diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index 10974a82..5f3e18f3 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -332,6 +332,9 @@ These are not yet ordered. There might be duplicates. We might not actually need
 - [x] add archive depth to app config
 - [x] use from_block and to_block so that eth_getLogs is routed correctly
 - [x] improve eth_sendRawTransaction server selection
+- [x] don't cache methods that are usually very large
+- [x] use http provider when available
+- [ ] don't use new_head_provider anywhere except new head subscription
 - [-] proxy mode for benchmarking all backends
 - [-] proxy mode for sending to multiple backends
 - [-] let users choose a % of reverts to log (or maybe x/second). someone like curve logging all reverts will be a BIG database very quickly
diff --git a/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/many.rs b/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/many.rs
index 087ab95b..83eb3922 100644
--- a/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/many.rs
+++ b/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/many.rs
@@ -541,7 +541,7 @@ impl Web3Rpcs {
                 })
                 .collect();
 
-            trace!("todo: better sort here");
+            warn!("todo: better sort here");
 
             let sorted_rpcs = {
                 if usable_rpcs.len() == 1 {
diff --git a/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/one.rs b/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/one.rs
index c1db0ad5..dfa08a4f 100644
--- a/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/one.rs
+++ b/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/one.rs
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ pub struct Web3Rpc {
     /// it is an async lock because we hold it open across awaits
     /// this provider is only used for new heads subscriptions
     /// TODO: put the provider inside an arc?
-    pub(super) new_head_client: AsyncRwLock<Option<Arc<Web3Provider>>>,
+    pub(super) provider: AsyncRwLock<Option<Arc<Web3Provider>>>,
     /// keep track of hard limits
     pub(super) hard_limit_until: Option<watch::Sender<Instant>>,
     /// rate limits are stored in a central redis so that multiple proxies can share their rate limits
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ impl Web3Rpc {
         chain_id: u64,
         db_conn: Option<&DatabaseConnection>,
     ) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
-        if let Ok(mut unlocked_provider) = self.new_head_client.try_write() {
+        if let Ok(mut unlocked_provider) = self.provider.try_write() {
             #[cfg(test)]
             if let Some(Web3Provider::Mock) = unlocked_provider.as_deref() {
                 return Ok(());
@@ -494,7 +494,7 @@ impl Web3Rpc {
 
             info!("successfully connected to {}", self);
         } else {
-            if self.new_head_client.read().await.is_none() {
+            if self.provider.read().await.is_none() {
                 return Err(anyhow!("failed waiting for client"));
             }
         };
@@ -625,7 +625,7 @@ impl Web3Rpc {
                     loop {
                         // TODO: what if we just happened to have this check line up with another restart?
                         // TODO: think more about this
-                        if let Some(client) = &*conn.new_head_client.read().await {
+                        if let Some(client) = &*conn.provider.read().await {
                             // trace!("health check unlocked with error on {}", conn);
                             // returning error will trigger a reconnect
                             // TODO: do a query of some kind
@@ -700,7 +700,7 @@ impl Web3Rpc {
     ) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         trace!("watching new heads on {}", self);
 
-        let unlocked_provider = self.new_head_client.read().await;
+        let unlocked_provider = self.provider.read().await;
 
         match unlocked_provider.as_deref() {
             Some(Web3Provider::Http(_client)) => {
@@ -871,7 +871,7 @@ impl Web3Rpc {
     ) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         // TODO: give this a separate client. don't use new_head_client for everything. especially a firehose this big
         // TODO: timeout
-        let provider = self.new_head_client.read().await;
+        let provider = self.provider.read().await;
 
         trace!("watching pending transactions on {}", self);
         // TODO: does this keep the lock open for too long?
@@ -983,7 +983,7 @@ impl Web3Rpc {
     ) -> anyhow::Result<OpenRequestResult> {
         // TODO: think more about this read block
         // TODO: this should *not* be new_head_client. this should be a separate object
-        if unlocked_provider.is_some() || self.new_head_client.read().await.is_some() {
+        if unlocked_provider.is_some() || self.provider.read().await.is_some() {
             // we already have an unlocked provider. no need to lock
         } else {
             return Ok(OpenRequestResult::NotReady(self.backup));
diff --git a/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/request.rs b/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/request.rs
index e9d4baf0..2c66307e 100644
--- a/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/request.rs
+++ b/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/request.rs
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ pub enum OpenRequestResult {
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct OpenRequestHandle {
     authorization: Arc<Authorization>,
-    conn: Arc<Web3Rpc>,
+    rpc: Arc<Web3Rpc>,
 }
 
