()
-	notifierWaitersForLock.WithLabelValues("lock", "send-all").Dec()
-	notifierWaitForLock.WithLabelValues("send-all").Observe(time.Since(start).Seconds())
-
-	if n.closed {
-		return
-	}
-
-	for id, c := range n.nodes {
-		// Whenever an update is sent to all nodes, there is a chance that the node
-		// has disconnected and the goroutine that was supposed to consume the update
-		// has shut down the channel and is waiting for the lock held here in RemoveNode.
-		// This means that there is potential for a deadlock which would stop all updates
-		// going out to clients. This timeout prevents that from happening by moving on to the
-		// next node if the context is cancelled. After sendAll releases the lock, the add/remove
-		// call will succeed and the update will go to the correct nodes on the next call.
-		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), n.cfg.Tuning.NotifierSendTimeout)
-		defer cancel()
-		select {
-		case <-ctx.Done():
-			log.Error().
-				Err(ctx.Err()).
-				Uint64("node.id", id.Uint64()).
-				Msgf("update not sent, context cancelled")
-			if debugHighCardinalityMetrics {
-				notifierUpdateSent.WithLabelValues("cancelled", update.Type.String(), "send-all", id.String()).Inc()
-			} else {
-				notifierUpdateSent.WithLabelValues("cancelled", update.Type.String(), "send-all").Inc()
-			}
-
-			return
-		case c <- update:
-			if debugHighCardinalityMetrics {
-				notifierUpdateSent.WithLabelValues("ok", update.Type.String(), "send-all", id.String()).Inc()
-			} else {
-				notifierUpdateSent.WithLabelValues("ok", update.Type.String(), "send-all").Inc()
-			}
-		}
-	}
-}
-
-func (n *Notifier) String() string {
-	notifierWaitersForLock.WithLabelValues("lock", "string").Inc()
-	n.l.Lock()
-	defer n.l.Unlock()
-	notifierWaitersForLock.WithLabelValues("lock", "string").Dec()
-
-	var b strings.Builder
-	fmt.Fprintf(&b, "chans (%d):\n", len(n.nodes))
-
-	var keys []types.NodeID
-	n.connected.Range(func(key types.NodeID, value bool) bool {
-		keys = append(keys, key)
-		return true
-	})
-	sort.Slice(keys, func(i, j int) bool {
-		return keys[i] < keys[j]
-	})
-
-	for _, key := range keys {
-		fmt.Fprintf(&b, "\t%d: %p\n", key, n.nodes[key])
-	}
-
-	b.WriteString("\n")
-	fmt.Fprintf(&b, "connected (%d):\n", len(n.nodes))
-
-	for _, key := range keys {
-		val, _ := n.connected.Load(key)
-		fmt.Fprintf(&b, "\t%d: %t\n", key, val)
-	}
-
-	return b.String()
-}
-
-type batcher struct {
-	tick *time.Ticker
-
-	mu sync.Mutex
-
-	cancelCh chan struct{}
-
-	changedNodeIDs set.Slice[types.NodeID]
-	nodesChanged   bool
-	patches        map[types.NodeID]tailcfg.PeerChange
-	patchesChanged bool
-
-	n *Notifier
-}
-
-func newBatcher(batchTime time.Duration, n *Notifier) *batcher {
-	return &batcher{
-		tick:     time.NewTicker(batchTime),
-		cancelCh: make(chan struct{}),
-		patches:  make(map[types.NodeID]tailcfg.PeerChange),
-		n:        n,
-	}
-}
-
-func (b *batcher) close() {
-	b.cancelCh <- struct{}{}
-}
-
-// addOrPassthrough adds the update to the batcher, if it is not a
-// type that is currently batched, it will be sent immediately.
-func (b *batcher) addOrPassthrough(update types.StateUpdate) {
-	notifierBatcherWaitersForLock.WithLabelValues("lock", "add").Inc()
-	b.mu.Lock()
-	defer b.mu.Unlock()
-	notifierBatcherWaitersForLock.WithLabelValues("lock", "add").Dec()
-
-	switch update.Type {
-	case types.StatePeerChanged:
-		b.changedNodeIDs.Add(update.ChangeNodes...)
-		b.nodesChanged = true
-		notifierBatcherChanges.WithLabelValues().Set(float64(b.changedNodeIDs.Len()))
-
-	case types.StatePeerChangedPatch:
-		for _, newPatch := range update.ChangePatches {
-			if curr, ok := b.patches[types.NodeID(newPatch.NodeID)]; ok {
-				overwritePatch(&curr, newPatch)
-				b.patches[types.NodeID(newPatch.NodeID)] = curr
-			} else {
-				b.patches[types.NodeID(newPatch.NodeID)] = *newPatch
-			}
-		}
-		b.patchesChanged = true
-		notifierBatcherPatches.WithLabelValues().Set(float64(len(b.patches)))
-
-	default:
-		b.n.sendAll(update)
-	}
-}
-
-// flush sends all the accumulated patches to all
-// nodes in the notifier.
-func (b *batcher) flush() {
-	notifierBatcherWaitersForLock.WithLabelValues("lock", "flush").Inc()
-	b.mu.Lock()
-	defer b.mu.Unlock()
-	notifierBatcherWaitersForLock.WithLabelValues("lock", "flush").Dec()
-
-	if b.nodesChanged || b.patchesChanged {
-		var patches []*tailcfg.PeerChange
-		// If a node is getting a full update from a change
-		// node update, then the patch can be dropped.
-		for nodeID, patch := range b.patches {
-			if b.changedNodeIDs.Contains(nodeID) {
-				delete(b.patches, nodeID)
-			} else {
-				patches = append(patches, &patch)
-			}
-		}
-
-		changedNodes := b.changedNodeIDs.Slice().AsSlice()
-		sort.Slice(changedNodes, func(i, j int) bool {
-			return changedNodes[i] < changedNodes[j]
-		})
-
-		if b.changedNodeIDs.Slice().Len() > 0 {
-			update := types.UpdatePeerChanged(changedNodes...)
-
-			b.n.sendAll(update)
-		}
-
-		if len(patches) > 0 {
-			patchUpdate := types.UpdatePeerPatch(patches...)
-
-			b.n.sendAll(patchUpdate)
-		}
-
-		b.changedNodeIDs = set.Slice[types.NodeID]{}
-		notifierBatcherChanges.WithLabelValues().Set(0)
-		b.nodesChanged = false
-		b.patches = make(map[types.NodeID]tailcfg.PeerChange, len(b.patches))
-		notifierBatcherPatches.WithLabelValues().Set(0)
-		b.patchesChanged = false
-	}
-}
-
-func (b *batcher) doWork() {
-	for {
-		select {
-		case <-b.cancelCh:
-			return
-		case <-b.tick.C:
-			b.flush()
-		}
-	}
-}
-
-// overwritePatch takes the current patch and a newer patch
-// and override any field that has changed.
-func overwritePatch(currPatch, newPatch *tailcfg.PeerChange) {
-	if newPatch.DERPRegion != 0 {
-		currPatch.DERPRegion = newPatch.DERPRegion
-	}
-
-	if newPatch.Cap != 0 {
-		currPatch.Cap = newPatch.Cap
-	}
-
-	if newPatch.CapMap != nil {
-		currPatch.CapMap = newPatch.CapMap
-	}
-
-	if newPatch.Endpoints != nil {
-		currPatch.Endpoints = newPatch.Endpoints
-	}
-
-	if newPatch.Key != nil {
-		currPatch.Key = newPatch.Key
-	}
-
-	if newPatch.KeySignature != nil {
-		currPatch.KeySignature = newPatch.KeySignature
-	}
-
-	if newPatch.DiscoKey != nil {
-		currPatch.DiscoKey = newPatch.DiscoKey
-	}
-
-	if newPatch.Online != nil {
-		currPatch.Online = newPatch.Online
-	}
-
-	if newPatch.LastSeen != nil {
-		currPatch.LastSeen = newPatch.LastSeen
-	}
-
-	if newPatch.KeyExpiry != nil {
-		currPatch.KeyExpiry = newPatch.KeyExpiry
-	}
-}
diff --git a/hscontrol/oidc.go b/hscontrol/oidc.go
index 5f1935e5..b8607903 100644
--- a/hscontrol/oidc.go
+++ b/hscontrol/oidc.go
@@ -16,9 +16,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/coreos/go-oidc/v3/oidc"
 	"github.com/gorilla/mux"
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/db"
-	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/notifier"
-	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/state"
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types"
+	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types/change"
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/util"
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
 	"golang.org/x/oauth2"
@@ -56,11 +55,10 @@ type RegistrationInfo struct {
 }
 
 type AuthProviderOIDC struct {
+	h                 *Headscale
 	serverURL         string
 	cfg               *types.OIDCConfig
-	state             *state.State
 	registrationCache *zcache.Cache[string, RegistrationInfo]
-	notifier          *notifier.Notifier
 
 	oidcProvider *oidc.Provider
 	oauth2Config *oauth2.Config
@@ -68,10 +66,9 @@ type AuthProviderOIDC struct {
 
 func NewAuthProviderOIDC(
 	ctx context.Context,
+	h *Headscale,
 	serverURL string,
 	cfg *types.OIDCConfig,
-	state *state.State,
-	notif *notifier.Notifier,
 ) (*AuthProviderOIDC, error) {
 	var err error
 	// grab oidc config if it hasn't been already
@@ -94,11 +91,10 @@ func NewAuthProviderOIDC(
 	)
 
 	return &AuthProviderOIDC{
+		h:                 h,
 		serverURL:         serverURL,
 		cfg:               cfg,
-		state:             state,
 		registrationCache: registrationCache,
-		notifier:          notif,
 
 		oidcProvider: oidcProvider,
 		oauth2Config: oauth2Config,
@@ -318,8 +314,7 @@ func (a *AuthProviderOIDC) OIDCCallbackHandler(
 
 	// Send policy update notifications if needed
 	if policyChanged {
-		ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "oidc-user-created", user.Name)
-		a.notifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdateFull())
+		a.h.Change(change.PolicyChange())
 	}
 
 	// TODO(kradalby): Is this comment right?
@@ -360,8 +355,6 @@ func (a *AuthProviderOIDC) OIDCCallbackHandler(
 	// Neither node nor machine key was found in the state cache meaning
 	// that we could not reauth nor register the node.
 	httpError(writer, NewHTTPError(http.StatusGone, "login session expired, try again", nil))
-
-	return
 }
 
 func extractCodeAndStateParamFromRequest(
@@ -490,12 +483,14 @@ func (a *AuthProviderOIDC) createOrUpdateUserFromClaim(
 	var err error
 	var newUser bool
 	var policyChanged bool
-	user, err = a.state.GetUserByOIDCIdentifier(claims.Identifier())
+	user, err = a.h.state.GetUserByOIDCIdentifier(claims.Identifier())
 	if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, db.ErrUserNotFound) {
 		return nil, false, fmt.Errorf("creating or updating user: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	// if the user is still not found, create a new empty user.
+	// TODO(kradalby): This might cause us to not have an ID below which
+	// is a problem.
 	if user == nil {
 		newUser = true
 		user = &types.User{}
@@ -504,12 +499,12 @@ func (a *AuthProviderOIDC) createOrUpdateUserFromClaim(
 	user.FromClaim(claims)
 
 	if newUser {
-		user, policyChanged, err = a.state.CreateUser(*user)
+		user, policyChanged, err = a.h.state.CreateUser(*user)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, false, fmt.Errorf("creating user: %w", err)
 		}
 	} else {
-		_, policyChanged, err = a.state.UpdateUser(types.UserID(user.ID), func(u *types.User) error {
+		_, policyChanged, err = a.h.state.UpdateUser(types.UserID(user.ID), func(u *types.User) error {
 			*u = *user
 			return nil
 		})
@@ -526,7 +521,7 @@ func (a *AuthProviderOIDC) handleRegistration(
 	registrationID types.RegistrationID,
 	expiry time.Time,
 ) (bool, error) {
-	node, newNode, err := a.state.HandleNodeFromAuthPath(
+	node, nodeChange, err := a.h.state.HandleNodeFromAuthPath(
 		registrationID,
 		types.UserID(user.ID),
 		&expiry,
@@ -547,31 +542,20 @@ func (a *AuthProviderOIDC) handleRegistration(
 	// ensure we send an update.
 	// This works, but might be another good candidate for doing some sort of
 	// eventbus.
-	routesChanged := a.state.AutoApproveRoutes(node)
-	_, policyChanged, err := a.state.SaveNode(node)
+	_ = a.h.state.AutoApproveRoutes(node)
+	_, policyChange, err := a.h.state.SaveNode(node)
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, fmt.Errorf("saving auto approved routes to node: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	// Send policy update notifications if needed (from SaveNode or route changes)
-	if policyChanged {
-		ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "oidc-nodes-change", "all")
-		a.notifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdateFull())
-	}
-
-	if routesChanged {
-		ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "oidc-expiry-self", node.Hostname)
-		a.notifier.NotifyByNodeID(
-			ctx,
-			types.UpdateSelf(node.ID),
-			node.ID,
-		)
-
-		ctx = types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "oidc-expiry-peers", node.Hostname)
-		a.notifier.NotifyWithIgnore(ctx, types.UpdatePeerChanged(node.ID), node.ID)
+	// Policy updates are full and take precedence over node changes.
+	if !policyChange.Empty() {
+		a.h.Change(policyChange)
+	} else {
+		a.h.Change(nodeChange)
 	}
 
-	return newNode, nil
+	return !nodeChange.Empty(), nil
 }
 
 // TODO(kradalby):
diff --git a/hscontrol/policy/policy.go b/hscontrol/policy/policy.go
index 5a9103e5..52457c9b 100644
--- a/hscontrol/policy/policy.go
+++ b/hscontrol/policy/policy.go
@@ -113,6 +113,17 @@ func ReduceFilterRules(node types.NodeView, rules []tailcfg.FilterRule) []tailcf
 					}
 				}
 			}
+
+			// Also check approved subnet routes - nodes should have access
+			// to subnets they're approved to route traffic for.
+			subnetRoutes := node.SubnetRoutes()
+
+			for _, subnetRoute := range subnetRoutes {
+				if expanded.OverlapsPrefix(subnetRoute) {
+					dests = append(dests, dest)
+					continue DEST_LOOP
+				}
+			}
 		}
 
 		if len(dests) > 0 {
@@ -142,16 +153,23 @@ func AutoApproveRoutes(pm PolicyManager, node *types.Node) bool {
 			newApproved = append(newApproved, route)
 		}
 	}
-	if newApproved != nil {
-		newApproved = append(newApproved, node.ApprovedRoutes...)
-		tsaddr.SortPrefixes(newApproved)
-		newApproved = slices.Compact(newApproved)
-		newApproved = lo.Filter(newApproved, func(route netip.Prefix, index int) bool {
+
+	// Only modify ApprovedRoutes if we have new routes to approve.
+	// This prevents clearing existing approved routes when nodes
+	// temporarily don't have announced routes during policy changes.
+	if len(newApproved) > 0 {
+		combined := append(newApproved, node.ApprovedRoutes...)
+		tsaddr.SortPrefixes(combined)
+		combined = slices.Compact(combined)
+		combined = lo.Filter(combined, func(route netip.Prefix, index int) bool {
 			return route.IsValid()
 		})
-		node.ApprovedRoutes = newApproved
 
-		return true
+		// Only update if the routes actually changed
+		if !slices.Equal(node.ApprovedRoutes, combined) {
+			node.ApprovedRoutes = combined
+			return true
+		}
 	}
 
 	return false
diff --git a/hscontrol/policy/v2/filter.go b/hscontrol/policy/v2/filter.go
index 9d838e56..c546eb20 100644
--- a/hscontrol/policy/v2/filter.go
+++ b/hscontrol/policy/v2/filter.go
@@ -56,10 +56,13 @@ func (pol *Policy) compileFilterRules(
 			}
 
 			if ips == nil {
+				log.Debug().Msgf("destination resolved to nil ips: %v", dest)
 				continue
 			}
 
-			for _, pref := range ips.Prefixes() {
+			prefixes := ips.Prefixes()
+
+			for _, pref := range prefixes {
 				for _, port := range dest.Ports {
 					pr := tailcfg.NetPortRange{
 						IP:    pref.String(),
@@ -103,6 +106,8 @@ func (pol *Policy) compileSSHPolicy(
 		return nil, nil
 	}
 
+	log.Trace().Msgf("compiling SSH policy for node %q", node.Hostname())
+
 	var rules []*tailcfg.SSHRule
 
 	for index, rule := range pol.SSHs {
@@ -137,7 +142,8 @@ func (pol *Policy) compileSSHPolicy(
 		var principals []*tailcfg.SSHPrincipal
 		srcIPs, err := rule.Sources.Resolve(pol, users, nodes)
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Trace().Err(err).Msgf("resolving source ips")
+			log.Trace().Err(err).Msgf("SSH policy compilation failed resolving source ips for rule %+v", rule)
+			continue // Skip this rule if we can't resolve sources
 		}
 
 		for addr := range util.IPSetAddrIter(srcIPs) {
diff --git a/hscontrol/policy/v2/policy.go b/hscontrol/policy/v2/policy.go
index 2f4be34e..de839770 100644
--- a/hscontrol/policy/v2/policy.go
+++ b/hscontrol/policy/v2/policy.go
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ func (pm *PolicyManager) updateLocked() (bool, error) {
 	// TODO(kradalby): This could potentially be optimized by only clearing the
 	// policies for nodes that have changed. Particularly if the only difference is
 	// that nodes has been added or removed.
-	defer clear(pm.sshPolicyMap)
+	clear(pm.sshPolicyMap)
 
 	filter, err := pm.pol.compileFilterRules(pm.users, pm.nodes)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/hscontrol/policy/v2/types.go b/hscontrol/policy/v2/types.go
index c38d1991..a2541da6 100644
--- a/hscontrol/policy/v2/types.go
+++ b/hscontrol/policy/v2/types.go
@@ -1730,7 +1730,7 @@ func (u SSHUser) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
 // In addition to unmarshalling, it will also validate the policy.
 // This is the only entrypoint of reading a policy from a file or other source.
 func unmarshalPolicy(b []byte) (*Policy, error) {
-	if b == nil || len(b) == 0 {
+	if len(b) == 0 {
 		return nil, nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/hscontrol/poll.go b/hscontrol/poll.go
index b048f62b..1833f060 100644
--- a/hscontrol/poll.go
+++ b/hscontrol/poll.go
@@ -2,20 +2,20 @@ package hscontrol
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"encoding/binary"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"math/rand/v2"
 	"net/http"
-	"net/netip"
-	"slices"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/mapper"
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types"
+	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types/change"
+	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/util"
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
 	"github.com/sasha-s/go-deadlock"
-	xslices "golang.org/x/exp/slices"
-	"tailscale.com/net/tsaddr"
 	"tailscale.com/tailcfg"
+	"tailscale.com/util/zstdframe"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -31,18 +31,17 @@ type mapSession struct {
 	req    tailcfg.MapRequest
 	ctx    context.Context
 	capVer tailcfg.CapabilityVersion
-	mapper *mapper.Mapper
 
 	cancelChMu deadlock.Mutex
 
-	ch           chan types.StateUpdate
+	ch           chan *tailcfg.MapResponse
 	cancelCh     chan struct{}
 	cancelChOpen bool
 
 	keepAlive       time.Duration
 	keepAliveTicker *time.Ticker
 
-	node types.NodeView
+	node *types.Node
 	w    http.ResponseWriter
 
 	warnf  func(string, ...any)
@@ -55,18 +54,9 @@ func (h *Headscale) newMapSession(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	req tailcfg.MapRequest,
 	w http.ResponseWriter,
-	nv types.NodeView,
+	node *types.Node,
 ) *mapSession {
-	warnf, infof, tracef, errf := logPollFuncView(req, nv)
-
-	var updateChan chan types.StateUpdate
-	if req.Stream {
-		// Use a buffered channel in case a node is not fully ready
-		// to receive a message to make sure we dont block the entire
-		// notifier.
-		updateChan = make(chan types.StateUpdate, h.cfg.Tuning.NodeMapSessionBufferedChanSize)
-		updateChan <- types.UpdateFull()
-	}
+	warnf, infof, tracef, errf := logPollFunc(req, node)
 
 	ka := keepAliveInterval + (time.Duration(rand.IntN(9000)) * time.Millisecond)
 
@@ -75,11 +65,10 @@ func (h *Headscale) newMapSession(
 		ctx:    ctx,
 		req:    req,
 		w:      w,
-		node:   nv,
+		node:   node,
 		capVer: req.Version,
-		mapper: h.mapper,
 
-		ch:           updateChan,
+		ch:           make(chan *tailcfg.MapResponse, h.cfg.Tuning.NodeMapSessionBufferedChanSize),
 		cancelCh:     make(chan struct{}),
 		cancelChOpen: true,
 
@@ -95,15 +84,11 @@ func (h *Headscale) newMapSession(
 }
 
 func (m *mapSession) isStreaming() bool {
-	return m.req.Stream && !m.req.ReadOnly
+	return m.req.Stream
 }
 
 func (m *mapSession) isEndpointUpdate() bool {
-	return !m.req.Stream && !m.req.ReadOnly && m.req.OmitPeers
-}
-
-func (m *mapSession) isReadOnlyUpdate() bool {
-	return !m.req.Stream && m.req.OmitPeers && m.req.ReadOnly
+	return !m.req.Stream && m.req.OmitPeers
 }
 
 func (m *mapSession) resetKeepAlive() {
@@ -112,25 +97,22 @@ func (m *mapSession) resetKeepAlive() {
 
 func (m *mapSession) beforeServeLongPoll() {
 	if m.node.IsEphemeral() {
-		m.h.ephemeralGC.Cancel(m.node.ID())
+		m.h.ephemeralGC.Cancel(m.node.ID)
 	}
 }
 
 func (m *mapSession) afterServeLongPoll() {
 	if m.node.IsEphemeral() {
-		m.h.ephemeralGC.Schedule(m.node.ID(), m.h.cfg.EphemeralNodeInactivityTimeout)
+		m.h.ephemeralGC.Schedule(m.node.ID, m.h.cfg.EphemeralNodeInactivityTimeout)
 	}
 }
 
 // serve handles non-streaming requests.
 func (m *mapSession) serve() {
-	// TODO(kradalby): A set todos to harden:
-	// - func to tell the stream to die, readonly -> false, !stream && omitpeers -> false, true
-
 	// This is the mechanism where the node gives us information about its
 	// current configuration.
 	//
-	// If OmitPeers is true, Stream is false, and ReadOnly is false,
+	// If OmitPeers is true and Stream is false
 	// then the server will let clients update their endpoints without
 	// breaking existing long-polling (Stream == true) connections.
 	// In this case, the server can omit the entire response; the client
@@ -138,26 +120,18 @@ func (m *mapSession) serve() {
 	//
 	// This is what Tailscale calls a Lite update, the client ignores
 	// the response and just wants a 200.
-	// !req.stream && !req.ReadOnly && req.OmitPeers
-	//
-	// TODO(kradalby): remove ReadOnly when we only support capVer 68+
+	// !req.stream && req.OmitPeers
 	if m.isEndpointUpdate() {
-		m.handleEndpointUpdate()
-
-		return
-	}
+		c, err := m.h.state.UpdateNodeFromMapRequest(m.node, m.req)
+		if err != nil {
+			httpError(m.w, err)
+			return
+		}
 
-	// ReadOnly is whether the client just wants to fetch the
-	// MapResponse, without updating their Endpoints. The
-	// Endpoints field will be ignored and LastSeen will not be
-	// updated and peers will not be notified of changes.
-	//
-	// The intended use is for clients to discover the DERP map at
-	// start-up before their first real endpoint update.
-	if m.isReadOnlyUpdate() {
-		m.handleReadOnlyRequest()
+		m.h.Change(c)
 
-		return
+		m.w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+		mapResponseEndpointUpdates.WithLabelValues("ok").Inc()
 	}
 }
 
@@ -175,23 +149,15 @@ func (m *mapSession) serveLongPoll() {
 		close(m.cancelCh)
 		m.cancelChMu.Unlock()
 
-		// only update node status if the node channel was removed.
-		// in principal, it will be removed, but the client rapidly
-		// reconnects, the channel might be of another connection.
-		// In that case, it is not closed and the node is still online.
-		if m.h.nodeNotifier.RemoveNode(m.node.ID(), m.ch) {
-			// TODO(kradalby): This can likely be made more effective, but likely most
-			// nodes has access to the same routes, so it might not be a big deal.
-			change, err := m.h.state.Disconnect(m.node.ID())
-			if err != nil {
-				m.errf(err, "Failed to disconnect node %s", m.node.Hostname())
-			}
-
-			if change {
-				ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "poll-primary-change", m.node.Hostname())
-				m.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdateFull())
-			}
+		// TODO(kradalby): This can likely be made more effective, but likely most
+		// nodes has access to the same routes, so it might not be a big deal.
+		disconnectChange, err := m.h.state.Disconnect(m.node)
+		if err != nil {
+			m.errf(err, "Failed to disconnect node %s", m.node.Hostname)
 		}
+		m.h.Change(disconnectChange)
+
+		m.h.mapBatcher.RemoveNode(m.node.ID, m.ch, m.node.IsSubnetRouter())
 
 		m.afterServeLongPoll()
 		m.infof("node has disconnected, mapSession: %p, chan: %p", m, m.ch)
@@ -201,21 +167,30 @@ func (m *mapSession) serveLongPoll() {
 	m.h.pollNetMapStreamWG.Add(1)
 	defer m.h.pollNetMapStreamWG.Done()
 
-	m.h.state.Connect(m.node.ID())
-
-	// Upgrade the writer to a ResponseController
-	rc := http.NewResponseController(m.w)
-
-	// Longpolling will break if there is a write timeout,
-	// so it needs to be disabled.
-	rc.SetWriteDeadline(time.Time{})
-
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.WithValue(m.ctx, nodeNameContextKey, m.node.Hostname()))
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.WithValue(m.ctx, nodeNameContextKey, m.node.Hostname))
 	defer cancel()
 
 	m.keepAliveTicker = time.NewTicker(m.keepAlive)
 
-	m.h.nodeNotifier.AddNode(m.node.ID(), m.ch)
+	// Add node to batcher BEFORE sending Connect change to prevent race condition
+	// where the change is sent before the node is in the batcher's node map
+	if err := m.h.mapBatcher.AddNode(m.node.ID, m.ch, m.node.IsSubnetRouter(), m.capVer); err != nil {
+		m.errf(err, "failed to add node to batcher")
+		// Send empty response to client to fail fast for invalid/non-existent nodes
+		select {
+		case m.ch <- &tailcfg.MapResponse{}:
+		default:
+			// Channel might be closed
+		}
+		return
+	}
+
+	// Now send the Connect change - the batcher handles NodeCameOnline internally
+	// but we still need to update routes and other state-level changes
+	connectChange := m.h.state.Connect(m.node)
+	if !connectChange.Empty() && connectChange.Change != change.NodeCameOnline {
+		m.h.Change(connectChange)
+	}
 
 	m.infof("node has connected, mapSession: %p, chan: %p", m, m.ch)
 
@@ -236,290 +211,94 @@ func (m *mapSession) serveLongPoll() {
 
 		// Consume updates sent to node
 		case update, ok := <-m.ch:
+			m.tracef("received update from channel, ok: %t", ok)
 			if !ok {
 				m.tracef("update channel closed, streaming session is likely being replaced")
 				return
 			}
 
-			// If the node has been removed from headscale, close the stream
-			if slices.Contains(update.Removed, m.node.ID()) {
-				m.tracef("node removed, closing stream")
+			if err := m.writeMap(update); err != nil {
+				m.errf(err, "cannot write update to client")
 				return
 			}
 
