diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 59ad2b767..3d80609c2 100755
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ bdk_esplora = { version = "0.22.0", default-features = false, features = ["async
 bdk_electrum = { version = "0.23.0", default-features = false, features = ["use-rustls-ring"]}
 bdk_wallet = { version = "2.2.0", default-features = false, features = ["std", "keys-bip39"]}
 
-reqwest = { version = "0.12", default-features = false, features = ["json", "rustls-tls"] }
+bitreq = { version = "0.2", default-features = false, features = ["async-https"] }
 rustls = { version = "0.23", default-features = false }
 rusqlite = { version = "0.31.0", features = ["bundled"] }
 bitcoin = "0.32.7"
diff --git a/src/gossip.rs b/src/gossip.rs
index 563d9e1ea..7a72c9f43 100644
--- a/src/gossip.rs
+++ b/src/gossip.rs
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ impl GossipSource {
 
 				let response = tokio::time::timeout(
 					Duration::from_secs(RGS_SYNC_TIMEOUT_SECS),
-					reqwest::get(query_url),
+					bitreq::get(query_url).send_async(),
 				)
 				.await
 				.map_err(|e| {
@@ -104,15 +104,10 @@ impl GossipSource {
 					Error::GossipUpdateFailed
 				})?;
 
-				match response.error_for_status() {
-					Ok(res) => {
-						let update_data = res.bytes().await.map_err(|e| {
-							log_trace!(logger, "Failed to retrieve RGS gossip update: {}", e);
-							Error::GossipUpdateFailed
-						})?;
-
+				match response.status_code {
+					200 => {
 						let new_latest_sync_timestamp =
-							gossip_sync.update_network_graph(&update_data).map_err(|e| {
+							gossip_sync.update_network_graph(response.as_bytes()).map_err(|e| {
 								log_trace!(
 									logger,
 									"Failed to update network graph with RGS data: {:?}",
@@ -123,8 +118,8 @@ impl GossipSource {
 						latest_sync_timestamp.store(new_latest_sync_timestamp, Ordering::Release);
 						Ok(new_latest_sync_timestamp)
 					},
-					Err(e) => {
-						log_trace!(logger, "Failed to retrieve RGS gossip update: {}", e);
+					code => {
+						log_trace!(logger, "Failed to retrieve RGS gossip update: HTTP {}", code);
 						Err(Error::GossipUpdateFailed)
 					},
 				}
diff --git a/src/scoring.rs b/src/scoring.rs
index 6385f2f56..694659ccf 100644
--- a/src/scoring.rs
+++ b/src/scoring.rs
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ async fn sync_external_scores(
 ) -> () {
 	let response = tokio::time::timeout(
 		Duration::from_secs(EXTERNAL_PATHFINDING_SCORES_SYNC_TIMEOUT_SECS),
-		reqwest::get(url),
+		bitreq::get(url).send_async(),
 	)
 	.await;
 
@@ -74,14 +74,11 @@ async fn sync_external_scores(
 			return;
 		},
 	};
-	let body = match response.bytes().await {
-		Ok(bytes) => bytes,
-		Err(e) => {
-			log_error!(logger, "Failed to read external scores update: {}", e);
-			return;
-		},
-	};
-	let mut reader = Cursor::new(body);
+	if response.status_code != 200 {
+		log_trace!(logger, "Failed to retrieve external scores update: HTTP {}", response.status_code);
+		return;
+	}
+	let mut reader = Cursor::new(response.as_bytes());
 	match ChannelLiquidities::read(&mut reader) {
 		Ok(liquidities) => {
 			if let Err(e) = write_external_pathfinding_scores_to_cache(