diff --git a/KOHEN.md b/KOHEN.md
index 509b5110..25204754 100644
--- a/KOHEN.md
+++ b/KOHEN.md
@@ -599,7 +599,9 @@ aligned, not that the output is true. Read `limits` in the response.
 ### Rolling out — *Nesi'at haMishkan*
 
 `scripts/shorashim-rollout` (also installed at `~/.local/bin/`) restarts
-the deployment, waits for 3/3, and takes two consecutive 200s from
+the deployment, waits for both pods (two replicas since 2026-10-25,
+surge rollout: one pod stays Ready throughout, so a rollout no longer
+shows in the watchdog log), and takes two consecutive 200s from
 `/kodesh/health` before reporting — a rollout is not done at 3/3 (NLB
 re-admission lag). A new image must already be pushed as `:latest`. If
 the day's manna has not been written, the new pod hangs at 2/3 until it
diff --git a/deploy/k8s/configmap.yaml b/deploy/k8s/configmap.yaml
index 7a0a5a7a..dc37ca64 100644
--- a/deploy/k8s/configmap.yaml
+++ b/deploy/k8s/configmap.yaml
@@ -66,5 +66,5 @@ data:
   # a pool of 20 fills its connection ceiling by itself (2026-10-15:
   # refusals "remaining connection slots are reserved" for 24 h, one
   # pool worker looping, Aiven's monitor refused). Ten is ample for a
-  # single replica.
-  POOL_SIZE: "10"
+  # single replica; two replicas since 2026-10-25 → 5 each, 10 in all.
+  POOL_SIZE: "5"
diff --git a/deploy/k8s/deployment.yaml b/deploy/k8s/deployment.yaml
index 043400e2..917b10c5 100644
--- a/deploy/k8s/deployment.yaml
+++ b/deploy/k8s/deployment.yaml
@@ -18,18 +18,25 @@ metadata:
     app.kubernetes.io/name: shorashim
     app.kubernetes.io/version: "0.1.0"
 spec:
-  replicas: 1
-  # One replica on one node with no room to surge. The default
-  # (maxSurge 25% → 1 extra pod) asks for 450m CPU the node does not
-  # have beside the running pod, and the rollout hangs Pending while the
-  # old image keeps serving (tablet 31, 2026-10-04). Replace in place.
-  # The new pod reads the day's manna from the manna-pvc volume; it is
-  # Ready again without the kohen, as long as today's portion was written.
+  # Two replicas (2026-10-25). A pod that is not ready took every caller
+  # behind the gate dark, and every rollout left a five-minute 503 in
+  # the watchdog log; with two pods and a surge rollout the Service keeps
+  # one Ready pod throughout. One node: this covers rollouts and pod
+  # crashes, not the node. The node has 1700m CPU allocatable and 1470m
+  # was requested (tablet 31, 2026-10-04: a surge pod at 450m hung
+  # Pending), so the requests below are sized to what the pod USES
+  # (vav 20m, sidecars 2m, measured) with headroom — 200m per pod, 400m
+  # for two — not to the old 450m. Limits are unchanged. Each pod reads
+  # the day's manna from the manna-pvc volume and is Ready without the
+  # kohen as long as today's portion was written; the database pool is
+  # 5 per pod (POOL_SIZE in the ConfigMap), 10 in all, under the
+  # hobbyist tier's ceiling.
+  replicas: 2
   strategy:
     type: RollingUpdate
     rollingUpdate:
-      maxSurge: 0
-      maxUnavailable: 1
+      maxSurge: 1
+      maxUnavailable: 0
   selector:
     matchLabels:
       app.kubernetes.io/name: shorashim
@@ -237,7 +244,7 @@ spec:
           resources:
             requests:
               memory: "256Mi"
-              cpu: "250m"
+              cpu: "120m"
             limits:
               memory: "1Gi"
               cpu: "1000m"
@@ -293,8 +300,8 @@ spec:
               mountPath: /tmp
           resources:
             requests:
-              memory: "128Mi"
-              cpu: "100m"
+              memory: "64Mi"
+              cpu: "40m"
             limits:
               memory: "512Mi"
               cpu: "500m"
@@ -318,8 +325,8 @@ spec:
               mountPath: /tmp
           resources:
             requests:
-              memory: "128Mi"
-              cpu: "100m"
+              memory: "64Mi"
+              cpu: "40m"
             limits:
               memory: "512Mi"
               cpu: "500m"