diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index a25821c..cf1b35c 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 FROM alpine:3.21
-RUN apk add --no-cache ffmpeg ca-certificates
+RUN apk add --no-cache ffmpeg curl ca-certificates
 COPY zig-out/bin/transcribator /usr/local/bin/
 CMD ["transcribator"]
diff --git a/src/http.zig b/src/http.zig
index c973817..7ed637f 100644
--- a/src/http.zig
+++ b/src/http.zig
@@ -1,41 +1,64 @@
 const std = @import("std");
 const Allocator = std.mem.Allocator;
 
+const log = std.log.scoped(.transcribator);
+
+/// Execute curl and return stdout as owned slice
+fn runCurl(allocator: Allocator, args: []const []const u8) ![]u8 {
+    var child = std.process.Child.init(args, allocator);
+    child.stdout_behavior = .Pipe;
+    child.stderr_behavior = .Pipe;
+
+    child.spawn() catch |err| {
+        log.err("curl spawn failed: {s}", .{@errorName(err)});
+        return error.HttpRequestFailed;
+    };
+
+    var stdout_list: std.ArrayList(u8) = .empty;
+    defer stdout_list.deinit(allocator);
+    var stderr_list: std.ArrayList(u8) = .empty;
+    defer stderr_list.deinit(allocator);
+
+    child.collectOutput(allocator, &stdout_list, &stderr_list, 100 * 1024 * 1024) catch |err| {
+        log.err("curl collectOutput failed: {s}", .{@errorName(err)});
+        return error.HttpRequestFailed;
+    };
+    const term = child.wait() catch |err| {
+        log.err("curl wait failed: {s}", .{@errorName(err)});
+        return error.HttpRequestFailed;
+    };
+
+    switch (term) {
+        .Exited => |code| {
+            if (code != 0) {
+                log.err("curl exited with code {d}", .{code});
+                if (stderr_list.items.len > 0) {
+                    log.err("curl stderr: {s}", .{stderr_list.items});
+                }
+                return error.HttpRequestFailed;
+            }
+        },
+        else => {
+            log.err("curl terminated abnormally", .{});
+            return error.HttpRequestFailed;
+        },
+    }
+
+    return allocator.dupe(u8, stdout_list.items);
+}
+
 pub fn httpGet(allocator: Allocator, url: []const u8) ![]u8 {
-    var client: std.http.Client = .{ .allocator = allocator };
-    defer client.deinit();
-
-    var aw: std.Io.Writer.Allocating = .init(allocator);
-    defer aw.deinit();
-
-    const result = client.fetch(.{
-        .location = .{ .url = url },
-        .response_writer = &aw.writer,
-    }) catch return error.HttpRequestFailed;
-
-    if (result.status != .ok) return error.HttpRequestFailed;
-
-    return aw.toOwnedSlice() catch return error.OutOfMemory;
+    return runCurl(allocator, &.{ "curl", "-sf", "--max-time", "60", url });
 }
 
 pub fn httpPostJson(allocator: Allocator, url: []const u8, body: []const u8) ![]u8 {
-    var client: std.http.Client = .{ .allocator = allocator };
-    defer client.deinit();
-
-    var aw: std.Io.Writer.Allocating = .init(allocator);
-    defer aw.deinit();
-
-    const result = client.fetch(.{
-        .location = .{ .url = url },
-        .method = .POST,
-        .payload = body,
-        .headers = .{ .content_type = .{ .override = "application/json" } },
-        .response_writer = &aw.writer,
-    }) catch return error.HttpRequestFailed;
-
-    if (result.status != .ok) return error.HttpRequestFailed;
-
-    return aw.toOwnedSlice() catch return error.OutOfMemory;
+    return runCurl(allocator, &.{
+        "curl", "-sf", "--max-time", "30",
+        "-X",   "POST",
+        "-H",   "Content-Type: application/json",
+        "-d",   body,
+        url,
+    });
 }
 
 pub fn httpPostMultipart(
@@ -43,62 +66,61 @@ pub fn httpPostMultipart(
     url: []const u8,
     file_field: []const u8,
     file_path: []const u8,
-    file_name: []const u8,
+    _: []const u8, // file_name (curl handles it)
     fields: []const [2][]const u8,
 ) ![]u8 {
-    const boundary = "----ZigMultipartBoundary9876543210";
+    // Build curl args dynamically
+    var args: std.ArrayList([]const u8) = .empty;
+    defer args.deinit(allocator);
 
