diff --git a/foundations/src/runtime.rs b/foundations/src/runtime.rs
index 805fdbb2..5ac0300d 100644
--- a/foundations/src/runtime.rs
+++ b/foundations/src/runtime.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,11 @@ pub enum Runtime {
 }
 
 impl Runtime {
-	pub fn new_steal(thread_count: usize, name: &str) -> std::io::Result<Self> {
+	pub fn new_steal(mut thread_count: usize, name: &str) -> std::io::Result<Self> {
+		if thread_count == 0 {
+			thread_count = num_cpus::get();
+		}
+
 		Ok(Self::Steal(
 			tokio::runtime::Builder::new_multi_thread()
 				.worker_threads(thread_count)
diff --git a/foundations/src/telementry/server.rs b/foundations/src/telementry/server.rs
index 77cc710f..d1d88b75 100644
--- a/foundations/src/telementry/server.rs
+++ b/foundations/src/telementry/server.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use std::net::SocketAddr;
 
 use anyhow::Context;
 
-#[derive(Debug)]
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
 pub struct ServerSettings {
 	pub bind: SocketAddr,
 	#[cfg(feature = "pprof-cpu")]
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ pub struct ServerSettings {
 	pub metrics_path: Option<String>,
 	#[cfg(feature = "health-check")]
 	pub health_path: Option<String>,
+	#[cfg(feature = "health-check")]
+	pub health_timeout: Option<std::time::Duration>,
 	#[cfg(feature = "context")]
 	pub context: Option<crate::context::Context>,
 }
@@ -29,6 +31,8 @@ impl Default for ServerSettings {
 			metrics_path: Some("/metrics".into()),
 			#[cfg(feature = "health-check")]
 			health_path: Some("/health".into()),
+			#[cfg(feature = "health-check")]
+			health_timeout: Some(std::time::Duration::from_secs(5)),
 			#[cfg(feature = "context")]
 			context: Some(crate::context::Context::global()),
 		}
@@ -160,7 +164,9 @@ async fn metrics(
 }
 
 #[cfg(feature = "health-check")]
-pub use health_check::{register as register_health_check, unregister as unregister_health_check, HealthCheck, HealthCheckFn};
+pub use health_check::{
+	register as register_health_check, unregister as unregister_health_check, HealthCheck, HealthCheckFn,
+};
 
 #[cfg(feature = "health-check")]
 mod health_check {
@@ -237,8 +243,21 @@ mod health_check {
 }
 
 #[cfg(feature = "health-check")]
-async fn health() -> axum::response::Response<axum::body::Body> {
-	if health_check::is_healthy().await {
+async fn health(
+	axum::Extension(timeout): axum::Extension<Option<std::time::Duration>>,
+) -> axum::response::Response<axum::body::Body> {
+	let healthy = if let Some(timeout) = timeout {
+		tokio::time::timeout(timeout, health_check::is_healthy())
+			.await
+			.map_err(|err| {
+				tracing::error!(%err, "failed to check health, timed out");
+			})
+			.unwrap_or(false)
+	} else {
+		health_check::is_healthy().await
+	};
+
+	if healthy {
 		axum::response::Response::builder()
 			.status(axum::http::StatusCode::OK)
 			.body("ok".into())
@@ -275,7 +294,9 @@ pub async fn init(settings: ServerSettings) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 
 	#[cfg(feature = "health-check")]
 	if let Some(path) = &settings.health_path {
-		router = router.route(path, axum::routing::get(health));
+		router = router
+			.layer(axum::Extension(settings.health_timeout))
+			.route(path, axum::routing::get(health));
 	}
 
 	router = router.fallback(axum::routing::any(not_found));
diff --git a/foundations/src/telementry/settings.rs b/foundations/src/telementry/settings.rs
index 644d2bf2..c2e61a9d 100644
--- a/foundations/src/telementry/settings.rs
+++ b/foundations/src/telementry/settings.rs
@@ -20,11 +20,8 @@ pub struct TelementrySettings {
 	pub opentelemetry: OpentelemetrySettings,
 	/// Settings for logging.
 	pub logging: LoggingSettings,
-	#[cfg(all(
-		any(feature = "pprof-cpu", feature = "pprof-heap", feature = "metrics",),
-		feature = "telemetry-server"
-	))]
 	/// Settings for the http server.
+	#[cfg(feature = "telemetry-server")]
 	pub server: ServerSettings,
 }
 
@@ -43,7 +40,7 @@ pub struct MetricsSettings {
 #[serde(default)]
 pub struct OpentelemetrySettings {
 	/// Whether to enable opentelemetry span exporting.
-	#[settings(default = true)]
+	#[settings(default = false)]
 	pub enabled: bool,
 	/// A map of additional labels to add to opentelemetry spans.
 	pub labels: HashMap<String, String>,
@@ -247,7 +244,7 @@ pub struct ServerSettings {
 	#[settings(default = true)]
 	pub enabled: bool,
 	/// The address to bind the server to.
-	#[settings(default = SocketAddr::from(([127, 0, 0, 1], 9090)))]
+	#[settings(default = SocketAddr::from(([127, 0, 0, 1], 9000)))]
 	pub bind: SocketAddr,
 	/// The path to the pprof heap endpoint. If `None`, the endpoint is
 	/// disabled.
@@ -267,6 +264,11 @@ pub struct ServerSettings {
 	#[cfg(feature = "health-check")]
 	#[settings(default = Some("/health".into()))]
 	pub health_path: Option<String>,
+	/// Health check timeout.
+	#[cfg(feature = "health-check")]
+	#[settings(default = Some(std::time::Duration::from_secs(5)))]
+	#[serde(with = "humantime_serde")]
+	pub health_timeout: Option<std::time::Duration>,
 }
 
 pub async fn init(info: crate::ServiceInfo, settings: TelementrySettings) {
@@ -463,6 +465,8 @@ pub async fn init(info: crate::ServiceInfo, settings: TelementrySettings) {
 				pprof_heap_path: settings.server.pprof_heap_path,
 				#[cfg(feature = "health-check")]
 				health_path: settings.server.health_path,
+				#[cfg(feature = "health-check")]
+				health_timeout: settings.server.health_timeout,
 				#[cfg(feature = "context")]
 				context: Some(crate::context::Context::global()),
 			})