 /// Depending on the context, RPC errors can require different handling.
@@ -124,17 +124,17 @@ impl OpenRequestHandle {
     pub async fn new(authorization: Arc<Authorization>, conn: Arc<Web3Rpc>) -> Self {
         Self {
             authorization,
-            conn,
+            rpc: conn,
         }
     }
 
     pub fn connection_name(&self) -> String {
-        self.conn.name.clone()
+        self.rpc.name.clone()
     }
 
     #[inline]
     pub fn clone_connection(&self) -> Arc<Web3Rpc> {
-        self.conn.clone()
+        self.rpc.clone()
     }
 
     /// Send a web3 request
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ impl OpenRequestHandle {
         // TODO: use tracing spans
         // TODO: including params in this log is way too verbose
         // trace!(rpc=%self.conn, %method, "request");
-        trace!("requesting from {}", self.conn);
+        trace!("requesting from {}", self.rpc);
 
         let mut provider: Option<Arc<Web3Provider>> = None;
         let mut logged = false;
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ impl OpenRequestHandle {
                 break;
             }
 
-            let unlocked_provider = self.conn.new_head_client.read().await;
+            let unlocked_provider = self.rpc.provider.read().await;
 
             if let Some(unlocked_provider) = unlocked_provider.clone() {
                 provider = Some(unlocked_provider);
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ impl OpenRequestHandle {
             }
 
             if !logged {
-                debug!("no provider for open handle on {}", self.conn);
+                debug!("no provider for open handle on {}", self.rpc);
                 logged = true;
             }
 
@@ -286,10 +286,10 @@ impl OpenRequestHandle {
 
                 if let Some(msg) = msg {
                     if msg.starts_with("execution reverted") {
-                        trace!("revert from {}", self.conn);
+                        trace!("revert from {}", self.rpc);
                         ResponseTypes::Revert
                     } else if msg.contains("limit") || msg.contains("request") {
-                        trace!("rate limit from {}", self.conn);
+                        trace!("rate limit from {}", self.rpc);
                         ResponseTypes::RateLimit
                     } else {
                         ResponseTypes::Ok
@@ -302,10 +302,10 @@ impl OpenRequestHandle {
             };
 
             if matches!(response_type, ResponseTypes::RateLimit) {
-                if let Some(hard_limit_until) = self.conn.hard_limit_until.as_ref() {
+                if let Some(hard_limit_until) = self.rpc.hard_limit_until.as_ref() {
                     let retry_at = Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(1);
 
-                    trace!("retry {} at: {:?}", self.conn, retry_at);
+                    trace!("retry {} at: {:?}", self.rpc, retry_at);
 
                     hard_limit_until.send_replace(retry_at);
                 }
@@ -318,14 +318,14 @@ impl OpenRequestHandle {
                     if matches!(response_type, ResponseTypes::Revert) {
                         debug!(
                             "bad response from {}! method={} params={:?} err={:?}",
-                            self.conn, method, params, err
+                            self.rpc, method, params, err
                         );
                     }
                 }
                 RequestRevertHandler::TraceLevel => {
                     trace!(
                         "bad response from {}! method={} params={:?} err={:?}",
-                        self.conn,
+                        self.rpc,
                         method,
                         params,
                         err
@@ -335,20 +335,20 @@ impl OpenRequestHandle {
                     // TODO: include params if not running in release mode
                     error!(
                         "bad response from {}! method={} err={:?}",
-                        self.conn, method, err
+                        self.rpc, method, err
                     );
                 }
                 RequestRevertHandler::WarnLevel => {
                     // TODO: include params if not running in release mode
                     warn!(
                         "bad response from {}! method={} err={:?}",
-                        self.conn, method, err
+                        self.rpc, method, err
                     );
                 }
                 RequestRevertHandler::Save => {
                     trace!(
                         "bad response from {}! method={} params={:?} err={:?}",
-                        self.conn,
+                        self.rpc,
                         method,
                         params,
                         err