-			m.tracef("received stream update: %s %s", update.Type.String(), update.Message)
-			mapResponseUpdateReceived.WithLabelValues(update.Type.String()).Inc()
-
-			var data []byte
-			var err error
-			var lastMessage string
-
-			// Ensure the node view is updated, for example, there
-			// might have been a hostinfo update in a sidechannel
-			// which contains data needed to generate a map response.
-			m.node, err = m.h.state.GetNodeViewByID(m.node.ID())
-			if err != nil {
-				m.errf(err, "Could not get machine from db")
-
-				return
-			}
-
-			updateType := "full"
-			switch update.Type {
-			case types.StateFullUpdate:
-				m.tracef("Sending Full MapResponse")
-				data, err = m.mapper.FullMapResponse(m.req, m.node, fmt.Sprintf("from mapSession: %p, stream: %t", m, m.isStreaming()))
-			case types.StatePeerChanged:
-				changed := make(map[types.NodeID]bool, len(update.ChangeNodes))
-
-				for _, nodeID := range update.ChangeNodes {
-					changed[nodeID] = true
-				}
-
-				lastMessage = update.Message
-				m.tracef(fmt.Sprintf("Sending Changed MapResponse: %v", lastMessage))
-				data, err = m.mapper.PeerChangedResponse(m.req, m.node, changed, update.ChangePatches, lastMessage)
-				updateType = "change"
-
-			case types.StatePeerChangedPatch:
-				m.tracef(fmt.Sprintf("Sending Changed Patch MapResponse: %v", lastMessage))
-				data, err = m.mapper.PeerChangedPatchResponse(m.req, m.node, update.ChangePatches)
-				updateType = "patch"
-			case types.StatePeerRemoved:
-				changed := make(map[types.NodeID]bool, len(update.Removed))
-
-				for _, nodeID := range update.Removed {
-					changed[nodeID] = false
-				}
-				m.tracef(fmt.Sprintf("Sending Changed MapResponse: %v", lastMessage))
-				data, err = m.mapper.PeerChangedResponse(m.req, m.node, changed, update.ChangePatches, lastMessage)
-				updateType = "remove"
-			case types.StateSelfUpdate:
-				lastMessage = update.Message
-				m.tracef(fmt.Sprintf("Sending Changed MapResponse: %v", lastMessage))
-				// create the map so an empty (self) update is sent
-				data, err = m.mapper.PeerChangedResponse(m.req, m.node, make(map[types.NodeID]bool), update.ChangePatches, lastMessage)
-				updateType = "remove"
-			case types.StateDERPUpdated:
-				m.tracef("Sending DERPUpdate MapResponse")
-				data, err = m.mapper.DERPMapResponse(m.req, m.node, m.h.state.DERPMap())
-				updateType = "derp"
-			}
-
-			if err != nil {
-				m.errf(err, "Could not get the create map update")
-
-				return
-			}
-
-			// Only send update if there is change
-			if data != nil {
-				startWrite := time.Now()
-				_, err = m.w.Write(data)
-				if err != nil {
-					mapResponseSent.WithLabelValues("error", updateType).Inc()
-					m.errf(err, "could not write the map response(%s), for mapSession: %p", update.Type.String(), m)
-					return
-				}
-
-				err = rc.Flush()
-				if err != nil {
-					mapResponseSent.WithLabelValues("error", updateType).Inc()
-					m.errf(err, "flushing the map response to client, for mapSession: %p", m)
-					return
-				}
-
-				log.Trace().Str("node", m.node.Hostname()).TimeDiff("timeSpent", time.Now(), startWrite).Str("mkey", m.node.MachineKey().String()).Msg("finished writing mapresp to node")
-
-				if debugHighCardinalityMetrics {
-					mapResponseLastSentSeconds.WithLabelValues(updateType, m.node.ID().String()).Set(float64(time.Now().Unix()))
-				}
-				mapResponseSent.WithLabelValues("ok", updateType).Inc()
-				m.tracef("update sent")
-				m.resetKeepAlive()
-			}
+			m.tracef("update sent")
+			m.resetKeepAlive()
 
 		case <-m.keepAliveTicker.C:
-			data, err := m.mapper.KeepAliveResponse(m.req, m.node)
-			if err != nil {
-				m.errf(err, "Error generating the keep alive msg")
-				mapResponseSent.WithLabelValues("error", "keepalive").Inc()
-				return
-			}
-			_, err = m.w.Write(data)
-			if err != nil {
-				m.errf(err, "Cannot write keep alive message")
-				mapResponseSent.WithLabelValues("error", "keepalive").Inc()
-				return
-			}
-			err = rc.Flush()
-			if err != nil {
-				m.errf(err, "flushing keep alive to client, for mapSession: %p", m)
-				mapResponseSent.WithLabelValues("error", "keepalive").Inc()
+			if err := m.writeMap(&keepAlive); err != nil {
+				m.errf(err, "cannot write keep alive")
 				return
 			}
 
 			if debugHighCardinalityMetrics {
-				mapResponseLastSentSeconds.WithLabelValues("keepalive", m.node.ID().String()).Set(float64(time.Now().Unix()))
+				mapResponseLastSentSeconds.WithLabelValues("keepalive", m.node.ID.String()).Set(float64(time.Now().Unix()))
 			}
 			mapResponseSent.WithLabelValues("ok", "keepalive").Inc()
 		}
 	}
 }
 
-func (m *mapSession) handleEndpointUpdate() {
-	m.tracef("received endpoint update")
-
-	// Get fresh node state from database for accurate route calculations
-	node, err := m.h.state.GetNodeByID(m.node.ID())
+// writeMap writes the map response to the client.
+// It handles compression if requested and any headers that need to be set.
+// It also handles flushing the response if the ResponseWriter
+// implements http.Flusher.
+func (m *mapSession) writeMap(msg *tailcfg.MapResponse) error {
+	jsonBody, err := json.Marshal(msg)
 	if err != nil {
-		m.errf(err, "Failed to get fresh node from database for endpoint update")
-		http.Error(m.w, "", http.StatusInternalServerError)
-		mapResponseEndpointUpdates.WithLabelValues("error").Inc()
-		return
+		return fmt.Errorf("marshalling map response: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	change := m.node.PeerChangeFromMapRequest(m.req)
-
-	online := m.h.nodeNotifier.IsLikelyConnected(m.node.ID())
-	change.Online = &online
-
-	node.ApplyPeerChange(&change)
-
-	sendUpdate, routesChanged := hostInfoChanged(node.Hostinfo, m.req.Hostinfo)
-
-	// The node might not set NetInfo if it has not changed and if
-	// the full HostInfo object is overwritten, the information is lost.
-	// If there is no NetInfo, keep the previous one.
-	// From 1.66 the client only sends it if changed:
-	// https://github.com/tailscale/tailscale/commit/e1011f138737286ecf5123ff887a7a5800d129a2
-	// TODO(kradalby): evaluate if we need better comparing of hostinfo
-	// before we take the changes.
-	if m.req.Hostinfo.NetInfo == nil && node.Hostinfo != nil {
-		m.req.Hostinfo.NetInfo = node.Hostinfo.NetInfo
-	}
-	node.Hostinfo = m.req.Hostinfo
-
-	logTracePeerChange(node.Hostname, sendUpdate, &change)
-
-	// If there is no changes and nothing to save,
-	// return early.
-	if peerChangeEmpty(change) && !sendUpdate {
-		mapResponseEndpointUpdates.WithLabelValues("noop").Inc()
-		return
+	if m.req.Compress == util.ZstdCompression {
+		jsonBody = zstdframe.AppendEncode(nil, jsonBody, zstdframe.FastestCompression)
 	}
 
-	// Auto approve any routes that have been defined in policy as
-	// auto approved. Check if this actually changed the node.
-	routesAutoApproved := m.h.state.AutoApproveRoutes(node)
-
-	// Always update routes for connected nodes to handle reconnection scenarios
-	// where routes need to be restored to the primary routes system
-	routesToSet := node.SubnetRoutes()
-
-	if m.h.state.SetNodeRoutes(node.ID, routesToSet...) {
-		ctx := types.NotifyCtx(m.ctx, "poll-primary-change", node.Hostname)
-		m.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdateFull())
-	} else if routesChanged {
-		// Only send peer changed notification if routes actually changed
-		ctx := types.NotifyCtx(m.ctx, "cli-approveroutes", node.Hostname)
-		m.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyWithIgnore(ctx, types.UpdatePeerChanged(node.ID), node.ID)
-
-		// TODO(kradalby): I am not sure if we need this?
-		// Send an update to the node itself with to ensure it
-		// has an updated packetfilter allowing the new route
-		// if it is defined in the ACL.
-		ctx = types.NotifyCtx(m.ctx, "poll-nodeupdate-self-hostinfochange", node.Hostname)
-		m.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyByNodeID(
-			ctx,
-			types.UpdateSelf(node.ID),
-			node.ID)
-	}
+	data := make([]byte, reservedResponseHeaderSize)
+	binary.LittleEndian.PutUint32(data, uint32(len(jsonBody)))
+	data = append(data, jsonBody...)
 
-	// If routes were auto-approved, we need to save the node to persist the changes
-	if routesAutoApproved {
-		if _, _, err := m.h.state.SaveNode(node); err != nil {
-			m.errf(err, "Failed to save auto-approved routes to node")
-			http.Error(m.w, "", http.StatusInternalServerError)
-			mapResponseEndpointUpdates.WithLabelValues("error").Inc()
-			return
-		}
-	}
-
-	// Check if there has been a change to Hostname and update them
-	// in the database. Then send a Changed update
-	// (containing the whole node object) to peers to inform about
-	// the hostname change.
-	node.ApplyHostnameFromHostInfo(m.req.Hostinfo)
+	startWrite := time.Now()
 
-	_, policyChanged, err := m.h.state.SaveNode(node)
+	_, err = m.w.Write(data)
 	if err != nil {
-		m.errf(err, "Failed to persist/update node in the database")
-		http.Error(m.w, "", http.StatusInternalServerError)
-		mapResponseEndpointUpdates.WithLabelValues("error").Inc()
-
-		return
+		return err
 	}
 
-	// Send policy update notifications if needed
-	if policyChanged {
-		ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "poll-nodeupdate-policy", node.Hostname)
-		m.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyAll(ctx, types.UpdateFull())
+	if m.isStreaming() {
+		if f, ok := m.w.(http.Flusher); ok {
+			f.Flush()
+		} else {
+			m.errf(nil, "ResponseWriter does not implement http.Flusher, cannot flush")
+		}
 	}
 
-	ctx := types.NotifyCtx(context.Background(), "poll-nodeupdate-peers-patch", node.Hostname)
-	m.h.nodeNotifier.NotifyWithIgnore(
-		ctx,
-		types.UpdatePeerChanged(node.ID),
-		node.ID,
-	)
+	log.Trace().Str("node", m.node.Hostname).TimeDiff("timeSpent", time.Now(), startWrite).Str("mkey", m.node.MachineKey.String()).Msg("finished writing mapresp to node")
 
-	m.w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
-	mapResponseEndpointUpdates.WithLabelValues("ok").Inc()
+	return nil
 }
 
-func (m *mapSession) handleReadOnlyRequest() {
-	m.tracef("Client asked for a lite update, responding without peers")
-
-	mapResp, err := m.mapper.ReadOnlyMapResponse(m.req, m.node)
-	if err != nil {
-		m.errf(err, "Failed to create MapResponse")
-		http.Error(m.w, "", http.StatusInternalServerError)
-		mapResponseReadOnly.WithLabelValues("error").Inc()
-		return
-	}
-
-	m.w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json; charset=utf-8")
-	m.w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
-	_, err = m.w.Write(mapResp)
-	if err != nil {
-		m.errf(err, "Failed to write response")
-		mapResponseReadOnly.WithLabelValues("error").Inc()
-		return
-	}
-
-	m.w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
-	mapResponseReadOnly.WithLabelValues("ok").Inc()
+var keepAlive = tailcfg.MapResponse{
+	KeepAlive: true,
 }
 
-func logTracePeerChange(hostname string, hostinfoChange bool, change *tailcfg.PeerChange) {
-	trace := log.Trace().Uint64("node.id", uint64(change.NodeID)).Str("hostname", hostname)
+func logTracePeerChange(hostname string, hostinfoChange bool, peerChange *tailcfg.PeerChange) {
+	trace := log.Trace().Uint64("node.id", uint64(peerChange.NodeID)).Str("hostname", hostname)
 
-	if change.Key != nil {
-		trace = trace.Str("node_key", change.Key.ShortString())
+	if peerChange.Key != nil {
+		trace = trace.Str("node_key", peerChange.Key.ShortString())
 	}
 
-	if change.DiscoKey != nil {
-		trace = trace.Str("disco_key", change.DiscoKey.ShortString())
+	if peerChange.DiscoKey != nil {
+		trace = trace.Str("disco_key", peerChange.DiscoKey.ShortString())
 	}
 
-	if change.Online != nil {
-		trace = trace.Bool("online", *change.Online)
+	if peerChange.Online != nil {
+		trace = trace.Bool("online", *peerChange.Online)
 	}
 
-	if change.Endpoints != nil {
-		eps := make([]string, len(change.Endpoints))
-		for idx, ep := range change.Endpoints {
+	if peerChange.Endpoints != nil {
+		eps := make([]string, len(peerChange.Endpoints))
+		for idx, ep := range peerChange.Endpoints {
 			eps[idx] = ep.String()
 		}
 
@@ -530,21 +309,11 @@ func logTracePeerChange(hostname string, hostinfoChange bool, change *tailcfg.Pe
 		trace = trace.Bool("hostinfo_changed", hostinfoChange)
 	}
 
-	if change.DERPRegion != 0 {
-		trace = trace.Int("derp_region", change.DERPRegion)
+	if peerChange.DERPRegion != 0 {
+		trace = trace.Int("derp_region", peerChange.DERPRegion)
 	}
 
-	trace.Time("last_seen", *change.LastSeen).Msg("PeerChange received")
-}
-
-func peerChangeEmpty(chng tailcfg.PeerChange) bool {
-	return chng.Key == nil &&
-		chng.DiscoKey == nil &&
-		chng.Online == nil &&
-		chng.Endpoints == nil &&
-		chng.DERPRegion == 0 &&
-		chng.LastSeen == nil &&
-		chng.KeyExpiry == nil
+	trace.Time("last_seen", *peerChange.LastSeen).Msg("PeerChange received")
 }
 
 func logPollFunc(
@@ -554,7 +323,6 @@ func logPollFunc(
 	return func(msg string, a ...any) {
 			log.Warn().
 				Caller().
-				Bool("readOnly", mapRequest.ReadOnly).
 				Bool("omitPeers", mapRequest.OmitPeers).
 				Bool("stream", mapRequest.Stream).
 				Uint64("node.id", node.ID.Uint64()).
@@ -564,7 +332,6 @@ func logPollFunc(
 		func(msg string, a ...any) {
 			log.Info().
 				Caller().
-				Bool("readOnly", mapRequest.ReadOnly).
 				Bool("omitPeers", mapRequest.OmitPeers).
 				Bool("stream", mapRequest.Stream).
 				Uint64("node.id", node.ID.Uint64()).
@@ -574,7 +341,6 @@ func logPollFunc(
 		func(msg string, a ...any) {
 			log.Trace().
 				Caller().
-				Bool("readOnly", mapRequest.ReadOnly).
 				Bool("omitPeers", mapRequest.OmitPeers).
 				Bool("stream", mapRequest.Stream).
 				Uint64("node.id", node.ID.Uint64()).
@@ -584,7 +350,6 @@ func logPollFunc(
 		func(err error, msg string, a ...any) {
 			log.Error().
 				Caller().
-				Bool("readOnly", mapRequest.ReadOnly).
 				Bool("omitPeers", mapRequest.OmitPeers).
 				Bool("stream", mapRequest.Stream).
 				Uint64("node.id", node.ID.Uint64()).
@@ -593,91 +358,3 @@ func logPollFunc(
 				Msgf(msg, a...)
 		}
 }
-
-func logPollFuncView(
-	mapRequest tailcfg.MapRequest,
-	nodeView types.NodeView,
-) (func(string, ...any), func(string, ...any), func(string, ...any), func(error, string, ...any)) {
-	return func(msg string, a ...any) {
-			log.Warn().
-				Caller().
-				Bool("readOnly", mapRequest.ReadOnly).
-				Bool("omitPeers", mapRequest.OmitPeers).
-				Bool("stream", mapRequest.Stream).
-				Uint64("node.id", nodeView.ID().Uint64()).
-				Str("node", nodeView.Hostname()).
-				Msgf(msg, a...)
-		},
-		func(msg string, a ...any) {
-			log.Info().
-				Caller().
-				Bool("readOnly", mapRequest.ReadOnly).
-				Bool("omitPeers", mapRequest.OmitPeers).
-				Bool("stream", mapRequest.Stream).
-				Uint64("node.id", nodeView.ID().Uint64()).
-				Str("node", nodeView.Hostname()).
-				Msgf(msg, a...)
-		},
-		func(msg string, a ...any) {
-			log.Trace().
-				Caller().
-				Bool("readOnly", mapRequest.ReadOnly).
-				Bool("omitPeers", mapRequest.OmitPeers).
-				Bool("stream", mapRequest.Stream).
-				Uint64("node.id", nodeView.ID().Uint64()).
-				Str("node", nodeView.Hostname()).
-				Msgf(msg, a...)
-		},
-		func(err error, msg string, a ...any) {
-			log.Error().
-				Caller().
-				Bool("readOnly", mapRequest.ReadOnly).
-				Bool("omitPeers", mapRequest.OmitPeers).
-				Bool("stream", mapRequest.Stream).
-				Uint64("node.id", nodeView.ID().Uint64()).
-				Str("node", nodeView.Hostname()).
-				Err(err).
-				Msgf(msg, a...)
-		}
-}
-
-// hostInfoChanged reports if hostInfo has changed in two ways,
-// - first bool reports if an update needs to be sent to nodes
-// - second reports if there has been changes to routes
-// the caller can then use this info to save and update nodes
-// and routes as needed.
-func hostInfoChanged(old, new *tailcfg.Hostinfo) (bool, bool) {
-	if old.Equal(new) {
-		return false, false
-	}
-
-	if old == nil && new != nil {
-		return true, true
-	}
-
-	// Routes
-	oldRoutes := make([]netip.Prefix, 0)
-	if old != nil {
-		oldRoutes = old.RoutableIPs
-	}
-	newRoutes := new.RoutableIPs
-
-	tsaddr.SortPrefixes(oldRoutes)
-	tsaddr.SortPrefixes(newRoutes)
-
-	if !xslices.Equal(oldRoutes, newRoutes) {
-		return true, true
-	}
-
-	// Services is mostly useful for discovery and not critical,
-	// except for peerapi, which is how nodes talk to each other.
-	// If peerapi was not part of the initial mapresponse, we
-	// need to make sure its sent out later as it is needed for
-	// Taildrop.
-	// TODO(kradalby): Length comparison is a bit naive, replace.
-	if len(old.Services) != len(new.Services) {
-		return true, false
-	}
-
-	return false, false
-}
diff --git a/hscontrol/routes/primary.go b/hscontrol/routes/primary.go
index f65d9122..55547ccb 100644
--- a/hscontrol/routes/primary.go
+++ b/hscontrol/routes/primary.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ func New() *PrimaryRoutes {
 // updatePrimaryLocked recalculates the primary routes and updates the internal state.
 // It returns true if the primary routes have changed.
 // It is assumed that the caller holds the lock.
-// The algorthm is as follows:
+// The algorithm is as follows:
 // 1. Reset the primaries map.
 // 2. Iterate over the routes and count the number of times a prefix is advertised.
 // 3. If a prefix is advertised by at least two nodes, it is a primary route.
diff --git a/hscontrol/state/state.go b/hscontrol/state/state.go
index b754e594..02d5d3cd 100644
--- a/hscontrol/state/state.go
+++ b/hscontrol/state/state.go
@@ -17,10 +17,13 @@ import (
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/policy/matcher"
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/routes"
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types"
+	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types/change"
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/util"
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
 	"github.com/sasha-s/go-deadlock"
+	xslices "golang.org/x/exp/slices"
 	"gorm.io/gorm"
+	"tailscale.com/net/tsaddr"
 	"tailscale.com/tailcfg"
 	"tailscale.com/types/key"
 	"tailscale.com/types/ptr"
@@ -46,12 +49,6 @@ type State struct {
 	// cfg holds the current Headscale configuration
 	cfg *types.Config
 
-	// in-memory data, protected by mu
-	// nodes contains the current set of registered nodes
-	nodes types.Nodes
-	// users contains the current set of users/namespaces
-	users types.Users
-
 	// subsystem keeping state
 	// db provides persistent storage and database operations
 	db *hsdb.HSDatabase
@@ -113,9 +110,6 @@ func NewState(cfg *types.Config) (*State, error) {
 	return &State{
 		cfg: cfg,
 
-		nodes: nodes,
-		users: users,
-
 		db:      db,
 		ipAlloc: ipAlloc,
 		// TODO(kradalby): Update DERPMap
@@ -215,6 +209,7 @@ func (s *State) CreateUser(user types.User) (*types.User, bool, error) {
 	s.mu.Lock()
 	defer s.mu.Unlock()
 
+
 	if err := s.db.DB.Save(&user).Error; err != nil {
 		return nil, false, fmt.Errorf("creating user: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -226,6 +221,18 @@ func (s *State) CreateUser(user types.User) (*types.User, bool, error) {
 		return &user, false, fmt.Errorf("failed to update policy manager after user creation: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	// Even if the policy manager doesn't detect a filter change, SSH policies
+	// might now be resolvable when they weren't before. If there are existing
+	// nodes, we should send a policy change to ensure they get updated SSH policies.
+	if !policyChanged {
+		nodes, err := s.ListNodes()
+		if err == nil && len(nodes) > 0 {
+			policyChanged = true
+		}
+	}
+
+	log.Info().Str("user", user.Name).Bool("policyChanged", policyChanged).Msg("User created, policy manager updated")
+
 	// TODO(kradalby): implement the user in-memory cache
 
 	return &user, policyChanged, nil
@@ -329,7 +336,7 @@ func (s *State) CreateNode(node *types.Node) (*types.Node, bool, error) {
 }
 
 // updateNodeTx performs a database transaction to update a node and refresh the policy manager.
-func (s *State) updateNodeTx(nodeID types.NodeID, updateFn func(tx *gorm.DB) error) (*types.Node, bool, error) {
+func (s *State) updateNodeTx(nodeID types.NodeID, updateFn func(tx *gorm.DB) error) (*types.Node, change.ChangeSet, error) {
 	s.mu.Lock()
 	defer s.mu.Unlock()
 
@@ -350,72 +357,100 @@ func (s *State) updateNodeTx(nodeID types.NodeID, updateFn func(tx *gorm.DB) err
 		return node, nil
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, false, err
+		return nil, change.EmptySet, err
 	}
 
 	// Check if policy manager needs updating
 	policyChanged, err := s.updatePolicyManagerNodes()
 	if err != nil {
-		return node, false, fmt.Errorf("failed to update policy manager after node update: %w", err)
+		return node, change.EmptySet, fmt.Errorf("failed to update policy manager after node update: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	// TODO(kradalby): implement the node in-memory cache
 
-	return node, policyChanged, nil
+	var c change.ChangeSet
+	if policyChanged {
+		c = change.PolicyChange()
+	} else {
+		// Basic node change without specific details since this is a generic update
+		c = change.NodeAdded(node.ID)
+	}
+
+	return node, c, nil
 }
 
 // SaveNode persists an existing node to the database and updates the policy manager.
-func (s *State) SaveNode(node *types.Node) (*types.Node, bool, error) {
+func (s *State) SaveNode(node *types.Node) (*types.Node, change.ChangeSet, error) {
 	s.mu.Lock()
 	defer s.mu.Unlock()
 
 	if err := s.db.DB.Save(node).Error; err != nil {
-		return nil, false, fmt.Errorf("saving node: %w", err)
+		return nil, change.EmptySet, fmt.Errorf("saving node: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	// Check if policy manager needs updating
 	policyChanged, err := s.updatePolicyManagerNodes()
 	if err != nil {
-		return node, false, fmt.Errorf("failed to update policy manager after node save: %w", err)
+		return node, change.EmptySet, fmt.Errorf("failed to update policy manager after node save: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	// TODO(kradalby): implement the node in-memory cache
 
-	return node, policyChanged, nil
+	if policyChanged {
+		return node, change.PolicyChange(), nil
+	}
+
+	return node, change.EmptySet, nil
 }
 
 // DeleteNode permanently removes a node and cleans up associated resources.
 // Returns whether policies changed and any error. This operation is irreversible.
-func (s *State) DeleteNode(node *types.Node) (bool, error) {
+func (s *State) DeleteNode(node *types.Node) (change.ChangeSet, error) {
 	err := s.db.DeleteNode(node)
 	if err != nil {
-		return false, err
+		return change.EmptySet, err
 	}
 
+	c := change.NodeRemoved(node.ID)
+
 	// Check if policy manager needs updating after node deletion
 	policyChanged, err := s.updatePolicyManagerNodes()
 	if err != nil {
-		return false, fmt.Errorf("failed to update policy manager after node deletion: %w", err)
+		return change.EmptySet, fmt.Errorf("failed to update policy manager after node deletion: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if policyChanged {
+		c = change.PolicyChange()
 	}
 
-	return policyChanged, nil
+	return c, nil
 }
 
-func (s *State) Connect(id types.NodeID) {
+func (s *State) Connect(node *types.Node) change.ChangeSet {
+	c := change.NodeOnline(node.ID)
+	routeChange := s.primaryRoutes.SetRoutes(node.ID, node.SubnetRoutes()...)
+
+	if routeChange {
+		c = change.NodeAdded(node.ID)
+	}
+
+	return c
 }
 
-func (s *State) Disconnect(id types.NodeID) (bool, error) {
-	// TODO(kradalby): This node should update the in memory state
-	_, polChanged, err := s.SetLastSeen(id, time.Now())
+func (s *State) Disconnect(node *types.Node) (change.ChangeSet, error) {
+	c := change.NodeOffline(node.ID)
+
+	_, _, err := s.SetLastSeen(node.ID, time.Now())
 	if err != nil {
-		return false, fmt.Errorf("disconnecting node: %w", err)
+		return c, fmt.Errorf("disconnecting node: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	changed := s.primaryRoutes.SetRoutes(id)
+	if routeChange := s.primaryRoutes.SetRoutes(node.ID); routeChange {
+		c = change.PolicyChange()
+	}
 
-	// TODO(kradalby): the returned change should be more nuanced allowing us to
-	// send more directed updates.
-	return changed || polChanged, nil
+	// TODO(kradalby): This node should update the in memory state
+	return c, nil
 }
 
 // GetNodeByID retrieves a node by ID.
@@ -475,45 +510,93 @@ func (s *State) ListEphemeralNodes() (types.Nodes, error) {
 }
 
 // SetNodeExpiry updates the expiration time for a node.
-func (s *State) SetNodeExpiry(nodeID types.NodeID, expiry time.Time) (*types.Node, bool, error) {
-	return s.updateNodeTx(nodeID, func(tx *gorm.DB) error {
+func (s *State) SetNodeExpiry(nodeID types.NodeID, expiry time.Time) (*types.Node, change.ChangeSet, error) {
+	n, c, err := s.updateNodeTx(nodeID, func(tx *gorm.DB) error {
 		return hsdb.NodeSetExpiry(tx, nodeID, expiry)
 	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, change.EmptySet, fmt.Errorf("setting node expiry: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if !c.IsFull() {
+		c = change.KeyExpiry(nodeID)
+	}
+
+	return n, c, nil
 }
 
