diff --git a/atproto_firehose.py b/atproto_firehose.py
index 3d1089d..ceb8c1f 100644
--- a/atproto_firehose.py
+++ b/atproto_firehose.py
@@ -6,20 +6,18 @@ import itertools
 import logging
 import os
 from queue import SimpleQueue
-import threading
 from threading import Event, Lock, Thread, Timer
 import time
 
 from arroba.datastore_storage import AtpRepo
 from carbox import read_car
 import dag_json
-from flask import Flask
 from google.cloud import ndb
 from granary.bluesky import AT_URI_PATTERN
 from lexrpc.client import Client
 from oauth_dropins.webutil import util
 from oauth_dropins.webutil.appengine_config import ndb_client
-from oauth_dropins.webutil.appengine_info import DEBUG, LOCAL_SERVER
+from oauth_dropins.webutil.appengine_info import DEBUG
 from oauth_dropins.webutil.util import json_loads
 
 from atproto import ATProto, Cursor
@@ -33,14 +31,11 @@ from common import (
 )
 from models import Object, reset_protocol_properties
 
-# all protocols
-import activitypub, atproto, web
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 RECONNECT_DELAY = timedelta(seconds=30)
 STORE_CURSOR_FREQ = timedelta(seconds=10)
 
-logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
-
 # a commit operation. similar to arroba.repo.Write. record is None for deletes.
 Op = namedtuple('Op', ['action', 'repo', 'path', 'seq', 'record'],
                 # record is optional
@@ -59,8 +54,6 @@ bridged_dids = set()
 bridged_loaded_at = datetime(1900, 1, 1)
 dids_initialized = Event()
 
-reset_protocol_properties()
-
 
 def load_dids():
     # run in a separate thread since it needs to make its own NDB
@@ -326,22 +319,3 @@ def handle(limit=None):
             return
 
     assert False, "handle thread shouldn't reach here!"
-
-
-# Flask app
-app = Flask(__name__)
-
-
-@app.get('/liveness_check')
-@app.get('/readiness_check')
-def health_check():
-    return 'OK'
-
-
-if LOCAL_SERVER or not DEBUG:
-    threads = [t.name for t in threading.enumerate()]
-    assert 'atproto_firehose.subscriber' not in threads
-    assert 'atproto_firehose.handler' not in threads
-
-    Thread(target=subscriber, name='atproto_firehose.subscriber').start()
-    Thread(target=handler, name='atproto_firehose.handler').start()
diff --git a/hub.py b/atproto_hub.py
similarity index 78%
rename from hub.py
rename to atproto_hub.py
index ae2b496..0c6dafa 100644
--- a/hub.py
+++ b/atproto_hub.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-"""Single-instance hub for ATProto and Nostr websocket subscriptions."""
+"""Single-instance hub for ATProto subscription (firehose) server and client."""
 import logging
 import os
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -11,14 +11,11 @@ from flask import Flask
 import lexrpc.client
 import lexrpc.flask_server
 from oauth_dropins.webutil.appengine_info import DEBUG, LOCAL_SERVER
-from oauth_dropins.webutil import (
-    appengine_config,
-    flask_util,
-    util,
-)
+from oauth_dropins.webutil import appengine_config, flask_util
 
 # all protocols
 import activitypub, atproto, web
+import atproto_firehose
 from common import global_cache, global_cache_timeout_policy, USER_AGENT
 import models
 
@@ -66,6 +63,16 @@ def atproto_commit():
     return 'OK'
 
 
+# start firehose consumer threads
+if LOCAL_SERVER or not DEBUG:
+    threads = [t.name for t in threading.enumerate()]
+    assert 'atproto_firehose.subscriber' not in threads
+    assert 'atproto_firehose.handler' not in threads
+
+    Thread(target=atproto_firehose.subscriber, name='atproto_firehose.subscriber').start()
+    Thread(target=atproto_firehose.handler, name='atproto_firehose.handler').start()
+
+
 # send requestCrawl to relay
 # delay because we're not up and serving XRPCs at this point yet. not sure why not.
 if 'GAE_INSTANCE' in os.environ:  # prod
diff --git a/hub.yaml b/atproto_hub.yaml
similarity index 87%
rename from hub.yaml
rename to atproto_hub.yaml
index 8754c3b..ddf6d59 100644
--- a/hub.yaml
+++ b/atproto_hub.yaml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 # application: bridgy-federated
 
