diff --git a/benchmark-proxy/main.go b/benchmark-proxy/main.go
index 4d70a17b..ea7b5cdd 100644
--- a/benchmark-proxy/main.go
+++ b/benchmark-proxy/main.go
@@ -198,140 +198,205 @@ type SecondaryProbe struct {
 	lastSuccessTime    time.Time // Last time probes succeeded
 }
 
-// BlockHeightTracker monitors block heights from different backends
+// BlockHeightTracker monitors block heights from different backends using WebSocket subscriptions
 type BlockHeightTracker struct {
 	mu                 sync.RWMutex
 	backends           []Backend
-	client             *http.Client
-	blockHeights       map[string]uint64    // Backend name -> latest block number
-	lastUpdateTime     map[string]time.Time // Backend name -> last successful update
-	checkInterval      time.Duration
+	blockHeights       map[string]uint64          // Backend name -> latest block number
+	lastUpdateTime     map[string]time.Time       // Backend name -> last successful update
+	connections        map[string]*websocket.Conn // Active WebSocket connections
 	enableDetailedLogs bool
 	maxBlockBehind     uint64 // Maximum blocks a secondary can be behind primary
+	stopChan           chan struct{}
 }
 
-// NewBlockHeightTracker creates a new block height tracker
+// NewBlockHeightTracker creates a new WebSocket-based block height tracker
 func NewBlockHeightTracker(backends []Backend, client *http.Client, checkInterval time.Duration,
 	maxBlockBehind uint64, enableDetailedLogs bool) *BlockHeightTracker {
 
 	bht := &BlockHeightTracker{
 		backends:           backends,
-		client:             client,
 		blockHeights:       make(map[string]uint64),
 		lastUpdateTime:     make(map[string]time.Time),
-		checkInterval:      checkInterval,
+		connections:        make(map[string]*websocket.Conn),
 		enableDetailedLogs: enableDetailedLogs,
 		maxBlockBehind:     maxBlockBehind,
+		stopChan:           make(chan struct{}),
 	}
 
-	// Start periodic block height checking
-	go bht.startPeriodicCheck()
-
-	// Run initial check
-	go bht.checkBlockHeights()
+	// Start WebSocket connections for all backends
+	go bht.startWebSocketConnections()
 
 	return bht
 }
 
-// checkBlockHeights queries all backends for their current block number
-func (bht *BlockHeightTracker) checkBlockHeights() {
+// startWebSocketConnections establishes WebSocket connections to all backends
+func (bht *BlockHeightTracker) startWebSocketConnections() {
 	for _, backend := range bht.backends {
-		go func(b Backend) {
-			reqBody := []byte(`{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"eth_blockNumber","params":[],"id":"blockcheck"}`)
-
-			req, err := http.NewRequest("POST", b.URL, bytes.NewReader(reqBody))
-			if err != nil {
-				if bht.enableDetailedLogs {
-					log.Printf("Block height check: failed to create request for %s: %v", b.Name, err)
-				}
-				return
-			}
-
-			req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
-
-			start := time.Now()
-			resp, err := bht.client.Do(req)
-			if err != nil {
-				if bht.enableDetailedLogs {
-					log.Printf("Block height check: request failed for %s: %v", b.Name, err)
-				}
-				return
-			}
-			defer resp.Body.Close()
-
-			if resp.StatusCode != 200 {
-				if bht.enableDetailedLogs {
-					log.Printf("Block height check: HTTP error %d for %s", resp.StatusCode, b.Name)
-				}
-				return
-			}
-
-			body, err := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
-			if err != nil {
-				if bht.enableDetailedLogs {
-					log.Printf("Block height check: failed to read response for %s: %v", b.Name, err)
-				}
-				return
-			}
-
-			// Parse JSON-RPC response
-			var jsonResp struct {
-				Result string `json:"result"`
-				Error  *struct {
-					Code    int    `json:"code"`
-					Message string `json:"message"`
-				} `json:"error"`
-			}
-
-			if err := json.Unmarshal(body, &jsonResp); err != nil {
-				if bht.enableDetailedLogs {
-					log.Printf("Block height check: failed to parse JSON for %s: %v", b.Name, err)
-				}
-				return
-			}
-
-			if jsonResp.Error != nil {
-				if bht.enableDetailedLogs {
-					log.Printf("Block height check: JSON-RPC error for %s: %s", b.Name, jsonResp.Error.Message)
-				}
-				return
-			}
-
-			// Parse hex block number
-			blockHex := strings.TrimPrefix(jsonResp.Result, "0x")
-			blockNum, err := strconv.ParseUint(blockHex, 16, 64)
-			if err != nil {
-				if bht.enableDetailedLogs {
-					log.Printf("Block height check: failed to parse block number for %s: %s", b.Name, jsonResp.Result)
-				}
-				return
-			}
-
-			// Update the block height
-			bht.mu.Lock()
-			oldHeight := bht.blockHeights[b.Name]
-			bht.blockHeights[b.Name] = blockNum
-			bht.lastUpdateTime[b.Name] = time.Now()
-			bht.mu.Unlock()
-
-			if bht.enableDetailedLogs {
-				duration := time.Since(start)
-				if oldHeight != blockNum {
-					log.Printf("Block height check: %s updated from %d to %d (took %s)",
-						b.Name, oldHeight, blockNum, duration)
-				}
-			}
-		}(backend)
+		go bht.connectToBackend(backend)
 	}
 }
 