 // SetNodeTags assigns tags to a node for use in access control policies.
-func (s *State) SetNodeTags(nodeID types.NodeID, tags []string) (*types.Node, bool, error) {
-	return s.updateNodeTx(nodeID, func(tx *gorm.DB) error {
+func (s *State) SetNodeTags(nodeID types.NodeID, tags []string) (*types.Node, change.ChangeSet, error) {
+	n, c, err := s.updateNodeTx(nodeID, func(tx *gorm.DB) error {
 		return hsdb.SetTags(tx, nodeID, tags)
 	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, change.EmptySet, fmt.Errorf("setting node tags: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if !c.IsFull() {
+		c = change.NodeAdded(nodeID)
+	}
+
+	return n, c, nil
 }
 
 // SetApprovedRoutes sets the network routes that a node is approved to advertise.
-func (s *State) SetApprovedRoutes(nodeID types.NodeID, routes []netip.Prefix) (*types.Node, bool, error) {
-	return s.updateNodeTx(nodeID, func(tx *gorm.DB) error {
+func (s *State) SetApprovedRoutes(nodeID types.NodeID, routes []netip.Prefix) (*types.Node, change.ChangeSet, error) {
+	n, c, err := s.updateNodeTx(nodeID, func(tx *gorm.DB) error {
 		return hsdb.SetApprovedRoutes(tx, nodeID, routes)
 	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, change.EmptySet, fmt.Errorf("setting approved routes: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	// Update primary routes after changing approved routes
+	routeChange := s.primaryRoutes.SetRoutes(nodeID, n.SubnetRoutes()...)
+
+	if routeChange || !c.IsFull() {
+		c = change.PolicyChange()
+	}
+
+	return n, c, nil
 }
 
 // RenameNode changes the display name of a node.
-func (s *State) RenameNode(nodeID types.NodeID, newName string) (*types.Node, bool, error) {
-	return s.updateNodeTx(nodeID, func(tx *gorm.DB) error {
+func (s *State) RenameNode(nodeID types.NodeID, newName string) (*types.Node, change.ChangeSet, error) {
+	n, c, err := s.updateNodeTx(nodeID, func(tx *gorm.DB) error {
 		return hsdb.RenameNode(tx, nodeID, newName)
 	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, change.EmptySet, fmt.Errorf("renaming node: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if !c.IsFull() {
+		c = change.NodeAdded(nodeID)
+	}
+
+	return n, c, nil
 }
 
 // SetLastSeen updates when a node was last seen, used for connectivity monitoring.
-func (s *State) SetLastSeen(nodeID types.NodeID, lastSeen time.Time) (*types.Node, bool, error) {
+func (s *State) SetLastSeen(nodeID types.NodeID, lastSeen time.Time) (*types.Node, change.ChangeSet, error) {
 	return s.updateNodeTx(nodeID, func(tx *gorm.DB) error {
 		return hsdb.SetLastSeen(tx, nodeID, lastSeen)
 	})
 }
 
 // AssignNodeToUser transfers a node to a different user.
-func (s *State) AssignNodeToUser(nodeID types.NodeID, userID types.UserID) (*types.Node, bool, error) {
-	return s.updateNodeTx(nodeID, func(tx *gorm.DB) error {
+func (s *State) AssignNodeToUser(nodeID types.NodeID, userID types.UserID) (*types.Node, change.ChangeSet, error) {
+	n, c, err := s.updateNodeTx(nodeID, func(tx *gorm.DB) error {
 		return hsdb.AssignNodeToUser(tx, nodeID, userID)
 	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, change.EmptySet, fmt.Errorf("assigning node to user: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if !c.IsFull() {
+		c = change.NodeAdded(nodeID)
+	}
+
+	return n, c, nil
 }
 
 // BackfillNodeIPs assigns IP addresses to nodes that don't have them.
@@ -523,7 +606,7 @@ func (s *State) BackfillNodeIPs() ([]string, error) {
 
 // ExpireExpiredNodes finds and processes expired nodes since the last check.
 // Returns next check time, state update with expired nodes, and whether any were found.
-func (s *State) ExpireExpiredNodes(lastCheck time.Time) (time.Time, types.StateUpdate, bool) {
+func (s *State) ExpireExpiredNodes(lastCheck time.Time) (time.Time, []change.ChangeSet, bool) {
 	return hsdb.ExpireExpiredNodes(s.db.DB, lastCheck)
 }
 
@@ -568,8 +651,14 @@ func (s *State) SetPolicyInDB(data string) (*types.Policy, error) {
 }
 
 // SetNodeRoutes sets the primary routes for a node.
-func (s *State) SetNodeRoutes(nodeID types.NodeID, routes ...netip.Prefix) bool {
-	return s.primaryRoutes.SetRoutes(nodeID, routes...)
+func (s *State) SetNodeRoutes(nodeID types.NodeID, routes ...netip.Prefix) change.ChangeSet {
+	if s.primaryRoutes.SetRoutes(nodeID, routes...) {
+		// Route changes affect packet filters for all nodes, so trigger a policy change
+		// to ensure filters are regenerated across the entire network
+		return change.PolicyChange()
+	}
+
+	return change.EmptySet
 }
 
 // GetNodePrimaryRoutes returns the primary routes for a node.
@@ -653,10 +742,10 @@ func (s *State) HandleNodeFromAuthPath(
 	userID types.UserID,
 	expiry *time.Time,
 	registrationMethod string,
-) (*types.Node, bool, error) {
+) (*types.Node, change.ChangeSet, error) {
 	ipv4, ipv6, err := s.ipAlloc.Next()
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, false, err
+		return nil, change.EmptySet, err
 	}
 
 	return s.db.HandleNodeFromAuthPath(
@@ -672,12 +761,15 @@ func (s *State) HandleNodeFromAuthPath(
 func (s *State) HandleNodeFromPreAuthKey(
 	regReq tailcfg.RegisterRequest,
 	machineKey key.MachinePublic,
-) (*types.Node, bool, error) {
+) (*types.Node, change.ChangeSet, bool, error) {
 	pak, err := s.GetPreAuthKey(regReq.Auth.AuthKey)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, change.EmptySet, false, err
+	}
 
 	err = pak.Validate()
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, false, err
+		return nil, change.EmptySet, false, err
 	}
 
 	nodeToRegister := types.Node{
@@ -698,22 +790,13 @@ func (s *State) HandleNodeFromPreAuthKey(
 		AuthKeyID:  &pak.ID,
 	}
 
-	// For auth key registration, ensure we don't keep an expired node
-	// This is especially important for re-registration after logout
-	if !regReq.Expiry.IsZero() && regReq.Expiry.After(time.Now()) {
+	if !regReq.Expiry.IsZero() {
 		nodeToRegister.Expiry = &regReq.Expiry
-	} else if !regReq.Expiry.IsZero() {
-		// If client is sending an expired time (e.g., after logout),
-		// don't set expiry so the node won't be considered expired
-		log.Debug().
-			Time("requested_expiry", regReq.Expiry).
-			Str("node", regReq.Hostinfo.Hostname).
-			Msg("Ignoring expired expiry time from auth key registration")
 	}
 
 	ipv4, ipv6, err := s.ipAlloc.Next()
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, false, fmt.Errorf("allocating IPs: %w", err)
+		return nil, change.EmptySet, false, fmt.Errorf("allocating IPs: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	node, err := hsdb.Write(s.db.DB, func(tx *gorm.DB) (*types.Node, error) {
@@ -735,18 +818,38 @@ func (s *State) HandleNodeFromPreAuthKey(
 		return node, nil
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, false, fmt.Errorf("writing node to database: %w", err)
+		return nil, change.EmptySet, false, fmt.Errorf("writing node to database: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	// Check if this is a logout request for an ephemeral node
+	if !regReq.Expiry.IsZero() && regReq.Expiry.Before(time.Now()) && pak.Ephemeral {
+		// This is a logout request for an ephemeral node, delete it immediately
+		c, err := s.DeleteNode(node)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, change.EmptySet, false, fmt.Errorf("deleting ephemeral node during logout: %w", err)
+		}
+		return nil, c, false, nil
 	}
 
 	// Check if policy manager needs updating
 	// This is necessary because we just created a new node.
 	// We need to ensure that the policy manager is aware of this new node.
-	policyChanged, err := s.updatePolicyManagerNodes()
+	// Also update users to ensure all users are known when evaluating policies.
+	usersChanged, err := s.updatePolicyManagerUsers()
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, false, fmt.Errorf("failed to update policy manager after node registration: %w", err)
+		return nil, change.EmptySet, false, fmt.Errorf("failed to update policy manager users after node registration: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	return node, policyChanged, nil
+	nodesChanged, err := s.updatePolicyManagerNodes()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, change.EmptySet, false, fmt.Errorf("failed to update policy manager nodes after node registration: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	policyChanged := usersChanged || nodesChanged
+
+	c := change.NodeAdded(node.ID)
+
+	return node, c, policyChanged, nil
 }
 
 // AllocateNextIPs allocates the next available IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.
@@ -766,11 +869,15 @@ func (s *State) updatePolicyManagerUsers() (bool, error) {
 		return false, fmt.Errorf("listing users for policy update: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	log.Debug().Int("userCount", len(users)).Msg("Updating policy manager with users")
+
 	changed, err := s.polMan.SetUsers(users)
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, fmt.Errorf("updating policy manager users: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	log.Debug().Bool("changed", changed).Msg("Policy manager users updated")
+
 	return changed, nil
 }
 
@@ -835,3 +942,125 @@ func (s *State) autoApproveNodes() error {
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+// TODO(kradalby): This should just take the node ID?
+func (s *State) UpdateNodeFromMapRequest(node *types.Node, req tailcfg.MapRequest) (change.ChangeSet, error) {
+	// TODO(kradalby): This is essentially a patch update that could be sent directly to nodes,
+	// which means we could shortcut the whole change thing if there are no other important updates.
+	peerChange := node.PeerChangeFromMapRequest(req)
+
+	node.ApplyPeerChange(&peerChange)
+
+	sendUpdate, routesChanged := hostInfoChanged(node.Hostinfo, req.Hostinfo)
+
+	// The node might not set NetInfo if it has not changed and if
+	// the full HostInfo object is overwritten, the information is lost.
+	// If there is no NetInfo, keep the previous one.
+	// From 1.66 the client only sends it if changed:
+	// https://github.com/tailscale/tailscale/commit/e1011f138737286ecf5123ff887a7a5800d129a2
+	// TODO(kradalby): evaluate if we need better comparing of hostinfo
+	// before we take the changes.
+	if req.Hostinfo.NetInfo == nil && node.Hostinfo != nil {
+		req.Hostinfo.NetInfo = node.Hostinfo.NetInfo
+	}
+	node.Hostinfo = req.Hostinfo
+
+	// If there is no changes and nothing to save,
+	// return early.
+	if peerChangeEmpty(peerChange) && !sendUpdate {
+		// mapResponseEndpointUpdates.WithLabelValues("noop").Inc()
+		return change.EmptySet, nil
+	}
+
+	c := change.EmptySet
+
+	// Check if the Hostinfo of the node has changed.
+	// If it has changed, check if there has been a change to
+	// the routable IPs of the host and update them in
+	// the database. Then send a Changed update
+	// (containing the whole node object) to peers to inform about
+	// the route change.
+	// If the hostinfo has changed, but not the routes, just update
+	// hostinfo and let the function continue.
+	if routesChanged {
+		// Auto approve any routes that have been defined in policy as
+		// auto approved. Check if this actually changed the node.
+		_ = s.AutoApproveRoutes(node)
+
+		// Update the routes of the given node in the route manager to
+		// see if an update needs to be sent.
+		c = s.SetNodeRoutes(node.ID, node.SubnetRoutes()...)
+	}
+
+	// Check if there has been a change to Hostname and update them
+	// in the database. Then send a Changed update
+	// (containing the whole node object) to peers to inform about
+	// the hostname change.
+	node.ApplyHostnameFromHostInfo(req.Hostinfo)
+
+	_, policyChange, err := s.SaveNode(node)
+	if err != nil {
+		return change.EmptySet, err
+	}
+
+	if policyChange.IsFull() {
+		c = policyChange
+	}
+
+	if c.Empty() {
+		c = change.NodeAdded(node.ID)
+	}
+
+	return c, nil
+}
+
+// hostInfoChanged reports if hostInfo has changed in two ways,
+// - first bool reports if an update needs to be sent to nodes
+// - second reports if there has been changes to routes
+// the caller can then use this info to save and update nodes
+// and routes as needed.
+func hostInfoChanged(old, new *tailcfg.Hostinfo) (bool, bool) {
+	if old.Equal(new) {
+		return false, false
+	}
+
+	if old == nil && new != nil {
+		return true, true
+	}
+
+	// Routes
+	oldRoutes := make([]netip.Prefix, 0)
+	if old != nil {
+		oldRoutes = old.RoutableIPs
+	}
+	newRoutes := new.RoutableIPs
+
+	tsaddr.SortPrefixes(oldRoutes)
+	tsaddr.SortPrefixes(newRoutes)
+
+	if !xslices.Equal(oldRoutes, newRoutes) {
+		return true, true
+	}
+
+	// Services is mostly useful for discovery and not critical,
+	// except for peerapi, which is how nodes talk to each other.
+	// If peerapi was not part of the initial mapresponse, we
+	// need to make sure its sent out later as it is needed for
+	// Taildrop.
+	// TODO(kradalby): Length comparison is a bit naive, replace.
+	if len(old.Services) != len(new.Services) {
+		return true, false
+	}
+
+	return false, false
+}
+
+func peerChangeEmpty(peerChange tailcfg.PeerChange) bool {
+	return peerChange.Key == nil &&
+		peerChange.DiscoKey == nil &&
+		peerChange.Online == nil &&
+		peerChange.Endpoints == nil &&
+		peerChange.DERPRegion == 0 &&
+		peerChange.LastSeen == nil &&
+		peerChange.KeyExpiry == nil
+}
diff --git a/hscontrol/types/change/change.go b/hscontrol/types/change/change.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3301cb35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hscontrol/types/change/change.go
@@ -0,0 +1,183 @@
+//go:generate go tool stringer -type=Change
+package change
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+
+	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types"
+)
+
+type (
+	NodeID = types.NodeID
+	UserID = types.UserID
+)
+
+type Change int
+
+const (
+	ChangeUnknown Change = 0
+
+	// Deprecated: Use specific change instead
+	// Full is a legacy change to ensure places where we
+	// have not yet determined the specific update, can send.
+	Full Change = 9
+
+	// Server changes.
+	Policy       Change = 11
+	DERP         Change = 12
+	ExtraRecords Change = 13
+
+	// Node changes.
+	NodeCameOnline  Change = 21
+	NodeWentOffline Change = 22
+	NodeRemove      Change = 23
+	NodeKeyExpiry   Change = 24
+	NodeNewOrUpdate Change = 25
+
+	// User changes.
+	UserNewOrUpdate Change = 51
+	UserRemove      Change = 52
+)
+
+// AlsoSelf reports whether this change should also be sent to the node itself.
+func (c Change) AlsoSelf() bool {
+	switch c {
+	case NodeRemove, NodeKeyExpiry, NodeNewOrUpdate:
+		return true
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+type ChangeSet struct {
+	Change Change
+
+	// SelfUpdateOnly indicates that this change should only be sent
+	// to the node itself, and not to other nodes.
+	// This is used for changes that are not relevant to other nodes.
+	// NodeID must be set if this is true.
+	SelfUpdateOnly bool
+
+	// NodeID if set, is the ID of the node that is being changed.
+	// It must be set if this is a node change.
+	NodeID types.NodeID
+
+	// UserID if set, is the ID of the user that is being changed.
+	// It must be set if this is a user change.
+	UserID types.UserID
+
+	// IsSubnetRouter indicates whether the node is a subnet router.
+	IsSubnetRouter bool
+}
+
+func (c *ChangeSet) Validate() error {
+	if c.Change >= NodeCameOnline || c.Change <= NodeNewOrUpdate {
+		if c.NodeID == 0 {
+			return errors.New("ChangeSet.NodeID must be set for node updates")
+		}
+	}
+
+	if c.Change >= UserNewOrUpdate || c.Change <= UserRemove {
+		if c.UserID == 0 {
+			return errors.New("ChangeSet.UserID must be set for user updates")
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Empty reports whether the ChangeSet is empty, meaning it does not
+// represent any change.
+func (c ChangeSet) Empty() bool {
+	return c.Change == ChangeUnknown && c.NodeID == 0 && c.UserID == 0
+}
+
+// IsFull reports whether the ChangeSet represents a full update.
+func (c ChangeSet) IsFull() bool {
+	return c.Change == Full || c.Change == Policy
+}
+
+func (c ChangeSet) AlsoSelf() bool {
+	// If NodeID is 0, it means this ChangeSet is not related to a specific node,
+	// so we consider it as a change that should be sent to all nodes.
+	if c.NodeID == 0 {
+		return true
+	}
+	return c.Change.AlsoSelf() || c.SelfUpdateOnly
+}
+
+var (
+	EmptySet        = ChangeSet{Change: ChangeUnknown}
+	FullSet         = ChangeSet{Change: Full}
+	DERPSet         = ChangeSet{Change: DERP}
+	PolicySet       = ChangeSet{Change: Policy}
+	ExtraRecordsSet = ChangeSet{Change: ExtraRecords}
+)
+
+func FullSelf(id types.NodeID) ChangeSet {
+	return ChangeSet{
+		Change:         Full,
+		SelfUpdateOnly: true,
+		NodeID:         id,
+	}
+}
+
+func NodeAdded(id types.NodeID) ChangeSet {
+	return ChangeSet{
+		Change: NodeNewOrUpdate,
+		NodeID: id,
+	}
+}
+
+func NodeRemoved(id types.NodeID) ChangeSet {
+	return ChangeSet{
+		Change: NodeRemove,
+		NodeID: id,
+	}
+}
+
+func NodeOnline(id types.NodeID) ChangeSet {
+	return ChangeSet{
+		Change: NodeCameOnline,
+		NodeID: id,
+	}
+}
+
+func NodeOffline(id types.NodeID) ChangeSet {
+	return ChangeSet{
+		Change: NodeWentOffline,
+		NodeID: id,
+	}
+}
+
+func KeyExpiry(id types.NodeID) ChangeSet {
+	return ChangeSet{
+		Change: NodeKeyExpiry,
+		NodeID: id,
+	}
+}
+
+func UserAdded(id types.UserID) ChangeSet {
+	return ChangeSet{
+		Change: UserNewOrUpdate,
+		UserID: id,
+	}
+}
+
+func UserRemoved(id types.UserID) ChangeSet {
+	return ChangeSet{
+		Change: UserRemove,
+		UserID: id,
+	}
+}
+
+func PolicyChange() ChangeSet {
+	return ChangeSet{
+		Change: Policy,
+	}
+}
+
+func DERPChange() ChangeSet {
+	return ChangeSet{
+		Change: DERP,
+	}
+}
diff --git a/hscontrol/types/change/change_string.go b/hscontrol/types/change/change_string.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dbf9d17e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hscontrol/types/change/change_string.go
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+// Code generated by "stringer -type=Change"; DO NOT EDIT.
+
+package change
+
+import "strconv"
+
+func _() {
+	// An "invalid array index" compiler error signifies that the constant values have changed.
+	// Re-run the stringer command to generate them again.
+	var x [1]struct{}
+	_ = x[ChangeUnknown-0]
+	_ = x[Full-9]
+	_ = x[Policy-11]
+	_ = x[DERP-12]
+	_ = x[ExtraRecords-13]
+	_ = x[NodeCameOnline-21]
+	_ = x[NodeWentOffline-22]
+	_ = x[NodeRemove-23]
+	_ = x[NodeKeyExpiry-24]
+	_ = x[NodeNewOrUpdate-25]
+	_ = x[UserNewOrUpdate-51]
+	_ = x[UserRemove-52]
+}
+
+const (
+	_Change_name_0 = "ChangeUnknown"
+	_Change_name_1 = "Full"
+	_Change_name_2 = "PolicyDERPExtraRecords"
+	_Change_name_3 = "NodeCameOnlineNodeWentOfflineNodeRemoveNodeKeyExpiryNodeNewOrUpdate"
+	_Change_name_4 = "UserNewOrUpdateUserRemove"
+)
+
+var (
+	_Change_index_2 = [...]uint8{0, 6, 10, 22}
+	_Change_index_3 = [...]uint8{0, 14, 29, 39, 52, 67}
+	_Change_index_4 = [...]uint8{0, 15, 25}
+)
+
+func (i Change) String() string {
+	switch {
+	case i == 0:
+		return _Change_name_0
+	case i == 9:
+		return _Change_name_1
+	case 11 <= i && i <= 13:
+		i -= 11
+		return _Change_name_2[_Change_index_2[i]:_Change_index_2[i+1]]
+	case 21 <= i && i <= 25:
+		i -= 21
+		return _Change_name_3[_Change_index_3[i]:_Change_index_3[i+1]]
+	case 51 <= i && i <= 52:
+		i -= 51
+		return _Change_name_4[_Change_index_4[i]:_Change_index_4[i+1]]
+	default:
+		return "Change(" + strconv.FormatInt(int64(i), 10) + ")"
+	}
+}
diff --git a/hscontrol/types/common.go b/hscontrol/types/common.go
index 51e11757..a80f2ab4 100644
--- a/hscontrol/types/common.go
+++ b/hscontrol/types/common.go
@@ -1,16 +1,16 @@
-//go:generate go run tailscale.com/cmd/viewer --type=User,Node,PreAuthKey
-
+//go:generate go tool viewer --type=User,Node,PreAuthKey
 package types
 
+//go:generate go run tailscale.com/cmd/viewer --type=User,Node,PreAuthKey
+
 import (
-	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"runtime"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/util"
 	"tailscale.com/tailcfg"
-	"tailscale.com/util/ctxkey"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -150,18 +150,6 @@ func UpdateExpire(nodeID NodeID, expiry time.Time) StateUpdate {
 	}
 }
 
-var (
-	NotifyOriginKey   = ctxkey.New("notify.origin", "")
-	NotifyHostnameKey = ctxkey.New("notify.hostname", "")
-)
-
-func NotifyCtx(ctx context.Context, origin, hostname string) context.Context {
-	ctx2, _ := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 3*time.Second)
-	ctx2 = NotifyOriginKey.WithValue(ctx2, origin)
-	ctx2 = NotifyHostnameKey.WithValue(ctx2, hostname)
-	return ctx2
-}
-
 const RegistrationIDLength = 24
 
 type RegistrationID string
@@ -199,3 +187,20 @@ type RegisterNode struct {
 	Node       Node
 	Registered chan *Node
 }
+
+// DefaultBatcherWorkers returns the default number of batcher workers.
+// Default to 3/4 of CPU cores, minimum 1, no maximum.
+func DefaultBatcherWorkers() int {
+	return DefaultBatcherWorkersFor(runtime.NumCPU())
+}
+
+// DefaultBatcherWorkersFor returns the default number of batcher workers for a given CPU count.
+// Default to 3/4 of CPU cores, minimum 1, no maximum.
+func DefaultBatcherWorkersFor(cpuCount int) int {
+	defaultWorkers := (cpuCount * 3) / 4
+	if defaultWorkers < 1 {
+		defaultWorkers = 1
+	}
+
+	return defaultWorkers
+}
diff --git a/hscontrol/types/config.go b/hscontrol/types/config.go
index 1e35303e..44773a55 100644
--- a/hscontrol/types/config.go
+++ b/hscontrol/types/config.go
@@ -234,6 +234,7 @@ type Tuning struct {
 	NotifierSendTimeout            time.Duration
 	BatchChangeDelay               time.Duration
 	NodeMapSessionBufferedChanSize int
+	BatcherWorkers                 int
 }
 
 func validatePKCEMethod(method string) error {
@@ -991,6 +992,12 @@ func LoadServerConfig() (*Config, error) {
 			NodeMapSessionBufferedChanSize: viper.GetInt(
 				"tuning.node_mapsession_buffered_chan_size",
 			),
+			BatcherWorkers: func() int {
+				if workers := viper.GetInt("tuning.batcher_workers"); workers > 0 {
+					return workers
+				}
+				return DefaultBatcherWorkers()
+			}(),
 		},
 	}, nil
 }
diff --git a/hscontrol/types/node.go b/hscontrol/types/node.go
index 32f0274c..81a2a86a 100644
--- a/hscontrol/types/node.go
+++ b/hscontrol/types/node.go
@@ -431,6 +431,11 @@ func (node *Node) SubnetRoutes() []netip.Prefix {
 	return routes
 }
 
+// IsSubnetRouter reports if the node has any subnet routes.
+func (node *Node) IsSubnetRouter() bool {
+	return len(node.SubnetRoutes()) > 0
+}
+
 func (node *Node) String() string {
 	return node.Hostname
 }
@@ -669,6 +674,13 @@ func (v NodeView) SubnetRoutes() []netip.Prefix {
 	return v.ж.SubnetRoutes()
 }
 
+func (v NodeView) IsSubnetRouter() bool {
+	if !v.Valid() {
+		return false
+	}
+	return v.ж.IsSubnetRouter()
+}
+
 func (v NodeView) AppendToIPSet(build *netipx.IPSetBuilder) {
 	if !v.Valid() {
 		return
diff --git a/hscontrol/types/preauth_key.go b/hscontrol/types/preauth_key.go
index e47666ff..46329c12 100644
--- a/hscontrol/types/preauth_key.go
+++ b/hscontrol/types/preauth_key.go
@@ -1,17 +1,16 @@
 package types
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"time"
 
 	v1 "github.com/juanfont/headscale/gen/go/headscale/v1"
+	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/timestamppb"
 )
 
 type PAKError string
 
 func (e PAKError) Error() string { return string(e) }
-func (e PAKError) Unwrap() error { return fmt.Errorf("preauth key error: %w", e) }
 
 // PreAuthKey describes a pre-authorization key usable in a particular user.
 type PreAuthKey struct {
@@ -60,6 +59,21 @@ func (pak *PreAuthKey) Validate() error {
 	if pak == nil {
 		return PAKError("invalid authkey")
 	}
+
+	log.Debug().
+		Str("key", pak.Key).
+		Bool("hasExpiration", pak.Expiration != nil).
+		Time("expiration", func() time.Time {
+			if pak.Expiration != nil {
+				return *pak.Expiration
+			}
+			return time.Time{}
+		}()).
+		Time("now", time.Now()).
+		Bool("reusable", pak.Reusable).
+		Bool("used", pak.Used).
+		Msg("PreAuthKey.Validate: checking key")
+
 	if pak.Expiration != nil && pak.Expiration.Before(time.Now()) {
 		return PAKError("authkey expired")
 	}
diff --git a/hscontrol/util/util.go b/hscontrol/util/util.go
index a44a6e97..d7bc7897 100644
--- a/hscontrol/util/util.go
+++ b/hscontrol/util/util.go
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ func ParseTraceroute(output string) (Traceroute, error) {
 
 		// Parse latencies
 		for j := 5; j <= 7; j++ {
-			if matches[j] != "" {
+			if j < len(matches) && matches[j] != "" {
 				ms, err := strconv.ParseFloat(matches[j], 64)
 				if err != nil {
 					return Traceroute{}, fmt.Errorf("parsing latency: %w", err)
diff --git a/integration/hsic/config.go b/integration/hsic/config.go
index 297cbd9f..8ceca90f 100644
--- a/integration/hsic/config.go
+++ b/integration/hsic/config.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ func DefaultConfigEnv() map[string]string {
 		"HEADSCALE_DERP_URLS":                         "https://controlplane.tailscale.com/derpmap/default",
 		"HEADSCALE_DERP_AUTO_UPDATE_ENABLED":          "false",
 		"HEADSCALE_DERP_UPDATE_FREQUENCY":             "1m",
+		"HEADSCALE_DEBUG_PORT":                        "40000",
 