-    // Build multipart body
-    var body_writer: std.Io.Writer.Allocating = .init(allocator);
-    defer body_writer.deinit();
+    try args.appendSlice(allocator, &.{ "curl", "-sf", "--max-time", "120" });
+
+    // Track allocated strings to free later
+    var alloc_strings: std.ArrayList([]u8) = .empty;
+    defer {
+        for (alloc_strings.items) |s| allocator.free(s);
+        alloc_strings.deinit(allocator);
+    }
 
     // Add form fields
     for (fields) |field| {
-        body_writer.writer.print("--{s}\r\nContent-Disposition: form-data; name=\"{s}\"\r\n\r\n{s}\r\n", .{ boundary, field[0], field[1] }) catch return error.OutOfMemory;
+        try args.append(allocator, "-F");
+        const field_arg = try std.fmt.allocPrint(allocator, "{s}={s}", .{ field[0], field[1] });
+        try alloc_strings.append(allocator, field_arg);
+        try args.append(allocator, field_arg);
     }
 
-    // Add file field header
-    body_writer.writer.print("--{s}\r\nContent-Disposition: form-data; name=\"{s}\"; filename=\"{s}\"\r\nContent-Type: application/octet-stream\r\n\r\n", .{ boundary, file_field, file_name }) catch return error.OutOfMemory;
+    // Add file field
+    try args.append(allocator, "-F");
+    const file_arg = try std.fmt.allocPrint(allocator, "{s}=@{s}", .{ file_field, file_path });
+    try alloc_strings.append(allocator, file_arg);
+    try args.append(allocator, file_arg);
 
-    // Read and append file content
-    const file = std.fs.openFileAbsolute(file_path, .{}) catch return error.HttpRequestFailed;
-    defer file.close();
-    const file_content = file.readToEndAlloc(allocator, 100 * 1024 * 1024) catch return error.HttpRequestFailed;
-    defer allocator.free(file_content);
+    try args.append(allocator, url);
 
-    body_writer.writer.writeAll(file_content) catch return error.OutOfMemory;
-    body_writer.writer.print("\r\n--{s}--\r\n", .{boundary}) catch return error.OutOfMemory;
-
-    const body = body_writer.written();
-
-    // Send request
-    var client: std.http.Client = .{ .allocator = allocator };
-    defer client.deinit();
-
-    var response_aw: std.Io.Writer.Allocating = .init(allocator);
-    defer response_aw.deinit();
-
-    const content_type = std.fmt.allocPrint(allocator, "multipart/form-data; boundary={s}", .{boundary}) catch return error.OutOfMemory;
-    defer allocator.free(content_type);
-
-    const result = client.fetch(.{
-        .location = .{ .url = url },
-        .method = .POST,
-        .payload = body,
-        .headers = .{ .content_type = .{ .override = content_type } },
-        .response_writer = &response_aw.writer,
-    }) catch return error.HttpRequestFailed;
-
-    if (result.status != .ok) return error.HttpRequestFailed;
-
-    return response_aw.toOwnedSlice() catch return error.OutOfMemory;
+    return runCurl(allocator, args.items);
 }
 
 pub fn downloadToFile(allocator: Allocator, url: []const u8, dest_path: []const u8) !void {
-    const data = try httpGet(allocator, url);
-    defer allocator.free(data);
+    var child = std.process.Child.init(
+        &.{ "curl", "-sf", "--max-time", "60", "-o", dest_path, url },
+        allocator,
+    );
+    child.stdout_behavior = .Ignore;
+    child.stderr_behavior = .Ignore;
 
-    const file = std.fs.createFileAbsolute(dest_path, .{}) catch return error.HttpRequestFailed;
-    defer file.close();
-    file.writeAll(data) catch return error.HttpRequestFailed;
+    const term = try child.spawnAndWait();
+
+    switch (term) {
+        .Exited => |code| {
+            if (code != 0) {
+                log.err("curl download failed with code {d}", .{code});
+                return error.HttpRequestFailed;
+            }
+        },
+        else => {
+            log.err("curl download terminated abnormally", .{});
+            return error.HttpRequestFailed;
+        },
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index 112d6b1..7cee394 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -24,14 +24,14 @@ pub fn main() !void {
     var offset: i64 = 0;
 
     while (true) {
-        const updates = bot.getUpdates(offset, 30) catch |err| {
+        var updates = bot.getUpdates(offset, 30) catch |err| {
             log.err("getUpdates failed: {s}", .{@errorName(err)});
             std.Thread.sleep(5 * std.time.ns_per_s);
             continue;
         };
         defer updates.deinit();
 
