diff --git a/src/Cache/IpcCache.php b/src/Cache/IpcCache.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d1e4701
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Cache/IpcCache.php
@@ -0,0 +1,212 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace BlaxSoftware\LaravelWebSockets\Cache;
+
+/**
+ * High-performance IPC cache using tmpfs (RAM-backed filesystem).
+ *
+ * This provides near-memory speeds for inter-process communication
+ * without the complexity of shared memory segments (shmop).
+ *
+ * On Linux, /dev/shm is mounted as tmpfs (RAM).
+ * Falls back to /tmp if /dev/shm is not available.
+ */
+class IpcCache
+{
+    /**
+     * Base directory for IPC files
+     */
+    private static ?string $baseDir = null;
+
+    /**
+     * Whether we're using tmpfs (RAM-backed)
+     */
+    private static ?bool $isTmpfs = null;
+
+    /**
+     * Initialize the base directory
+     */
+    private static function init(): void
+    {
+        if (self::$baseDir !== null) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // Prefer /dev/shm (RAM-backed on Linux)
+        if (is_dir('/dev/shm') && is_writable('/dev/shm')) {
+            self::$baseDir = '/dev/shm/laravel-ws-ipc';
+            self::$isTmpfs = true;
+        } else {
+            // Fall back to /tmp (may or may not be tmpfs)
+            self::$baseDir = '/tmp/laravel-ws-ipc';
+            self::$isTmpfs = false;
+        }
+
+        if (!is_dir(self::$baseDir)) {
+            @mkdir(self::$baseDir, 0755, true);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get the file path for a cache key
+     */
+    private static function getPath(string $key): string
+    {
+        self::init();
+        // Use hash to avoid filesystem issues with special characters
+        return self::$baseDir . '/' . md5($key);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Check if a key exists (file stat only - very fast)
+     */
+    public static function has(string $key): bool
+    {
+        return file_exists(self::getPath($key));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get a value from cache
+     *
+     * @return mixed|null Returns null if not found
+     */
+    public static function get(string $key): mixed
+    {
+        $path = self::getPath($key);
+
+        if (!file_exists($path)) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        $content = @file_get_contents($path);
+        if ($content === false) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        // Check expiration (stored as first 10 bytes)
+        $expireAt = (int) substr($content, 0, 10);
+        if ($expireAt > 0 && $expireAt < time()) {
+            @unlink($path);
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        $data = substr($content, 10);
+        return $data === '' ? null : unserialize($data);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Set a value in cache
+     *
+     * @param string $key
+     * @param mixed $value
+     * @param int $ttl Time to live in seconds (0 = no expiry)
+     */
+    public static function put(string $key, mixed $value, int $ttl = 60): bool
+    {
+        $path = self::getPath($key);
+        $expireAt = $ttl > 0 ? time() + $ttl : 0;
+
+        // Format: 10 bytes for expiry timestamp + serialized data
+        $content = sprintf('%010d', $expireAt) . serialize($value);
+
+        // Atomic write: write to temp file then rename
+        $tempPath = $path . '.' . getmypid();
+        if (@file_put_contents($tempPath, $content) === false) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        return @rename($tempPath, $path);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Delete a key from cache
+     */
+    public static function forget(string $key): bool
+    {
+        $path = self::getPath($key);
+        if (file_exists($path)) {
+            return @unlink($path);
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Delete multiple keys from cache
+     */
+    public static function forgetMultiple(array $keys): void
+    {
+        foreach ($keys as $key) {
+            self::forget($key);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Set multiple values atomically
+     *
+     * @param array<string, mixed> $values Key => Value pairs
+     * @param int $ttl Time to live in seconds
+     */
+    public static function putMultiple(array $values, int $ttl = 60): void
+    {
+        foreach ($values as $key => $value) {
+            self::put($key, $value, $ttl);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Clean up expired cache files (call periodically)
+     */
+    public static function cleanup(): int
+    {
+        self::init();
+
+        $cleaned = 0;
+        $now = time();
+
+        $files = @scandir(self::$baseDir);
+        if ($files === false) {
+            return 0;
+        }
+
+        foreach ($files as $file) {
+            if ($file === '.' || $file === '..') {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            $path = self::$baseDir . '/' . $file;
+            $content = @file_get_contents($path);
+
+            if ($content === false) {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            $expireAt = (int) substr($content, 0, 10);
+            if ($expireAt > 0 && $expireAt < $now) {
+                @unlink($path);
+                $cleaned++;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return $cleaned;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Check if we're using RAM-backed storage
+     */
+    public static function isTmpfs(): bool
+    {
+        self::init();
+        return self::$isTmpfs ?? false;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Reset (for testing)
+     */
+    public static function reset(): void
+    {
+        self::$baseDir = null;
+        self::$isTmpfs = null;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/ChannelManagers/LocalChannelManager.php b/src/ChannelManagers/LocalChannelManager.php
index 223e822..5eb9cd7 100644
--- a/src/ChannelManagers/LocalChannelManager.php
+++ b/src/ChannelManagers/LocalChannelManager.php
@@ -424,17 +424,23 @@ class LocalChannelManager implements ChannelManager
 
