diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index ddc922f..3aee651 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ jobs:
           find logs -type f -maxdepth 3 -print || true
 
       - name: Upload logs (configure + build)
-        if: always()
+        if: always() && runner.os != 'Windows'
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: logs-${{ matrix.vixos }}-${{ matrix.arch }}
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ jobs:
           if (Test-Path "build_output.log") { Copy-Item "build_output.log" $out -Force }
 
       - name: Upload logs (configure + build)
-        if: always()
+        if: always() && runner.os == 'Windows'
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: logs-${{ matrix.vixos }}-${{ matrix.arch }}
diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index 76375dc..97afb71 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -51,3 +51,6 @@
 	path = modules/db
 	url = git@github.com:vixcpp/db.git
 	branch = dev
+[submodule "third_party/asio-src"]
+	path = third_party/asio-src
+	url = https://github.com/chriskohlhoff/asio.git
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index e91a34f..cc252cb 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ option(VIX_DB_USE_POSTGRES    "Enable PostgreSQL backend in vix_db"         OFF)
 option(VIX_DB_USE_REDIS       "Enable Redis backend in vix_db"              OFF)
 option(VIX_ENABLE_P2P         "Build Vix P2P module"                        ON)
 option(VIX_ENABLE_CACHE       "Build Vix Cache module"                      ON)
+option(VIX_FETCH_DEPS         "Allow fetching missing deps from the internet" OFF)
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------
 # Tooling / Static analysis
@@ -243,35 +244,23 @@ add_library(vix INTERFACE)
 # ----------------------------------------------------
 # Third-party: Asio (standalone, header-only)
 # Exposes: vix::thirdparty_asio
-# Used by: vix::p2p
 # ----------------------------------------------------
 add_library(vix_thirdparty_asio INTERFACE)
 add_library(vix::thirdparty_asio ALIAS vix_thirdparty_asio)
 target_compile_definitions(vix_thirdparty_asio INTERFACE ASIO_STANDALONE=1)
 
-set(VIX_THIRDPARTY_ASIO_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/third_party/asio/include")
+set(VIX_THIRDPARTY_ASIO_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/third_party/asio-src/asio/include")
 
 if (EXISTS "${VIX_THIRDPARTY_ASIO_DIR}/asio.hpp")
   message(STATUS "Asio: using vendored Asio at ${VIX_THIRDPARTY_ASIO_DIR}")
   target_include_directories(vix_thirdparty_asio SYSTEM INTERFACE
-  $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${VIX_THIRDPARTY_ASIO_DIR}>
-  $<INSTALL_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR}/vix/third_party/asio>
-)
-
-else()
-  message(WARNING "Asio vendored copy missing -> fetching via FetchContent")
-  include(FetchContent)
-  FetchContent_Declare(asio
-    GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/chriskohlhoff/asio.git
-    GIT_TAG        asio-1-30-2
+    $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${VIX_THIRDPARTY_ASIO_DIR}>
+    $<INSTALL_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR}/vix/third_party/asio>
   )
-  FetchContent_MakeAvailable(asio)
-
-  target_include_directories(vix_thirdparty_asio SYSTEM INTERFACE
-  $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${asio_SOURCE_DIR}/asio/include>
-  $<INSTALL_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR}/vix/third_party/asio>
-)
+else()
+  message(FATAL_ERROR "Asio submodule missing: third_party/asio-src. Run: git submodule update --init --recursive")
 endif()
+target_link_libraries(vix INTERFACE vix::thirdparty_asio)
 
 add_library(vix::vix ALIAS vix)
 
@@ -895,34 +884,28 @@ if (VIX_ENABLE_INSTALL)
             FILES_MATCHING PATTERN "*.hpp" PATTERN "*.h")
   endif()
 
-# ---- Install Asio headers exactly from the selected source ----
-set(_VIX_ASIO_INSTALL_SRC "")
-
-if (EXISTS "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/third_party/asio/include/asio.hpp")
-  # vendored copy
-  set(_VIX_ASIO_INSTALL_SRC "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/third_party/asio/include")
-elseif (DEFINED asio_SOURCE_DIR AND EXISTS "${asio_SOURCE_DIR}/asio/include/asio.hpp")
-  # FetchContent
-  set(_VIX_ASIO_INSTALL_SRC "${asio_SOURCE_DIR}/asio/include")
-endif()
+    # ---- Install Asio (submodule) — robust (no symlink issues) ----
+  set(_VIX_ASIO_INSTALL_SRC "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/third_party/asio-src/asio/include")
 
-if (_VIX_ASIO_INSTALL_SRC STREQUAL "")
-  message(FATAL_ERROR "Asio is required but no installable Asio headers were found.")
-endif()
+  if (NOT EXISTS "${_VIX_ASIO_INSTALL_SRC}/asio.hpp")
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "Asio submodule missing: third_party/asio-src. Run: git submodule update --init --recursive")
+  endif()
 
-install(DIRECTORY "${_VIX_ASIO_INSTALL_SRC}/"
-  DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR}/vix/third_party/asio
-  FILES_MATCHING PATTERN "*.hpp" PATTERN "*.h"
-)
+  file(GLOB_RECURSE _VIX_ASIO_HEADERS
+    CONFIGURE_DEPENDS
+    "${_VIX_ASIO_INSTALL_SRC}/*.hpp"
+    "${_VIX_ASIO_INSTALL_SRC}/*.h"
+  )
 
+  install(FILES ${_VIX_ASIO_HEADERS}
+    DESTINATION "${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR}/vix/third_party/asio"
+  )
 
-  # Export umbrella target (modules must also export their targets into VixTargets)
   install(TARGETS vix EXPORT VixTargets)
 
-# Export third-party interface targets needed by exported modules (e.g. vix_p2p)
-if (TARGET vix_thirdparty_asio)
-  install(TARGETS vix_thirdparty_asio EXPORT VixTargets)
-endif()
+  if (TARGET vix_thirdparty_asio)
+    install(TARGETS vix_thirdparty_asio EXPORT VixTargets)
+  endif()
 
   if (TARGET vix_warnings)
     install(TARGETS vix_warnings EXPORT VixTargets)
diff --git a/modules/cli b/modules/cli
index 16aa52e..8e71501 160000
--- a/modules/cli
+++ b/modules/cli
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 16aa52e47038ae2123c4abf62615b2a110b9f335
+Subproject commit 8e71501f3c8c4d9e99ef45bd02adbd7f9705f643
diff --git a/modules/core b/modules/core
index 01b3802..8957c84 160000
--- a/modules/core
+++ b/modules/core
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 01b3802bbfc746a8db1e118de3f8b33123e25483
+Subproject commit 8957c845fbea249fdb71d3d32ed59ad2f503cb4b
diff --git a/modules/p2p b/modules/p2p
index 108dfd7..2fa8e4b 160000
--- a/modules/p2p
+++ b/modules/p2p
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 108dfd7e5cc9f371d7cdb3a97933c0a1f2e69060
+Subproject commit 2fa8e4b7d60589a3532b23a383b07a9fabc6ab53
diff --git a/third_party/asio-src b/third_party/asio-src
new file mode 160000
index 0000000..55684d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/third_party/asio-src
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit 55684d42ac00021b4c31ba8571aca414c863ead5