diff --git a/models/models.go b/models/models.go
index 1aaf13e2..9781e75b 100644
--- a/models/models.go
+++ b/models/models.go
@@ -2,10 +2,8 @@ package models
 
 import (
 	"database/sql"
-	"net/http"
 	"time"
 
-	"go.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/net/http/otelhttp"
 	"gorm.io/gorm"
 
 	bsky "github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/api/bsky"
@@ -124,21 +122,14 @@ type PDS struct {
 }
 
 func ClientForPds(pds *PDS) *xrpc.Client {
-	c := http.Client{
-		Transport: otelhttp.NewTransport(http.DefaultTransport),
-		Timeout:   time.Minute * 5,
-	}
-
 	if pds.SSL {
 		return &xrpc.Client{
-			Client: &c,
-			Host:   "https://" + pds.Host,
+			Host: "https://" + pds.Host,
 		}
 	}
 
 	return &xrpc.Client{
-		Client: &c,
-		Host:   "http://" + pds.Host,
+		Host: "http://" + pds.Host,
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/util/http.go b/util/http.go
index 18c3094a..e4d4a8d9 100644
--- a/util/http.go
+++ b/util/http.go
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/hashicorp/go-cleanhttp"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/go-retryablehttp"
+	"go.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/net/http/otelhttp"
 )
 
 type LeveledSlog struct {
@@ -45,6 +47,7 @@ func RobustHTTPClient() *http.Client {
 
 	logger := LeveledSlog{inner: slog.Default().With("subsystem", "RobustHTTPClient")}
 	retryClient := retryablehttp.NewClient()
+	retryClient.HTTPClient.Transport = otelhttp.NewTransport(cleanhttp.DefaultPooledTransport())
 	retryClient.RetryMax = 3
 	retryClient.RetryWaitMin = 1 * time.Second
 	retryClient.RetryWaitMax = 10 * time.Second