     /**
      * Keep tracking the connections availability when they pong.
+     * Optimized: Uses unix timestamp directly instead of Carbon for performance.
      *
      * @param  \Ratchet\ConnectionInterface  $connection
      * @return PromiseInterface[bool]
      */
     public function connectionPonged(ConnectionInterface $connection): PromiseInterface
     {
-        return $this->pongConnectionInChannels($connection);
+        // Direct timestamp update on connection object - no channel iteration needed
+        // The connection object is passed by reference, so this updates it everywhere
+        $connection->lastPongedAt = time();
+
+        return Helpers::createFulfilledPromise(true);
     }
 
     /**
      * Remove the obsolete connections that didn't ponged in a while.
+     * Optimized: Uses unix timestamp comparison instead of Carbon.
      *
      * @return PromiseInterface[bool]
      */
@@ -444,9 +450,16 @@ class LocalChannelManager implements ChannelManager
             return $this->getLocalConnections()
                 ->then(function ($connections) {
                     $promises = [];
+                    $now = time();
 
                     foreach ($connections as $connection) {
-                        $differenceInSeconds = $connection->lastPongedAt->diffInSeconds(Carbon::now());
+                        // Handle both Carbon objects (legacy) and unix timestamps (optimized)
+                        $lastPong = $connection->lastPongedAt ?? 0;
+                        if (is_object($lastPong)) {
+                            $differenceInSeconds = $lastPong->diffInSeconds(Carbon::now());
+                        } else {
+                            $differenceInSeconds = $now - (int) $lastPong;
+                        }
 
                         if ($differenceInSeconds > 120) {
                             $promises[] = $this->unsubscribeFromAllChannels($connection);
@@ -462,23 +475,17 @@ class LocalChannelManager implements ChannelManager
 
     /**
      * Pong connection in channels.
+     * Optimized: No longer iterates through channels - timestamp is on connection object.
      *
      * @param  ConnectionInterface  $connection
      * @return PromiseInterface[bool]
      */
     public function pongConnectionInChannels(ConnectionInterface $connection): PromiseInterface
     {
-        return $this->getLocalChannels($connection->app->id)
-            ->then(function ($channels) use ($connection) {
-                foreach ($channels as $channel) {
-                    if ($conn = $channel->getConnection($connection->socketId)) {
-                        $conn->lastPongedAt = Carbon::now();
-                        $channel->saveConnection($conn);
-                    }
-                }
+        // Simply update timestamp on the connection object directly
+        $connection->lastPongedAt = time();
 
-                return true;
-            });
+        return Helpers::createFulfilledPromise(true);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -526,21 +533,23 @@ class LocalChannelManager implements ChannelManager
 
     /**
      * Get the channel class by the channel name.
+     * Optimized: Direct string comparison instead of Str::startsWith
      *
      * @param  string  $channelName
      * @return string
      */
     protected function getChannelClassName(string $channelName): string
     {
-        if (Str::startsWith($channelName, 'private-')) {
+        // Direct strncmp is faster than Str::startsWith for fixed prefixes
+        if (strncmp($channelName, 'private-', 8) === 0) {
             return PrivateChannel::class;
         }
 
-        if (Str::startsWith($channelName, 'presence-')) {
+        if (strncmp($channelName, 'presence-', 9) === 0) {
             return PresenceChannel::class;
         }
 
-        if (Str::startsWith($channelName, 'openpresence-')) {
+        if (strncmp($channelName, 'openpresence-', 13) === 0) {
             return OpenPresenceChannel::class;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/DashboardLogger.php b/src/DashboardLogger.php
index 40ea586..26e0b7a 100644
--- a/src/DashboardLogger.php
+++ b/src/DashboardLogger.php
@@ -9,27 +9,18 @@ class DashboardLogger
     const LOG_CHANNEL_PREFIX = 'private-websockets-dashboard-';
 
     const TYPE_DISCONNECTED = 'disconnected';
-
     const TYPE_CONNECTED = 'connected';
-
     const TYPE_SUBSCRIBED = 'subscribed';
-
     const TYPE_WS_MESSAGE = 'ws-message';
-
     const TYPE_API_MESSAGE = 'api-message';
-
     const TYPE_REPLICATOR_SUBSCRIBED = 'replicator-subscribed';
-
     const TYPE_REPLICATOR_UNSUBSCRIBED = 'replicator-unsubscribed';
-
     const TYPE_REPLICATOR_MESSAGE_RECEIVED = 'replicator-message-received';
 
     /**
      * The list of all channels.
-     *
-     * @var array
      */
-    public static $channels = [
+    public static array $channels = [
         self::TYPE_DISCONNECTED,
         self::TYPE_CONNECTED,
         self::TYPE_SUBSCRIBED,
@@ -40,44 +31,77 @@ class DashboardLogger
         self::TYPE_REPLICATOR_MESSAGE_RECEIVED,
     ];
 
+    /**
+     * Whether dashboard logging is enabled.
+     * Cached to avoid repeated config lookups.
+     */
+    private static ?bool $enabled = null;
+
+    /**
+     * Cached channel manager instance.
+     */
+    private static ?ChannelManager $channelManager = null;
+
     /**
      * Log an event for an app.
+     * Optimized: Early exit if disabled, cached config lookups.
      *
      * @param  mixed  $appId
      * @param  string  $type
      * @param  array  $details
-     * @return void
      */
-    public static function log($appId, string $type, array $details = [])
+    public static function log($appId, string $type, array $details = []): void
     {
-        $channelManager = app(ChannelManager::class);
+        // Cache enabled check
+        if (self::$enabled === null) {
+            self::$enabled = config('websockets.dashboard.enabled', true);
+        }
 
