diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index c09b987c0..b70191347 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: true
       matrix:
         node-version:
-          - lts/* # LTS version
-          - "17" # latest version
+          - lts/*
+          - latest
         os: [ubuntu-latest, macOS-latest, windows-latest]
 
     steps:
diff --git a/packages/krl-compiler/package.json b/packages/krl-compiler/package.json
index 2d26a64dc..3df61bd6b 100644
--- a/packages/krl-compiler/package.json
+++ b/packages/krl-compiler/package.json
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
   },
   "homepage": "https://github.com/Picolab/pico-engine#readme",
   "devDependencies": {
-    "ava": "^4.0.0",
+    "ava": "^5.3.1",
     "contra": "^1.9.4",
     "diff-lines": "^1.1.0",
     "standard": "^12.0.1"
diff --git a/packages/krl-generator/package.json b/packages/krl-generator/package.json
index 20973e237..4c35560d7 100644
--- a/packages/krl-generator/package.json
+++ b/packages/krl-generator/package.json
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
   },
   "homepage": "https://github.com/Picolab/pico-engine#readme",
   "devDependencies": {
-    "ava": "^4.0.0",
+    "ava": "^5.3.1",
     "krl-parser": "^1.3.0",
     "standard": "^12.0.1"
   },
diff --git a/packages/krl-parser/package.json b/packages/krl-parser/package.json
index b129fbe5e..964524950 100644
--- a/packages/krl-parser/package.json
+++ b/packages/krl-parser/package.json
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@
   "homepage": "https://github.com/Picolab/pico-engine#readme",
   "devDependencies": {
     "ava": "^2.4.0",
-    "ts-node": "^9.1.1",
-    "typescript": "^4.1.2"
+    "ts-node": "^10.9.1",
+    "typescript": "^5.2.2"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "excerpt-at-line-col": "^1.0.0",
diff --git a/packages/krl-stdlib/package.json b/packages/krl-stdlib/package.json
index 8bfed3e40..6080e1770 100644
--- a/packages/krl-stdlib/package.json
+++ b/packages/krl-stdlib/package.json
@@ -33,10 +33,10 @@
     "@types/leveldown": "^4.0.0",
     "@types/levelup": "^3.1.0",
     "@types/lodash": "^4.14.123",
-    "@types/node": "^14.0.24",
+    "@types/node": "^20.8.10",
     "ava": "^1.4.1",
     "ts-node": "^10.4.0",
-    "typescript": "^4.1.2"
+    "typescript": "^5.2.2"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "json-log": "^3.0.1",
diff --git a/packages/pico-engine-core/package.json b/packages/pico-engine-core/package.json
index 9d4d8cf44..9c34ead5c 100644
--- a/packages/pico-engine-core/package.json
+++ b/packages/pico-engine-core/package.json
@@ -56,10 +56,10 @@
     "@types/abstract-leveldown": "^5.0.1",
     "@types/levelup": "^4.3.3",
     "@types/lodash": "^4.14.123",
-    "@types/node": "^14.14.10",
+    "@types/node": "^20.8.10",
     "ava": "^1.4.1",
     "ts-node": "^10.4.0",
-    "typescript": "^4.1.2"
+    "typescript": "^5.2.2"
   },
   "ava": {
     "compileEnhancements": false,
diff --git a/packages/pico-engine-core/test/modules/http.ts b/packages/pico-engine-core/test/modules/http.ts
index 8575261b5..69fd009e6 100644
--- a/packages/pico-engine-core/test/modules/http.ts
+++ b/packages/pico-engine-core/test/modules/http.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import * as _ from "lodash";
 import makeCoreAndKrlCtx from "../helpers/makeCoreAndKrlCtx";
 