 		// a bunch of tests (ACL/Policy) rely on predictable IP alloc,
 		// so ensure the sequential alloc is used by default.
diff --git a/integration/hsic/hsic.go b/integration/hsic/hsic.go
index c300a205..e77d2fbe 100644
--- a/integration/hsic/hsic.go
+++ b/integration/hsic/hsic.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ory/dockertest/v3"
 	"github.com/ory/dockertest/v3/docker"
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
+	"tailscale.com/envknob"
 	"tailscale.com/tailcfg"
 	"tailscale.com/util/mak"
 )
@@ -66,6 +67,7 @@ type HeadscaleInContainer struct {
 	// optional config
 	port             int
 	extraPorts       []string
+	debugPort        int
 	caCerts          [][]byte
 	hostPortBindings map[string][]string
 	aclPolicy        *policyv2.Policy
@@ -258,7 +260,9 @@ func WithDERPConfig(derpMap tailcfg.DERPMap) Option {
 func WithTuning(batchTimeout time.Duration, mapSessionChanSize int) Option {
 	return func(hsic *HeadscaleInContainer) {
 		hsic.env["HEADSCALE_TUNING_BATCH_CHANGE_DELAY"] = batchTimeout.String()
-		hsic.env["HEADSCALE_TUNING_NODE_MAPSESSION_BUFFERED_CHAN_SIZE"] = strconv.Itoa(mapSessionChanSize)
+		hsic.env["HEADSCALE_TUNING_NODE_MAPSESSION_BUFFERED_CHAN_SIZE"] = strconv.Itoa(
+			mapSessionChanSize,
+		)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -268,6 +272,28 @@ func WithTimezone(timezone string) Option {
 	}
 }
 
+// WithDebugPort sets the debug port for delve debugging.
+func WithDebugPort(port int) Option {
+	return func(hsic *HeadscaleInContainer) {
+		hsic.debugPort = port
+	}
+}
+
+// buildEntrypoint builds the container entrypoint command based on configuration.
+func (hsic *HeadscaleInContainer) buildEntrypoint() []string {
+	debugCmd := fmt.Sprintf(
+		"/go/bin/dlv --listen=0.0.0.0:%d --headless=true --api-version=2 --accept-multiclient --allow-non-terminal-interactive=true exec /go/bin/headscale --continue -- serve",
+		hsic.debugPort,
+	)
+
+	entrypoint := fmt.Sprintf(
+		"/bin/sleep 3 ; update-ca-certificates ; %s ; /bin/sleep 30",
+		debugCmd,
+	)
+
+	return []string{"/bin/bash", "-c", entrypoint}
+}
+
 // New returns a new HeadscaleInContainer instance.
 func New(
 	pool *dockertest.Pool,
@@ -281,9 +307,18 @@ func New(
 
 	hostname := "hs-" + hash
 
+	// Get debug port from environment or use default
+	debugPort := 40000
+	if envDebugPort := envknob.String("HEADSCALE_DEBUG_PORT"); envDebugPort != "" {
+		if port, err := strconv.Atoi(envDebugPort); err == nil {
+			debugPort = port
+		}
+	}
+
 	hsic := &HeadscaleInContainer{
-		hostname: hostname,
-		port:     headscaleDefaultPort,
+		hostname:  hostname,
+		port:      headscaleDefaultPort,
+		debugPort: debugPort,
 
 		pool:     pool,
 		networks: networks,
@@ -300,6 +335,7 @@ func New(
 	log.Println("NAME: ", hsic.hostname)
 
 	portProto := fmt.Sprintf("%d/tcp", hsic.port)
+	debugPortProto := fmt.Sprintf("%d/tcp", hsic.debugPort)
 
 	headscaleBuildOptions := &dockertest.BuildOptions{
 		Dockerfile: IntegrationTestDockerFileName,
@@ -364,17 +400,27 @@ func New(
 
 	runOptions := &dockertest.RunOptions{
 		Name:         hsic.hostname,
-		ExposedPorts: append([]string{portProto, "9090/tcp"}, hsic.extraPorts...),
+		ExposedPorts: append([]string{portProto, debugPortProto, "9090/tcp"}, hsic.extraPorts...),
 		Networks:     networks,
 		// Cmd:          []string{"headscale", "serve"},
 		// TODO(kradalby): Get rid of this hack, we currently need to give us some
 		// to inject the headscale configuration further down.
-		Entrypoint: []string{"/bin/bash", "-c", "/bin/sleep 3 ; update-ca-certificates ; headscale serve ; /bin/sleep 30"},
+		Entrypoint: hsic.buildEntrypoint(),
 		Env:        env,
 	}
 
-	if len(hsic.hostPortBindings) > 0 {
+	// Always bind debug port and metrics port to predictable host ports
+	if runOptions.PortBindings == nil {
 		runOptions.PortBindings = map[docker.Port][]docker.PortBinding{}
+	}
+	runOptions.PortBindings[docker.Port(debugPortProto)] = []docker.PortBinding{
+		{HostPort: strconv.Itoa(hsic.debugPort)},
+	}
+	runOptions.PortBindings["9090/tcp"] = []docker.PortBinding{
+		{HostPort: "49090"},
+	}
+
+	if len(hsic.hostPortBindings) > 0 {
 		for port, hostPorts := range hsic.hostPortBindings {
 			runOptions.PortBindings[docker.Port(port)] = []docker.PortBinding{}
 			for _, hostPort := range hostPorts {
@@ -410,6 +456,12 @@ func New(
 
 	hsic.container = container
 
+	log.Printf(
+		"Debug ports for %s: delve=%s, metrics/pprof=49090\n",
+		hsic.hostname,
+		hsic.GetHostDebugPort(),
+	)
+
 	// Write the CA certificates to the container
 	for i, cert := range hsic.caCerts {
 		err = hsic.WriteFile(fmt.Sprintf("%s/user-%d.crt", caCertRoot, i), cert)
@@ -644,14 +696,6 @@ func (t *HeadscaleInContainer) SaveDatabase(savePath string) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	// First, let's see what files are actually in /tmp
-	tmpListing, err := t.Execute([]string{"ls", "-la", "/tmp/"})
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Printf("Warning: could not list /tmp directory: %v", err)
-	} else {
-		log.Printf("Contents of /tmp in container %s:\n%s", t.hostname, tmpListing)
-	}
-
 	// Also check for any .sqlite files
 	sqliteFiles, err := t.Execute([]string{"find", "/tmp", "-name", "*.sqlite*", "-type", "f"})
 	if err != nil {
@@ -678,12 +722,6 @@ func (t *HeadscaleInContainer) SaveDatabase(savePath string) error {
 		return errors.New("database file exists but has no schema (empty database)")
 	}
 
-	// Show a preview of the schema (first 500 chars)
-	schemaPreview := schemaCheck
-	if len(schemaPreview) > 500 {
-		schemaPreview = schemaPreview[:500] + "..."
-	}
-
 	tarFile, err := t.FetchPath("/tmp/integration_test_db.sqlite3")
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to fetch database file: %w", err)
@@ -700,7 +738,12 @@ func (t *HeadscaleInContainer) SaveDatabase(savePath string) error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to read tar header: %w", err)
 		}
 
-		log.Printf("Found file in tar: %s (type: %d, size: %d)", header.Name, header.Typeflag, header.Size)
+		log.Printf(
+			"Found file in tar: %s (type: %d, size: %d)",
+			header.Name,
+			header.Typeflag,
+			header.Size,
+		)
 
 		// Extract the first regular file we find
 		if header.Typeflag == tar.TypeReg {
@@ -716,11 +759,20 @@ func (t *HeadscaleInContainer) SaveDatabase(savePath string) error {
 				return fmt.Errorf("failed to copy database file: %w", err)
 			}
 
-			log.Printf("Extracted database file: %s (%d bytes written, header claimed %d bytes)", dbPath, written, header.Size)
+			log.Printf(
+				"Extracted database file: %s (%d bytes written, header claimed %d bytes)",
+				dbPath,
+				written,
+				header.Size,
+			)
 
 			// Check if we actually wrote something
 			if written == 0 {
-				return fmt.Errorf("database file is empty (size: %d, header size: %d)", written, header.Size)
+				return fmt.Errorf(
+					"database file is empty (size: %d, header size: %d)",
+					written,
+					header.Size,
+				)
 			}
 
 			return nil
@@ -759,6 +811,16 @@ func (t *HeadscaleInContainer) GetPort() string {
 	return strconv.Itoa(t.port)
 }
 
+// GetDebugPort returns the debug port as a string.
+func (t *HeadscaleInContainer) GetDebugPort() string {
+	return strconv.Itoa(t.debugPort)
+}
+
+// GetHostDebugPort returns the host port mapped to the debug port.
+func (t *HeadscaleInContainer) GetHostDebugPort() string {
+	return strconv.Itoa(t.debugPort)
+}
+
 // GetHealthEndpoint returns a health endpoint for the HeadscaleInContainer
 // instance.
 func (t *HeadscaleInContainer) GetHealthEndpoint() string {
@@ -821,7 +883,15 @@ func (t *HeadscaleInContainer) WaitForRunning() error {
 func (t *HeadscaleInContainer) CreateUser(
 	user string,
 ) (*v1.User, error) {
-	command := []string{"headscale", "users", "create", user, fmt.Sprintf("--email=%s@test.no", user), "--output", "json"}
+	command := []string{
+		"headscale",
+		"users",
+		"create",
+		user,
+		fmt.Sprintf("--email=%s@test.no", user),
+		"--output",
+		"json",
+	}
 
 	result, _, err := dockertestutil.ExecuteCommand(
 		t.container,
@@ -1132,13 +1202,18 @@ func (t *HeadscaleInContainer) ApproveRoutes(id uint64, routes []netip.Prefix) (
 		[]string{},
 	)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to execute list node command: %w", err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf(
+			"failed to execute approve routes command (node %d, routes %v): %w",
+			id,
+			routes,
+			err,
+		)
 	}
 
 	var node *v1.Node
 	err = json.Unmarshal([]byte(result), &node)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to unmarshal nodes: %w", err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to unmarshal node response: %q, error: %w", result, err)
 	}
 
 	return node, nil
diff --git a/integration/scenario.go b/integration/scenario.go
index b235cf34..817d927b 100644
--- a/integration/scenario.go
+++ b/integration/scenario.go
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ func NewScenario(spec ScenarioSpec) (*Scenario, error) {
 
 	s.userToNetwork = userToNetwork
 
-	if spec.OIDCUsers != nil && len(spec.OIDCUsers) != 0 {
+	if len(spec.OIDCUsers) != 0 {
 		ttl := defaultAccessTTL
 		if spec.OIDCAccessTTL != 0 {
 			ttl = spec.OIDCAccessTTL
diff --git a/integration/tsic/tsic.go b/integration/tsic/tsic.go
index 3e4847eb..01603512 100644
--- a/integration/tsic/tsic.go
+++ b/integration/tsic/tsic.go
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ func WithExtraLoginArgs(args []string) Option {
 	}
 }
 
-// WithAcceptRoutes tells the node to accept incomming routes.
+// WithAcceptRoutes tells the node to accept incoming routes.
 func WithAcceptRoutes() Option {
 	return func(tsic *TailscaleInContainer) {
 		tsic.withAcceptRoutes = true
@@ -319,6 +319,7 @@ func New(
 			dockertestutil.DockerRestartPolicy,
 			dockertestutil.DockerAllowLocalIPv6,
 			dockertestutil.DockerAllowNetworkAdministration,
+			dockertestutil.DockerMemoryLimit,
 		)
 	case "unstable":
 		tailscaleOptions.Repository = "tailscale/tailscale"
@@ -329,6 +330,7 @@ func New(
 			dockertestutil.DockerRestartPolicy,
 			dockertestutil.DockerAllowLocalIPv6,
 			dockertestutil.DockerAllowNetworkAdministration,
+			dockertestutil.DockerMemoryLimit,
 		)
 	default:
 		tailscaleOptions.Repository = "tailscale/tailscale"
@@ -339,6 +341,7 @@ func New(
 			dockertestutil.DockerRestartPolicy,
 			dockertestutil.DockerAllowLocalIPv6,
 			dockertestutil.DockerAllowNetworkAdministration,
+			dockertestutil.DockerMemoryLimit,
 		)
 	}
 
diff --git a/integration/utils.go b/integration/utils.go
index a7ab048b..2e70b793 100644
--- a/integration/utils.go
+++ b/integration/utils.go
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@ import (
 
 const (
 	// derpPingTimeout defines the timeout for individual DERP ping operations
-	// Used in DERP connectivity tests to verify relay server communication
+	// Used in DERP connectivity tests to verify relay server communication.
 	derpPingTimeout = 2 * time.Second
-	
+
 	// derpPingCount defines the number of ping attempts for DERP connectivity tests
-	// Higher count provides better reliability assessment of DERP connectivity
+	// Higher count provides better reliability assessment of DERP connectivity.
 	derpPingCount = 10
 )
 
@@ -317,11 +317,11 @@ func assertValidNetcheck(t *testing.T, client TailscaleClient) {
 
 // assertCommandOutputContains executes a command with exponential backoff retry until the output
 // contains the expected string or timeout is reached (10 seconds).
-// This implements eventual consistency patterns and should be used instead of time.Sleep 
+// This implements eventual consistency patterns and should be used instead of time.Sleep
 // before executing commands that depend on network state propagation.
 //
 // Timeout: 10 seconds with exponential backoff
-// Use cases: DNS resolution, route propagation, policy updates
+// Use cases: DNS resolution, route propagation, policy updates.
 func assertCommandOutputContains(t *testing.T, c TailscaleClient, command []string, contains string) {
 	t.Helper()
 
@@ -361,10 +361,10 @@ func isSelfClient(client TailscaleClient, addr string) bool {
 }
 
 func dockertestMaxWait() time.Duration {
-	wait := 120 * time.Second //nolint
+	wait := 300 * time.Second //nolint
 
 	if util.IsCI() {
-		wait = 300 * time.Second //nolint
+		wait = 600 * time.Second //nolint
 	}
 
 	return wait
diff --git a/mkdocs.yml b/mkdocs.yml
index b096aed8..aa76a7d2 100644
--- a/mkdocs.yml
+++ b/mkdocs.yml
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ extra:
     - icon: fontawesome/brands/discord
       link: https://discord.gg/c84AZQhmpx
   headscale:
-    version: 0.26.0
+    version: 0.26.1
 
 # Extensions
 markdown_extensions:
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ nav:
       - ACLs: ref/acls.md
       - DNS: ref/dns.md
       - Remote CLI: ref/remote-cli.md
+      - Debug: ref/debug.md
       - Integration:
           - Reverse proxy: ref/integration/reverse-proxy.md
           - Web UI: ref/integration/web-ui.md
diff --git a/hscontrol/capver/gen/main.go b/tools/capver/main.go
similarity index 91%
rename from hscontrol/capver/gen/main.go
rename to tools/capver/main.go
index 3b31686d..37bab0bc 100644
--- a/hscontrol/capver/gen/main.go
+++ b/tools/capver/main.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
-	"log"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"regexp"
@@ -21,7 +20,7 @@ import (
 const (
 	releasesURL = "https://api.github.com/repos/tailscale/tailscale/releases"
 	rawFileURL  = "https://github.com/tailscale/tailscale/raw/refs/tags/%s/tailcfg/tailcfg.go"
-	outputFile  = "../capver_generated.go"
+	outputFile  = "../../hscontrol/capver/capver_generated.go"
 )
 
 type Release struct {
@@ -105,7 +104,7 @@ func writeCapabilityVersionsToFile(versions map[string]tailcfg.CapabilityVersion
 	sortedVersions := xmaps.Keys(versions)
 	sort.Strings(sortedVersions)
 	for _, version := range sortedVersions {
-		file.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("\t\"%s\": %d,\n", version, versions[version]))
+		fmt.Fprintf(file, "\t\"%s\": %d,\n", version, versions[version])
 	}
 	file.WriteString("}\n")
 
@@ -115,16 +114,13 @@ func writeCapabilityVersionsToFile(versions map[string]tailcfg.CapabilityVersion
 	capVarToTailscaleVer := make(map[tailcfg.CapabilityVersion]string)
 	for _, v := range sortedVersions {
 		cap := versions[v]
-		log.Printf("cap for v: %d, %s", cap, v)
 
 		// If it is already set, skip and continue,
 		// we only want the first tailscale vsion per
 		// capability vsion.
 		if _, ok := capVarToTailscaleVer[cap]; ok {
-			log.Printf("Skipping %d, %s", cap, v)
 			continue
 		}
-		log.Printf("Storing %d, %s", cap, v)
 		capVarToTailscaleVer[cap] = v
 	}
 
@@ -133,7 +129,7 @@ func writeCapabilityVersionsToFile(versions map[string]tailcfg.CapabilityVersion
 		return capsSorted[i] < capsSorted[j]
 	})
 	for _, capVer := range capsSorted {
-		file.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("\t%d:\t\t\"%s\",\n", capVer, capVarToTailscaleVer[capVer]))
+		fmt.Fprintf(file, "\t%d:\t\t\"%s\",\n", capVer, capVarToTailscaleVer[capVer])
 	}
 	file.WriteString("}\n")
 



Test patch:
diff --git a/hscontrol/capver/capver_test.go b/hscontrol/capver/capver_test.go
index eb2d06ba..42f1df71 100644
--- a/hscontrol/capver/capver_test.go
+++ b/hscontrol/capver/capver_test.go
@@ -13,11 +13,10 @@ func TestTailscaleLatestMajorMinor(t *testing.T) {
 		stripV   bool
 		expected []string
 	}{
-		{3, false, []string{"v1.78", "v1.80", "v1.82"}},
-		{2, true, []string{"1.80", "1.82"}},
+		{3, false, []string{"v1.80", "v1.82", "v1.84"}},
+		{2, true, []string{"1.82", "1.84"}},
 		// Lazy way to see all supported versions
 		{10, true, []string{
-			"1.64",
 			"1.66",
 			"1.68",
 			"1.70",
@@ -27,6 +26,7 @@ func TestTailscaleLatestMajorMinor(t *testing.T) {
 			"1.78",
 			"1.80",
 			"1.82",
+			"1.84",
 		}},
 		{0, false, nil},
 	}
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ func TestCapVerMinimumTailscaleVersion(t *testing.T) {
 		input    tailcfg.CapabilityVersion
 		expected string
 	}{
-		{88, "v1.62.0"},
 		{90, "v1.64.0"},
 		{95, "v1.66.0"},
 		{106, "v1.74.0"},
diff --git a/hscontrol/db/db_test.go b/hscontrol/db/db_test.go
index 86332a0d..47245c39 100644
--- a/hscontrol/db/db_test.go
+++ b/hscontrol/db/db_test.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"slices"
-	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -362,8 +361,8 @@ func TestSQLiteMigrationAndDataValidation(t *testing.T) {
 				}
 
 				if diff := cmp.Diff(expectedKeys, keys, cmp.Comparer(func(a, b []string) bool {
-					sort.Sort(sort.StringSlice(a))
-					sort.Sort(sort.StringSlice(b))
+					slices.Sort(a)
+					slices.Sort(b)
 					return slices.Equal(a, b)
 				}), cmpopts.IgnoreFields(types.PreAuthKey{}, "User", "CreatedAt", "Reusable", "Ephemeral", "Used", "Expiration")); diff != "" {
 					t.Errorf("TestSQLiteMigrationAndDataValidation() pre-auth key tags migration mismatch (-want +got):\n%s", diff)
diff --git a/hscontrol/db/node_test.go b/hscontrol/db/node_test.go
index 9f10fc1c..8819fbcf 100644
--- a/hscontrol/db/node_test.go
+++ b/hscontrol/db/node_test.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"math/big"
 	"net/netip"
 	"regexp"
-	"strconv"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -26,82 +25,36 @@ import (
 )
 
 func (s *Suite) TestGetNode(c *check.C) {
-	user, err := db.CreateUser(types.User{Name: "test"})
-	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
-
-	pak, err := db.CreatePreAuthKey(types.UserID(user.ID), false, false, nil, nil)
-	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
+	user := db.CreateUserForTest("test")
 
-	_, err = db.getNode(types.UserID(user.ID), "testnode")
+	_, err := db.getNode(types.UserID(user.ID), "testnode")
 	c.Assert(err, check.NotNil)
 
-	nodeKey := key.NewNode()
-	machineKey := key.NewMachine()
-
-	node := &types.Node{
-		ID:             0,
-		MachineKey:     machineKey.Public(),
-		NodeKey:        nodeKey.Public(),
-		Hostname:       "testnode",
-		UserID:         user.ID,
-		RegisterMethod: util.RegisterMethodAuthKey,
-		AuthKeyID:      ptr.To(pak.ID),
-	}
-	trx := db.DB.Save(node)
-	c.Assert(trx.Error, check.IsNil)
+	node := db.CreateNodeForTest(user, "testnode")
 
 	_, err = db.getNode(types.UserID(user.ID), "testnode")
 	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
+	c.Assert(node.Hostname, check.Equals, "testnode")
 }
 
 func (s *Suite) TestGetNodeByID(c *check.C) {
-	user, err := db.CreateUser(types.User{Name: "test"})
-	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
-
-	pak, err := db.CreatePreAuthKey(types.UserID(user.ID), false, false, nil, nil)
-	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
+	user := db.CreateUserForTest("test")
 
-	_, err = db.GetNodeByID(0)
+	_, err := db.GetNodeByID(0)
 	c.Assert(err, check.NotNil)
 
-	nodeKey := key.NewNode()
-	machineKey := key.NewMachine()
-
-	node := types.Node{
-		ID:             0,
-		MachineKey:     machineKey.Public(),
-		NodeKey:        nodeKey.Public(),
-		Hostname:       "testnode",
-		UserID:         user.ID,
-		RegisterMethod: util.RegisterMethodAuthKey,
-		AuthKeyID:      ptr.To(pak.ID),
-	}
-	trx := db.DB.Save(&node)
-	c.Assert(trx.Error, check.IsNil)
+	node := db.CreateNodeForTest(user, "testnode")
 
-	_, err = db.GetNodeByID(0)
+	retrievedNode, err := db.GetNodeByID(node.ID)
 	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
+	c.Assert(retrievedNode.Hostname, check.Equals, "testnode")
 }
 
 func (s *Suite) TestHardDeleteNode(c *check.C) {
-	user, err := db.CreateUser(types.User{Name: "test"})
-	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
-
-	nodeKey := key.NewNode()
-	machineKey := key.NewMachine()
-
-	node := types.Node{
-		ID:             0,
-		MachineKey:     machineKey.Public(),
-		NodeKey:        nodeKey.Public(),
-		Hostname:       "testnode3",
-		UserID:         user.ID,
-		RegisterMethod: util.RegisterMethodAuthKey,
-	}
-	trx := db.DB.Save(&node)
-	c.Assert(trx.Error, check.IsNil)
+	user := db.CreateUserForTest("test")
+	node := db.CreateNodeForTest(user, "testnode3")
 
-	err = db.DeleteNode(&node)
+	err := db.DeleteNode(node)
 	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
 
 	_, err = db.getNode(types.UserID(user.ID), "testnode3")
@@ -109,42 +62,21 @@ func (s *Suite) TestHardDeleteNode(c *check.C) {
 }
 
 func (s *Suite) TestListPeers(c *check.C) {
-	user, err := db.CreateUser(types.User{Name: "test"})
-	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
-
-	pak, err := db.CreatePreAuthKey(types.UserID(user.ID), false, false, nil, nil)
-	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
+	user := db.CreateUserForTest("test")
 
-	_, err = db.GetNodeByID(0)
+	_, err := db.GetNodeByID(0)
 	c.Assert(err, check.NotNil)
 
-	for index := range 11 {
-		nodeKey := key.NewNode()
-		machineKey := key.NewMachine()
-
-		node := types.Node{
-			ID:             types.NodeID(index),
-			MachineKey:     machineKey.Public(),
-			NodeKey:        nodeKey.Public(),
-			Hostname:       "testnode" + strconv.Itoa(index),
-			UserID:         user.ID,
-			RegisterMethod: util.RegisterMethodAuthKey,
-			AuthKeyID:      ptr.To(pak.ID),
-		}
-		trx := db.DB.Save(&node)
-		c.Assert(trx.Error, check.IsNil)
-	}
-
-	node0ByID, err := db.GetNodeByID(0)
-	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
+	nodes := db.CreateNodesForTest(user, 11, "testnode")
 
-	peersOfNode0, err := db.ListPeers(node0ByID.ID)
+	firstNode := nodes[0]
+	peersOfFirstNode, err := db.ListPeers(firstNode.ID)
 	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
 
-	c.Assert(len(peersOfNode0), check.Equals, 9)
-	c.Assert(peersOfNode0[0].Hostname, check.Equals, "testnode2")
-	c.Assert(peersOfNode0[5].Hostname, check.Equals, "testnode7")
-	c.Assert(peersOfNode0[8].Hostname, check.Equals, "testnode10")
+	c.Assert(len(peersOfFirstNode), check.Equals, 10)
+	c.Assert(peersOfFirstNode[0].Hostname, check.Equals, "testnode-1")
+	c.Assert(peersOfFirstNode[5].Hostname, check.Equals, "testnode-6")
+	c.Assert(peersOfFirstNode[9].Hostname, check.Equals, "testnode-10")
 }
 
 func (s *Suite) TestExpireNode(c *check.C) {
@@ -807,13 +739,13 @@ func TestListPeers(t *testing.T) {
 	// No parameter means no filter, should return all peers
 	nodes, err = db.ListPeers(1)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Len(t, nodes, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, len(nodes))
 	assert.Equal(t, "test2", nodes[0].Hostname)
 
 	// Empty node list should return all peers
 	nodes, err = db.ListPeers(1, types.NodeIDs{}...)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Len(t, nodes, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, len(nodes))
 	assert.Equal(t, "test2", nodes[0].Hostname)
 
 	// No match in IDs should return empty list and no error
@@ -824,13 +756,13 @@ func TestListPeers(t *testing.T) {
 	// Partial match in IDs
 	nodes, err = db.ListPeers(1, types.NodeIDs{2, 3}...)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Len(t, nodes, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, len(nodes))
 	assert.Equal(t, "test2", nodes[0].Hostname)
 
 	// Several matched IDs, but node ID is still filtered out
 	nodes, err = db.ListPeers(1, types.NodeIDs{1, 2, 3}...)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Len(t, nodes, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, len(nodes))
 	assert.Equal(t, "test2", nodes[0].Hostname)
 }
 
@@ -892,14 +824,14 @@ func TestListNodes(t *testing.T) {
 	// No parameter means no filter, should return all nodes
 	nodes, err = db.ListNodes()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Len(t, nodes, 2)
+	assert.Equal(t, 2, len(nodes))
 	assert.Equal(t, "test1", nodes[0].Hostname)
 	assert.Equal(t, "test2", nodes[1].Hostname)
 
 	// Empty node list should return all nodes
 	nodes, err = db.ListNodes(types.NodeIDs{}...)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Len(t, nodes, 2)
+	assert.Equal(t, 2, len(nodes))
 	assert.Equal(t, "test1", nodes[0].Hostname)
 	assert.Equal(t, "test2", nodes[1].Hostname)
 
@@ -911,13 +843,13 @@ func TestListNodes(t *testing.T) {
 	// Partial match in IDs
 	nodes, err = db.ListNodes(types.NodeIDs{2, 3}...)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Len(t, nodes, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, len(nodes))
 	assert.Equal(t, "test2", nodes[0].Hostname)
 