-// startPeriodicCheck runs block height checks at regular intervals
-func (bht *BlockHeightTracker) startPeriodicCheck() {
-	ticker := time.NewTicker(bht.checkInterval)
-	defer ticker.Stop()
+// connectToBackend establishes and maintains a WebSocket connection to a single backend
+func (bht *BlockHeightTracker) connectToBackend(backend Backend) {
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-bht.stopChan:
+			return
+		default:
+		}
 
-	for range ticker.C {
-		bht.checkBlockHeights()
+		// Create WebSocket URL from HTTP URL
+		wsURL := strings.Replace(backend.URL, "http://", "ws://", 1)
+		wsURL = strings.Replace(wsURL, "https://", "wss://", 1)
+
+		if bht.enableDetailedLogs {
+			log.Printf("Block height tracker: connecting to %s at %s", backend.Name, wsURL)
+		}
+
+		// Connect to WebSocket
+		conn, _, err := websocket.DefaultDialer.Dial(wsURL, nil)
+		if err != nil {
+			if bht.enableDetailedLogs {
+				log.Printf("Block height tracker: failed to connect to %s: %v", backend.Name, err)
+			}
+			time.Sleep(10 * time.Second) // Wait before retry
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// Store connection
+		bht.mu.Lock()
+		bht.connections[backend.Name] = conn
+		bht.mu.Unlock()
+
+		// Subscribe to new block headers
+		subscribeMsg := map[string]interface{}{
+			"jsonrpc": "2.0",
+			"method":  "eth_subscribe",
+			"params":  []string{"newHeads"},
+			"id":      1,
+		}
+
+		if err := conn.WriteJSON(subscribeMsg); err != nil {
+			if bht.enableDetailedLogs {
+				log.Printf("Block height tracker: failed to subscribe to %s: %v", backend.Name, err)
+			}
+			conn.Close()
+			bht.mu.Lock()
+			delete(bht.connections, backend.Name)
+			bht.mu.Unlock()
+			time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if bht.enableDetailedLogs {
+			log.Printf("Block height tracker: subscribed to newHeads for %s", backend.Name)
+		}
+
+		// Handle incoming messages
+		bht.handleWebSocketMessages(conn, backend)
+
+		// Connection closed, clean up
+		bht.mu.Lock()
+		delete(bht.connections, backend.Name)
+		bht.mu.Unlock()
+
+		if bht.enableDetailedLogs {
+			log.Printf("Block height tracker: connection to %s closed, will retry", backend.Name)
+		}
+
+		time.Sleep(5 * time.Second) // Wait before reconnecting
+	}
+}
+
+// handleWebSocketMessages processes incoming WebSocket messages from a backend
+func (bht *BlockHeightTracker) handleWebSocketMessages(conn *websocket.Conn, backend Backend) {
+	defer conn.Close()
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-bht.stopChan:
+			return
+		default:
+		}
+
+		var message map[string]interface{}
+		if err := conn.ReadJSON(&message); err != nil {
+			if bht.enableDetailedLogs {
+				log.Printf("Block height tracker: error reading from %s: %v", backend.Name, err)
+			}
+			return
+		}
+