-        $channelName = static::LOG_CHANNEL_PREFIX.$type;
+        // Skip if dashboard is disabled
+        if (!self::$enabled) {
+            return;
+        }
 
-        $payload = [
+        // Cache channel manager
+        if (self::$channelManager === null) {
+            self::$channelManager = app(ChannelManager::class);
+        }
+
+        $channelName = static::LOG_CHANNEL_PREFIX . $type;
+
+        // Build payload - use date() instead of deprecated strftime()
+        $payload = (object) [
             'event' => 'log-message',
             'channel' => $channelName,
             'data' => [
                 'type' => $type,
-                'time' => strftime('%H:%M:%S'),
+                'time' => date('H:i:s'),
                 'details' => $details,
             ],
         ];
 
-        // Here you can use the ->find(), even if the channel
-        // does not exist on the server. If it does not exist,
-        // then the message simply will get broadcasted
-        // across the other servers.
-        $channel = $channelManager->find($appId, $channelName);
-
+        // Check if channel exists locally and broadcast
+        $channel = self::$channelManager->find($appId, $channelName);
         if ($channel) {
-            $channel->broadcastLocally(
-                $appId, (object) $payload
-            );
+            $channel->broadcastLocally($appId, $payload);
         }
 
-        $channelManager->broadcastAcrossServers(
-            $appId, null, $channelName, (object) $payload
+        // Always broadcast across servers (preserving original behavior)
+        // The channel manager handles the replication logic
+        self::$channelManager->broadcastAcrossServers(
+            $appId,
+            null,
+            $channelName,
+            $payload
         );
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Reset cached state (useful for testing)
+     */
+    public static function reset(): void
+    {
+        self::$enabled = null;
+        self::$channelManager = null;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/Helpers.php b/src/Helpers.php
index e7e5939..e31d1bd 100644
--- a/src/Helpers.php
+++ b/src/Helpers.php
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace BlaxSoftware\LaravelWebSockets;
 
+use React\Promise\FulfilledPromise;
 use React\Promise\PromiseInterface;
 
 class Helpers
@@ -13,38 +14,66 @@ class Helpers
      */
     public static $loop = null;
 
+    /**
+     * Cached promise resolver class to avoid repeated config() calls
+     *
+     * @var string|null
+     */
+    private static ?string $resolverClass = null;
+
     /**
      * Transform the Redis' list of key after value
      * to key-value pairs.
+     * Optimized: Uses array_chunk instead of partition with modulo.
      *
      * @param  array  $list
      * @return array
      */
-    public static function redisListToArray(array $list)
+    public static function redisListToArray(array $list): array
     {
-        // Redis lists come into a format where the keys are on even indexes
-        // and the values are on odd indexes. This way, we know which
-        // ones are keys and which ones are values and their get combined
-        // later to form the key => value array.
-        [$keys, $values] = collect($list)->partition(function ($value, $key) {
-            return $key % 2 === 0;
-        });
+        if (empty($list)) {
+            return [];
+        }
 
-        return array_combine($keys->all(), $values->all());
+        // Faster approach: chunk into pairs and combine
+        $result = [];
+        $count = count($list);
+        for ($i = 0; $i < $count; $i += 2) {
+            if (isset($list[$i + 1])) {
+                $result[$list[$i]] = $list[$i + 1];
+            }
+        }
+
+        return $result;
     }
 
     /**
      * Create a new fulfilled promise with a value.
+     * Optimized: Caches the resolver class to avoid repeated config() lookups.
      *
      * @param  mixed  $value
      * @return \React\Promise\PromiseInterface
      */
     public static function createFulfilledPromise($value): PromiseInterface
     {
-        $resolver = config(
-            'websockets.promise_resolver', \React\Promise\FulfilledPromise::class
-        );
+        // Cache the resolver class on first call
+        if (self::$resolverClass === null) {
+            self::$resolverClass = config(
+                'websockets.promise_resolver',
+                FulfilledPromise::class
+            );
+        }
 
-        return new $resolver($value, static::$loop);
+        // PHP 8.0+ dynamic class instantiation
+        $class = self::$resolverClass;
+        return new $class($value, static::$loop);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Reset the cached resolver class (useful for testing)
+     */
+    public static function resetResolverCache(): void
+    {
+        self::$resolverClass = null;
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Server/Messages/PusherChannelProtocolMessage.php b/src/Server/Messages/PusherChannelProtocolMessage.php
index 5f4c565..f126e43 100644
--- a/src/Server/Messages/PusherChannelProtocolMessage.php
+++ b/src/Server/Messages/PusherChannelProtocolMessage.php
@@ -3,67 +3,87 @@
 namespace BlaxSoftware\LaravelWebSockets\Server\Messages;
 
 use BlaxSoftware\LaravelWebSockets\Events\ConnectionPonged;
-use Illuminate\Support\Str;
 use Ratchet\ConnectionInterface;
 use stdClass;
 
 class PusherChannelProtocolMessage extends PusherClientMessage
 {
     /**
-     * Respond with the payload.
-     *
-     * @return void
+     * Pre-encoded pong response for performance
      */
-    public function respond()
-    {
-        $eventName = Str::camel(Str::after($this->payload->event, ':'));
+    private const PONG_RESPONSE = '{"event":"pusher.pong"}';
 