 	// Several matched IDs
 	nodes, err = db.ListNodes(types.NodeIDs{1, 2, 3}...)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Len(t, nodes, 2)
+	assert.Equal(t, 2, len(nodes))
 	assert.Equal(t, "test1", nodes[0].Hostname)
 	assert.Equal(t, "test2", nodes[1].Hostname)
 }
diff --git a/hscontrol/db/preauth_keys_test.go b/hscontrol/db/preauth_keys_test.go
index 7945f090..605e7442 100644
--- a/hscontrol/db/preauth_keys_test.go
+++ b/hscontrol/db/preauth_keys_test.go
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 package db
 
 import (
-	"sort"
+	"slices"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types"
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func (*Suite) TestPreAuthKeyACLTags(c *check.C) {
 	listedPaks, err := db.ListPreAuthKeys(types.UserID(user.ID))
 	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
 	gotTags := listedPaks[0].Proto().GetAclTags()
-	sort.Sort(sort.StringSlice(gotTags))
+	slices.Sort(gotTags)
 	c.Assert(gotTags, check.DeepEquals, tags)
 }
 
diff --git a/hscontrol/db/users_test.go b/hscontrol/db/users_test.go
index 13b75557..5b2f0c4b 100644
--- a/hscontrol/db/users_test.go
+++ b/hscontrol/db/users_test.go
@@ -11,8 +11,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func (s *Suite) TestCreateAndDestroyUser(c *check.C) {
-	user, err := db.CreateUser(types.User{Name: "test"})
-	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
+	user := db.CreateUserForTest("test")
 	c.Assert(user.Name, check.Equals, "test")
 
 	users, err := db.ListUsers()
@@ -30,8 +29,7 @@ func (s *Suite) TestDestroyUserErrors(c *check.C) {
 	err := db.DestroyUser(9998)
 	c.Assert(err, check.Equals, ErrUserNotFound)
 
-	user, err := db.CreateUser(types.User{Name: "test"})
-	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
+	user := db.CreateUserForTest("test")
 
 	pak, err := db.CreatePreAuthKey(types.UserID(user.ID), false, false, nil, nil)
 	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
@@ -64,8 +62,7 @@ func (s *Suite) TestDestroyUserErrors(c *check.C) {
 }
 
 func (s *Suite) TestRenameUser(c *check.C) {
-	userTest, err := db.CreateUser(types.User{Name: "test"})
-	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
+	userTest := db.CreateUserForTest("test")
 	c.Assert(userTest.Name, check.Equals, "test")
 
 	users, err := db.ListUsers()
@@ -86,8 +83,7 @@ func (s *Suite) TestRenameUser(c *check.C) {
 	err = db.RenameUser(99988, "test")
 	c.Assert(err, check.Equals, ErrUserNotFound)
 
-	userTest2, err := db.CreateUser(types.User{Name: "test2"})
-	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
+	userTest2 := db.CreateUserForTest("test2")
 	c.Assert(userTest2.Name, check.Equals, "test2")
 
 	want := "UNIQUE constraint failed"
@@ -98,11 +94,8 @@ func (s *Suite) TestRenameUser(c *check.C) {
 }
 
 func (s *Suite) TestSetMachineUser(c *check.C) {
-	oldUser, err := db.CreateUser(types.User{Name: "old"})
-	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
-
-	newUser, err := db.CreateUser(types.User{Name: "new"})
-	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
+	oldUser := db.CreateUserForTest("old")
+	newUser := db.CreateUserForTest("new")
 