+		// Check if this is a subscription notification
+		if method, exists := message["method"]; exists && method == "eth_subscription" {
+			bht.handleSubscriptionNotification(message, backend)
+		} else if result, exists := message["result"]; exists {
+			// This might be the subscription confirmation
+			if bht.enableDetailedLogs {
+				log.Printf("Block height tracker: subscription confirmed for %s: %v", backend.Name, result)
+			}
+		} else if errorObj, exists := message["error"]; exists {
+			if bht.enableDetailedLogs {
+				log.Printf("Block height tracker: error from %s: %v", backend.Name, errorObj)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// handleSubscriptionNotification processes a newHeads subscription notification
+func (bht *BlockHeightTracker) handleSubscriptionNotification(message map[string]interface{}, backend Backend) {
+	params, exists := message["params"]
+	if !exists {
+		return
+	}
+
+	paramsMap, ok := params.(map[string]interface{})
+	if !ok {
+		return
+	}
+
+	result, exists := paramsMap["result"]
+	if !exists {
+		return
+	}
+
+	resultMap, ok := result.(map[string]interface{})
+	if !ok {
+		return
+	}
+
+	// Extract block number from the header
+	blockNumberHex, exists := resultMap["number"]
+	if !exists {
+		return
+	}
+
+	blockNumberStr, ok := blockNumberHex.(string)
+	if !ok {
+		return
+	}
+
+	// Parse hex block number
+	blockHex := strings.TrimPrefix(blockNumberStr, "0x")
+	blockNum, err := strconv.ParseUint(blockHex, 16, 64)
+	if err != nil {
+		if bht.enableDetailedLogs {
+			log.Printf("Block height tracker: failed to parse block number for %s: %s", backend.Name, blockNumberStr)
+		}
+		return
+	}
+
+	// Update the block height
+	bht.mu.Lock()
+	oldHeight := bht.blockHeights[backend.Name]
+	bht.blockHeights[backend.Name] = blockNum
+	bht.lastUpdateTime[backend.Name] = time.Now()
+	bht.mu.Unlock()
+
+	if bht.enableDetailedLogs && oldHeight != blockNum {
+		log.Printf("Block height tracker: %s updated from %d to %d via WebSocket",
+			backend.Name, oldHeight, blockNum)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -386,6 +451,22 @@ func (bht *BlockHeightTracker) getBlockHeightStatus() map[string]uint64 {
 	return result
 }
 
+// Stop gracefully shuts down the block height tracker
+func (bht *BlockHeightTracker) Stop() {
+	close(bht.stopChan)
+
+	// Close all WebSocket connections
+	bht.mu.Lock()
+	defer bht.mu.Unlock()
+
+	for name, conn := range bht.connections {
+		if bht.enableDetailedLogs {
+			log.Printf("Block height tracker: closing connection to %s", name)
+		}
+		conn.Close()
+	}
+}
+
 func NewStatsCollector(summaryInterval time.Duration, hasSecondaryBackends bool) *StatsCollector {
 	now := time.Now()
 	sc := &StatsCollector{
@@ -1845,6 +1926,113 @@ func isStatefulMethod(method string) bool {
 	return statefulMethods[method]
 }
 
