diff --git a/examples/sandbox/Dockerfile b/examples/sandbox/Dockerfile
index 48152a1273..ecc8040e47 100644
--- a/examples/sandbox/Dockerfile
+++ b/examples/sandbox/Dockerfile
@@ -11,10 +11,12 @@ COPY shared/typescript/ ./shared/typescript/
 
 RUN pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
 RUN mkdir -p rivetkit-openapi rivetkit-asyncapi
-RUN pnpm build --filter=sandbox
-COPY examples/sandbox/public ./examples/sandbox/dist/public
+RUN pnpm build --filter=rivetkit...
+RUN pnpm --filter=sandbox run build
 
 WORKDIR /app/examples/sandbox
 
 EXPOSE 8080
-CMD ["pnpm", "start"]
+ENV PORT=8080
+
+CMD ["sh", "-c", "if [ \"$SANDBOX_MODE\" = \"serverless\" ]; then srvx dist/server.js; else tsx src/server-runner.ts; fi"]
diff --git a/examples/sandbox/package.json b/examples/sandbox/package.json
index 026e70e7a4..7650d58acd 100644
--- a/examples/sandbox/package.json
+++ b/examples/sandbox/package.json
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@
 	"scripts": {
 		"dev": "vite",
 		"check-types": "echo 'skipped - workflow history types broken'",
-		"build": "vite build && vite build --mode server",
-		"start": "srvx dist/server.js",
+		"build": "vite build --mode server",
+		"start": "tsx src/server-runner.ts",
 		"benchmark": "tsx scripts/benchmark.ts",
 		"db:generate": "find src/actors -name drizzle.config.ts -exec drizzle-kit generate --config {} \\;"
 	},
diff --git a/examples/sandbox/src/actors/state/sqlite-drizzle/drizzle/migrations.js b/examples/sandbox/src/actors/state/sqlite-drizzle/drizzle/migrations.js
index 23ed81f26d..0ea941b398 100644
--- a/examples/sandbox/src/actors/state/sqlite-drizzle/drizzle/migrations.js
+++ b/examples/sandbox/src/actors/state/sqlite-drizzle/drizzle/migrations.js
@@ -1,10 +1,15 @@
-import journal from './meta/_journal.json';
-import m0000 from './0000_left_wrecking_crew.sql';
+import journal from './meta/_journal.json' with { type: 'json' };
 
-  export default {
-    journal,
-    migrations: {
-      m0000
-    }
+const m0000 = `CREATE TABLE \`todos\` (
+\t\`id\` integer PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT NOT NULL,
+\t\`title\` text NOT NULL,
+\t\`completed\` integer DEFAULT 0,
+\t\`created_at\` integer NOT NULL
+);`;
+
+export default {
+  journal,
+  migrations: {
+    m0000
   }
-  
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/examples/sandbox/src/server-runner.ts b/examples/sandbox/src/server-runner.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8260069847
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/sandbox/src/server-runner.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+import { registry } from "./index.ts";
+
+registry.start();
diff --git a/rivetkit-typescript/packages/rivetkit/src/drivers/engine/actor-driver.ts b/rivetkit-typescript/packages/rivetkit/src/drivers/engine/actor-driver.ts
index 409c583ecb..feee90b0c4 100644
--- a/rivetkit-typescript/packages/rivetkit/src/drivers/engine/actor-driver.ts
+++ b/rivetkit-typescript/packages/rivetkit/src/drivers/engine/actor-driver.ts
@@ -1078,7 +1078,10 @@ export class EngineActorDriver implements ActorDriver {
 			requestId: idToStr(requestId),
 		});
 		if (path === PATH_CONNECT) {
-			return true;
+			// Temporarily disable HWS for action/event connections.
+			// The gateway tunnel ping is not handled for serverless TS
+			// runners, causing ws.downstream_closed every ~30s.
+			return false;
 		} else if (
 			path === PATH_WEBSOCKET_BASE ||
 			path.startsWith(PATH_WEBSOCKET_PREFIX)