-        if (method_exists($this, $eventName) && $eventName !== 'respond') {
-            call_user_func([$this, $eventName], $this->connection, $this->payload->data ?? new stdClass());
+    /**
+     * Respond with the payload.
+     * Optimized: Uses direct method dispatch instead of reflection.
+     */
+    public function respond(): void
+    {
+        $event = $this->payload->event ?? '';
+
+        // Fast path for ping - most common pusher protocol message
+        if ($event === 'pusher:ping' || $event === 'pusher.ping') {
+            $this->pingFast($this->connection);
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // Extract method name from event (e.g., 'pusher:subscribe' -> 'subscribe')
+        $colonPos = strpos($event, ':');
+        if ($colonPos !== false) {
+            $eventName = substr($event, $colonPos + 1);
+        } else {
+            $dotPos = strpos($event, '.');
+            $eventName = $dotPos !== false ? substr($event, $dotPos + 1) : '';
+        }
+
+        // Convert to camelCase if needed (e.g., 'channel-name' -> 'channelName')
+        if (strpos($eventName, '-') !== false) {
+            $eventName = lcfirst(str_replace('-', '', ucwords($eventName, '-')));
+        }
+
+        if ($eventName && $eventName !== 'respond' && method_exists($this, $eventName)) {
+            $this->$eventName($this->connection, $this->payload->data ?? new stdClass());
         }
     }
 
     /**
-     * Ping the connection.
-     *
-     * @see    https://pusher.com/docs/pusher_protocol#ping-pong
-     *
-     * @param  \Ratchet\ConnectionInterface  $connection
-     * @return void
+     * Fast ping handler - avoids promise chain and event dispatch
      */
-    protected function ping(ConnectionInterface $connection)
+    protected function pingFast(ConnectionInterface $connection): void
     {
-        $this->channelManager
-            ->connectionPonged($connection)
-            ->then(function () use ($connection) {
-                $connection->send(json_encode(['event' => 'pusher.pong']));
+        // Update timestamp directly on connection (no promise chain)
+        $connection->lastPongedAt = time();
 
-                ConnectionPonged::dispatch($connection->app->id, $connection->socketId);
-            });
+        // Send pre-encoded response (no json_encode overhead)
+        $connection->send(self::PONG_RESPONSE);
+
+        // Skip event dispatch for ping - it's high frequency and events are expensive
+        // If you need ping events, use: ConnectionPonged::dispatch($connection->app->id, $connection->socketId);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Legacy ping handler - kept for compatibility
+     * @deprecated Use pingFast instead
+     */
+    protected function ping(ConnectionInterface $connection): void
+    {
+        $this->pingFast($connection);
     }
 
     /**
      * Subscribe to channel.
      *
      * @see    https://pusher.com/docs/pusher_protocol#pusher-subscribe
-     *
-     * @param  \Ratchet\ConnectionInterface  $connection
-     * @param  \stdClass  $payload
-     * @return void
      */
-    protected function subscribe(ConnectionInterface $connection, stdClass $payload)
+    protected function subscribe(ConnectionInterface $connection, stdClass $payload): void
     {
         $this->channelManager->subscribeToChannel($connection, $payload->channel, $payload);
     }
 
     /**
      * Unsubscribe from the channel.
-     *
-     * @param  \Ratchet\ConnectionInterface  $connection
-     * @param  \stdClass  $payload
-     * @return void
      */
-    public function unsubscribe(ConnectionInterface $connection, stdClass $payload)
+    public function unsubscribe(ConnectionInterface $connection, stdClass $payload): void
     {
         $this->channelManager->unsubscribeFromChannel($connection, $payload->channel, $payload);
     }
diff --git a/src/Server/Messages/PusherMessageFactory.php b/src/Server/Messages/PusherMessageFactory.php
index 04638bd..6eb17fe 100644
--- a/src/Server/Messages/PusherMessageFactory.php
+++ b/src/Server/Messages/PusherMessageFactory.php
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ namespace BlaxSoftware\LaravelWebSockets\Server\Messages;
 
 use BlaxSoftware\LaravelWebSockets\Contracts\ChannelManager;
 use BlaxSoftware\LaravelWebSockets\Contracts\PusherMessage;
-use Illuminate\Support\Str;
 use Ratchet\ConnectionInterface;
 use Ratchet\RFC6455\Messaging\MessageInterface;
 
@@ -12,6 +11,7 @@ class PusherMessageFactory
 {
     /**
      * Create a new message.
+     * Optimized: Uses direct string comparison instead of Str::startsWith.
      *
      * @param  \Ratchet\RFC6455\Messaging\MessageInterface  $message
      * @param  \Ratchet\ConnectionInterface  $connection
@@ -21,14 +21,25 @@ class PusherMessageFactory
     public static function createForMessage(
         MessageInterface $message,
         ConnectionInterface $connection,
-        ChannelManager $channelManager): PusherMessage
-    {
+        ChannelManager $channelManager
+    ): PusherMessage {
         $payload = json_decode($message->getPayload());
+        $event = $payload->event ?? '';
 
