diff --git a/gateway/platforms/telegram.py b/gateway/platforms/telegram.py
index ac5b7fb8c..d8113eab0 100644
--- a/gateway/platforms/telegram.py
+++ b/gateway/platforms/telegram.py
@@ -518,6 +518,36 @@ class TelegramAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
 
             # Build the application
             builder = Application.builder().token(self.config.token)
+
+            # PTB defaults (pool_timeout=1s) are too aggressive on flaky networks and
+            # can trigger "Pool timeout: All connections in the connection pool are occupied"
+            # during reconnect/bootstrap. Use safer defaults and allow env overrides.
+            def _env_int(name: str, default: int) -> int:
+                try:
+                    return int(os.getenv(name, str(default)))
+                except (TypeError, ValueError):
+                    return default
+
+            def _env_float(name: str, default: float) -> float:
+                try:
+                    return float(os.getenv(name, str(default)))
+                except (TypeError, ValueError):
+                    return default
+
+            request_kwargs = {
+                "connection_pool_size": _env_int("HERMES_TELEGRAM_HTTP_POOL_SIZE", 512),
+                "pool_timeout": _env_float("HERMES_TELEGRAM_HTTP_POOL_TIMEOUT", 8.0),
+                "connect_timeout": _env_float("HERMES_TELEGRAM_HTTP_CONNECT_TIMEOUT", 10.0),
+                "read_timeout": _env_float("HERMES_TELEGRAM_HTTP_READ_TIMEOUT", 20.0),
+                "write_timeout": _env_float("HERMES_TELEGRAM_HTTP_WRITE_TIMEOUT", 20.0),
+            }
+
+            proxy_configured = any(
+                (os.getenv(k) or "").strip()
+                for k in ("HTTPS_PROXY", "HTTP_PROXY", "ALL_PROXY", "https_proxy", "http_proxy", "all_proxy")
+            )
+            disable_fallback = (os.getenv("HERMES_TELEGRAM_DISABLE_FALLBACK_IPS", "").strip().lower() in ("1", "true", "yes", "on"))
+
             fallback_ips = self._fallback_ips()
             if not fallback_ips:
                 fallback_ips = await discover_fallback_ips()
@@ -526,16 +556,32 @@ class TelegramAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
                     self.name,
                     ", ".join(fallback_ips),
                 )
-            if fallback_ips:
+
+            if fallback_ips and not proxy_configured and not disable_fallback:
                 logger.info(
                     "[%s] Telegram fallback IPs active: %s",
                     self.name,
                     ", ".join(fallback_ips),
                 )
-                transport = TelegramFallbackTransport(fallback_ips)
-                request = HTTPXRequest(httpx_kwargs={"transport": transport})
-                get_updates_request = HTTPXRequest(httpx_kwargs={"transport": transport})
-                builder = builder.request(request).get_updates_request(get_updates_request)
+                # Keep request/update pools separate to reduce contention during
+                # polling reconnect + bot API bootstrap/delete_webhook calls.
+                request = HTTPXRequest(
+                    **request_kwargs,
+                    httpx_kwargs={"transport": TelegramFallbackTransport(fallback_ips)},
+                )
+                get_updates_request = HTTPXRequest(
+                    **request_kwargs,
+                    httpx_kwargs={"transport": TelegramFallbackTransport(fallback_ips)},
+                )
+            else:
+                if proxy_configured:
+                    logger.info("[%s] Proxy configured; skipping Telegram fallback-IP transport", self.name)
+                elif disable_fallback:
+                    logger.info("[%s] Telegram fallback-IP transport disabled via env", self.name)
+                request = HTTPXRequest(**request_kwargs)
+                get_updates_request = HTTPXRequest(**request_kwargs)
+
+            builder = builder.request(request).get_updates_request(get_updates_request)
             self._app = builder.build()
             self._bot = self._app.bot