+// isExpensiveMethod returns true if the method is computationally expensive and should be offloaded to secondary
+func isExpensiveMethod(method string) bool {
+	expensiveMethods := map[string]bool{
+		// Debug methods - typically very expensive
+		"debug_traceBlockByHash":            true,
+		"debug_traceBlockByNumber":          true,
+		"debug_traceCall":                   true,
+		"debug_traceTransaction":            true,
+		"debug_storageRangeAt":              true,
+		"debug_getModifiedAccountsByHash":   true,
+		"debug_getModifiedAccountsByNumber": true,
+
+		// Trace methods - expensive computation
+		"trace_block":                   true,
+		"trace_call":                    true,
+		"trace_callMany":                true,
+		"trace_filter":                  true,
+		"trace_get":                     true,
+		"trace_rawTransaction":          true,
+		"trace_replayBlockTransactions": true,
+		"trace_replayTransaction":       true,
+		"trace_transaction":             true,
+
+		// VM trace variants - extremely expensive
+		"trace_replayBlockTransactions#vmTrace": true,
+		"trace_replayTransaction#vmTrace":       true,
+	}
+
+	return expensiveMethods[method]
+}
+
+// isExpensiveMethodByStats determines if a method is expensive based on actual performance statistics
+func (sc *StatsCollector) isExpensiveMethodByStats(method string) bool {
+	sc.mu.Lock()
+	defer sc.mu.Unlock()
+
+	// Need sufficient data to make a determination
+	const minSamplesForAnalysis = 10
+	const expensiveThresholdMultiplier = 5.0
+
+	// Get all method durations for primary backend to calculate average
+	var allDurations []time.Duration
+	totalMethods := 0
+
+	// Collect all durations from primary backend across all methods
+	if methodStats, exists := sc.backendMethodStats["primary"]; exists {
+		for _, durations := range methodStats {
+			if len(durations) >= minSamplesForAnalysis {
+				allDurations = append(allDurations, durations...)
+				totalMethods++
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Need sufficient methods and samples for meaningful analysis
+	if len(allDurations) < minSamplesForAnalysis*3 || totalMethods < 3 {
+		return false // Not enough data, be conservative
+	}
+
+	// Calculate overall average latency across all methods on primary
+	var totalDuration time.Duration
+	for _, duration := range allDurations {
+		totalDuration += duration
+	}
+	averageLatency := totalDuration / time.Duration(len(allDurations))
+
+	// Get this method's durations from primary backend
+	var methodDurations []time.Duration
+	if methodStats, exists := sc.backendMethodStats["primary"]; exists {
+		if durations, methodExists := methodStats[method]; methodExists {
+			methodDurations = durations
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Need sufficient samples for this specific method
+	if len(methodDurations) < minSamplesForAnalysis {
+		return false // Not enough data for this method
+	}
+
+	// Find minimum duration for this method (best case performance)
+	minDuration := methodDurations[0]
+	for _, duration := range methodDurations {
+		if duration < minDuration {
+			minDuration = duration
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Method is expensive if its minimum time is >= 5x the average
+	expensiveThreshold := time.Duration(float64(averageLatency) * expensiveThresholdMultiplier)
+
+	return minDuration >= expensiveThreshold
+}
+
+// hasAvailableSecondaryAtChainHead checks if there are synchronized secondary backends available
+func hasAvailableSecondaryAtChainHead(backends []Backend, blockHeightTracker *BlockHeightTracker) bool {
+	if blockHeightTracker == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	for _, backend := range backends {
+		if backend.Role == "secondary" && !blockHeightTracker.isSecondaryBehind(backend.Name) {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 // flushingResponseWriter wraps http.ResponseWriter to flush after every write
 type flushingResponseWriter struct {
 	http.ResponseWriter
@@ -1875,9 +2063,12 @@ func main() {
 
 	// Block height tracking configuration
 	enableBlockHeightTracking := getEnv("ENABLE_BLOCK_HEIGHT_TRACKING", "true") == "true"
-	blockHeightCheckIntervalStr := getEnv("BLOCK_HEIGHT_CHECK_INTERVAL", "5") // Default 5 seconds
+	blockHeightCheckIntervalStr := getEnv("BLOCK_HEIGHT_CHECK_INTERVAL", "5") // Default 5 seconds (unused for WebSocket)
 	maxBlockBehindStr := getEnv("MAX_BLOCKS_BEHIND", "1")                     // Default 1 block behind
 