-        return (
-                Str::startsWith($payload->event, 'pusher.')
-                || Str::startsWith($payload->event, 'pusher:')
-            )
+        // Fast string prefix check (faster than Str::startsWith)
+        // Check first 7 chars for 'pusher.' or 'pusher:'
+        $isPusherEvent = (
+            isset($event[6]) &&
+            $event[0] === 'p' &&
+            $event[1] === 'u' &&
+            $event[2] === 's' &&
+            $event[3] === 'h' &&
+            $event[4] === 'e' &&
+            $event[5] === 'r' &&
+            ($event[6] === '.' || $event[6] === ':')
+        );
+
+        return $isPusherEvent
             ? new PusherChannelProtocolMessage($payload, $connection, $channelManager)
             : new PusherClientMessage($payload, $connection, $channelManager);
     }
diff --git a/src/Websocket/Handler.php b/src/Websocket/Handler.php
index 88713c4..a48c65e 100644
--- a/src/Websocket/Handler.php
+++ b/src/Websocket/Handler.php
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ declare(strict_types=1);
 namespace BlaxSoftware\LaravelWebSockets\Websocket;
 
 use BlaxSoftware\LaravelWebSockets\Apps\App;
+use BlaxSoftware\LaravelWebSockets\Cache\IpcCache;
 use BlaxSoftware\LaravelWebSockets\Channels\Channel;
 use BlaxSoftware\LaravelWebSockets\Channels\PresenceChannel;
 use BlaxSoftware\LaravelWebSockets\Channels\PrivateChannel;
@@ -32,29 +33,190 @@ class Handler implements MessageComponentInterface
      * Track channel connections using associative arrays for O(1) lookup
      * Structure: [channel_name => [socket_id => true]]
      */
-    protected $channel_connections = [];
+    protected array $channel_connections = [];
 
     /**
      * Cache write buffer for batching operations
      * Reduces file I/O when multiple rapid requests occur
      */
-    protected $cacheWriteBuffer = [];
-    protected $cacheDeleteBuffer = [];
-    protected $cacheBufferScheduled = false;
+    protected array $cacheWriteBuffer = [];
+    protected array $cacheDeleteBuffer = [];
+    protected bool $cacheBufferScheduled = false;
+
+    /**
+     * Pre-encoded static JSON responses for performance
+     * Encoding once at startup is faster than encoding every time
+     */
+    private static string $PONG_RESPONSE = '{"event":"pusher.pong"}';
+
+    /**
+     * GC collection counter - only collect every N pings
+     */
+    private int $gcCounter = 0;
+    private const GC_INTERVAL = 100;
 
     /**
      * Initialize a new handler.
-     *
-     * @return void
      */
     public function __construct(
         protected ChannelManager $channelManager
     ) {}
 
-    public function onOpen(ConnectionInterface $connection)
+    /**
+     * Handle incoming WebSocket message with optimized fast path for ping/pong
+     */
+    public function onMessage(
+        ConnectionInterface $connection,
+        MessageInterface $message
+    ): void {
+        if (!isset($connection->app)) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // FAST PATH: Check for ping before any heavy processing
+        // Use raw string comparison on payload to avoid JSON decode overhead
+        $payload = $message->getPayload();
+
+        // Quick ping detection using strpos (faster than json_decode + array access)
+        if ($this->tryHandlePingFast($payload, $connection)) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // SLOW PATH: Full message processing
+        try {
+            $this->processFullMessage($connection, $message, $payload);
+        } catch (\Throwable $e) {
+            $this->handleMessageError($e);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Fast path for ping/pong - avoids JSON decode, object creation, promises
+     * Target: < 1ms processing time
+     */
+    private function tryHandlePingFast(string $payload, ConnectionInterface $connection): bool
     {
-        if (! $this->connectionCanBeMade($connection)) {
-            return $connection->close();
+        // Quick string check - if doesn't contain "ping", skip fast path
+        // strpos is O(n) but very fast for short strings
+        if (strpos($payload, 'ping') === false) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        // Now do minimal JSON decode to confirm it's a ping
+        $data = json_decode($payload, true);
+        if ($data === null) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        $event = $data['event'] ?? '';
+
+        // Direct string comparison (faster than strtolower + comparison)
+        if ($event !== 'pusher:ping' && $event !== 'pusher.ping') {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        // Update connection timestamp directly on connection object (no promise chain)
+        $connection->lastPongedAt = time();
+
+        // Send pre-encoded pong response immediately
+        $connection->send(self::$PONG_RESPONSE);
+
+        // Periodic GC instead of every ping
+        if (++$this->gcCounter >= self::GC_INTERVAL) {
+            $this->gcCounter = 0;
+            gc_collect_cycles();
+        }
+
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Full message processing for non-ping messages
+     */
+    private function processFullMessage(
+        ConnectionInterface $connection,
+        MessageInterface $message,
+        string $payload
+    ): void {
+        // Set remote address once (moved from per-message to reduce overhead)
+        if (isset($connection->remoteAddress)) {
+            request()->server->set('REMOTE_ADDR', $connection->remoteAddress);
+        }
+
+        // Decode message (we already have payload string)
+        $messageArray = json_decode($payload, true, 512, JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR);
+
+        // Handle pusher protocol messages (subscribe, unsubscribe, etc.)
+        $this->handlePusherProtocolMessage($message, $connection, $messageArray);
+
+        $channel = $this->handleChannelSubscriptions($messageArray, $connection);
+
+        if ($this->shouldRejectMessage($channel, $connection, $messageArray)) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        $this->authenticateConnection($connection, $channel, $messageArray);
+
+        // Only log in debug mode to reduce I/O
+        if (config('app.debug')) {
+            Log::channel('websocket')->debug('[' . $connection->socketId . ']@' . $channel->getName() . ' | ' . $payload);
+        }
+
+        if ($this->handlePusherEvent($messageArray, $connection)) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        $this->forkAndProcessMessage($connection, $channel, $messageArray);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Handle pusher protocol messages (formerly in PusherMessageFactory)
+     * Inlined for performance - avoids object creation
+     */
+    private function handlePusherProtocolMessage(
+        MessageInterface $message,
+        ConnectionInterface $connection,
+        array $messageArray
+    ): void {
+        $event = $messageArray['event'] ?? '';
+
+        // Fast check - most messages don't start with 'pusher' or 'client-'
+        $firstChar = $event[0] ?? '';
+        if ($firstChar !== 'p' && $firstChar !== 'c') {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // Check for client- messages
+        if (strpos($event, 'client-') === 0) {
+            if (!$connection->app->clientMessagesEnabled) {
+                return;
+            }
+
+            $channelName = $messageArray['channel'] ?? null;
+            if (!$channelName) {
+                return;
+            }
+
+            $channel = $this->channelManager->find($connection->app->id, $channelName);
+            if ($channel) {
+                $channel->broadcastToEveryoneExcept(
+                    (object) $messageArray,
+                    $connection->socketId,
+                    $connection->app->id
+                );
+            }
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // Check for pusher: or pusher. messages (subscribe/unsubscribe handled elsewhere)
+        // This is handled by handleChannelSubscriptions for subscribe/unsubscribe
+    }
+
+    public function onOpen(ConnectionInterface $connection): void
+    {
+        if (!$this->connectionCanBeMade($connection)) {
+            $connection->close();
+            return;
         }
 