 	pak, err := db.CreatePreAuthKey(types.UserID(oldUser.ID), false, false, nil, nil)
 	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
diff --git a/hscontrol/mapper/batcher_test.go b/hscontrol/mapper/batcher_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b2a632d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hscontrol/mapper/batcher_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,1977 @@
+package mapper
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"net/netip"
+	"strings"
+	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/db"
+	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/state"
+	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types"
+	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types/change"
+	"github.com/rs/zerolog"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"tailscale.com/tailcfg"
+	"zgo.at/zcache/v2"
+)
+
+// batcherTestCase defines a batcher function with a descriptive name for testing.
+type batcherTestCase struct {
+	name string
+	fn   batcherFunc
+}
+
+// allBatcherFunctions contains all batcher implementations to test.
+var allBatcherFunctions = []batcherTestCase{
+	{"LockFree", NewBatcherAndMapper},
+}
+
+// emptyCache creates an empty registration cache for testing.
+func emptyCache() *zcache.Cache[types.RegistrationID, types.RegisterNode] {
+	return zcache.New[types.RegistrationID, types.RegisterNode](time.Minute, time.Hour)
+}
+
+// Test configuration constants.
+const (
+	// Test data configuration.
+	TEST_USER_COUNT     = 3
+	TEST_NODES_PER_USER = 2
+
+	// Load testing configuration.
+	HIGH_LOAD_NODES   = 25  // Increased from 9
+	HIGH_LOAD_CYCLES  = 100 // Increased from 20
+	HIGH_LOAD_UPDATES = 50  // Increased from 20
+
+	// Extreme load testing configuration.
+	EXTREME_LOAD_NODES   = 50
+	EXTREME_LOAD_CYCLES  = 200
+	EXTREME_LOAD_UPDATES = 100
+
+	// Timing configuration.
+	TEST_TIMEOUT     = 120 * time.Second // Increased for more intensive tests
+	UPDATE_TIMEOUT   = 5 * time.Second
+	DEADLOCK_TIMEOUT = 30 * time.Second
+
+	// Channel configuration.
+	NORMAL_BUFFER_SIZE = 50
+	SMALL_BUFFER_SIZE  = 3
+	TINY_BUFFER_SIZE   = 1 // For maximum contention
+	LARGE_BUFFER_SIZE  = 200
+
+	reservedResponseHeaderSize = 4
+)
+
+// TestData contains all test entities created for a test scenario.
+type TestData struct {
+	Database *db.HSDatabase
+	Users    []*types.User
+	Nodes    []node
+	State    *state.State
+	Config   *types.Config
+	Batcher  Batcher
+}
+
+type node struct {
+	n  *types.Node
+	ch chan *tailcfg.MapResponse
+
+	// Update tracking
+	updateCount   int64
+	patchCount    int64
+	fullCount     int64
+	maxPeersCount int
+	lastPeerCount int
+	stop          chan struct{}
+	stopped       chan struct{}
+}
+
+// setupBatcherWithTestData creates a comprehensive test environment with real
+// database test data including users and registered nodes.
+//
+// This helper creates a database, populates it with test data, then creates
+// a state and batcher using the SAME database for testing. This provides real
+// node data for testing full map responses and comprehensive update scenarios.
+//
+// Returns TestData struct containing all created entities and a cleanup function.
+func setupBatcherWithTestData(t *testing.T, bf batcherFunc, userCount, nodesPerUser, bufferSize int) (*TestData, func()) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	// Create database and populate with test data first
+	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
+	dbPath := tmpDir + "/headscale_test.db"
+
+	prefixV4 := netip.MustParsePrefix("100.64.0.0/10")
+	prefixV6 := netip.MustParsePrefix("fd7a:115c:a1e0::/48")
+
+	cfg := &types.Config{
+		Database: types.DatabaseConfig{
+			Type: types.DatabaseSqlite,
+			Sqlite: types.SqliteConfig{
+				Path: dbPath,
+			},
+		},
+		PrefixV4:     &prefixV4,
+		PrefixV6:     &prefixV6,
+		IPAllocation: types.IPAllocationStrategySequential,
+		BaseDomain:   "headscale.test",
+		Policy: types.PolicyConfig{
+			Mode: types.PolicyModeDB,
+		},
+		DERP: types.DERPConfig{
+			ServerEnabled: false,
+			DERPMap: &tailcfg.DERPMap{
+				Regions: map[int]*tailcfg.DERPRegion{
+					999: {
+						RegionID: 999,
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		Tuning: types.Tuning{
+			BatchChangeDelay: 10 * time.Millisecond,
+			BatcherWorkers:   types.DefaultBatcherWorkers(), // Use same logic as config.go
+		},
+	}
+
+	// Create database and populate it with test data
+	database, err := db.NewHeadscaleDatabase(
+		cfg.Database,
+		"",
+		emptyCache(),
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("setting up database: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	// Create test users and nodes in the database
+	users := database.CreateUsersForTest(userCount, "testuser")
+	allNodes := make([]node, 0, userCount*nodesPerUser)
+	for _, user := range users {
+		dbNodes := database.CreateRegisteredNodesForTest(user, nodesPerUser, "node")
+		for i := range dbNodes {
+			allNodes = append(allNodes, node{
+				n:  dbNodes[i],
+				ch: make(chan *tailcfg.MapResponse, bufferSize),
+			})
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Now create state using the same database
+	state, err := state.NewState(cfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to create state: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Set up a permissive policy that allows all communication for testing
+	allowAllPolicy := `{
+		"acls": [
+			{
+				"action": "accept",
+				"users": ["*"],
+				"ports": ["*:*"]
+			}
+		]
+	}`
+
+	_, err = state.SetPolicy([]byte(allowAllPolicy))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to set allow-all policy: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Create batcher with the state
+	batcher := bf(cfg, state)
+	batcher.Start()
+
+	testData := &TestData{
+		Database: database,
+		Users:    users,
+		Nodes:    allNodes,
+		State:    state,
+		Config:   cfg,
+		Batcher:  batcher,
+	}
+
+	cleanup := func() {
+		batcher.Close()
+		state.Close()
+		database.Close()
+	}
+
+	return testData, cleanup
+}
+
+type UpdateStats struct {
+	TotalUpdates int
+	UpdateSizes  []int
+	LastUpdate   time.Time
+}
+
+// updateTracker provides thread-safe tracking of updates per node.
+type updateTracker struct {
+	mu    sync.RWMutex
+	stats map[types.NodeID]*UpdateStats
+}
+
+// newUpdateTracker creates a new update tracker.
+func newUpdateTracker() *updateTracker {
+	return &updateTracker{
+		stats: make(map[types.NodeID]*UpdateStats),
+	}
+}
+
+// recordUpdate records an update for a specific node.
+func (ut *updateTracker) recordUpdate(nodeID types.NodeID, updateSize int) {
+	ut.mu.Lock()
+	defer ut.mu.Unlock()
+
+	if ut.stats[nodeID] == nil {
+		ut.stats[nodeID] = &UpdateStats{}
+	}
+
+	stats := ut.stats[nodeID]
+	stats.TotalUpdates++
+	stats.UpdateSizes = append(stats.UpdateSizes, updateSize)
+	stats.LastUpdate = time.Now()
+}
+
+// getStats returns a copy of the statistics for a node.
+func (ut *updateTracker) getStats(nodeID types.NodeID) UpdateStats {
+	ut.mu.RLock()
+	defer ut.mu.RUnlock()
+
+	if stats, exists := ut.stats[nodeID]; exists {
+		// Return a copy to avoid race conditions
+		return UpdateStats{
+			TotalUpdates: stats.TotalUpdates,
+			UpdateSizes:  append([]int{}, stats.UpdateSizes...),
+			LastUpdate:   stats.LastUpdate,
+		}
+	}
+
+	return UpdateStats{}
+}
+
+// getAllStats returns a copy of all statistics.
+func (ut *updateTracker) getAllStats() map[types.NodeID]UpdateStats {
+	ut.mu.RLock()
+	defer ut.mu.RUnlock()
+
+	result := make(map[types.NodeID]UpdateStats)
+	for nodeID, stats := range ut.stats {
+		result[nodeID] = UpdateStats{
+			TotalUpdates: stats.TotalUpdates,
+			UpdateSizes:  append([]int{}, stats.UpdateSizes...),
+			LastUpdate:   stats.LastUpdate,
+		}
+	}
+
+	return result
+}
+
+func assertDERPMapResponse(t *testing.T, resp *tailcfg.MapResponse) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	assert.NotNil(t, resp.DERPMap, "DERPMap should not be nil in response")
+	assert.Len(t, resp.DERPMap.Regions, 1, "Expected exactly one DERP region in response")
+	assert.Equal(t, 999, resp.DERPMap.Regions[999].RegionID, "Expected DERP region ID to be 1337")
+}
+
+func assertOnlineMapResponse(t *testing.T, resp *tailcfg.MapResponse, expected bool) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	// Check for peer changes patch (new online/offline notifications use patches)
+	if len(resp.PeersChangedPatch) > 0 {
+		require.Len(t, resp.PeersChangedPatch, 1)
+		assert.Equal(t, expected, *resp.PeersChangedPatch[0].Online)
+		return
+	}
+
+	// Fallback to old format for backwards compatibility
+	require.Len(t, resp.Peers, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, expected, resp.Peers[0].Online)
+}
+
+// UpdateInfo contains parsed information about an update.
+type UpdateInfo struct {
+	IsFull     bool
+	IsPatch    bool
+	IsDERP     bool
+	PeerCount  int
+	PatchCount int
+}
+
+// parseUpdateAndAnalyze parses an update and returns detailed information.
+func parseUpdateAndAnalyze(resp *tailcfg.MapResponse) (UpdateInfo, error) {
+	info := UpdateInfo{
+		PeerCount:  len(resp.Peers),
+		PatchCount: len(resp.PeersChangedPatch),
+		IsFull:     len(resp.Peers) > 0,
+		IsPatch:    len(resp.PeersChangedPatch) > 0,
+		IsDERP:     resp.DERPMap != nil,
+	}
+
+	return info, nil
+}
+
+// start begins consuming updates from the node's channel and tracking stats.
+func (n *node) start() {
+	// Prevent multiple starts on the same node
+	if n.stop != nil {
+		return // Already started
+	}
+
+	n.stop = make(chan struct{})
+	n.stopped = make(chan struct{})
+
+	go func() {
+		defer close(n.stopped)
+
+		for {
+			select {
+			case data := <-n.ch:
+				atomic.AddInt64(&n.updateCount, 1)
+
+				// Parse update and track detailed stats
+				if info, err := parseUpdateAndAnalyze(data); err == nil {
+					// Track update types
+					if info.IsFull {
+						atomic.AddInt64(&n.fullCount, 1)
+						n.lastPeerCount = info.PeerCount
+						// Update max peers seen
+						if info.PeerCount > n.maxPeersCount {
+							n.maxPeersCount = info.PeerCount
+						}
+					}
+					if info.IsPatch {
+						atomic.AddInt64(&n.patchCount, 1)
+						// For patches, we track how many patch items
+						if info.PatchCount > n.maxPeersCount {
+							n.maxPeersCount = info.PatchCount
+						}
+					}
+				}
+
+			case <-n.stop:
+				return
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+}
+
+// NodeStats contains final statistics for a node.
+type NodeStats struct {
+	TotalUpdates  int64
+	PatchUpdates  int64
+	FullUpdates   int64
+	MaxPeersSeen  int
+	LastPeerCount int
+}
+
+// cleanup stops the update consumer and returns final stats.
+func (n *node) cleanup() NodeStats {
+	if n.stop != nil {
+		close(n.stop)
+		<-n.stopped // Wait for goroutine to finish
+	}
+
+	return NodeStats{
+		TotalUpdates:  atomic.LoadInt64(&n.updateCount),
+		PatchUpdates:  atomic.LoadInt64(&n.patchCount),
+		FullUpdates:   atomic.LoadInt64(&n.fullCount),
+		MaxPeersSeen:  n.maxPeersCount,
+		LastPeerCount: n.lastPeerCount,
+	}
+}
+
+// validateUpdateContent validates that the update data contains a proper MapResponse.
+func validateUpdateContent(resp *tailcfg.MapResponse) (bool, string) {
+	if resp == nil {
+		return false, "nil MapResponse"
+	}
+
+	// Simple validation - just check if it's a valid MapResponse
+	return true, "valid"
+}
+
+// TestEnhancedNodeTracking verifies that the enhanced node tracking works correctly.
+func TestEnhancedNodeTracking(t *testing.T) {
+	// Create a simple test node
+	testNode := node{
+		n:  &types.Node{ID: 1},
+		ch: make(chan *tailcfg.MapResponse, 10),
+	}
+
+	// Start the enhanced tracking
+	testNode.start()
+
+	// Create a simple MapResponse that should be parsed correctly
+	resp := tailcfg.MapResponse{
+		KeepAlive: false,
+		Peers: []*tailcfg.Node{
+			{ID: 2},
+			{ID: 3},
+		},
+	}
+
+	// Send the data to the node's channel
+	testNode.ch <- &resp
+
+	// Give it time to process
+	time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	// Check stats
+	stats := testNode.cleanup()
+	t.Logf("Enhanced tracking stats: Total=%d, Full=%d, Patch=%d, MaxPeers=%d",
+		stats.TotalUpdates, stats.FullUpdates, stats.PatchUpdates, stats.MaxPeersSeen)
+
+	require.Equal(t, int64(1), stats.TotalUpdates, "Expected 1 total update")
+	require.Equal(t, int64(1), stats.FullUpdates, "Expected 1 full update")
+	require.Equal(t, 2, stats.MaxPeersSeen, "Expected 2 max peers seen")
+}
+
+// TestEnhancedTrackingWithBatcher verifies enhanced tracking works with a real batcher.
+func TestEnhancedTrackingWithBatcher(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, batcherFunc := range allBatcherFunctions {
+		t.Run(batcherFunc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			// Create test environment with 1 node
+			testData, cleanup := setupBatcherWithTestData(t, batcherFunc.fn, 1, 1, 10)
+			defer cleanup()
+
+			batcher := testData.Batcher
+			testNode := &testData.Nodes[0]
+
+			t.Logf("Testing enhanced tracking with node ID %d", testNode.n.ID)
+
+			// Start enhanced tracking for the node
+			testNode.start()
+
+			// Connect the node to the batcher
+			batcher.AddNode(testNode.n.ID, testNode.ch, false, tailcfg.CapabilityVersion(100))
+			time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond) // Let connection settle
+
+			// Generate some work
+			batcher.AddWork(change.FullSet)
+			time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond) // Let work be processed
+
+			batcher.AddWork(change.PolicySet)
+			time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+
+			batcher.AddWork(change.DERPSet)
+			time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+
+			// Check stats
+			stats := testNode.cleanup()
+			t.Logf("Enhanced tracking with batcher: Total=%d, Full=%d, Patch=%d, MaxPeers=%d",
+				stats.TotalUpdates, stats.FullUpdates, stats.PatchUpdates, stats.MaxPeersSeen)
+
+			if stats.TotalUpdates == 0 {
+				t.Error("Enhanced tracking with batcher received 0 updates - batcher may not be working")
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestBatcherScalabilityAllToAll tests the batcher's ability to handle rapid node joins
+// and ensure all nodes can see all other nodes. This is a critical test for mesh network
+// functionality where every node must be able to communicate with every other node.
+func TestBatcherScalabilityAllToAll(t *testing.T) {
+	// Reduce verbose application logging for cleaner test output
+	originalLevel := zerolog.GlobalLevel()
+	defer zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(originalLevel)
+	zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.ErrorLevel)
+
+	// Test cases: different node counts to stress test the all-to-all connectivity
+	testCases := []struct {
+		name      string
+		nodeCount int
+	}{
+		{"10_nodes", 10},
+		{"50_nodes", 50},
+		{"100_nodes", 100},
+		// Grinds to a halt because of Database bottleneck
+		// {"250_nodes", 250},
+		// {"500_nodes", 500},
+		// {"1000_nodes", 1000},
+		// {"5000_nodes", 5000},
+	}
+
+	for _, batcherFunc := range allBatcherFunctions {
+		t.Run(batcherFunc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			for _, tc := range testCases {
+				t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+					t.Logf("ALL-TO-ALL TEST: %d nodes with %s batcher", tc.nodeCount, batcherFunc.name)
+
+					// Create test environment - all nodes from same user so they can be peers
+					// We need enough users to support the node count (max 1000 nodes per user)
+					usersNeeded := max(1, (tc.nodeCount+999)/1000)
+					nodesPerUser := (tc.nodeCount + usersNeeded - 1) / usersNeeded
+
+					// Use large buffer to avoid blocking during rapid joins
+					// Buffer needs to handle nodeCount * average_updates_per_node
+					// Estimate: each node receives ~2*nodeCount updates during all-to-all
+					bufferSize := max(1000, tc.nodeCount*2)
+					testData, cleanup := setupBatcherWithTestData(t, batcherFunc.fn, usersNeeded, nodesPerUser, bufferSize)
+					defer cleanup()
+
+					batcher := testData.Batcher
+					allNodes := testData.Nodes[:tc.nodeCount] // Limit to requested count
+
+					t.Logf("Created %d nodes across %d users, buffer size: %d", len(allNodes), usersNeeded, bufferSize)
+
+					// Start enhanced tracking for all nodes
+					for i := range allNodes {
+						allNodes[i].start()
+					}
+
+					// Give time for tracking goroutines to start
+					time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+
+					startTime := time.Now()
+
+					// Join all nodes as fast as possible
+					t.Logf("Joining %d nodes as fast as possible...", len(allNodes))
+					for i := range allNodes {
+						node := &allNodes[i]
+						batcher.AddNode(node.n.ID, node.ch, false, tailcfg.CapabilityVersion(100))
+
+						// Issue full update after each join to ensure connectivity
+						batcher.AddWork(change.FullSet)
+
+						// Add tiny delay for large node counts to prevent overwhelming
+						if tc.nodeCount > 100 && i%50 == 49 {
+							time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
+						}
+					}
+
+					joinTime := time.Since(startTime)
+					t.Logf("All nodes joined in %v, waiting for full connectivity...", joinTime)
+
+					// Wait for all updates to propagate - no timeout, continue until all nodes achieve connectivity
+					checkInterval := 5 * time.Second
+					expectedPeers := tc.nodeCount - 1 // Each node should see all others except itself
+
+					for {
+						time.Sleep(checkInterval)
+
+						// Check if all nodes have seen the expected number of peers
+						connectedCount := 0
+
+						for i := range allNodes {
+							node := &allNodes[i]
+							// Check current stats without stopping the tracking
+							currentMaxPeers := node.maxPeersCount
+							if currentMaxPeers >= expectedPeers {
+								connectedCount++
+							}
+						}
+
+						progress := float64(connectedCount) / float64(len(allNodes)) * 100
+						t.Logf("Progress: %d/%d nodes (%.1f%%) have seen %d+ peers",
+							connectedCount, len(allNodes), progress, expectedPeers)
+
+						if connectedCount == len(allNodes) {
+							t.Logf("✅ All nodes achieved full connectivity!")
+							break
+						}
+					}
+
+					totalTime := time.Since(startTime)
+
+					// Disconnect all nodes
+					for i := range allNodes {
+						node := &allNodes[i]
+						batcher.RemoveNode(node.n.ID, node.ch, false)
+					}
+
+					// Give time for final updates to process
+					time.Sleep(500 * time.Millisecond)
+
+					// Collect final statistics
+					totalUpdates := int64(0)
+					totalFull := int64(0)
+					maxPeersGlobal := 0
+					minPeersSeen := tc.nodeCount
+					successfulNodes := 0
+
+					nodeDetails := make([]string, 0, min(10, len(allNodes)))
+
+					for i := range allNodes {
+						node := &allNodes[i]
+						stats := node.cleanup()
+
+						totalUpdates += stats.TotalUpdates
+						totalFull += stats.FullUpdates
+
+						if stats.MaxPeersSeen > maxPeersGlobal {
+							maxPeersGlobal = stats.MaxPeersSeen
+						}
+						if stats.MaxPeersSeen < minPeersSeen {
+							minPeersSeen = stats.MaxPeersSeen
+						}
+
+						if stats.MaxPeersSeen >= expectedPeers {
+							successfulNodes++
+						}
+
+						// Collect details for first few nodes or failing nodes
+						if len(nodeDetails) < 10 || stats.MaxPeersSeen < expectedPeers {
+							nodeDetails = append(nodeDetails,
+								fmt.Sprintf("Node %d: %d updates (%d full), max %d peers",
+									node.n.ID, stats.TotalUpdates, stats.FullUpdates, stats.MaxPeersSeen))
+						}
+					}
+
+					// Final results
+					t.Logf("ALL-TO-ALL RESULTS: %d nodes, %d total updates (%d full)",
+						len(allNodes), totalUpdates, totalFull)
+					t.Logf("  Connectivity: %d/%d nodes successful (%.1f%%)",
+						successfulNodes, len(allNodes), float64(successfulNodes)/float64(len(allNodes))*100)
+					t.Logf("  Peers seen: min=%d, max=%d, expected=%d",
+						minPeersSeen, maxPeersGlobal, expectedPeers)
+					t.Logf("  Timing: join=%v, total=%v", joinTime, totalTime)
+
+					// Show sample of node details
+					if len(nodeDetails) > 0 {
+						t.Logf("  Node sample:")
+						for _, detail := range nodeDetails[:min(5, len(nodeDetails))] {
+							t.Logf("    %s", detail)
+						}
+						if len(nodeDetails) > 5 {
+							t.Logf("    ... (%d more nodes)", len(nodeDetails)-5)
+						}
+					}
+
+					// Final verification: Since we waited until all nodes achieved connectivity,
+					// this should always pass, but we verify the final state for completeness
+					if successfulNodes == len(allNodes) {
+						t.Logf("✅ PASS: All-to-all connectivity achieved for %d nodes", len(allNodes))
+					} else {
+						// This should not happen since we loop until success, but handle it just in case
+						failedNodes := len(allNodes) - successfulNodes
+						t.Errorf("❌ UNEXPECTED: %d/%d nodes still failed after waiting for connectivity (expected %d, some saw %d-%d)",
+							failedNodes, len(allNodes), expectedPeers, minPeersSeen, maxPeersGlobal)
+
+						// Show details of failed nodes for debugging
+						if len(nodeDetails) > 5 {
+							t.Logf("Failed nodes details:")
+							for _, detail := range nodeDetails[5:] {
+								if !strings.Contains(detail, fmt.Sprintf("max %d peers", expectedPeers)) {
+									t.Logf("  %s", detail)
+								}
+							}
+						}
+					}
+				})
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestBatcherBasicOperations verifies core batcher functionality by testing
+// the basic lifecycle of adding nodes, processing updates, and removing nodes.
+//
+// Enhanced with real database test data, this test creates a registered node
+// and tests both DERP updates and full node updates. It validates the fundamental
+// add/remove operations and basic work processing pipeline with actual update
+// content validation instead of just byte count checks.
+func TestBatcherBasicOperations(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, batcherFunc := range allBatcherFunctions {
+		t.Run(batcherFunc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			// Create test environment with real database and nodes
+			testData, cleanup := setupBatcherWithTestData(t, batcherFunc.fn, 1, 2, 8)
+			defer cleanup()
+
+			batcher := testData.Batcher
+			tn := testData.Nodes[0]
+			tn2 := testData.Nodes[1]
+
+			// Test AddNode with real node ID
+			batcher.AddNode(tn.n.ID, tn.ch, false, 100)
+			if !batcher.IsConnected(tn.n.ID) {
+				t.Error("Node should be connected after AddNode")
+			}
+
+			// Test work processing with DERP change
+			batcher.AddWork(change.DERPChange())
+
+			// Wait for update and validate content
+			select {
+			case data := <-tn.ch:
+				assertDERPMapResponse(t, data)
+			case <-time.After(200 * time.Millisecond):
+				t.Error("Did not receive expected DERP update")
+			}
+
+			// Drain any initial messages from first node
+			drainChannelTimeout(tn.ch, "first node before second", 100*time.Millisecond)
+
+			// Add the second node and verify update message
+			batcher.AddNode(tn2.n.ID, tn2.ch, false, 100)
+			assert.True(t, batcher.IsConnected(tn2.n.ID))
+
+			// First node should get an update that second node has connected.
+			select {
+			case data := <-tn.ch:
+				assertOnlineMapResponse(t, data, true)
+			case <-time.After(200 * time.Millisecond):
+				t.Error("Did not receive expected Online response update")
+			}
+
+			// Second node should receive its initial full map
+			select {
+			case data := <-tn2.ch:
+				// Verify it's a full map response
+				assert.NotNil(t, data)
+				assert.True(t, len(data.Peers) >= 1 || data.Node != nil, "Should receive initial full map")
+			case <-time.After(200 * time.Millisecond):
+				t.Error("Second node should receive its initial full map")
+			}
+
+			// Disconnect the second node
+			batcher.RemoveNode(tn2.n.ID, tn2.ch, false)
+			assert.False(t, batcher.IsConnected(tn2.n.ID))
+
+			// First node should get update that second has disconnected.
+			select {
+			case data := <-tn.ch:
+				assertOnlineMapResponse(t, data, false)
+			case <-time.After(200 * time.Millisecond):
+				t.Error("Did not receive expected Online response update")
+			}
+
+			// // Test node-specific update with real node data
+			// batcher.AddWork(change.NodeKeyChanged(tn.n.ID))
+
+			// // Wait for node update (may be empty for certain node changes)
+			// select {
+			// case data := <-tn.ch:
+			// 	t.Logf("Received node update: %d bytes", len(data))
+			// 	if len(data) == 0 {
+			// 		t.Logf("Empty node update (expected for some node changes in test environment)")
+			// 	} else {
+			// 		if valid, updateType := validateUpdateContent(data); !valid {
+			// 			t.Errorf("Invalid node update content: %s", updateType)
+			// 		} else {
+			// 			t.Logf("Valid node update type: %s", updateType)
+			// 		}
+			// 	}
+			// case <-time.After(200 * time.Millisecond):
+			// 	// Node changes might not always generate updates in test environment
+			// 	t.Logf("No node update received (may be expected in test environment)")
+			// }
+
+			// Test RemoveNode
+			batcher.RemoveNode(tn.n.ID, tn.ch, false)
+			if batcher.IsConnected(tn.n.ID) {
+				t.Error("Node should be disconnected after RemoveNode")
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func drainChannelTimeout(ch <-chan *tailcfg.MapResponse, name string, timeout time.Duration) {
+	count := 0
+	timer := time.NewTimer(timeout)
+	defer timer.Stop()
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		case data := <-ch:
+			count++
+			// Optional: add debug output if needed
+			_ = data
+		case <-timer.C:
+			return
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// TestBatcherUpdateTypes tests different types of updates and verifies
+// that the batcher correctly processes them based on their content.
+//
+// Enhanced with real database test data, this test creates registered nodes
+// and tests various update types including DERP changes, node-specific changes,
+// and full updates. This validates the change classification logic and ensures
+// different update types are handled appropriately with actual node data.
+// func TestBatcherUpdateTypes(t *testing.T) {
+// 	for _, batcherFunc := range allBatcherFunctions {
+// 		t.Run(batcherFunc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+// 			// Create test environment with real database and nodes
+// 			testData, cleanup := setupBatcherWithTestData(t, batcherFunc.fn, 1, 2, 8)
+// 			defer cleanup()
+
+// 			batcher := testData.Batcher
+// 			testNodes := testData.Nodes
+
+// 			ch := make(chan *tailcfg.MapResponse, 10)
+// 			// Use real node ID from test data
+// 			batcher.AddNode(testNodes[0].n.ID, ch, false, "zstd", tailcfg.CapabilityVersion(100))
+
+// 			tests := []struct {
+// 				name        string
+// 				changeSet   change.ChangeSet
+// 				expectData  bool // whether we expect to receive data
+// 				description string
+// 			}{
+// 				{
+// 					name:        "DERP change",
+// 					changeSet:   change.DERPSet,
+// 					expectData:  true,
+// 					description: "DERP changes should generate map updates",
+// 				},
+// 				{
+// 					name:        "Node key expiry",
+// 					changeSet:   change.KeyExpiry(testNodes[1].n.ID),
+// 					expectData:  true,
+// 					description: "Node key expiry with real node data",
+// 				},
+// 				{
+// 					name:        "Node new registration",
+// 					changeSet:   change.NodeAdded(testNodes[1].n.ID),
+// 					expectData:  true,
+// 					description: "New node registration with real data",
+// 				},
+// 				{
+// 					name:        "Full update",
+// 					changeSet:   change.FullSet,
+// 					expectData:  true,
+// 					description: "Full updates with real node data",
+// 				},
+// 				{
+// 					name:        "Policy change",
+// 					changeSet:   change.PolicySet,
+// 					expectData:  true,
+// 					description: "Policy updates with real node data",
+// 				},
+// 			}
+
+// 			for _, tt := range tests {
+// 				t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+// 					t.Logf("Testing: %s", tt.description)
+
+// 					// Clear any existing updates
+// 					select {
+// 					case <-ch:
+// 					default:
+// 					}
+
+// 					batcher.AddWork(tt.changeSet)
+
+// 					select {
+// 					case data := <-ch:
+// 						if !tt.expectData {
+// 							t.Errorf("Unexpected update for %s: %d bytes", tt.name, len(data))
+// 						} else {
+// 							t.Logf("%s: received %d bytes", tt.name, len(data))
+
+// 							// Validate update content when we have data
+// 							if len(data) > 0 {
+// 								if valid, updateType := validateUpdateContent(data); !valid {
+// 									t.Errorf("Invalid update content for %s: %s", tt.name, updateType)
+// 								} else {
+// 									t.Logf("%s: valid update type: %s", tt.name, updateType)
+// 								}
+// 							} else {
+// 								t.Logf("%s: empty update (may be expected for some node changes)", tt.name)
+// 							}
+// 						}
+// 					case <-time.After(100 * time.Millisecond):
+// 						if tt.expectData {
+// 							t.Errorf("Expected update for %s (%s) but none received", tt.name, tt.description)
+// 						} else {
+// 							t.Logf("%s: no update (expected)", tt.name)
+// 						}
+// 					}
+// 				})
+// 			}
+// 		})
+// 	}
+// }
+
+// TestBatcherWorkQueueBatching tests that multiple changes get batched
+// together and sent as a single update to reduce network overhead.
+//
+// Enhanced with real database test data, this test creates registered nodes
+// and rapidly submits multiple types of changes including DERP updates and
+// node changes. Due to the batching mechanism with BatchChangeDelay, these
+// should be combined into fewer updates. This validates that the batching
+// system works correctly with real node data and mixed change types.
+func TestBatcherWorkQueueBatching(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, batcherFunc := range allBatcherFunctions {
+		t.Run(batcherFunc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			// Create test environment with real database and nodes
+			testData, cleanup := setupBatcherWithTestData(t, batcherFunc.fn, 1, 2, 8)
+			defer cleanup()
+
+			batcher := testData.Batcher
+			testNodes := testData.Nodes
+
+			ch := make(chan *tailcfg.MapResponse, 10)
+			batcher.AddNode(testNodes[0].n.ID, ch, false, tailcfg.CapabilityVersion(100))
+
+			// Track update content for validation
+			var receivedUpdates []*tailcfg.MapResponse
+
+			// Add multiple changes rapidly to test batching
+			batcher.AddWork(change.DERPSet)
+			batcher.AddWork(change.KeyExpiry(testNodes[1].n.ID))
+			batcher.AddWork(change.DERPSet)
+			batcher.AddWork(change.NodeAdded(testNodes[1].n.ID))
+			batcher.AddWork(change.DERPSet)
+
+			// Collect updates with timeout
+			updateCount := 0
+			timeout := time.After(200 * time.Millisecond)
+			for {
+				select {
+				case data := <-ch:
+					updateCount++
+					receivedUpdates = append(receivedUpdates, data)
+
+					// Validate update content
+					if data != nil {
+						if valid, reason := validateUpdateContent(data); valid {
+							t.Logf("Update %d: valid", updateCount)
+						} else {
+							t.Logf("Update %d: invalid: %s", updateCount, reason)
+						}
+					} else {
+						t.Logf("Update %d: nil update", updateCount)
+					}
+				case <-timeout:
+					// Expected: 5 changes should generate 6 updates (no batching in current implementation)
+					expectedUpdates := 6
+					t.Logf("Received %d updates from %d changes (expected %d)",
+						updateCount, 5, expectedUpdates)
+
+					if updateCount != expectedUpdates {
+						t.Errorf("Expected %d updates but received %d", expectedUpdates, updateCount)
+					}
+
+					// Validate that all updates have valid content
+					validUpdates := 0
+					for _, data := range receivedUpdates {
+						if data != nil {
+							if valid, _ := validateUpdateContent(data); valid {
+								validUpdates++
+							}
+						}
+					}
+
+					if validUpdates != updateCount {
+						t.Errorf("Expected all %d updates to be valid, but only %d were valid",
+							updateCount, validUpdates)
+					}
+
+					return
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestBatcherChannelClosingRace tests the fix for the async channel closing
+// race condition that previously caused panics and data races.
+//
+// Enhanced with real database test data, this test simulates rapid node
+// reconnections using real registered nodes while processing actual updates.
+// The test verifies that channels are closed synchronously and deterministically
+// even when real node updates are being processed, ensuring no race conditions
+// occur during channel replacement with actual workload.
+func XTestBatcherChannelClosingRace(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, batcherFunc := range allBatcherFunctions {
+		t.Run(batcherFunc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			// Create test environment with real database and nodes
+			testData, cleanup := setupBatcherWithTestData(t, batcherFunc.fn, 1, 1, 8)
+			defer cleanup()
+
+			batcher := testData.Batcher
+			testNode := testData.Nodes[0]
+			var channelIssues int
+			var mutex sync.Mutex
+
+			// Run rapid connect/disconnect cycles with real updates to test channel closing
+			for i := range 100 {
+				var wg sync.WaitGroup
+
+				// First connection
+				ch1 := make(chan *tailcfg.MapResponse, 1)
+				wg.Add(1)
+				go func() {
+					defer wg.Done()
+					batcher.AddNode(testNode.n.ID, ch1, false, tailcfg.CapabilityVersion(100))
+				}()
+
+				// Add real work during connection chaos
+				if i%10 == 0 {
+					batcher.AddWork(change.DERPSet)
+				}
+
+				// Rapid second connection - should replace ch1
+				ch2 := make(chan *tailcfg.MapResponse, 1)
+				wg.Add(1)
+				go func() {
+					defer wg.Done()
+					time.Sleep(1 * time.Microsecond)
+					batcher.AddNode(testNode.n.ID, ch2, false, tailcfg.CapabilityVersion(100))
+				}()
+
+				// Remove second connection
+				wg.Add(1)
+				go func() {
+					defer wg.Done()
+					time.Sleep(2 * time.Microsecond)
+					batcher.RemoveNode(testNode.n.ID, ch2, false)
+				}()
+
+				wg.Wait()
+
+				// Verify ch1 behavior when replaced by ch2
+				// The test is checking if ch1 gets closed/replaced properly
+				select {
+				case <-ch1:
+					// Channel received data or was closed, which is expected
+				case <-time.After(1 * time.Millisecond):
+					// If no data received, increment issues counter
+					mutex.Lock()
+					channelIssues++
+					mutex.Unlock()
+				}
+
+				// Clean up ch2
+				select {
+				case <-ch2:
+				default:
+				}
+			}
+
+			mutex.Lock()
+			defer mutex.Unlock()
+
+			t.Logf("Channel closing issues: %d out of 100 iterations", channelIssues)
+
+			// The main fix prevents panics and race conditions. Some timing variations
+			// are acceptable as long as there are no crashes or deadlocks.
+			if channelIssues > 50 { // Allow some timing variations
+				t.Errorf("Excessive channel closing issues: %d iterations", channelIssues)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestBatcherWorkerChannelSafety tests that worker goroutines handle closed
+// channels safely without panicking when processing work items.
+//
+// Enhanced with real database test data, this test creates rapid connect/disconnect
+// cycles using registered nodes while simultaneously queuing real work items.
+// This creates a race where workers might try to send to channels that have been
+// closed by node removal. The test validates that the safeSend() method properly
+// handles closed channels with real update workloads.
+func TestBatcherWorkerChannelSafety(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, batcherFunc := range allBatcherFunctions {
+		t.Run(batcherFunc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			// Create test environment with real database and nodes
+			testData, cleanup := setupBatcherWithTestData(t, batcherFunc.fn, 1, 1, 8)
+			defer cleanup()
+
+			batcher := testData.Batcher
+			testNode := testData.Nodes[0]
+			var panics int
+			var channelErrors int
+			var invalidData int
+			var mutex sync.Mutex
+
+			// Test rapid connect/disconnect with work generation
+			for i := range 50 {
+				func() {
+					defer func() {
+						if r := recover(); r != nil {
+							mutex.Lock()
+							panics++
+							mutex.Unlock()
+							t.Logf("Panic caught: %v", r)
+						}
+					}()
+
+					ch := make(chan *tailcfg.MapResponse, 5)
+
+					// Add node and immediately queue real work
+					batcher.AddNode(testNode.n.ID, ch, false, tailcfg.CapabilityVersion(100))
+					batcher.AddWork(change.DERPSet)
+
+					// Consumer goroutine to validate data and detect channel issues
+					go func() {
+						defer func() {
+							if r := recover(); r != nil {
+								mutex.Lock()
+								channelErrors++
+								mutex.Unlock()
+								t.Logf("Channel consumer panic: %v", r)
+							}
+						}()
+
+						for {
+							select {
+							case data, ok := <-ch:
+								if !ok {
+									// Channel was closed, which is expected
+									return
+								}
+								// Validate the data we received
+								if valid, reason := validateUpdateContent(data); !valid {
+									mutex.Lock()
+									invalidData++
+									mutex.Unlock()
+									t.Logf("Invalid data received: %s", reason)
+								}
+							case <-time.After(10 * time.Millisecond):
+								// Timeout waiting for data
+								return
+							}
+						}
+					}()
+
+					// Add node-specific work occasionally
+					if i%10 == 0 {
+						batcher.AddWork(change.KeyExpiry(testNode.n.ID))
+					}
+
+					// Rapid removal creates race between worker and removal
+					time.Sleep(time.Duration(i%3) * 100 * time.Microsecond)
+					batcher.RemoveNode(testNode.n.ID, ch, false)
+
+					// Give workers time to process and close channels
+					time.Sleep(5 * time.Millisecond)
+				}()
+			}
+
+			mutex.Lock()
+			defer mutex.Unlock()
+
+			t.Logf("Worker safety test results: %d panics, %d channel errors, %d invalid data packets",
+				panics, channelErrors, invalidData)
+
+			// Test failure conditions
+			if panics > 0 {
+				t.Errorf("Worker channel safety failed with %d panics", panics)
+			}
+			if channelErrors > 0 {
+				t.Errorf("Channel handling failed with %d channel errors", channelErrors)
+			}
+			if invalidData > 0 {
+				t.Errorf("Data validation failed with %d invalid data packets", invalidData)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestBatcherConcurrentClients tests that concurrent connection lifecycle changes
+// don't affect other stable clients' ability to receive updates.
+//
+// The test sets up real test data with multiple users and registered nodes,
+// then creates stable clients and churning clients that rapidly connect and
+// disconnect. Work is generated continuously during these connection churn cycles using
+// real node data. The test validates that stable clients continue to function
+// normally and receive proper updates despite the connection churn from other clients,
+// ensuring system stability under concurrent load.
+func TestBatcherConcurrentClients(t *testing.T) {
+	if testing.Short() {
+		t.Skip("Skipping concurrent client test in short mode")
+	}
+
+	for _, batcherFunc := range allBatcherFunctions {
+		t.Run(batcherFunc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			// Create comprehensive test environment with real data
+			testData, cleanup := setupBatcherWithTestData(t, batcherFunc.fn, TEST_USER_COUNT, TEST_NODES_PER_USER, 8)
+			defer cleanup()
+
+			batcher := testData.Batcher
+			allNodes := testData.Nodes
+
+			// Create update tracker for monitoring all updates
+			tracker := newUpdateTracker()
+
+			// Set up stable clients using real node IDs
+			stableNodes := allNodes[:len(allNodes)/2] // Use first half as stable
+			stableChannels := make(map[types.NodeID]chan *tailcfg.MapResponse)
+
+			for _, node := range stableNodes {
+				ch := make(chan *tailcfg.MapResponse, NORMAL_BUFFER_SIZE)
+				stableChannels[node.n.ID] = ch
+				batcher.AddNode(node.n.ID, ch, false, tailcfg.CapabilityVersion(100))
+
+				// Monitor updates for each stable client
+				go func(nodeID types.NodeID, channel chan *tailcfg.MapResponse) {
+					for {
+						select {
+						case data := <-channel:
+							if valid, reason := validateUpdateContent(data); valid {
+								tracker.recordUpdate(nodeID, 1) // Use 1 as update size since we have MapResponse
+							} else {
+								t.Errorf("Invalid update received for stable node %d: %s", nodeID, reason)
+							}
+						case <-time.After(TEST_TIMEOUT):
+							return
+						}
+					}
+				}(node.n.ID, ch)
+			}
+
+			// Use remaining nodes for connection churn testing
+			churningNodes := allNodes[len(allNodes)/2:]
+			churningChannels := make(map[types.NodeID]chan *tailcfg.MapResponse)
+			var churningChannelsMutex sync.Mutex // Protect concurrent map access
+
+			var wg sync.WaitGroup
+			numCycles := 10 // Reduced for simpler test
+			panicCount := 0
+			var panicMutex sync.Mutex
+
+			// Track deadlock with timeout
+			done := make(chan struct{})
+			go func() {
+				defer close(done)
+
+				// Connection churn cycles - rapidly connect/disconnect to test concurrency safety
+				for i := range numCycles {
+					for _, node := range churningNodes {
+						wg.Add(2)
+
+						// Connect churning node
+						go func(nodeID types.NodeID) {
+							defer func() {
+								if r := recover(); r != nil {
+									panicMutex.Lock()
+									panicCount++
+									panicMutex.Unlock()
+									t.Logf("Panic in churning connect: %v", r)
+								}
+								wg.Done()
+							}()
+
+							ch := make(chan *tailcfg.MapResponse, SMALL_BUFFER_SIZE)
+							churningChannelsMutex.Lock()
+							churningChannels[nodeID] = ch
+							churningChannelsMutex.Unlock()
+							batcher.AddNode(nodeID, ch, false, tailcfg.CapabilityVersion(100))
+
+							// Consume updates to prevent blocking
+							go func() {
+								for {
+									select {
+									case data := <-ch:
+										if valid, _ := validateUpdateContent(data); valid {
+											tracker.recordUpdate(nodeID, 1) // Use 1 as update size since we have MapResponse
+										}
+									case <-time.After(20 * time.Millisecond):
+										return
+									}
+								}
+							}()
+						}(node.n.ID)
+
+						// Disconnect churning node
+						go func(nodeID types.NodeID) {
+							defer func() {
+								if r := recover(); r != nil {
+									panicMutex.Lock()
+									panicCount++
+									panicMutex.Unlock()
+									t.Logf("Panic in churning disconnect: %v", r)
+								}
+								wg.Done()
+							}()
+
+							time.Sleep(time.Duration(i%5) * time.Millisecond)
+							churningChannelsMutex.Lock()
+							ch, exists := churningChannels[nodeID]
+							churningChannelsMutex.Unlock()
+							if exists {
+								batcher.RemoveNode(nodeID, ch, false)
+							}
+						}(node.n.ID)
+					}
+
+					// Generate various types of work during racing
+					if i%3 == 0 {
+						// DERP changes
+						batcher.AddWork(change.DERPSet)
+					}
+					if i%5 == 0 {
+						// Full updates using real node data
+						batcher.AddWork(change.FullSet)
+					}
+					if i%7 == 0 && len(allNodes) > 0 {
+						// Node-specific changes using real nodes
+						node := allNodes[i%len(allNodes)]
+						batcher.AddWork(change.KeyExpiry(node.n.ID))
+					}
+
+					// Small delay to allow some batching
+					time.Sleep(2 * time.Millisecond)
+				}
+
+				wg.Wait()
+			}()
+
+			// Deadlock detection
+			select {
+			case <-done:
+				t.Logf("Connection churn cycles completed successfully")
+			case <-time.After(DEADLOCK_TIMEOUT):
+				t.Error("Test timed out - possible deadlock detected")
+				return
+			}
+
+			// Allow final updates to be processed
+			time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+
+			// Validate results
+			panicMutex.Lock()
+			finalPanicCount := panicCount
+			panicMutex.Unlock()
+
+			allStats := tracker.getAllStats()
+
+			// Calculate expected vs actual updates
+			stableUpdateCount := 0
+			churningUpdateCount := 0
+
+			// Count actual update sources to understand the pattern
+			// Let's track what we observe rather than trying to predict
+			expectedDerpUpdates := (numCycles + 2) / 3
+			expectedFullUpdates := (numCycles + 4) / 5
+			expectedKeyUpdates := (numCycles + 6) / 7
+			totalGeneratedWork := expectedDerpUpdates + expectedFullUpdates + expectedKeyUpdates
+
+			t.Logf("Work generated: %d DERP + %d Full + %d KeyExpiry = %d total AddWork calls",
+				expectedDerpUpdates, expectedFullUpdates, expectedKeyUpdates, totalGeneratedWork)
+
+			for _, node := range stableNodes {
+				if stats, exists := allStats[node.n.ID]; exists {
+					stableUpdateCount += stats.TotalUpdates
+					t.Logf("Stable node %d: %d updates",
+						node.n.ID, stats.TotalUpdates)
+				}
+
+				// Verify stable clients are still connected
+				if !batcher.IsConnected(node.n.ID) {
+					t.Errorf("Stable node %d should still be connected", node.n.ID)
+				}
+			}
+
+			for _, node := range churningNodes {
+				if stats, exists := allStats[node.n.ID]; exists {
+					churningUpdateCount += stats.TotalUpdates
+				}
+			}
+
+			t.Logf("Total updates - Stable clients: %d, Churning clients: %d",
+				stableUpdateCount, churningUpdateCount)
+			t.Logf("Average per stable client: %.1f updates", float64(stableUpdateCount)/float64(len(stableNodes)))
+			t.Logf("Panics during test: %d", finalPanicCount)
+
+			// Validate test success criteria
+			if finalPanicCount > 0 {
+				t.Errorf("Test failed with %d panics", finalPanicCount)
+			}
+
+			// Basic sanity check - stable clients should receive some updates
+			if stableUpdateCount == 0 {
+				t.Error("Stable clients received no updates - batcher may not be working")
+			}
+
+			// Verify all stable clients are still functional
+			for _, node := range stableNodes {
+				if !batcher.IsConnected(node.n.ID) {
+					t.Errorf("Stable node %d lost connection during racing", node.n.ID)
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestBatcherHighLoadStability tests batcher behavior under high concurrent load
+// scenarios with multiple nodes rapidly connecting and disconnecting while
+// continuous updates are generated.
+//
+// This test creates a high-stress environment with many nodes connecting and
+// disconnecting rapidly while various types of updates are generated continuously.
+// It validates that the system remains stable with no deadlocks, panics, or
+// missed updates under sustained high load. The test uses real node data to
+// generate authentic update scenarios and tracks comprehensive statistics.
+func XTestBatcherScalability(t *testing.T) {
+	if testing.Short() {
+		t.Skip("Skipping scalability test in short mode")
+	}
+
+	// Reduce verbose application logging for cleaner test output
+	originalLevel := zerolog.GlobalLevel()
+	defer zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(originalLevel)
+	zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.ErrorLevel)
+
+	// Full test matrix for scalability testing
+	nodes := []int{25, 50, 100} // 250, 500, 1000,
+
+	cycles := []int{10, 100} // 500
+	bufferSizes := []int{1, 200, 1000}
+	chaosTypes := []string{"connection", "processing", "mixed"}
+
+	type testCase struct {
+		name        string
+		nodeCount   int
+		cycles      int
+		bufferSize  int
+		chaosType   string
+		expectBreak bool
+		description string
+	}
+
+	var testCases []testCase
+
+	// Generate all combinations of the test matrix
+	for _, nodeCount := range nodes {
+		for _, cycleCount := range cycles {
+			for _, bufferSize := range bufferSizes {
+				for _, chaosType := range chaosTypes {
+					expectBreak := false
+					// resourceIntensity := float64(nodeCount*cycleCount) / float64(bufferSize)
+
+					// switch chaosType {
+					// case "processing":
+					// 	resourceIntensity *= 1.1
+					// case "mixed":
+					// 	resourceIntensity *= 1.15
+					// }
+
+					// if resourceIntensity > 500000 {
+					// 	expectBreak = true
+					// } else if nodeCount >= 1000 && cycleCount >= 500 && bufferSize <= 1 {
+					// 	expectBreak = true
+					// } else if nodeCount >= 500 && cycleCount >= 500 && bufferSize <= 1 && chaosType == "mixed" {
+					// 	expectBreak = true
+					// }
+
+					name := fmt.Sprintf("%s_%dn_%dc_%db", chaosType, nodeCount, cycleCount, bufferSize)
+					description := fmt.Sprintf("%s chaos: %d nodes, %d cycles, %d buffers",
+						chaosType, nodeCount, cycleCount, bufferSize)
+
+					testCases = append(testCases, testCase{
+						name:        name,
+						nodeCount:   nodeCount,
+						cycles:      cycleCount,
+						bufferSize:  bufferSize,
+						chaosType:   chaosType,
+						expectBreak: expectBreak,
+						description: description,
+					})
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	for _, batcherFunc := range allBatcherFunctions {
+		t.Run(batcherFunc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			for i, tc := range testCases {
+				t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+					// Create comprehensive test environment with real data using the specific buffer size for this test case
+					// Need 1000 nodes for largest test case, all from same user so they can be peers
+					usersNeeded := max(1, tc.nodeCount/1000) // 1 user per 1000 nodes, minimum 1
+					nodesPerUser := tc.nodeCount / usersNeeded
+					testData, cleanup := setupBatcherWithTestData(t, batcherFunc.fn, usersNeeded, nodesPerUser, tc.bufferSize)
+					defer cleanup()
+
+					batcher := testData.Batcher
+					allNodes := testData.Nodes
+					t.Logf("[%d/%d] SCALABILITY TEST: %s", i+1, len(testCases), tc.description)
+					t.Logf("   Cycles: %d, Buffer Size: %d, Chaos Type: %s", tc.cycles, tc.bufferSize, tc.chaosType)
+
+					// Use provided nodes, limit to requested count
+					testNodes := allNodes[:min(len(allNodes), tc.nodeCount)]
+
+					tracker := newUpdateTracker()
+					panicCount := int64(0)
+					deadlockDetected := false
+
+					startTime := time.Now()
+					setupTime := time.Since(startTime)
+					t.Logf("Starting scalability test with %d nodes (setup took: %v)", len(testNodes), setupTime)
+
+					// Comprehensive stress test
+					done := make(chan struct{})
+
+					// Start update consumers for all nodes
+					for i := range testNodes {
+						testNodes[i].start()
+					}
+
+					// Give time for all tracking goroutines to start
+					time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+
+					// Connect all nodes first so they can see each other as peers
+					connectedNodes := make(map[types.NodeID]bool)
+					var connectedNodesMutex sync.RWMutex
+					for i := range testNodes {
+						node := &testNodes[i]
+						batcher.AddNode(node.n.ID, node.ch, false, tailcfg.CapabilityVersion(100))
+						connectedNodesMutex.Lock()
+						connectedNodes[node.n.ID] = true
+						connectedNodesMutex.Unlock()
+					}
+
+					// Give more time for all connections to be established
+					time.Sleep(500 * time.Millisecond)
+					batcher.AddWork(change.FullSet)
+					time.Sleep(500 * time.Millisecond) // Allow initial update to propagate
+
+					go func() {
+						defer close(done)
+						var wg sync.WaitGroup
+
+						t.Logf("Starting load generation: %d cycles with %d nodes", tc.cycles, len(testNodes))
+
+						// Main load generation - varies by chaos type
+						for cycle := range tc.cycles {
+							if cycle%10 == 0 {
+								t.Logf("Cycle %d/%d completed", cycle, tc.cycles)
+							}
+							// Add delays for mixed chaos
+							if tc.chaosType == "mixed" && cycle%10 == 0 {
+								time.Sleep(time.Duration(cycle%2) * time.Microsecond)
+							}
+
+							// For chaos testing, only disconnect/reconnect a subset of nodes
+							// This ensures some nodes stay connected to continue receiving updates
+							startIdx := cycle % len(testNodes)
+							endIdx := startIdx + len(testNodes)/4
+							if endIdx > len(testNodes) {
+								endIdx = len(testNodes)
+							}
+							if startIdx >= endIdx {
+								startIdx = 0
+								endIdx = min(len(testNodes)/4, len(testNodes))
+							}
+							chaosNodes := testNodes[startIdx:endIdx]
+							if len(chaosNodes) == 0 {
+								chaosNodes = testNodes[:min(1, len(testNodes))] // At least one node for chaos
+							}
+
+							// Connection/disconnection cycles for subset of nodes
+							for i, node := range chaosNodes {
+								// Only add work if this is connection chaos or mixed
+								if tc.chaosType == "connection" || tc.chaosType == "mixed" {
+									wg.Add(2)
+
+									// Disconnection first
+									go func(nodeID types.NodeID, channel chan *tailcfg.MapResponse) {
+										defer func() {
+											if r := recover(); r != nil {
+												atomic.AddInt64(&panicCount, 1)
+											}
+											wg.Done()
+										}()
+
+										connectedNodesMutex.RLock()
+										isConnected := connectedNodes[nodeID]
+										connectedNodesMutex.RUnlock()
+
+										if isConnected {
+											batcher.RemoveNode(nodeID, channel, false)
+											connectedNodesMutex.Lock()
+											connectedNodes[nodeID] = false
+											connectedNodesMutex.Unlock()
+										}
+									}(node.n.ID, node.ch)
+
+									// Then reconnection
+									go func(nodeID types.NodeID, channel chan *tailcfg.MapResponse, index int) {
+										defer func() {
+											if r := recover(); r != nil {
+												atomic.AddInt64(&panicCount, 1)
+											}
+											wg.Done()
+										}()
+
+										// Small delay before reconnecting
+										time.Sleep(time.Duration(index%3) * time.Millisecond)
+										batcher.AddNode(nodeID, channel, false, tailcfg.CapabilityVersion(100))
+										connectedNodesMutex.Lock()
+										connectedNodes[nodeID] = true
+										connectedNodesMutex.Unlock()
+
+										// Add work to create load
+										if index%5 == 0 {
+											batcher.AddWork(change.FullSet)
+										}
+									}(node.n.ID, node.ch, i)
+								}
+							}
+
+							// Concurrent work generation - scales with load
+							updateCount := min(tc.nodeCount/5, 20) // Scale updates with node count
+							for i := range updateCount {
+								wg.Add(1)
+								go func(index int) {
+									defer func() {
+										if r := recover(); r != nil {
+											atomic.AddInt64(&panicCount, 1)
+										}
+										wg.Done()
+									}()
+
+									// Generate different types of work to ensure updates are sent
+									switch index % 4 {
+									case 0:
+										batcher.AddWork(change.FullSet)
+									case 1:
+										batcher.AddWork(change.PolicySet)
+									case 2:
+										batcher.AddWork(change.DERPSet)
+									default:
+										// Pick a random node and generate a node change
+										if len(testNodes) > 0 {
+											nodeIdx := index % len(testNodes)
+											batcher.AddWork(change.NodeAdded(testNodes[nodeIdx].n.ID))
+										} else {
+											batcher.AddWork(change.FullSet)
+										}
+									}
+								}(i)
+							}
+						}
+
+						t.Logf("Waiting for all goroutines to complete")
+						wg.Wait()
+						t.Logf("All goroutines completed")
+					}()
+
+					// Wait for completion with timeout and progress monitoring
+					progressTicker := time.NewTicker(10 * time.Second)
+					defer progressTicker.Stop()
+
+					select {
+					case <-done:
+						t.Logf("Test completed successfully")
+					case <-time.After(TEST_TIMEOUT):
+						deadlockDetected = true
+						// Collect diagnostic information
+						allStats := tracker.getAllStats()
+						totalUpdates := 0
+						for _, stats := range allStats {
+							totalUpdates += stats.TotalUpdates
+						}
+						interimPanics := atomic.LoadInt64(&panicCount)
+						t.Logf("TIMEOUT DIAGNOSIS: Test timed out after %v", TEST_TIMEOUT)
+						t.Logf("   Progress at timeout: %d total updates, %d panics", totalUpdates, interimPanics)
+						t.Logf("   Possible causes: deadlock, excessive load, or performance bottleneck")
+
+						// Try to detect if workers are still active
+						if totalUpdates > 0 {
+							t.Logf("   System was processing updates - likely performance bottleneck")
+						} else {
+							t.Logf("   No updates processed - likely deadlock or startup issue")
+						}
+					}
+
+					// Give time for batcher workers to process all the work and send updates
+					// BEFORE disconnecting nodes
+					time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
+
+					// Now disconnect all nodes from batcher to stop new updates
+					for i := range testNodes {
+						node := &testNodes[i]
+						batcher.RemoveNode(node.n.ID, node.ch, false)
+					}
+
+					// Give time for enhanced tracking goroutines to process any remaining data in channels
+					time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond)
+
+					// Cleanup nodes and get their final stats
+					totalUpdates := int64(0)
+					totalPatches := int64(0)
+					totalFull := int64(0)
+					maxPeersGlobal := 0
+					nodeStatsReport := make([]string, 0, len(testNodes))
+
+					for i := range testNodes {
+						node := &testNodes[i]
+						stats := node.cleanup()
+						totalUpdates += stats.TotalUpdates
+						totalPatches += stats.PatchUpdates
+						totalFull += stats.FullUpdates
+						if stats.MaxPeersSeen > maxPeersGlobal {
+							maxPeersGlobal = stats.MaxPeersSeen
+						}
+
+						if stats.TotalUpdates > 0 {
+							nodeStatsReport = append(nodeStatsReport,
+								fmt.Sprintf("Node %d: %d total (%d patch, %d full), max %d peers",
+									node.n.ID, stats.TotalUpdates, stats.PatchUpdates, stats.FullUpdates, stats.MaxPeersSeen))
+						}
+					}
+
+					// Comprehensive final summary
+					t.Logf("FINAL RESULTS: %d total updates (%d patch, %d full), max peers seen: %d",
+						totalUpdates, totalPatches, totalFull, maxPeersGlobal)
+					if len(nodeStatsReport) <= 10 { // Only log details for smaller tests
+						for _, report := range nodeStatsReport {
+							t.Logf("  %s", report)
+						}
+					} else {
+						t.Logf("  (%d nodes had activity, details suppressed for large test)", len(nodeStatsReport))
+					}
+
+					// Legacy tracker comparison (optional)
+					allStats := tracker.getAllStats()
+					legacyTotalUpdates := 0
+					for _, stats := range allStats {
+						legacyTotalUpdates += stats.TotalUpdates
+					}
+					if legacyTotalUpdates != int(totalUpdates) {
+						t.Logf("Note: Legacy tracker mismatch - legacy: %d, new: %d", legacyTotalUpdates, totalUpdates)
+					}
+
+					finalPanicCount := atomic.LoadInt64(&panicCount)
+
+					// Validation based on expectation
+					testPassed := true
+					if tc.expectBreak {
+						// For tests expected to break, we're mainly checking that we don't crash
+						if finalPanicCount > 0 {
+							t.Errorf("System crashed with %d panics (even breaking point tests shouldn't crash)", finalPanicCount)
+							testPassed = false
+						}
+						// Timeout/deadlock is acceptable for breaking point tests
+						if deadlockDetected {
+							t.Logf("Expected breaking point reached: system overloaded at %d nodes", len(testNodes))
+						}
+					} else {
+						// For tests expected to pass, validate proper operation
+						if finalPanicCount > 0 {
+							t.Errorf("Scalability test failed with %d panics", finalPanicCount)
+							testPassed = false
+						}
+						if deadlockDetected {
+							t.Errorf("Deadlock detected at %d nodes (should handle this load)", len(testNodes))
+							testPassed = false
+						}
+						if totalUpdates == 0 {
+							t.Error("No updates received - system may be completely stalled")
+							testPassed = false
+						}
+					}
+
+					// Clear success/failure indication
+					if testPassed {
+						t.Logf("✅ PASS: %s | %d nodes, %d updates, 0 panics, no deadlock",
+							tc.name, len(testNodes), totalUpdates)
+					} else {
+						t.Logf("❌ FAIL: %s | %d nodes, %d updates, %d panics, deadlock: %v",
+							tc.name, len(testNodes), totalUpdates, finalPanicCount, deadlockDetected)
+					}
+				})
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestBatcherFullPeerUpdates verifies that when multiple nodes are connected
+// and we send a FullSet update, nodes receive the complete peer list.
+func TestBatcherFullPeerUpdates(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, batcherFunc := range allBatcherFunctions {
+		t.Run(batcherFunc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			// Create test environment with 3 nodes from same user (so they can be peers)
+			testData, cleanup := setupBatcherWithTestData(t, batcherFunc.fn, 1, 3, 10)
+			defer cleanup()
+
+			batcher := testData.Batcher
+			allNodes := testData.Nodes
+
+			t.Logf("Created %d nodes in database", len(allNodes))
+
+			// Connect nodes one at a time to avoid overwhelming the work queue
+			for i, node := range allNodes {
+				batcher.AddNode(node.n.ID, node.ch, false, tailcfg.CapabilityVersion(100))
+				t.Logf("Connected node %d (ID: %d)", i, node.n.ID)
+				// Small delay between connections to allow NodeCameOnline processing
+				time.Sleep(50 * time.Millisecond)
+			}
+
+			// Give additional time for all NodeCameOnline events to be processed
+			t.Logf("Waiting for NodeCameOnline events to settle...")
+			time.Sleep(500 * time.Millisecond)
+
+			// Check how many peers each node should see
+			for i, node := range allNodes {
+				peers, err := testData.State.ListPeers(node.n.ID)
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Errorf("Error listing peers for node %d: %v", i, err)
+				} else {
+					t.Logf("Node %d should see %d peers from state", i, len(peers))
+				}
+			}
+
+			// Send a full update - this should generate full peer lists
+			t.Logf("Sending FullSet update...")
+			batcher.AddWork(change.FullSet)
+
+			// Give much more time for workers to process the FullSet work items
+			t.Logf("Waiting for FullSet to be processed...")
+			time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
+
+			// Check what each node receives - read multiple updates
+			totalUpdates := 0
+			foundFullUpdate := false
+
+			// Read all available updates for each node
+			for i := range len(allNodes) {
+				nodeUpdates := 0
+				t.Logf("Reading updates for node %d:", i)
+
+				// Read up to 10 updates per node or until timeout/no more data
+				for updateNum := range 10 {
+					select {
+					case data := <-allNodes[i].ch:
+						nodeUpdates++
+						totalUpdates++
+
+						// Parse and examine the update - data is already a MapResponse
+						if data == nil {
+							t.Errorf("Node %d update %d: nil MapResponse", i, updateNum)
+							continue
+						}
+
+						updateType := "unknown"
+						if len(data.Peers) > 0 {
+							updateType = "FULL"
+							foundFullUpdate = true
+						} else if len(data.PeersChangedPatch) > 0 {
+							updateType = "PATCH"
+						} else if data.DERPMap != nil {
+							updateType = "DERP"
+						}
+
+						t.Logf("  Update %d: %s - Peers=%d, PeersChangedPatch=%d, DERPMap=%v",
+							updateNum, updateType, len(data.Peers), len(data.PeersChangedPatch), data.DERPMap != nil)
+
+						if len(data.Peers) > 0 {
+							t.Logf("    Full peer list with %d peers", len(data.Peers))
+							for j, peer := range data.Peers[:min(3, len(data.Peers))] {
+								t.Logf("      Peer %d: NodeID=%d, Online=%v", j, peer.ID, peer.Online)
+							}
+						}
+						if len(data.PeersChangedPatch) > 0 {
+							t.Logf("    Patch update with %d changes", len(data.PeersChangedPatch))
+							for j, patch := range data.PeersChangedPatch[:min(3, len(data.PeersChangedPatch))] {
+								t.Logf("      Patch %d: NodeID=%d, Online=%v", j, patch.NodeID, patch.Online)
+							}
+						}
+
+					case <-time.After(500 * time.Millisecond):
+					}
+				}
+				t.Logf("Node %d received %d updates", i, nodeUpdates)
+			}
+
+			t.Logf("Total updates received across all nodes: %d", totalUpdates)
+
+			if !foundFullUpdate {
+				t.Errorf("CRITICAL: No FULL updates received despite sending change.FullSet!")
+				t.Errorf("This confirms the bug - FullSet updates are not generating full peer responses")
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestBatcherWorkQueueTracing traces exactly what happens to change.FullSet work items.
+func TestBatcherWorkQueueTracing(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, batcherFunc := range allBatcherFunctions {
+		t.Run(batcherFunc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			testData, cleanup := setupBatcherWithTestData(t, batcherFunc.fn, 1, 2, 10)
+			defer cleanup()
+
+			batcher := testData.Batcher
+			nodes := testData.Nodes
+
+			t.Logf("=== WORK QUEUE TRACING TEST ===")
+
+			// Connect first node
+			batcher.AddNode(nodes[0].n.ID, nodes[0].ch, false, tailcfg.CapabilityVersion(100))
+			t.Logf("Connected node %d", nodes[0].n.ID)
+
+			// Wait for initial NodeCameOnline to be processed
+			time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond)
+
+			// Drain any initial updates
+			drainedCount := 0
+			for {
+				select {
+				case <-nodes[0].ch:
+					drainedCount++
+				case <-time.After(100 * time.Millisecond):
+					goto drained
+				}
+			}
+		drained:
+			t.Logf("Drained %d initial updates", drainedCount)
+
+			// Now send a single FullSet update and trace it closely
+			t.Logf("Sending change.FullSet work item...")
+			batcher.AddWork(change.FullSet)
+
+			// Give short time for processing
+			time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+
+			// Check if any update was received
+			select {
+			case data := <-nodes[0].ch:
+				t.Logf("SUCCESS: Received update after FullSet!")
+
+				if data != nil {
+					// Detailed analysis of the response - data is already a MapResponse
+					t.Logf("Response details:")
+					t.Logf("  Peers: %d", len(data.Peers))
+					t.Logf("  PeersChangedPatch: %d", len(data.PeersChangedPatch))
+					t.Logf("  PeersChanged: %d", len(data.PeersChanged))
+					t.Logf("  PeersRemoved: %d", len(data.PeersRemoved))
+					t.Logf("  DERPMap: %v", data.DERPMap != nil)
+					t.Logf("  KeepAlive: %v", data.KeepAlive)
+					t.Logf("  Node: %v", data.Node != nil)
+
+					if len(data.Peers) > 0 {
+						t.Logf("SUCCESS: Full peer list received with %d peers", len(data.Peers))
+					} else if len(data.PeersChangedPatch) > 0 {
+						t.Errorf("ERROR: Received patch update instead of full update!")
+					} else if data.DERPMap != nil {
+						t.Logf("Received DERP map update")
+					} else if data.Node != nil {
+						t.Logf("Received self node update")
+					} else {
+						t.Errorf("ERROR: Received unknown update type!")
+					}
+
+					// Check if there should be peers available
+					peers, err := testData.State.ListPeers(nodes[0].n.ID)
+					if err != nil {
+						t.Errorf("Error getting peers from state: %v", err)
+					} else {
+						t.Logf("State shows %d peers available for this node", len(peers))
+						if len(peers) > 0 && len(data.Peers) == 0 {
+							t.Errorf("CRITICAL: State has %d peers but response has 0 peers!", len(peers))
+						}
+					}
+				} else {
+					t.Errorf("Response data is nil")
+				}
+			case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+				t.Errorf("CRITICAL: No update received after FullSet within 2 seconds!")
+				t.Errorf("This indicates FullSet work items are not being processed at all")
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/hscontrol/mapper/builder_test.go b/hscontrol/mapper/builder_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c8ff59ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hscontrol/mapper/builder_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,347 @@
+package mapper
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/state"
+	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"tailscale.com/tailcfg"
+)
+
+func TestMapResponseBuilder_Basic(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := &types.Config{
+		BaseDomain: "example.com",
+		LogTail: types.LogTailConfig{
+			Enabled: true,
+		},
+	}
+	
+	mockState := &state.State{}
+	m := &mapper{
+		cfg:   cfg,
+		state: mockState,
+	}
+	
+	nodeID := types.NodeID(1)
+	
+	builder := m.NewMapResponseBuilder(nodeID)
+	
+	// Test basic builder creation
+	assert.NotNil(t, builder)
+	assert.Equal(t, nodeID, builder.nodeID)
+	assert.NotNil(t, builder.resp)
+	assert.False(t, builder.resp.KeepAlive)
+	assert.NotNil(t, builder.resp.ControlTime)
+	assert.WithinDuration(t, time.Now(), *builder.resp.ControlTime, time.Second)
+}
+
+func TestMapResponseBuilder_WithCapabilityVersion(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := &types.Config{}
+	mockState := &state.State{}
+	m := &mapper{
+		cfg:   cfg,
+		state: mockState,
+	}
+	
+	nodeID := types.NodeID(1)
+	capVer := tailcfg.CapabilityVersion(42)
+	
+	builder := m.NewMapResponseBuilder(nodeID).
+		WithCapabilityVersion(capVer)
+	
+	assert.Equal(t, capVer, builder.capVer)
+	assert.False(t, builder.hasErrors())
+}
+
+func TestMapResponseBuilder_WithDomain(t *testing.T) {
+	domain := "test.example.com"
+	cfg := &types.Config{
+		ServerURL:  "https://test.example.com",
+		BaseDomain: domain,
+	}
+	
+	mockState := &state.State{}
+	m := &mapper{
+		cfg:   cfg,
+		state: mockState,
+	}
+	
+	nodeID := types.NodeID(1)
+	
+	builder := m.NewMapResponseBuilder(nodeID).
+		WithDomain()
+	
+	assert.Equal(t, domain, builder.resp.Domain)
+	assert.False(t, builder.hasErrors())
+}
+
+func TestMapResponseBuilder_WithCollectServicesDisabled(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := &types.Config{}
+	mockState := &state.State{}
+	m := &mapper{
+		cfg:   cfg,
+		state: mockState,
+	}
+	
+	nodeID := types.NodeID(1)
+	
+	builder := m.NewMapResponseBuilder(nodeID).
+		WithCollectServicesDisabled()
+	
+	value, isSet := builder.resp.CollectServices.Get()
+	assert.True(t, isSet)
+	assert.False(t, value)
+	assert.False(t, builder.hasErrors())
+}
+
+func TestMapResponseBuilder_WithDebugConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name        string
+		logTailEnabled bool
+		expected    bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name:        "LogTail enabled",
+			logTailEnabled: true,
+			expected:    false, // DisableLogTail should be false when LogTail is enabled
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "LogTail disabled",
+			logTailEnabled: false,
+			expected:    true, // DisableLogTail should be true when LogTail is disabled
+		},
+	}
+	
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			cfg := &types.Config{
+				LogTail: types.LogTailConfig{
+					Enabled: tt.logTailEnabled,
+				},
+			}
+			mockState := &state.State{}
+			m := &mapper{
+				cfg:   cfg,
+				state: mockState,
+			}
+			
+			nodeID := types.NodeID(1)
+			
+			builder := m.NewMapResponseBuilder(nodeID).
+				WithDebugConfig()
+			
+			require.NotNil(t, builder.resp.Debug)
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.expected, builder.resp.Debug.DisableLogTail)
+			assert.False(t, builder.hasErrors())
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestMapResponseBuilder_WithPeerChangedPatch(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := &types.Config{}
+	mockState := &state.State{}
+	m := &mapper{
+		cfg:   cfg,
+		state: mockState,
+	}
+	
+	nodeID := types.NodeID(1)
+	changes := []*tailcfg.PeerChange{
+		{
+			NodeID: 123,
+			DERPRegion: 1,
+		},
+		{
+			NodeID: 456,
+			DERPRegion: 2,
+		},
+	}
+	
+	builder := m.NewMapResponseBuilder(nodeID).
+		WithPeerChangedPatch(changes)
+	
+	assert.Equal(t, changes, builder.resp.PeersChangedPatch)
+	assert.False(t, builder.hasErrors())
+}
+
+func TestMapResponseBuilder_WithPeersRemoved(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := &types.Config{}
+	mockState := &state.State{}
+	m := &mapper{
+		cfg:   cfg,
+		state: mockState,
+	}
+	
+	nodeID := types.NodeID(1)
+	removedID1 := types.NodeID(123)
+	removedID2 := types.NodeID(456)
+	
+	builder := m.NewMapResponseBuilder(nodeID).
+		WithPeersRemoved(removedID1, removedID2)
+	
+	expected := []tailcfg.NodeID{
+		removedID1.NodeID(),
+		removedID2.NodeID(),
+	}
+	assert.Equal(t, expected, builder.resp.PeersRemoved)
+	assert.False(t, builder.hasErrors())
+}
+
+func TestMapResponseBuilder_ErrorHandling(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := &types.Config{}
+	mockState := &state.State{}
+	m := &mapper{
+		cfg:   cfg,
+		state: mockState,
+	}
+	
+	nodeID := types.NodeID(1)
+	
+	// Simulate an error in the builder
+	builder := m.NewMapResponseBuilder(nodeID)
+	builder.addError(assert.AnError)
+	
+	// All subsequent calls should continue to work and accumulate errors
+	result := builder.
+		WithDomain().
+		WithCollectServicesDisabled().
+		WithDebugConfig()
+	
+	assert.True(t, result.hasErrors())
+	assert.Len(t, result.errs, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, assert.AnError, result.errs[0])
+	
+	// Build should return the error
+	data, err := result.Build("none")
+	assert.Nil(t, data)
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+}
+
+func TestMapResponseBuilder_ChainedCalls(t *testing.T) {
+	domain := "chained.example.com"
+	cfg := &types.Config{
+		ServerURL:  "https://chained.example.com",
+		BaseDomain: domain,
+		LogTail: types.LogTailConfig{
+			Enabled: false,
+		},
+	}
+	
+	mockState := &state.State{}
+	m := &mapper{
+		cfg:   cfg,
+		state: mockState,
+	}
+	
+	nodeID := types.NodeID(1)
+	capVer := tailcfg.CapabilityVersion(99)
+	
+	builder := m.NewMapResponseBuilder(nodeID).
+		WithCapabilityVersion(capVer).
+		WithDomain().
+		WithCollectServicesDisabled().
+		WithDebugConfig()
+	
+	// Verify all fields are set correctly
+	assert.Equal(t, capVer, builder.capVer)
+	assert.Equal(t, domain, builder.resp.Domain)
+	value, isSet := builder.resp.CollectServices.Get()
+	assert.True(t, isSet)
+	assert.False(t, value)
+	assert.NotNil(t, builder.resp.Debug)
+	assert.True(t, builder.resp.Debug.DisableLogTail)
+	assert.False(t, builder.hasErrors())
+}
+
+func TestMapResponseBuilder_MultipleWithPeersRemoved(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := &types.Config{}
+	mockState := &state.State{}
+	m := &mapper{
+		cfg:   cfg,
+		state: mockState,
+	}
+	
+	nodeID := types.NodeID(1)
+	removedID1 := types.NodeID(100)
+	removedID2 := types.NodeID(200)
+	
+	// Test calling WithPeersRemoved multiple times
+	builder := m.NewMapResponseBuilder(nodeID).
+		WithPeersRemoved(removedID1).
+		WithPeersRemoved(removedID2)
+	
+	// Second call should overwrite the first
+	expected := []tailcfg.NodeID{removedID2.NodeID()}
+	assert.Equal(t, expected, builder.resp.PeersRemoved)
+	assert.False(t, builder.hasErrors())
+}
+
+func TestMapResponseBuilder_EmptyPeerChangedPatch(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := &types.Config{}
+	mockState := &state.State{}
+	m := &mapper{
+		cfg:   cfg,
+		state: mockState,
+	}
+	
+	nodeID := types.NodeID(1)
+	
+	builder := m.NewMapResponseBuilder(nodeID).
+		WithPeerChangedPatch([]*tailcfg.PeerChange{})
+	
+	assert.Empty(t, builder.resp.PeersChangedPatch)
+	assert.False(t, builder.hasErrors())
+}
+
+func TestMapResponseBuilder_NilPeerChangedPatch(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := &types.Config{}
+	mockState := &state.State{}
+	m := &mapper{
+		cfg:   cfg,
+		state: mockState,
+	}
+	
+	nodeID := types.NodeID(1)
+	
+	builder := m.NewMapResponseBuilder(nodeID).
+		WithPeerChangedPatch(nil)
+	
+	assert.Nil(t, builder.resp.PeersChangedPatch)
+	assert.False(t, builder.hasErrors())
+}
+
+func TestMapResponseBuilder_MultipleErrors(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := &types.Config{}
+	mockState := &state.State{}
+	m := &mapper{
+		cfg:   cfg,
+		state: mockState,
+	}
+	
+	nodeID := types.NodeID(1)
+	
+	// Create a builder and add multiple errors
+	builder := m.NewMapResponseBuilder(nodeID)
+	builder.addError(assert.AnError)
+	builder.addError(assert.AnError)
+	builder.addError(nil) // This should be ignored
+	
+	// All subsequent calls should continue to work
+	result := builder.
+		WithDomain().
+		WithCollectServicesDisabled()
+	
+	assert.True(t, result.hasErrors())
+	assert.Len(t, result.errs, 2) // nil error should be ignored
+	
+	// Build should return a multierr
+	data, err := result.Build("none")
+	assert.Nil(t, data)
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+	
+	// The error should contain information about multiple errors
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "multiple errors")
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/hscontrol/mapper/mapper_test.go b/hscontrol/mapper/mapper_test.go
index b5747c2b..198ba6c4 100644
--- a/hscontrol/mapper/mapper_test.go
+++ b/hscontrol/mapper/mapper_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package mapper
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/netip"
+	"slices"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ func TestDNSConfigMapResponse(t *testing.T) {
 				&types.Config{
 					TailcfgDNSConfig: &dnsConfigOrig,
 				},
-				nodeInShared1.View(),
+				nodeInShared1,
 			)
 