+	// Expensive method routing configuration
+	enableExpensiveMethodRouting := getEnv("ENABLE_EXPENSIVE_METHOD_ROUTING", "true") == "true"
+
 	summaryInterval, err := strconv.Atoi(summaryIntervalStr)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Printf("Invalid SUMMARY_INTERVAL, using default of 60 seconds")
@@ -1936,6 +2127,9 @@ func main() {
 	if enableSecondaryProbing && secondaryBackendsStr != "" {
 		log.Printf("Secondary probing: enabled (interval: %ds, buffer: %dms)", probeInterval, minDelayBuffer)
 	}
+	if enableExpensiveMethodRouting && secondaryBackendsStr != "" {
+		log.Printf("Expensive method routing: enabled (trace/debug calls prefer secondary backends)")
+	}
 
 	// Set up HTTP client with reasonable timeouts
 	client := &http.Client{
@@ -1989,8 +2183,8 @@ func main() {
 		if blockHeightTracker == nil {
 			log.Printf("Block height tracker initialization failed")
 		} else {
-			log.Printf("Block height tracking: enabled (interval: %ds, max blocks behind: %d)",
-				blockHeightCheckInterval, maxBlocksBehind)
+			log.Printf("Block height tracking: enabled (WebSocket-based, max blocks behind: %d)",
+				maxBlocksBehind)
 			// Set the tracker in stats collector for display
 			statsCollector.SetBlockHeightTracker(blockHeightTracker)
 		}
@@ -2016,14 +2210,14 @@ func main() {
 			handleWebSocketRequest(w, r, backends, client, &upgrader, statsCollector)
 		} else {
 			// Handle regular HTTP request
-			handleRequest(w, r, backends, client, enableDetailedLogs == "true", statsCollector, secondaryProbe, blockHeightTracker)
+			handleRequest(w, r, backends, client, enableDetailedLogs == "true", statsCollector, secondaryProbe, blockHeightTracker, enableExpensiveMethodRouting)
 		}
 	})
 
 	log.Fatal(http.ListenAndServe(listenAddr, nil))
 }
 
-func handleRequest(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, backends []Backend, client *http.Client, enableDetailedLogs bool, statsCollector *StatsCollector, secondaryProbe *SecondaryProbe, blockHeightTracker *BlockHeightTracker) {
+func handleRequest(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, backends []Backend, client *http.Client, enableDetailedLogs bool, statsCollector *StatsCollector, secondaryProbe *SecondaryProbe, blockHeightTracker *BlockHeightTracker, enableExpensiveMethodRouting bool) {
 	startTime := time.Now()
 
 	// Create a context that will cancel after 35 seconds (5s buffer over backend timeout)
@@ -2111,6 +2305,37 @@ func handleRequest(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, backends []Backend, c
 	primaryResponseChan := make(chan struct{}, 1) // Signal when primary gets a response
 	primaryFailedFast := make(chan struct{}, 1)   // Signal when primary fails immediately
 
+	// Check if this is an expensive method that should be offloaded to secondary
+	var isExpensive bool
+	var hasExpensiveMethod bool
+	if batchInfo.IsBatch {
+		// Check if any method in the batch is expensive based on stats
+		for _, method := range batchInfo.Methods {
+			if statsCollector.isExpensiveMethodByStats(method) {
+				hasExpensiveMethod = true
+				if enableDetailedLogs {
+					log.Printf("Stats-based expensive method detected in batch: %s", method)
+				}
+				break
+			}
+		}
+	} else {
+		hasExpensiveMethod = statsCollector.isExpensiveMethodByStats(batchInfo.Methods[0])
+		if hasExpensiveMethod && enableDetailedLogs {
+			log.Printf("Stats-based expensive method detected: %s", batchInfo.Methods[0])
+		}
+	}
+	isExpensive = hasExpensiveMethod
+
+	// For expensive methods, prefer secondary backends if available and synchronized
+	var preferSecondary bool
+	if enableExpensiveMethodRouting && isExpensive && !isStateful && hasAvailableSecondaryAtChainHead(backends, blockHeightTracker) {
+		preferSecondary = true
+		if enableDetailedLogs {
+			log.Printf("Expensive method detected (%s), preferring secondary backends", displayMethod)
+		}
+	}
+
 	for _, backend := range backends {
 		// Skip secondary backends for stateful methods
 		if isStateful && backend.Role != "primary" {
@@ -2135,6 +2360,14 @@ func handleRequest(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, backends []Backend, c
 			}
 		}
 