         try {
@@ -74,48 +236,6 @@ class Handler implements MessageComponentInterface
         }
     }
 
-    public function onMessage(
-        ConnectionInterface $connection,
-        MessageInterface $message
-    ) {
-        if (!isset($connection->app)) {
-            return;
-        }
-
-        try {
-            request()->server->set('REMOTE_ADDR', $connection->remoteAddress);
-
-            PusherMessageFactory::createForMessage(
-                $message,
-                $connection,
-                $this->channelManager
-            )->respond();
-
-            $message = json_decode($message->getPayload(), true, 512, JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR);
-
-            if ($this->handlePingPong($message, $connection)) {
-                return;
-            }
-
-            $channel = $this->handleChannelSubscriptions($message, $connection);
-
-            if ($this->shouldRejectMessage($channel, $connection, $message)) {
-                return;
-            }
-
-            $this->authenticateConnection($connection, $channel, $message);
-            \Log::channel('websocket')->info('[' . $connection->socketId . ']@' . $channel->getName() . ' | ' . json_encode($message));
-
-            if ($this->handlePusherEvent($message, $connection)) {
-                return;
-            }
-
-            $this->forkAndProcessMessage($connection, $channel, $message);
-        } catch (\Throwable $e) {
-            $this->handleMessageError($e);
-        }
-    }
-
     /**
      * Handle the websocket close.
      */
@@ -150,8 +270,10 @@ class Handler implements MessageComponentInterface
             return;
         }
 
+        // Initialize lastPongedAt with unix timestamp (faster than Carbon)
+        $connection->lastPongedAt = time();
+
         $this->channelManager->subscribeToApp($connection->app->id);
-        $this->channelManager->connectionPonged($connection);
 
         NewConnection::dispatch(
             $connection->app->id,
@@ -159,25 +281,14 @@ class Handler implements MessageComponentInterface
         );
     }
 
-    protected function handlePingPong(array $message, ConnectionInterface $connection): bool
-    {
-        $eventLower = strtolower($message['event']);
-        if ($eventLower !== 'pusher:ping' && $eventLower !== 'pusher.ping') {
-            return false;
-        }
-
-        $this->channelManager->connectionPonged($connection);
-        gc_collect_cycles();
-        return true;
-    }
-
     protected function shouldRejectMessage(?Channel $channel, ConnectionInterface $connection, array $message): bool
     {
-        $isUnsubscribe = $message['event'] === 'pusher:unsubscribe' || $message['event'] === 'pusher.unsubscribe';
+        $event = $message['event'] ?? '';
+        $isUnsubscribe = $event === 'pusher:unsubscribe' || $event === 'pusher.unsubscribe';
 
         if (!$channel?->hasConnection($connection) && !$isUnsubscribe) {
             $connection->send(json_encode([
-                'event' => $message['event'] . ':error',
+                'event' => $event . ':error',
                 'data' => [
                     'message' => 'Subscription not established',
                     'meta' => $message,
@@ -220,6 +331,10 @@ class Handler implements MessageComponentInterface
         Channel $channel,
         array $message
     ): void {
+        // Generate unique request ID BEFORE forking to avoid race conditions
+        // Using uniqid with more_entropy + random_bytes for guaranteed uniqueness
+        $requestId = uniqid('req_', true) . '_' . bin2hex(random_bytes(4));
+
         $pid = pcntl_fork();
 
         if ($pid === -1) {
@@ -228,24 +343,25 @@ class Handler implements MessageComponentInterface
         }
 
         if ($pid === 0) {
-            $this->processMessageInChild($connection, $channel, $message);
+            $this->processMessageInChild($connection, $channel, $message, $requestId);
             exit(0);
         }
 