 			if diff := cmp.Diff(tt.want, got, cmpopts.EquateEmpty()); diff != "" {
@@ -126,11 +127,8 @@ func (m *mockState) ListPeers(nodeID types.NodeID, peerIDs ...types.NodeID) (typ
 		// Filter peers by the provided IDs
 		var filtered types.Nodes
 		for _, peer := range m.peers {
-			for _, id := range peerIDs {
-				if peer.ID == id {
-					filtered = append(filtered, peer)
-					break
-				}
+			if slices.Contains(peerIDs, peer.ID) {
+				filtered = append(filtered, peer)
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -152,11 +150,8 @@ func (m *mockState) ListNodes(nodeIDs ...types.NodeID) (types.Nodes, error) {
 		// Filter nodes by the provided IDs
 		var filtered types.Nodes
 		for _, node := range m.nodes {
-			for _, id := range nodeIDs {
-				if node.ID == id {
-					filtered = append(filtered, node)
-					break
-				}
+			if slices.Contains(nodeIDs, node.ID) {
+				filtered = append(filtered, node)
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/hscontrol/notifier/notifier_test.go b/hscontrol/notifier/notifier_test.go
deleted file mode 100644
index c3e96a8d..00000000
--- a/hscontrol/notifier/notifier_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,342 +0,0 @@
-package notifier
-
-import (
-	"fmt"
-	"math/rand"
-	"net/netip"
-	"slices"
-	"sort"
-	"sync"
-	"testing"
-	"time"
-
-	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
-	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types"
-	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/util"
-	"tailscale.com/tailcfg"
-)
-
-func TestBatcher(t *testing.T) {
-	tests := []struct {
-		name    string
-		updates []types.StateUpdate
-		want    []types.StateUpdate
-	}{
-		{
-			name: "full-passthrough",
-			updates: []types.StateUpdate{
-				{
-					Type: types.StateFullUpdate,
-				},
-			},
-			want: []types.StateUpdate{
-				{
-					Type: types.StateFullUpdate,
-				},
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "derp-passthrough",
-			updates: []types.StateUpdate{
-				{
-					Type: types.StateDERPUpdated,
-				},
-			},
-			want: []types.StateUpdate{
-				{
-					Type: types.StateDERPUpdated,
-				},
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "single-node-update",
-			updates: []types.StateUpdate{
-				{
-					Type: types.StatePeerChanged,
-					ChangeNodes: []types.NodeID{
-						2,
-					},
-				},
-			},
-			want: []types.StateUpdate{
-				{
-					Type: types.StatePeerChanged,
-					ChangeNodes: []types.NodeID{
-						2,
-					},
-				},
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "merge-node-update",
-			updates: []types.StateUpdate{
-				{
-					Type: types.StatePeerChanged,
-					ChangeNodes: []types.NodeID{
-						2, 4,
-					},
-				},
-				{
-					Type: types.StatePeerChanged,
-					ChangeNodes: []types.NodeID{
-						2, 3,
-					},
-				},
-			},
-			want: []types.StateUpdate{
-				{
-					Type: types.StatePeerChanged,
-					ChangeNodes: []types.NodeID{
-						2, 3, 4,
-					},
-				},
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "single-patch-update",
-			updates: []types.StateUpdate{
-				{
-					Type: types.StatePeerChangedPatch,
-					ChangePatches: []*tailcfg.PeerChange{
-						{
-							NodeID:     2,
-							DERPRegion: 5,
-						},
-					},
-				},
-			},
-			want: []types.StateUpdate{
-				{
-					Type: types.StatePeerChangedPatch,
-					ChangePatches: []*tailcfg.PeerChange{
-						{
-							NodeID:     2,
-							DERPRegion: 5,
-						},
-					},
-				},
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "merge-patch-to-same-node-update",
-			updates: []types.StateUpdate{
-				{
-					Type: types.StatePeerChangedPatch,
-					ChangePatches: []*tailcfg.PeerChange{
-						{
-							NodeID:     2,
-							DERPRegion: 5,
-						},
-					},
-				},
-				{
-					Type: types.StatePeerChangedPatch,
-					ChangePatches: []*tailcfg.PeerChange{
-						{
-							NodeID:     2,
-							DERPRegion: 6,
-						},
-					},
-				},
-			},
-			want: []types.StateUpdate{
-				{
-					Type: types.StatePeerChangedPatch,
-					ChangePatches: []*tailcfg.PeerChange{
-						{
-							NodeID:     2,
-							DERPRegion: 6,
-						},
-					},
-				},
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "merge-patch-to-multiple-node-update",
-			updates: []types.StateUpdate{
-				{
-					Type: types.StatePeerChangedPatch,
-					ChangePatches: []*tailcfg.PeerChange{
-						{
-							NodeID: 3,
-							Endpoints: []netip.AddrPort{
-								netip.MustParseAddrPort("1.1.1.1:9090"),
-							},
-						},
-					},
-				},
-				{
-					Type: types.StatePeerChangedPatch,
-					ChangePatches: []*tailcfg.PeerChange{
-						{
-							NodeID: 3,
-							Endpoints: []netip.AddrPort{
-								netip.MustParseAddrPort("1.1.1.1:9090"),
-								netip.MustParseAddrPort("2.2.2.2:8080"),
-							},
-						},
-					},
-				},
-				{
-					Type: types.StatePeerChangedPatch,
-					ChangePatches: []*tailcfg.PeerChange{
-						{
-							NodeID:     4,
-							DERPRegion: 6,
-						},
-					},
-				},
-				{
-					Type: types.StatePeerChangedPatch,
-					ChangePatches: []*tailcfg.PeerChange{
-						{
-							NodeID: 4,
-							Cap:    tailcfg.CapabilityVersion(54),
-						},
-					},
-				},
-			},
-			want: []types.StateUpdate{
-				{
-					Type: types.StatePeerChangedPatch,
-					ChangePatches: []*tailcfg.PeerChange{
-						{
-							NodeID: 3,
-							Endpoints: []netip.AddrPort{
-								netip.MustParseAddrPort("1.1.1.1:9090"),
-								netip.MustParseAddrPort("2.2.2.2:8080"),
-							},
-						},
-						{
-							NodeID:     4,
-							DERPRegion: 6,
-							Cap:        tailcfg.CapabilityVersion(54),
-						},
-					},
-				},
-			},
-		},
-	}
-
-	for _, tt := range tests {
-		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			n := NewNotifier(&types.Config{
-				Tuning: types.Tuning{
-					// We will call flush manually for the tests,
-					// so do not run the worker.
-					BatchChangeDelay: time.Hour,
-
-					// Since we do not load the config, we won't get the
-					// default, so set it manually so we dont time out
-					// and have flakes.
-					NotifierSendTimeout: time.Second,
-				},
-			})
-
-			ch := make(chan types.StateUpdate, 30)
-			defer close(ch)
-			n.AddNode(1, ch)
-			defer n.RemoveNode(1, ch)
-
-			for _, u := range tt.updates {
-				n.NotifyAll(t.Context(), u)
-			}
-
-			n.b.flush()
-
-			var got []types.StateUpdate
-			for len(ch) > 0 {
-				out := <-ch
-				got = append(got, out)
-			}
-
-			// Make the inner order stable for comparison.
-			for _, u := range got {
-				slices.Sort(u.ChangeNodes)
-				sort.Slice(u.ChangePatches, func(i, j int) bool {
-					return u.ChangePatches[i].NodeID < u.ChangePatches[j].NodeID
-				})
-			}
-
-			if diff := cmp.Diff(tt.want, got, util.Comparers...); diff != "" {
-				t.Errorf("batcher() unexpected result (-want +got):\n%s", diff)
-			}
-		})
-	}
-}
-
-// TestIsLikelyConnectedRaceCondition tests for a race condition in IsLikelyConnected
-// Multiple goroutines calling AddNode and RemoveNode cause panics when trying to
-// close a channel that was already closed, which can happen when a node changes
-// network transport quickly (eg mobile->wifi) and reconnects whilst also disconnecting.
-func TestIsLikelyConnectedRaceCondition(t *testing.T) {
-	// mock config for the notifier
-	cfg := &types.Config{
-		Tuning: types.Tuning{
-			NotifierSendTimeout:            1 * time.Second,
-			BatchChangeDelay:               1 * time.Second,
-			NodeMapSessionBufferedChanSize: 30,
-		},
-	}
-
-	notifier := NewNotifier(cfg)
-	defer notifier.Close()
-
-	nodeID := types.NodeID(1)
-	updateChan := make(chan types.StateUpdate, 10)
-
-	var wg sync.WaitGroup
-
-	// Number of goroutines to spawn for concurrent access
-	concurrentAccessors := 100
-	iterations := 100
-
-	// Add node to notifier
-	notifier.AddNode(nodeID, updateChan)
-
-	// Track errors
-	errChan := make(chan string, concurrentAccessors*iterations)
-
-	// Start goroutines to cause a race
-	wg.Add(concurrentAccessors)
-	for i := range concurrentAccessors {
-		go func(routineID int) {
-			defer wg.Done()
-
-			for range iterations {
-				// Simulate race by having some goroutines check IsLikelyConnected
-				// while others add/remove the node
-				switch routineID % 3 {
-				case 0:
-					// This goroutine checks connection status
-					isConnected := notifier.IsLikelyConnected(nodeID)
-					if isConnected != true && isConnected != false {
-						errChan <- fmt.Sprintf("Invalid connection status: %v", isConnected)
-					}
-				case 1:
-					// This goroutine removes the node
-					notifier.RemoveNode(nodeID, updateChan)
-				default:
-					// This goroutine adds the node back
-					notifier.AddNode(nodeID, updateChan)
-				}
-
-				// Small random delay to increase chance of races
-				time.Sleep(time.Duration(rand.Intn(100)) * time.Microsecond)
-			}
-		}(i)
-	}
-
-	wg.Wait()
-	close(errChan)
-
-	// Collate errors
-	var errors []string
-	for err := range errChan {
-		errors = append(errors, err)
-	}
-
-	if len(errors) > 0 {
-		t.Errorf("Detected %d race condition errors: %v", len(errors), errors)
-	}
-}
diff --git a/hscontrol/policy/v2/types_test.go b/hscontrol/policy/v2/types_test.go
index 4aca150e..6f6b40d1 100644
--- a/hscontrol/policy/v2/types_test.go
+++ b/hscontrol/policy/v2/types_test.go
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ func TestUnmarshalPolicy(t *testing.T) {
 `,
 			wantErr: `Hostname "derp" contains an invalid IP address: "10.0/42"`,
 		},
-		// TODO(kradalby): Figure out why this doesnt work.
+		// TODO(kradalby): Figure out why this doesn't work.
 		// 		{
 		// 			name: "invalid-hostname",
 		// 			input: `
@@ -1074,7 +1074,7 @@ func TestResolvePolicy(t *testing.T) {
 					ForcedTags: []string{"tag:anything"},
 					IPv4:       ap("100.100.101.2"),
 				},
-				// not matchin pak tag
+				// not matching pak tag
 				{
 					User: users["testuser"],
 					AuthKey: &types.PreAuthKey{
@@ -1108,7 +1108,7 @@ func TestResolvePolicy(t *testing.T) {
 					ForcedTags: []string{"tag:anything"},
 					IPv4:       ap("100.100.101.5"),
 				},
-				// not matchin pak tag
+				// not matching pak tag
 				{
 					User: users["groupuser"],
 					AuthKey: &types.PreAuthKey{
@@ -1147,7 +1147,7 @@ func TestResolvePolicy(t *testing.T) {
 					ForcedTags: []string{"tag:anything"},
 					IPv4:       ap("100.100.101.10"),
 				},
-				// not matchin pak tag
+				// not matching pak tag
 				{
 					AuthKey: &types.PreAuthKey{
 						Tags: []string{"tag:alsotagged"},
@@ -1159,7 +1159,7 @@ func TestResolvePolicy(t *testing.T) {
 					ForcedTags: []string{"tag:test"},
 					IPv4:       ap("100.100.101.234"),
 				},
-				// not matchin pak tag
+				// not matching pak tag
 				{
 					AuthKey: &types.PreAuthKey{
 						Tags: []string{"tag:test"},
diff --git a/hscontrol/types/common_test.go b/hscontrol/types/common_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a443918b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hscontrol/types/common_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+package types
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestDefaultBatcherWorkersFor(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		cpuCount int
+		expected int
+	}{
+		{1, 1},   // (1*3)/4 = 0, should be minimum 1
+		{2, 1},   // (2*3)/4 = 1
+		{4, 3},   // (4*3)/4 = 3
+		{8, 6},   // (8*3)/4 = 6
+		{12, 9},  // (12*3)/4 = 9
+		{16, 12}, // (16*3)/4 = 12
+		{20, 15}, // (20*3)/4 = 15
+		{24, 18}, // (24*3)/4 = 18
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		result := DefaultBatcherWorkersFor(test.cpuCount)
+		if result != test.expected {
+			t.Errorf("DefaultBatcherWorkersFor(%d) = %d, expected %d", test.cpuCount, result, test.expected)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDefaultBatcherWorkers(t *testing.T) {
+	// Just verify it returns a valid value (>= 1)
+	result := DefaultBatcherWorkers()
+	if result < 1 {
+		t.Errorf("DefaultBatcherWorkers() = %d, expected value >= 1", result)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/hscontrol/util/dns_test.go b/hscontrol/util/dns_test.go
index 30652e4b..140b70e2 100644
--- a/hscontrol/util/dns_test.go
+++ b/hscontrol/util/dns_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"tailscale.com/util/dnsname"
+	"tailscale.com/util/must"
 )
 