 test("http module", async function (t) {
-  var server = http.createServer(function (req, res) {
+  var server = http.createServer({ keepAliveTimeout: 0 }, function (req, res) {
     var body = "";
     req.on("data", function (buffer) {
       body += buffer.toString();
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ test("http module", async function (t) {
           body: body,
         },
         undefined,
-        2
+        2,
       );
       res.writeHead(200, {
         "Content-Type": "application/json",
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ test("http module", async function (t) {
       url: "/?a=1",
       headers: {
         host,
-        connection: "close",
+        connection: "keep-alive",
         "user-agent": "pico-engine-core-http",
         accept: "*/*",
         "accept-encoding": "gzip,deflate",
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ test("http module", async function (t) {
     status_line: "OK",
     headers: {
       "content-type": "application/json",
-      connection: "close",
+      connection: "keep-alive",
       "da-extra-header": "wat?",
     },
   });
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ test("http module", async function (t) {
         authorization: "Basic Ym9iOm5vcGFzcw==",
         "user-agent": "pico-engine-core-http",
         "content-length": "14",
-        connection: "close",
+        connection: "keep-alive",
         "content-type": "text/plain;charset=UTF-8",
         accept: "*/*",
         "accept-encoding": "gzip,deflate",
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ test("http module", async function (t) {
     status_line: "OK",
     headers: {
       "content-type": "application/json",
-      connection: "close",
+      connection: "keep-alive",
       "da-extra-header": "wat?",
     },
   });
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ test("http module", async function (t) {
         host,
         "content-type": "application/x-www-form-urlencoded",
         "content-length": "45",
-        connection: "close",
+        connection: "keep-alive",
         "user-agent": "pico-engine-core-http",
         accept: "*/*",
         "accept-encoding": "gzip,deflate",
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ test("http module", async function (t) {
     status_line: "OK",
     headers: {
       "content-type": "application/json",
-      connection: "close",
+      connection: "keep-alive",
       "da-extra-header": "wat?",
     },
   });
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ test("http module", async function (t) {
         host,
         "content-type": "application/json",
         "content-length": "41",
-        connection: "close",
+        connection: "keep-alive",
         "user-agent": "pico-engine-core-http",
         accept: "*/*",
         "accept-encoding": "gzip,deflate",
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ test("http module", async function (t) {
     status_line: "OK",
     headers: {
       "content-type": "application/json",
-      connection: "close",
+      connection: "keep-alive",
       "da-extra-header": "wat?",
     },
   });
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ test("http module", async function (t) {
       headers: {
         host,
         "content-length": "0",
-        connection: "close",
+        connection: "keep-alive",
         "user-agent": "pico-engine-core-http",
         accept: "*/*",
         "accept-encoding": "gzip,deflate",
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ test("http module", async function (t) {
     status_line: "OK",
     headers: {
       "content-type": "application/json",
-      connection: "close",
+      connection: "keep-alive",
       "da-extra-header": "wat?",
     },
   });
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ test("http module", async function (t) {
     status_code: 200,
     status_line: "OK",
     headers: {
-      connection: "close",
+      connection: "keep-alive",
     },
   });
 
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ test("http module", async function (t) {
     err = await t.throwsAsync(khttp[method](krlCtx, { url: { one: 1 } }));
     t.is(
       err + "",
-      `TypeError: http:${method} was given [Map] instead of a url string`
+      `TypeError: http:${method} was given [Map] instead of a url string`,
     );
   }
 });
@@ -259,10 +259,13 @@ test("http autosend", async function (t) {
     serverRespond = resolve;
   });
 
-  const server = http.createServer(function (req, res) {
-    res.end("some response");
-    serverRespond();
-  });
+  const server = http.createServer(
+    { keepAliveTimeout: 0 },
+    function (req, res) {
+      res.end("some response");
+      serverRespond();
+    },
+  );
   server.unref();
   await new Promise(function (resolve) {
     server.listen(0, () => resolve(undefined));
@@ -285,7 +288,7 @@ test("http autosend", async function (t) {
   t.deepEqual(
     signaledEvents,
     [],
-    "should be empty bc the server has not yet responded"
+    "should be empty bc the server has not yet responded",
   );
 
   await serverResponse;
@@ -311,7 +314,7 @@ test("http autosend", async function (t) {
           status_code: 200,
           status_line: "OK",
           headers: {
-            connection: "close",
+            connection: "keep-alive",
             "content-length": "13",
           },
         },
@@ -324,16 +327,19 @@ test("http redirects", async function (t) {
   const { core, krlCtx } = await makeCoreAndKrlCtx();
   const khttp = core.modules["http"];
 
-  const server = http.createServer(function (req, res) {
-    if (req.url === "/redir") {
-      res.writeHead(302, {
-        Location: "/other",
-      });
-      res.end();
-    } else {
-      res.end("some response");
-    }
-  });
+  const server = http.createServer(
+    { keepAliveTimeout: 0 },
+    function (req, res) {
+      if (req.url === "/redir") {
+        res.writeHead(302, {
+          Location: "/other",
+        });
+        res.end();
+      } else {
+        res.end("some response");
+      }
+    },
+  );
   server.unref();
   await new Promise(function (resolve) {
     server.listen(0, () => resolve(undefined));
@@ -351,7 +357,7 @@ test("http redirects", async function (t) {
     content_length: 13,
     content_type: null,
     headers: {
-      connection: "close",
+      connection: "keep-alive",
       "content-length": "13",
     },
     status_code: 200,
@@ -369,7 +375,7 @@ test("http redirects", async function (t) {
     content_length: 0,
     content_type: null,
     headers: {
-      connection: "close",
+      connection: "keep-alive",
       location: url + "/other",
       "transfer-encoding": "chunked",
     },
diff --git a/packages/pico-engine/package.json b/packages/pico-engine/package.json
index fc7ff1961..fe9c5fdb2 100644
--- a/packages/pico-engine/package.json
+++ b/packages/pico-engine/package.json
@@ -72,13 +72,13 @@
     "@types/leveldown": "^4.0.0",
     "@types/levelup": "^3.1.0",
     "@types/lodash": "^4.14.123",
-    "@types/node": "^14.14.10",
+    "@types/node": "^20.8.10",
     "ava": "^1.4.1",
     "onchange": "^6.0.0",
     "scriptsp": "^1.1.1",
     "temp-dir": "^2.0.0",
     "ts-node": "^10.4.0",
-    "typescript": "^4.1.2"
+    "typescript": "^5.2.2"
   },
   "ava": {
     "compileEnhancements": false,