-service: hub
+service: atproto-hub
 env: flex
 runtime: python
 runtime_config:
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ resources:
   cpu: 1
   memory_gb: 1.6
 
-# can't be internal because Bluesky relay needs to be able to connect externally
+# can't be internal because Bluesky relay(s) need to be able to connect to us
 # over websocket for subscribeRepos
 network:
   instance_ip_mode: external
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ env_variables:
   MOD_SERVICE_HOST: mod.bsky.app
   MOD_SERVICE_DID: did:plc:ar7c4by46qjdydhdevvrndac
   # ...or test against labeler.dholms.xyz / did:plc:vzxheqfwpbi3lxbgdh22js66
+
   ROLLBACK_WINDOW: 50000
 
 # need only one instance so that new commits can be delivered to subscribeRepos
@@ -47,4 +48,4 @@ manual_scaling:
 # https://cloud.google.com/appengine/docs/flexible/python/runtime#application_startup
 # https://docs.gunicorn.org/en/latest/settings.html#timeout
 # TODO: try asyncio w/eventlet workers
-entrypoint: gunicorn --workers 1 --threads 20 -b :$PORT hub:app
+entrypoint: gunicorn --workers 1 --threads 25 -b :$PORT atproto_hub:app
diff --git a/dispatch.yaml b/dispatch.yaml
index 32027d6..68d48e8 100644
--- a/dispatch.yaml
+++ b/dispatch.yaml
@@ -2,10 +2,10 @@
 
 dispatch:
   - url: "*/queue/atproto-commit"
-    service: hub
+    service: atproto-hub
 
   - url: "*/queue/*"
     service: router
 
   - url: "*/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.subscribeRepos"
-    service: hub
+    service: atproto-hub
diff --git a/firehose.yaml b/firehose.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 8bda83e..0000000
--- a/firehose.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,42 +0,0 @@
-# https://cloud.google.com/appengine/docs/flexible/reference/app-yaml?tab=python
-#
-# gcloud -q app deploy --project bridgy-federated firehose.yaml
-
-# application: bridgy-federated
-
-service: firehose
-env: flex
-runtime: python
-runtime_config:
-    operating_system: ubuntu22
-    runtime_version: "3.11"
-
-resources:
-  memory_gb: 1.0
-
-env_variables:
-  PDS_HOST: atproto.brid.gy
-
-  # # sandbox
-  # PLC_HOST: plc.bsky-sandbox.dev
-  # APPVIEW_HOST: api.bsky-sandbox.dev
-  # BGS_HOST: bgs.bsky-sandbox.dev
-  # MOD_SERVICE_HOST: ?
-  # MOD_SERVICE_DID: ?
-
-  # prod
-  PLC_HOST: plc.directory
-  APPVIEW_HOST: api.bsky.app
-  BGS_HOST: bsky.network
-  MOD_SERVICE_HOST: mod.bsky.app
-  MOD_SERVICE_DID: did:plc:ar7c4by46qjdydhdevvrndac
-
-manual_scaling:
-  instances: 1
-
-# https://cloud.google.com/appengine/docs/flexible/python/runtime#application_startup
-# https://docs.gunicorn.org/en/latest/settings.html#timeout
-#
-# this service doesn't serve any HTTP requests, but it evidently still needs a
-# web server for health checks.
-entrypoint: gunicorn --workers 1 --threads 5 -b :$PORT atproto_firehose:app
diff --git a/tests/test_atproto.py b/tests/test_atproto.py
index 497c7b4..f5f6c49 100644
--- a/tests/test_atproto.py
+++ b/tests/test_atproto.py
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ from werkzeug.exceptions import BadRequest
 import atproto
 from atproto import ATProto, DatastoreClient
 import common
-import hub
 from models import Object, PROTOCOLS, Target
 import protocol
 from .testutil import ATPROTO_KEY, Fake, TestCase
diff --git a/tests/test_integrations.py b/tests/test_integrations.py
index b23f1c0..d0b9c70 100644
--- a/tests/test_integrations.py
+++ b/tests/test_integrations.py
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ from activitypub import ActivityPub
 import app
 from atproto import ATProto, Cursor
 from atproto_firehose import handle, new_commits, Op
-import hub
 from models import Object, Target
 from web import Web