+		// For expensive methods, skip primary backend if we prefer secondary and have good ones
+		if preferSecondary && backend.Role == "primary" {
+			// Still add primary to the pool but with a delay to let secondaries try first
+			if enableDetailedLogs {
+				log.Printf("Delaying primary backend for expensive method %s to allow secondary backends priority", displayMethod)
+			}
+		}
+
 		wg.Add(1)
 		if backend.Role == "primary" {
 			primaryWg.Add(1)
@@ -2155,30 +2388,53 @@ func handleRequest(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, backends []Backend, c
 				firstBackendStartTime.Store(&t)
 			}
 
-			// If this is a secondary backend, wait for p75 delay
+			// Delay logic based on backend role and method type
 			if b.Role != "primary" {
-				delayTimer := time.NewTimer(secondaryDelay)
+				// Secondary backend: apply normal delay logic unless it's an expensive method
+				if !preferSecondary {
+					// Normal delay for secondary backends
+					delayTimer := time.NewTimer(secondaryDelay)
+					select {
+					case <-delayTimer.C:
+						// Timer expired, primary is slow, proceed with secondary request
+					case <-primaryResponseChan:
+						// Primary already got a response, skip secondary
+						delayTimer.Stop()
+
+						// Still record that we skipped this backend
+						statsChan <- ResponseStats{
+							Backend:  b.Name,
+							Error:    fmt.Errorf("skipped - primary responded quickly"),
+							Method:   displayMethod,
+							Duration: time.Since(goroutineStartTime),
+						}
+						return
+					case <-primaryFailedFast:
+						// Primary failed immediately, start secondary now
+						delayTimer.Stop()
+						if enableDetailedLogs {
+							log.Printf("Primary failed fast for %s, starting secondary immediately", displayMethod)
+						}
+					}
+				} else {
+					// Expensive method: secondary backends start immediately
+					if enableDetailedLogs {
+						log.Printf("Starting secondary backend %s immediately for expensive method %s", b.Name, displayMethod)
+					}
+				}
+			} else if preferSecondary {
+				// Primary backend: delay for expensive methods to give secondaries priority
+				expensiveMethodDelay := 50 * time.Millisecond // Give secondaries a head start
+				delayTimer := time.NewTimer(expensiveMethodDelay)
 				select {
 				case <-delayTimer.C:
-					// Timer expired, primary is slow, proceed with secondary request
-				case <-primaryResponseChan:
-					// Primary already got a response, skip secondary
-					delayTimer.Stop()
-
-					// Still record that we skipped this backend
-					statsChan <- ResponseStats{
-						Backend:  b.Name,
-						Error:    fmt.Errorf("skipped - primary responded quickly"),
-						Method:   displayMethod,
-						Duration: time.Since(goroutineStartTime),
-					}
-					return
-				case <-primaryFailedFast:
-					// Primary failed immediately, start secondary now
-					delayTimer.Stop()
+					// Timer expired, proceed with primary request
 					if enableDetailedLogs {
-						log.Printf("Primary failed fast for %s, starting secondary immediately", displayMethod)
+						log.Printf("Starting primary backend after delay for expensive method %s", displayMethod)
 					}
+				case <-primaryFailedFast:
+					// If something went wrong, start immediately
+					delayTimer.Stop()
 				}
 			}