-        for (updates.value.result) |update| {
+        for (updates.parsed.value.result) |update| {
             offset = update.update_id + 1;
             processUpdate(allocator, &bot, update, whisper_url, language);
         }
@@ -80,15 +80,19 @@ fn handleTranscription(
     language: []const u8,
 ) !void {
     // Get file path from Telegram
+    log.info("Step 1: getFilePath", .{});
     const file_path = try bot.getFilePath(file_id);
     defer allocator.free(file_path);
+    log.info("Step 1 done: {s}", .{file_path});
 
     // Download file
     const ext: []const u8 = if (is_video) ".mp4" else ".ogg";
     const tmp_input = try std.fmt.allocPrint(allocator, "/tmp/tg_{d}{s}", .{ message.message_id, ext });
     defer allocator.free(tmp_input);
 
+    log.info("Step 2: downloadFile to {s}", .{tmp_input});
     try bot.downloadFile(file_path, tmp_input);
+    log.info("Step 2 done", .{});
     defer std.fs.deleteFileAbsolute(tmp_input) catch {};
 
     // Convert video to audio if needed
@@ -100,6 +104,7 @@ fn handleTranscription(
     };
 
     if (is_video) {
+        log.info("Step 2.5: ffmpeg conversion", .{});
         const out_path = try std.fmt.allocPrint(allocator, "/tmp/tg_{d}.ogg", .{message.message_id});
         tmp_audio = out_path;
 
@@ -117,15 +122,21 @@ fn handleTranscription(
         }
 
         audio_path = out_path;
+        log.info("Step 2.5 done", .{});
     }
 
     // Transcribe
+    log.info("Step 3: transcribe {s}", .{audio_path});
     const text = try whisper.transcribe(allocator, whisper_url, audio_path, language);
     defer allocator.free(text);
+    log.info("Step 3 done, text length: {d}", .{text.len});
 
+    // Send response
+    log.info("Step 4: sendMessage", .{});
     if (text.len == 0) {
         try bot.sendMessage(message.chat.id, "(empty transcription)", message.message_id);
     } else {
         try bot.sendMessage(message.chat.id, text, message.message_id);
     }
+    log.info("Step 4 done", .{});
 }
diff --git a/src/telegram.zig b/src/telegram.zig
index 437f60f..b6154d7 100644
--- a/src/telegram.zig
+++ b/src/telegram.zig
@@ -42,6 +42,21 @@ pub const SendMessageBody = struct {
     reply_to_message_id: ?i64 = null,
 };
 
+/// Parsed JSON result that also owns the raw JSON body.
+/// Must call deinit() to free both.
+pub fn OwnedParsed(comptime T: type) type {
+    return struct {
+        parsed: std.json.Parsed(T),
+        raw_body: []u8,
+        allocator: Allocator,
+
+        pub fn deinit(self: *@This()) void {
+            self.parsed.deinit();
+            self.allocator.free(self.raw_body);
+        }
+    };
+}
+
 pub const TelegramBot = struct {
     allocator: Allocator,
     token: []const u8,
@@ -60,14 +75,22 @@ pub const TelegramBot = struct {
         self.allocator.free(self.api_base);
     }
 
-    pub fn getUpdates(self: *TelegramBot, offset: i64, timeout: u32) !std.json.Parsed(GetUpdatesResponse) {
-        const url = try std.fmt.allocPrint(self.allocator, "{s}/getUpdates?offset={d}&timeout={d}&allowed_updates=[\"message\"]", .{ self.api_base, offset, timeout });
+    pub fn getUpdates(self: *TelegramBot, offset: i64, timeout: u32) !OwnedParsed(GetUpdatesResponse) {
+        const url = try std.fmt.allocPrint(self.allocator, "{s}/getUpdates?offset={d}&timeout={d}", .{ self.api_base, offset, timeout });
         defer self.allocator.free(url);
 
         const body = try http.httpGet(self.allocator, url);
-        defer self.allocator.free(body);
 
-        return std.json.parseFromSlice(GetUpdatesResponse, self.allocator, body, .{ .ignore_unknown_fields = true });
+        const parsed = std.json.parseFromSlice(GetUpdatesResponse, self.allocator, body, .{ .ignore_unknown_fields = true }) catch {
+            self.allocator.free(body);
+            return error.HttpRequestFailed;
+        };
+
+        return .{
+            .parsed = parsed,
+            .raw_body = body,
+            .allocator = self.allocator,
+        };
     }
 
     pub fn getFilePath(self: *TelegramBot, file_id: []const u8) ![]u8 {