diff --git a/.codesight/CODESIGHT.md b/.codesight/CODESIGHT.md
index 616268e..b5674ca 100644
--- a/.codesight/CODESIGHT.md
+++ b/.codesight/CODESIGHT.md
@@ -256,6 +256,7 @@
 - `modules/coordinator/src/main/scala/de/nowchess/coordinator/service/AutoScaler.scala`
   - class AutoScaler
   - function initMetrics
+  - function periodicScaleCheck
   - function checkAndScale
   - function scaleUp
   - function scaleDown
diff --git a/.codesight/libs.md b/.codesight/libs.md
index e65d86d..69c353d 100644
--- a/.codesight/libs.md
+++ b/.codesight/libs.md
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@
 - `modules/coordinator/src/main/scala/de/nowchess/coordinator/service/AutoScaler.scala`
   - class AutoScaler
   - function initMetrics
+  - function periodicScaleCheck
   - function checkAndScale
   - function scaleUp
   - function scaleDown
diff --git a/modules/coordinator/src/main/resources/application.yml b/modules/coordinator/src/main/resources/application.yml
index a14ae84..0156897 100644
--- a/modules/coordinator/src/main/resources/application.yml
+++ b/modules/coordinator/src/main/resources/application.yml
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ nowchess:
     stream-heartbeat-interval: PT0.2S
     cache-eviction-interval: 10m
     game-idle-threshold: 45m
-    auto-scale-enabled: false
+    auto-scale-enabled: true
     scale-up-threshold: 0.8
     scale-down-threshold: 0.3
     scale-min-replicas: 2
diff --git a/modules/coordinator/src/main/scala/de/nowchess/coordinator/grpc/CoreGrpcClient.scala b/modules/coordinator/src/main/scala/de/nowchess/coordinator/grpc/CoreGrpcClient.scala
index 6e95265..e56727b 100644
--- a/modules/coordinator/src/main/scala/de/nowchess/coordinator/grpc/CoreGrpcClient.scala
+++ b/modules/coordinator/src/main/scala/de/nowchess/coordinator/grpc/CoreGrpcClient.scala
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class CoreGrpcClient:
 
   def batchResubscribeGames(host: String, port: Int, gameIds: List[String]): Int =
     try
-      val stub    = CoordinatorServiceGrpc.newBlockingStub(getChannel(host, port))
+      val stub = CoordinatorServiceGrpc.newBlockingStub(getChannel(host, port)).withDeadlineAfter(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS)
       val request = BatchResubscribeRequest.newBuilder().addAllGameIds(gameIds.asJava).build()
       val count   = stub.batchResubscribeGames(request).getSubscribedCount
       log.debugf("batchResubscribeGames %s:%d — subscribed %d games", host, port, count)
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ class CoreGrpcClient:
 
   def unsubscribeGames(host: String, port: Int, gameIds: List[String]): Int =
     try
-      val stub    = CoordinatorServiceGrpc.newBlockingStub(getChannel(host, port))
+      val stub = CoordinatorServiceGrpc.newBlockingStub(getChannel(host, port)).withDeadlineAfter(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS)
       val request = UnsubscribeGamesRequest.newBuilder().addAllGameIds(gameIds.asJava).build()
       val count   = stub.unsubscribeGames(request).getUnsubscribedCount
       log.debugf("unsubscribeGames %s:%d — unsubscribed %d games", host, port, count)
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ class CoreGrpcClient:
 