-        $this->addDataCheckLoop($connection, $message, $pid);
+        $this->addDataCheckLoop($connection, $message, $requestId);
     }
 
     protected function processMessageInChild(
         ConnectionInterface $connection,
         Channel $channel,
-        array $message
+        array $message,
+        string $requestId
     ): void {
         try {
             DB::disconnect();
             DB::reconnect();
 
             $this->setRequest($message, $connection);
-            $mock = new MockConnection($connection);
+            $mock = new MockConnection($connection, $requestId);
 
             Controller::controll_message(
                 $mock,
@@ -737,27 +853,29 @@ class Handler implements MessageComponentInterface
     private function addDataCheckLoop(
         $connection,
         $message,
-        $pid,
+        string $requestId,
         $optional = false,
-        $iteration = false
+        int $iteration = 0
     ) {
-        $pid = $this->preparePid($pid, $iteration);
-        $pidcache_start = 'dedicated_start_' . $pid;
-        cache()->put($pidcache_start, microtime(true), 100);
+        $iterationKey = $requestId . ($iteration > 0 ? '_' . $iteration : '');
+        $cacheKeyStart = 'dedicated_start_' . $iterationKey;
+        IpcCache::put($cacheKeyStart, microtime(true), 100);
 
         $this->channelManager->loop->addPeriodicTimer(0.01, function ($timer) use (
-            $pidcache_start,
+            $cacheKeyStart,
+            $iterationKey,
             $message,
-            $pid,
+            $requestId,
             $connection,
             $optional,
             $iteration
         ) {
             $this->checkDataLoopIteration(
                 $timer,
-                $pidcache_start,
+                $cacheKeyStart,
                 $message,
-                $pid,
+                $iterationKey,
+                $requestId,
                 $connection,
                 $optional,
                 $iteration
@@ -767,56 +885,66 @@ class Handler implements MessageComponentInterface
         });
     }
 
-    protected function preparePid($pid, $iteration): string
-    {
-        $pid = explode('_', $pid . '')[0];
-
-        if ($iteration >= 0 && $iteration !== false) {
-            $pid .= '_' . $iteration;
-        }
-
-        return $pid;
-    }
-
     protected function checkDataLoopIteration(
         $timer,
-        string $pidcache_start,
+        string $cacheKeyStart,
         array $message,
-        string $pid,
+        string $iterationKey,
+        string $requestId,
         $connection,
         bool $optional,
-        $iteration
+        int $iteration
     ): void {
-        $pidcache_data = 'dedicated_data_' . $pid;
-        $pidcache_done = 'dedicated_data_' . $pid . '_done';
-        $pidcache_complete = 'dedicated_data_' . $pid . '_complete';
+        $cacheKeyData = 'dedicated_data_' . $iterationKey;
+        $cacheKeyDone = 'dedicated_data_' . $iterationKey . '_done';
+        $cacheKeyComplete = 'dedicated_data_' . $iterationKey . '_complete';
 
-        if ($this->handleTimeout($timer, $pidcache_start, $pidcache_complete, $message, $connection, $optional)) {
+        if ($this->handleTimeout($timer, $cacheKeyStart, $cacheKeyComplete, $message, $connection, $optional)) {
             return;
         }
 
-        if (!cache()->has($pidcache_done)) {
+        if (!IpcCache::has($cacheKeyDone)) {
             return;
         }
 
-        $this->scheduleNextIteration($connection, $message, $pid, $iteration);
-        $this->processAndSendData($connection, $pidcache_data);
+        // Clean up cache entries for this iteration before processing
+        // This prevents memory leaks and stale data issues
+        $this->cleanupIterationCache($iterationKey);
+
+        $this->scheduleNextIteration($connection, $message, $requestId, $iteration);
+        $this->processAndSendData($connection, $cacheKeyData);
         $this->channelManager->loop->cancelTimer($timer);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Clean up cache entries for a completed iteration
+     */
+    protected function cleanupIterationCache(string $iterationKey): void
+    {
+        $keysToDelete = [
+            'dedicated_start_' . $iterationKey,
+            'dedicated_data_' . $iterationKey . '_done',
+            // Note: We don't delete 'dedicated_data_' here as we need it for processAndSendData
+            // It will expire naturally after 60 seconds
+        ];
+
+        IpcCache::forgetMultiple($keysToDelete);
+    }
+
     protected function handleTimeout(
         $timer,
-        string $pidcache_start,
-        string $pidcache_complete,
+        string $cacheKeyStart,
+        string $cacheKeyComplete,
         array $message,
         $connection,
         bool $optional
     ): bool {
-        if (!cache()->has($pidcache_start)) {
+        $startTime = IpcCache::get($cacheKeyStart);
+        if ($startTime === null) {
             return false;
         }
 
-        $diff = microtime(true) - ((int) cache()->get($pidcache_start));
+        $diff = microtime(true) - ((float) $startTime);
         if ($diff <= 60) {
             return false;
         }
@@ -832,19 +960,27 @@ class Handler implements MessageComponentInterface
         }
 
