diff --git a/docs/examples/kubo-as-a-library/go.mod b/docs/examples/kubo-as-a-library/go.mod
index b273ce73e..2b095a31a 100644
--- a/docs/examples/kubo-as-a-library/go.mod
+++ b/docs/examples/kubo-as-a-library/go.mod
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/libp2p/go-doh-resolver v0.5.0 // indirect
 	github.com/libp2p/go-flow-metrics v0.3.0 // indirect
 	github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-asn-util v0.4.1 // indirect
-	github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kad-dht v0.35.2-0.20251023222542-4b47d6c9dec3 // indirect
+	github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kad-dht v0.35.2-0.20251024072917-690594d03e68 // indirect
 	github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kbucket v0.8.0 // indirect
 	github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-pubsub v0.14.2 // indirect
 	github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-pubsub-router v0.6.0 // indirect
diff --git a/docs/examples/kubo-as-a-library/go.sum b/docs/examples/kubo-as-a-library/go.sum
index e5a0ab0fe..63242d80b 100644
--- a/docs/examples/kubo-as-a-library/go.sum
+++ b/docs/examples/kubo-as-a-library/go.sum
@@ -434,8 +434,8 @@ github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-asn-util v0.4.1 h1:xqL7++IKD9TBFMgnLPZR6/6iYhawHKHl9
 github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-asn-util v0.4.1/go.mod h1:d/NI6XZ9qxw67b4e+NgpQexCIiFYJjErASrYW4PFDN8=
 github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-core v0.2.4/go.mod h1:STh4fdfa5vDYr0/SzYYeqnt+E6KfEV5VxfIrm0bcI0g=
 github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-core v0.3.0/go.mod h1:ACp3DmS3/N64c2jDzcV429ukDpicbL6+TrrxANBjPGw=
-github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kad-dht v0.35.2-0.20251023222542-4b47d6c9dec3 h1:5QmjQoIvuEnm3VlB+sx/+szpOB4yKM/UAKYvB9cAloY=
-github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kad-dht v0.35.2-0.20251023222542-4b47d6c9dec3/go.mod h1:aHMTg23iseX9grGSfA5gFUzLrqzmYbA8PqgGPqM8VkI=
+github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kad-dht v0.35.2-0.20251024072917-690594d03e68 h1:JWmiM+yRFaT25A9lmItCMXfGZVAo5fJm41WuRko0xYQ=
+github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kad-dht v0.35.2-0.20251024072917-690594d03e68/go.mod h1:aHMTg23iseX9grGSfA5gFUzLrqzmYbA8PqgGPqM8VkI=
 github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kbucket v0.3.1/go.mod h1:oyjT5O7tS9CQurok++ERgc46YLwEpuGoFq9ubvoUOio=
 github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kbucket v0.8.0 h1:QAK7RzKJpYe+EuSEATAaaHYMYLkPDGC18m9jxPLnU8s=
 github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kbucket v0.8.0/go.mod h1:JMlxqcEyKwO6ox716eyC0hmiduSWZZl6JY93mGaaqc4=
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index ab6d98028..2bc4b3ed1 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/libp2p/go-doh-resolver v0.5.0
 	github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p v0.43.0
 	github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-http v0.5.0
-	github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kad-dht v0.35.2-0.20251023222542-4b47d6c9dec3
+	github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kad-dht v0.35.2-0.20251024072917-690594d03e68
 	github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kbucket v0.8.0
 	github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-pubsub v0.14.2
 	github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-pubsub-router v0.6.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index b2c27572a..41cc79f40 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -518,8 +518,8 @@ github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-gostream v0.6.0 h1:QfAiWeQRce6pqnYfmIVWJFXNdDyfiR/qk
 github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-gostream v0.6.0/go.mod h1:Nywu0gYZwfj7Jc91PQvbGU8dIpqbQQkjWgDuOrFaRdA=
 github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-http v0.5.0 h1:+x0AbLaUuLBArHubbbNRTsgWz0RjNTy6DJLOxQ3/QBc=
 github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-http v0.5.0/go.mod h1:glh87nZ35XCQyFsdzZps6+F4HYI6DctVFY5u1fehwSg=