   def evictGames(host: String, port: Int, gameIds: List[String]): Int =
     try
-      val stub    = CoordinatorServiceGrpc.newBlockingStub(getChannel(host, port))
+      val stub = CoordinatorServiceGrpc.newBlockingStub(getChannel(host, port)).withDeadlineAfter(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS)
       val request = EvictGamesRequest.newBuilder().addAllGameIds(gameIds.asJava).build()
       val count   = stub.evictGames(request).getEvictedCount
       log.debugf("evictGames %s:%d — evicted %d games", host, port, count)
diff --git a/modules/coordinator/src/main/scala/de/nowchess/coordinator/service/CacheEvictionManager.scala b/modules/coordinator/src/main/scala/de/nowchess/coordinator/service/CacheEvictionManager.scala
index 0008888..9760039 100644
--- a/modules/coordinator/src/main/scala/de/nowchess/coordinator/service/CacheEvictionManager.scala
+++ b/modules/coordinator/src/main/scala/de/nowchess/coordinator/service/CacheEvictionManager.scala
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import io.quarkus.redis.datasource.RedisDataSource
 import de.nowchess.coordinator.config.CoordinatorConfig
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper
 import io.micrometer.core.instrument.MeterRegistry
+import io.quarkus.scheduler.Scheduled
 import scala.jdk.CollectionConverters.*
 import org.jboss.logging.Logger
 import scala.compiletime.uninitialized
@@ -48,6 +49,11 @@ class CacheEvictionManager:
     meterRegistry.timer("nowchess.coordinator.cache.eviction.duration").record(0L, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)
     meterRegistry.counter("nowchess.coordinator.cache.evictions").increment(0)
 
+  @Scheduled(every = "5m")
+  def periodicCacheEviction(): Unit =
+    try evictStaleGames
+    catch case ex: Exception => log.warnf(ex, "Periodic cache eviction failed")
+
   def evictStaleGames: Unit =
     meterRegistry.timer("nowchess.coordinator.cache.eviction.duration").record((() => runEviction()): Runnable)
 
diff --git a/modules/coordinator/src/main/scala/de/nowchess/coordinator/service/InstanceRegistry.scala b/modules/coordinator/src/main/scala/de/nowchess/coordinator/service/InstanceRegistry.scala
index 2474646..a857d59 100644
--- a/modules/coordinator/src/main/scala/de/nowchess/coordinator/service/InstanceRegistry.scala
+++ b/modules/coordinator/src/main/scala/de/nowchess/coordinator/service/InstanceRegistry.scala
@@ -76,11 +76,13 @@ class InstanceRegistry:
       .onItem()
       .transformToUni { value =>
         try
-          if value == null then
-            log.debugf("Instance %s metadata missing from Redis (may have expired)", instanceId)
-            Uni.createFrom().item(())
-          else
-            val metadata = mapper.readValue(value, classOf[InstanceMetadata])
+          Option(value).fold(
+            {
+              log.debugf("Instance %s metadata missing from Redis (may have expired)", instanceId)
+              Uni.createFrom().item(())
+            },
+          ) { json =>
+            val metadata = mapper.readValue(json, classOf[InstanceMetadata])
             val isNew    = !instances.containsKey(instanceId)
             instances.put(instanceId, metadata)
             if isNew then
@@ -94,6 +96,7 @@ class InstanceRegistry:
                 metadata.state,
               )
             Uni.createFrom().item(())
+          }
         catch
           case ex: Exception =>
             log.warnf(ex, "Failed to parse instance metadata for %s — removing from registry", instanceId)
diff --git a/modules/coordinator/src/main/scala/de/nowchess/coordinator/service/LoadBalancer.scala b/modules/coordinator/src/main/scala/de/nowchess/coordinator/service/LoadBalancer.scala
index 4c37df5..2b31176 100644
--- a/modules/coordinator/src/main/scala/de/nowchess/coordinator/service/LoadBalancer.scala
+++ b/modules/coordinator/src/main/scala/de/nowchess/coordinator/service/LoadBalancer.scala
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import jakarta.enterprise.context.ApplicationScoped
 import jakarta.inject.Inject
 import de.nowchess.coordinator.config.CoordinatorConfig
 import io.quarkus.redis.datasource.RedisDataSource
+import io.quarkus.scheduler.Scheduled
 import org.jboss.logging.Logger
 import scala.compiletime.uninitialized
 import scala.concurrent.duration.*
@@ -125,3 +126,8 @@ class LoadBalancer:
     catch
       case ex: Exception =>
         log.warnf(ex, "Failed to update Redis game sets")
+
+  @Scheduled(every = "30s")
+  def periodicRebalanceCheck(): Unit =
+    try if shouldRebalance then rebalance
+    catch case ex: Exception => log.warnf(ex, "Periodic rebalance check failed")