         $this->channelManager->loop->cancelTimer($timer);
-        cache()->put($pidcache_complete, true, 360);
+        IpcCache::put($cacheKeyComplete, true, 360);
         return true;
     }
 
-    protected function scheduleNextIteration($connection, array $message, string $pid, $iteration): void
+    protected function scheduleNextIteration($connection, array $message, string $requestId, int $iteration): void
     {
-        $nextIteration = ($iteration === false) ? 0 : $iteration + 1;
-        $this->addDataCheckLoop($connection, $message, $pid, true, $nextIteration);
+        $nextIteration = $iteration + 1;
+        $this->addDataCheckLoop($connection, $message, $requestId, true, $nextIteration);
     }
 
-    protected function processAndSendData($connection, string $pidcache_data): void
+    protected function processAndSendData($connection, string $cacheKeyData): void
     {
-        $sending = cache()->get($pidcache_data);
+        $sending = IpcCache::get($cacheKeyData);
+
+        // Clean up the data cache key immediately after reading
+        IpcCache::forget($cacheKeyData);
+
+        if (!$sending) {
+            return;
+        }
+
         $bm = json_decode($sending, true);
 
         if (isset($bm['broadcast']) && $bm['broadcast']) {
diff --git a/src/Websocket/MockConnection.php b/src/Websocket/MockConnection.php
index ac40cdd..5855e02 100644
--- a/src/Websocket/MockConnection.php
+++ b/src/Websocket/MockConnection.php
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ declare(strict_types=1);
 
 namespace BlaxSoftware\LaravelWebSockets\Websocket;
 
+use BlaxSoftware\LaravelWebSockets\Cache\IpcCache;
 use React\Socket\Connection;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Log;
 
@@ -17,8 +18,22 @@ class MockConnection extends Connection implements \Ratchet\ConnectionInterface
     public $ip;
     public $app;
 
-    public function __construct($original_connection)
+    /**
+     * Unique request ID for cache-based communication
+     * Used instead of PID to avoid race conditions from PID reuse
+     */
+    protected string $requestId;
+
+    /**
+     * Track current iteration for multi-response scenarios
+     */
+    protected int $currentIteration = 0;
+
+    public function __construct($original_connection, ?string $requestId = null)
     {
+        // Generate fallback requestId if not provided (for backward compatibility)
+        $this->requestId = $requestId ?? uniqid('req_', true) . '_' . bin2hex(random_bytes(4));
+
         // create an indisdinctable copy of the original connection
         foreach (get_object_vars($original_connection) as $key => $value) {
             $this->{$key} = $value;
@@ -52,8 +67,11 @@ class MockConnection extends Connection implements \Ratchet\ConnectionInterface
 
     public function send($data)
     {
-        if(cache()->get('dedicated_data_'.getmypid().'_complete')){
-            Log::error('[MockConnection] Send for pid: ' . getmypid() . ' which is already completed and does not check for new data', [
+        $key = $this->getDataKey();
+        $completeKey = $key . '_complete';
+
+        if (IpcCache::get($completeKey)) {
+            Log::error('[MockConnection] Send for request: ' . $this->requestId . ' which is already completed and does not check for new data', [
                 'data' => $data,
             ]);
             return $this;
@@ -64,14 +82,16 @@ class MockConnection extends Connection implements \Ratchet\ConnectionInterface
             throw new \InvalidArgumentException('Data must be a string or an object that can be converted to a string.');
         }
 
-        Log::channel('websocket')->info('[MockConnection] Send for pid: ' . getmypid(), [
+        Log::channel('websocket')->info('[MockConnection] Send for request: ' . $this->requestId . ' iteration: ' . $this->currentIteration, [
             'data' => $data,
         ]);
 
-        $key = static::getDataKey();
+        // Use atomic set to avoid race conditions - IpcCache uses tmpfs for speed
+        IpcCache::put($key, $data, 60);
+        IpcCache::put($key . '_done', true, 60);
 
-        cache()->put($key, $data, 60);
-        cache()->put($key . '_done', true, 60);
+        // Increment iteration for next send call
+        $this->currentIteration++;
 
         return $this;
     }
@@ -80,7 +100,7 @@ class MockConnection extends Connection implements \Ratchet\ConnectionInterface
         $data,
         ?string $channel = null,
         bool $including_self = false,
-    ){
+    ) {
         $data ??= [];
         $data['broadcast'] = true;
         $data['channel'] ??= $channel;
@@ -102,26 +122,18 @@ class MockConnection extends Connection implements \Ratchet\ConnectionInterface
         return $this->send(json_encode($data));
     }
 
-    private static function getDataKey()
+    /**
+     * Get the data key for the current request and iteration
+     * Now uses the unique requestId instead of PID to avoid race conditions
+     */
+    private function getDataKey(): string
     {
-        $key = 'dedicated_data_' . getmypid();
-        $i = '';
+        $baseKey = 'dedicated_data_' . $this->requestId;
 
-        while (cache()->has($key . ($i !== '' ? '_' . $i : ''))) {
-            if ($i === '') {
-                $i = 0;
-            } else {
-                $i = (int) $i;
-                $i++;
-            }
+        if ($this->currentIteration > 0) {
+            return $baseKey . '_' . $this->currentIteration;
         }
 
-        if ($i !== '') {
-            $i = '_' . $i;
-        }
-
-        $key .= $i;
-
-        return $key;
+        return $baseKey;
     }
 }