-github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kad-dht v0.35.2-0.20251023222542-4b47d6c9dec3 h1:5QmjQoIvuEnm3VlB+sx/+szpOB4yKM/UAKYvB9cAloY=
-github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kad-dht v0.35.2-0.20251023222542-4b47d6c9dec3/go.mod h1:aHMTg23iseX9grGSfA5gFUzLrqzmYbA8PqgGPqM8VkI=
+github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kad-dht v0.35.2-0.20251024072917-690594d03e68 h1:JWmiM+yRFaT25A9lmItCMXfGZVAo5fJm41WuRko0xYQ=
+github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kad-dht v0.35.2-0.20251024072917-690594d03e68/go.mod h1:aHMTg23iseX9grGSfA5gFUzLrqzmYbA8PqgGPqM8VkI=
 github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kbucket v0.3.1/go.mod h1:oyjT5O7tS9CQurok++ERgc46YLwEpuGoFq9ubvoUOio=
 github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kbucket v0.8.0 h1:QAK7RzKJpYe+EuSEATAaaHYMYLkPDGC18m9jxPLnU8s=
 github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kbucket v0.8.0/go.mod h1:JMlxqcEyKwO6ox716eyC0hmiduSWZZl6JY93mGaaqc4=
diff --git a/test/cli/dht_opt_prov_test.go b/test/cli/dht_opt_prov_test.go
index de661f7c7..b929ea75e 100644
--- a/test/cli/dht_opt_prov_test.go
+++ b/test/cli/dht_opt_prov_test.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ func TestDHTOptimisticProvide(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
 	t.Run("optimistic provide smoke test", func(t *testing.T) {
-		nodes := harness.NewT(t).NewNodes(5).Init()
+		nodes := harness.NewT(t).NewNodes(2).Init()
 
 		nodes[0].UpdateConfig(func(cfg *config.Config) {
 			cfg.Experimental.OptimisticProvide = true
diff --git a/test/dependencies/go.mod b/test/dependencies/go.mod
index de84c8eba..883b98e30 100644
--- a/test/dependencies/go.mod
+++ b/test/dependencies/go.mod
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/libp2p/go-flow-metrics v0.3.0 // indirect
 	github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p v0.43.0 // indirect
 	github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-asn-util v0.4.1 // indirect
-	github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kad-dht v0.35.2-0.20251023222542-4b47d6c9dec3 // indirect
+	github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kad-dht v0.35.2-0.20251024072917-690594d03e68 // indirect
 	github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kbucket v0.8.0 // indirect
 	github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-record v0.3.1 // indirect
 	github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-routing-helpers v0.7.5 // indirect
diff --git a/test/dependencies/go.sum b/test/dependencies/go.sum
index ff27b874d..20b05d75f 100644
--- a/test/dependencies/go.sum
+++ b/test/dependencies/go.sum
@@ -468,8 +468,8 @@ github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p v0.43.0 h1:b2bg2cRNmY4HpLK8VHYQXLX2d3iND95OjodLFymvq
 github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p v0.43.0/go.mod h1:IiSqAXDyP2sWH+J2gs43pNmB/y4FOi2XQPbsb+8qvzc=
 github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-asn-util v0.4.1 h1:xqL7++IKD9TBFMgnLPZR6/6iYhawHKHl950SO9L6n94=
 github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-asn-util v0.4.1/go.mod h1:d/NI6XZ9qxw67b4e+NgpQexCIiFYJjErASrYW4PFDN8=
-github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kad-dht v0.35.2-0.20251023222542-4b47d6c9dec3 h1:5QmjQoIvuEnm3VlB+sx/+szpOB4yKM/UAKYvB9cAloY=
-github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kad-dht v0.35.2-0.20251023222542-4b47d6c9dec3/go.mod h1:aHMTg23iseX9grGSfA5gFUzLrqzmYbA8PqgGPqM8VkI=
+github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kad-dht v0.35.2-0.20251024072917-690594d03e68 h1:JWmiM+yRFaT25A9lmItCMXfGZVAo5fJm41WuRko0xYQ=
+github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kad-dht v0.35.2-0.20251024072917-690594d03e68/go.mod h1:aHMTg23iseX9grGSfA5gFUzLrqzmYbA8PqgGPqM8VkI=
 github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kbucket v0.8.0 h1:QAK7RzKJpYe+EuSEATAaaHYMYLkPDGC18m9jxPLnU8s=
 github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kbucket v0.8.0/go.mod h1:JMlxqcEyKwO6ox716eyC0hmiduSWZZl6JY93mGaaqc4=
 github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-record v0.3.1 h1:cly48Xi5GjNw5Wq+7gmjfBiG9HCzQVkiZOUZ8kUl+Fg=