diff --git a/.github/workflows/pipeline.yaml b/.github/workflows/pipeline.yaml
index d15284d5e..fed58023e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pipeline.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pipeline.yaml
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ on:
         type: string
       num_workers:
         description: "Number of parallel H5 workers"
-        default: "8"
+        default: "50"
         type: string
       skip_national:
         description: "Skip national calibration/H5"
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ jobs:
           GPU="${{ inputs.gpu || 'T4' }}"
           EPOCHS="${{ inputs.epochs || '1000' }}"
           NATIONAL_EPOCHS="${{ inputs.national_epochs || '4000' }}"
-          NUM_WORKERS="${{ inputs.num_workers || '8' }}"
+          NUM_WORKERS="${{ inputs.num_workers || '50' }}"
           SKIP_NATIONAL="${{ inputs.skip_national || 'false' }}"
 
           python -c "
diff --git a/modal_app/local_area.py b/modal_app/local_area.py
index 4d5d847bf..5fee7e73f 100644
--- a/modal_app/local_area.py
+++ b/modal_app/local_area.py
@@ -293,8 +293,9 @@ def run_phase(
         "/pipeline": pipeline_volume,
     },
     memory=16384,
-    cpu=4.0,
+    cpu=1.0,
     timeout=28800,
+    max_containers=50,
     nonpreemptible=True,
 )
 def build_areas_worker(
@@ -618,7 +619,7 @@ def promote_publish(branch: str = "main", version: str = "", run_id: str = "") -
 )
 def coordinate_publish(
     branch: str = "main",
-    num_workers: int = 8,
+    num_workers: int = 50,
     skip_upload: bool = False,
     n_clones: int = 430,
     validate: bool = True,
@@ -877,7 +878,7 @@ def coordinate_publish(
 @app.local_entrypoint()
 def main(
     branch: str = "main",
-    num_workers: int = 8,
+    num_workers: int = 50,
     skip_upload: bool = False,
     n_clones: int = 430,
     run_id: str = "",
diff --git a/modal_app/pipeline.py b/modal_app/pipeline.py
index 95d293d81..62ca398e4 100644
--- a/modal_app/pipeline.py
+++ b/modal_app/pipeline.py
@@ -606,7 +606,7 @@ def run_pipeline(
     epochs: int = 1000,
     national_gpu: str = "T4",
     national_epochs: int = 4000,
-    num_workers: int = 8,
+    num_workers: int = 50,
     n_clones: int = 430,
     skip_national: bool = False,
     resume_run_id: str = None,
@@ -1268,7 +1268,7 @@ def main(
     epochs: int = 1000,
     national_gpu: str = "T4",
     national_epochs: int = 4000,
-    num_workers: int = 8,
+    num_workers: int = 50,
     n_clones: int = 430,
     skip_national: bool = False,
     clear_checkpoints: bool = False,