 func TestCheckForFQDNRules(t *testing.T) {
@@ -102,59 +104,16 @@ func TestConvertWithFQDNRules(t *testing.T) {
 func TestMagicDNSRootDomains100(t *testing.T) {
 	domains := GenerateIPv4DNSRootDomain(netip.MustParsePrefix("100.64.0.0/10"))
 
-	found := false
-	for _, domain := range domains {
-		if domain == "64.100.in-addr.arpa." {
-			found = true
-
-			break
-		}
-	}
-	assert.True(t, found)
-
-	found = false
-	for _, domain := range domains {
-		if domain == "100.100.in-addr.arpa." {
-			found = true
-
-			break
-		}
-	}
-	assert.True(t, found)
-
-	found = false
-	for _, domain := range domains {
-		if domain == "127.100.in-addr.arpa." {
-			found = true
-
-			break
-		}
-	}
-	assert.True(t, found)
+	assert.Contains(t, domains, must.Get(dnsname.ToFQDN("64.100.in-addr.arpa.")))
+	assert.Contains(t, domains, must.Get(dnsname.ToFQDN("100.100.in-addr.arpa.")))
+	assert.Contains(t, domains, must.Get(dnsname.ToFQDN("127.100.in-addr.arpa.")))
 }
 
 func TestMagicDNSRootDomains172(t *testing.T) {
 	domains := GenerateIPv4DNSRootDomain(netip.MustParsePrefix("172.16.0.0/16"))
 
-	found := false
-	for _, domain := range domains {
-		if domain == "0.16.172.in-addr.arpa." {
-			found = true
-
-			break
-		}
-	}
-	assert.True(t, found)
-
-	found = false
-	for _, domain := range domains {
-		if domain == "255.16.172.in-addr.arpa." {
-			found = true
-
-			break
-		}
-	}
-	assert.True(t, found)
+	assert.Contains(t, domains, must.Get(dnsname.ToFQDN("0.16.172.in-addr.arpa.")))
+	assert.Contains(t, domains, must.Get(dnsname.ToFQDN("255.16.172.in-addr.arpa.")))
 }
 
 // Happens when netmask is a multiple of 4 bits (sounds likely).
diff --git a/integration/auth_key_test.go b/integration/auth_key_test.go
index 1352a02b..8050f6e7 100644
--- a/integration/auth_key_test.go
+++ b/integration/auth_key_test.go
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ func TestAuthKeyLogoutAndReloginSameUser(t *testing.T) {
 				var err error
 				listNodes, err = headscale.ListNodes()
 				assert.NoError(ct, err)
-				assert.Equal(ct, nodeCountBeforeLogout, len(listNodes), "Node count should match before logout count")
+				assert.Len(ct, listNodes, nodeCountBeforeLogout, "Node count should match before logout count")
 			}, 20*time.Second, 1*time.Second)
 
 			for _, node := range listNodes {
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ func TestAuthKeyLogoutAndReloginSameUser(t *testing.T) {
 				var err error
 				listNodes, err = headscale.ListNodes()
 				assert.NoError(ct, err)
-				assert.Equal(ct, nodeCountBeforeLogout, len(listNodes), "Node count should match after HTTPS reconnection")
+				assert.Len(ct, listNodes, nodeCountBeforeLogout, "Node count should match after HTTPS reconnection")
 			}, 30*time.Second, 2*time.Second)
 
 			for _, node := range listNodes {
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ func TestAuthKeyLogoutAndReloginSameUser(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 
 			listNodes, err = headscale.ListNodes()
-			require.Equal(t, nodeCountBeforeLogout, len(listNodes))
+			require.Len(t, listNodes, nodeCountBeforeLogout)
 			for _, node := range listNodes {
 				assertLastSeenSet(t, node)
 			}
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ func TestAuthKeyLogoutAndReloginSameUserExpiredKey(t *testing.T) {
 						"--user",
 						strconv.FormatUint(userMap[userName].GetId(), 10),
 						"expire",
-						key.Key,
+						key.GetKey(),
 					})
 				assertNoErr(t, err)
 
diff --git a/integration/cli_test.go b/integration/cli_test.go
index 7f4f9936..42d191e0 100644
--- a/integration/cli_test.go
+++ b/integration/cli_test.go
@@ -604,7 +604,7 @@ func TestPreAuthKeyCorrectUserLoggedInCommand(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.EventuallyWithT(t, func(ct *assert.CollectT) {
 		status, err := client.Status()
 		assert.NoError(ct, err)
-		assert.NotContains(ct, []string{"Starting", "Running"}, status.BackendState, 
+		assert.NotContains(ct, []string{"Starting", "Running"}, status.BackendState,
 			"Expected node to be logged out, backend state: %s", status.BackendState)
 	}, 30*time.Second, 2*time.Second)
 
diff --git a/integration/dockertestutil/network.go b/integration/dockertestutil/network.go
index 86c1e046..799d70f3 100644
--- a/integration/dockertestutil/network.go
+++ b/integration/dockertestutil/network.go
@@ -147,3 +147,9 @@ func DockerAllowNetworkAdministration(config *docker.HostConfig) {
 	config.CapAdd = append(config.CapAdd, "NET_ADMIN")
 	config.Privileged = true
 }
+
+// DockerMemoryLimit sets memory limit and disables OOM kill for containers.
+func DockerMemoryLimit(config *docker.HostConfig) {
+	config.Memory = 2 * 1024 * 1024 * 1024 // 2GB in bytes
+	config.OOMKillDisable = true
+}
diff --git a/integration/embedded_derp_test.go b/integration/embedded_derp_test.go
index 051b9261..e9ba69dd 100644
--- a/integration/embedded_derp_test.go
+++ b/integration/embedded_derp_test.go
@@ -145,9 +145,9 @@ func derpServerScenario(
 			assert.NoError(ct, err, "Failed to get status for client %s", client.Hostname())
 
 			for _, health := range status.Health {
-				assert.NotContains(ct, health, "could not connect to any relay server", 
+				assert.NotContains(ct, health, "could not connect to any relay server",
 					"Client %s should be connected to DERP relay", client.Hostname())
-				assert.NotContains(ct, health, "could not connect to the 'Headscale Embedded DERP' relay server.", 
+				assert.NotContains(ct, health, "could not connect to the 'Headscale Embedded DERP' relay server.",
 					"Client %s should be connected to Headscale Embedded DERP", client.Hostname())
 			}
 		}, 30*time.Second, 2*time.Second)
@@ -166,9 +166,9 @@ func derpServerScenario(
 			assert.NoError(ct, err, "Failed to get status for client %s", client.Hostname())
 
 			for _, health := range status.Health {
-				assert.NotContains(ct, health, "could not connect to any relay server", 
+				assert.NotContains(ct, health, "could not connect to any relay server",
 					"Client %s should be connected to DERP relay after first run", client.Hostname())
-				assert.NotContains(ct, health, "could not connect to the 'Headscale Embedded DERP' relay server.", 
+				assert.NotContains(ct, health, "could not connect to the 'Headscale Embedded DERP' relay server.",
 					"Client %s should be connected to Headscale Embedded DERP after first run", client.Hostname())
 			}
 		}, 30*time.Second, 2*time.Second)
@@ -191,9 +191,9 @@ func derpServerScenario(
 			assert.NoError(ct, err, "Failed to get status for client %s", client.Hostname())
 
 			for _, health := range status.Health {
-				assert.NotContains(ct, health, "could not connect to any relay server", 
+				assert.NotContains(ct, health, "could not connect to any relay server",
 					"Client %s should be connected to DERP relay after second run", client.Hostname())
-				assert.NotContains(ct, health, "could not connect to the 'Headscale Embedded DERP' relay server.", 
+				assert.NotContains(ct, health, "could not connect to the 'Headscale Embedded DERP' relay server.",
 					"Client %s should be connected to Headscale Embedded DERP after second run", client.Hostname())
 			}
 		}, 30*time.Second, 2*time.Second)
diff --git a/integration/general_test.go b/integration/general_test.go
index 0e1a8da5..4e250854 100644
--- a/integration/general_test.go
+++ b/integration/general_test.go
@@ -883,6 +883,10 @@ func TestNodeOnlineStatus(t *testing.T) {
 			assert.EventuallyWithT(t, func(ct *assert.CollectT) {
 				status, err := client.Status()
 				assert.NoError(ct, err)
+				if status == nil {
+					assert.Fail(ct, "status is nil")
+					return
+				}
 
 				for _, peerKey := range status.Peers() {
 					peerStatus := status.Peer[peerKey]
@@ -984,16 +988,11 @@ func TestPingAllByIPManyUpDown(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 
 		// Wait for sync and successful pings after nodes come back up
-		assert.EventuallyWithT(t, func(ct *assert.CollectT) {
-			err = scenario.WaitForTailscaleSync()
-			assert.NoError(ct, err)
-
-			success := pingAllHelper(t, allClients, allAddrs)
-			assert.Greater(ct, success, 0, "Nodes should be able to ping after coming back up")
-		}, 30*time.Second, 2*time.Second)
+		err = scenario.WaitForTailscaleSync()
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 		success := pingAllHelper(t, allClients, allAddrs)
-		t.Logf("%d successful pings out of %d", success, len(allClients)*len(allIps))
+		assert.Equalf(t, len(allClients)*len(allIps), success, "%d successful pings out of %d", success, len(allClients)*len(allIps))
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/integration/route_test.go b/integration/route_test.go
index 64677aec..7243d3f2 100644
--- a/integration/route_test.go
+++ b/integration/route_test.go
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ func TestHASubnetRouterFailover(t *testing.T) {
 	// Enable route on node 1
 	t.Logf("Enabling route on subnet router 1, no HA")
 	_, err = headscale.ApproveRoutes(
-		1,
+		MustFindNode(subRouter1.Hostname(), nodes).GetId(),
 		[]netip.Prefix{pref},
 	)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ func TestHASubnetRouterFailover(t *testing.T) {
 	// Enable route on node 2, now we will have a HA subnet router
 	t.Logf("Enabling route on subnet router 2, now HA, subnetrouter 1 is primary, 2 is standby")
 	_, err = headscale.ApproveRoutes(
-		2,
+		MustFindNode(subRouter2.Hostname(), nodes).GetId(),
 		[]netip.Prefix{pref},
 	)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ func TestHASubnetRouterFailover(t *testing.T) {
 	// be enabled.
 	t.Logf("Enabling route on subnet router 3, now HA, subnetrouter 1 is primary, 2 and 3 is standby")
 	_, err = headscale.ApproveRoutes(
-		3,
+		MustFindNode(subRouter3.Hostname(), nodes).GetId(),
 		[]netip.Prefix{pref},
 	)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -639,7 +639,7 @@ func TestHASubnetRouterFailover(t *testing.T) {
 
 	t.Logf("disabling route in subnet router r3 (%s)", subRouter3.Hostname())
 	t.Logf("expecting route to failover to r1 (%s), which is still available with r2", subRouter1.Hostname())
-	_, err = headscale.ApproveRoutes(nodes[2].GetId(), []netip.Prefix{})
+	_, err = headscale.ApproveRoutes(MustFindNode(subRouter3.Hostname(), nodes).GetId(), []netip.Prefix{})
 
 	time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
 
@@ -647,9 +647,9 @@ func TestHASubnetRouterFailover(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Len(t, nodes, 6)
 
-	requireNodeRouteCount(t, nodes[0], 1, 1, 1)
-	requireNodeRouteCount(t, nodes[1], 1, 1, 0)
-	requireNodeRouteCount(t, nodes[2], 1, 0, 0)
+	requireNodeRouteCount(t, MustFindNode(subRouter1.Hostname(), nodes), 1, 1, 1)
+	requireNodeRouteCount(t, MustFindNode(subRouter2.Hostname(), nodes), 1, 1, 0)
+	requireNodeRouteCount(t, MustFindNode(subRouter3.Hostname(), nodes), 1, 0, 0)
 
 	// Verify that the route is announced from subnet router 1
 	clientStatus, err = client.Status()
@@ -684,7 +684,7 @@ func TestHASubnetRouterFailover(t *testing.T) {
 	// Disable the route of subnet router 1, making it failover to 2
 	t.Logf("disabling route in subnet router r1 (%s)", subRouter1.Hostname())
 	t.Logf("expecting route to failover to r2 (%s)", subRouter2.Hostname())
-	_, err = headscale.ApproveRoutes(nodes[0].GetId(), []netip.Prefix{})
+	_, err = headscale.ApproveRoutes(MustFindNode(subRouter1.Hostname(), nodes).GetId(), []netip.Prefix{})
 
 	time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
 
@@ -692,9 +692,9 @@ func TestHASubnetRouterFailover(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Len(t, nodes, 6)
 
-	requireNodeRouteCount(t, nodes[0], 1, 0, 0)
-	requireNodeRouteCount(t, nodes[1], 1, 1, 1)
-	requireNodeRouteCount(t, nodes[2], 1, 0, 0)
+	requireNodeRouteCount(t, MustFindNode(subRouter1.Hostname(), nodes), 1, 0, 0)
+	requireNodeRouteCount(t, MustFindNode(subRouter2.Hostname(), nodes), 1, 1, 1)
+	requireNodeRouteCount(t, MustFindNode(subRouter3.Hostname(), nodes), 1, 0, 0)
 
 	// Verify that the route is announced from subnet router 1
 	clientStatus, err = client.Status()
@@ -729,9 +729,10 @@ func TestHASubnetRouterFailover(t *testing.T) {
 	// enable the route of subnet router 1, no change expected
 	t.Logf("enabling route in subnet router 1 (%s)", subRouter1.Hostname())
 	t.Logf("both online, expecting r2 (%s) to still be primary (no flapping)", subRouter2.Hostname())
+	r1Node := MustFindNode(subRouter1.Hostname(), nodes)
 	_, err = headscale.ApproveRoutes(
-		nodes[0].GetId(),
-		util.MustStringsToPrefixes(nodes[0].GetAvailableRoutes()),
+		r1Node.GetId(),
+		util.MustStringsToPrefixes(r1Node.GetAvailableRoutes()),
 	)
 
 	time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
@@ -740,9 +741,9 @@ func TestHASubnetRouterFailover(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Len(t, nodes, 6)
 
-	requireNodeRouteCount(t, nodes[0], 1, 1, 0)
-	requireNodeRouteCount(t, nodes[1], 1, 1, 1)
-	requireNodeRouteCount(t, nodes[2], 1, 0, 0)
+	requireNodeRouteCount(t, MustFindNode(subRouter1.Hostname(), nodes), 1, 1, 0)
+	requireNodeRouteCount(t, MustFindNode(subRouter2.Hostname(), nodes), 1, 1, 1)
+	requireNodeRouteCount(t, MustFindNode(subRouter3.Hostname(), nodes), 1, 0, 0)
 
 	// Verify that the route is announced from subnet router 1
 	clientStatus, err = client.Status()
@@ -1334,10 +1335,10 @@ func TestSubnetRouterMultiNetworkExitNode(t *testing.T) {
 	web := services[0]
 	webip := netip.MustParseAddr(web.GetIPInNetwork(usernet1))
 
-	// We cant mess to much with ip forwarding in containers so
+	// We can't mess to much with ip forwarding in containers so
 	// we settle for a simple ping here.
 	// Direct is false since we use internal DERP which means we
-	// cant discover a direct path between docker networks.
+	// can't discover a direct path between docker networks.
 	err = user2c.Ping(webip.String(),
 		tsic.WithPingUntilDirect(false),
 		tsic.WithPingCount(1),
@@ -1693,7 +1694,7 @@ func TestAutoApproveMultiNetwork(t *testing.T) {
 					// with an additional tsOpt which advertises the route as part
 					// of the `tailscale up` command. If we do this as part of the
 					// scenario creation, it will be added to all nodes and turn
-					// into a HA node, which isnt something we are testing here.
+					// into a HA node, which isn't something we are testing here.
 					routerUsernet1, err := scenario.CreateTailscaleNode("head", tsOpts...)
 					require.NoError(t, err)
 					defer routerUsernet1.Shutdown()
diff --git a/integration/ssh_test.go b/integration/ssh_test.go
index 236aba20..3015503f 100644
--- a/integration/ssh_test.go
+++ b/integration/ssh_test.go
@@ -370,10 +370,12 @@ func TestSSHUserOnlyIsolation(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func doSSH(t *testing.T, client TailscaleClient, peer TailscaleClient) (string, string, error) {
+	t.Helper()
 	return doSSHWithRetry(t, client, peer, true)
 }
 
 func doSSHWithoutRetry(t *testing.T, client TailscaleClient, peer TailscaleClient) (string, string, error) {
+	t.Helper()
 	return doSSHWithRetry(t, client, peer, false)
 }