diff --git a/lib/template/Gemfile b/lib/template/Gemfile
index fc90e183..a30dbe73 100644
--- a/lib/template/Gemfile
+++ b/lib/template/Gemfile
@@ -1,25 +1,26 @@
 source "https://rubygems.org"
-ruby "2.4.0"
 
-gem "pg"
-gem "pliny", "~> 0.32"
+ruby "3.4.5"
+
+gem "pg", ">= 1.6"
+gem "pliny", ">= 1"
 gem "pry"
-gem "puma", "~> 6"
+gem "puma", ">= 7"
 gem "rack-ssl"
-gem "rack-timeout", "~> 0.6"
+gem "rack-timeout"
 gem "rake"
 gem "rollbar"
-gem "sequel", "~> 5.73"
+gem "sequel", ">= 5"
 gem "sequel-paranoid"
-gem "sequel_pg", "~> 1.17", require: "sequel"
-gem "sinatra", [">= 2.0", "< 3.0"], require: "sinatra/base"
+gem "sequel_pg", require: "sequel"
+gem "sinatra", ">= 4", require: "sinatra/base"
 gem "sinatra-contrib", require: ["sinatra/namespace", "sinatra/reloader"]
 gem "sinatra-router"
 gem "sucker_punch"
 
 group :development, :test do
   gem "pry-byebug"
-  gem "rubocop", "~> 1.56", require: false
+  gem "rubocop", require: false
   gem "rubocop-rspec", require: false
 end
 
diff --git a/lib/template/config/puma.rb b/lib/template/config/puma.rb
index a1f78a09..53a24c02 100644
--- a/lib/template/config/puma.rb
+++ b/lib/template/config/puma.rb
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 threads Config.puma_min_threads, Config.puma_max_threads
 workers Config.puma_workers
 
-on_worker_boot do
+before_worker_boot do
   # force Sequel's thread pool to be refreshed
   Sequel::DATABASES.each(&:disconnect)
 end
diff --git a/pliny.gemspec b/pliny.gemspec
index e8e96466..6ecdd464 100644
--- a/pliny.gemspec
+++ b/pliny.gemspec
@@ -17,23 +17,22 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |gem|
 
   gem.required_ruby_version = ">= 3.2"
 
-  gem.add_dependency "activesupport",  ">= 7.0", "< 9.0"
-  gem.add_dependency "prmd",           "~> 0.11", ">= 0.11.4"
+  gem.add_dependency "activesupport", ">= 7.0", "< 9.0"
+  gem.add_dependency "http_accept", "~> 0.1", ">= 0.1.5"
+  gem.add_dependency "prmd", "~> 0.11", ">= 0.11.4"
+  gem.add_dependency "sinatra", ">= 2.0", "< 5.0"
+  gem.add_dependency "sinatra-router", "~> 0.2", ">= 0.2.4"
+  gem.add_dependency "thor", ">= 0.19", "< 2.0"
 
-  gem.add_dependency "sinatra",        ">= 2.0", "< 5.0"
-  gem.add_dependency "http_accept",    "~> 0.1",  ">= 0.1.5"
-  gem.add_dependency "sinatra-router", "~> 0.2",  ">= 0.2.4"
-  gem.add_dependency "thor",           ">= 0.19", "< 2.0"
-
-  gem.add_development_dependency "rake",              "~> 13.0"
-  gem.add_development_dependency "rack-test",         "~> 2"
-  gem.add_development_dependency "rspec",             "~> 3.1", ">= 3.1.0"
-  gem.add_development_dependency "sinatra-contrib",   ">= 2.0", "< 5.0"
-  gem.add_development_dependency "timecop", "~> 0.7", ">= 0.7.1"
+  gem.add_development_dependency "pg", "~> 1.0", "< 2.0"
   gem.add_development_dependency "pry"
   gem.add_development_dependency "pry-byebug"
-  gem.add_development_dependency "pg",             "~> 1.0", "< 2.0"
-  gem.add_development_dependency "rollbar",        "~> 3.2"
-  gem.add_development_dependency "sequel",         "~> 5.4", "< 6.0"
-  gem.add_development_dependency "rubocop",        "~> 0.52", ">= 0.52.1"
+  gem.add_development_dependency "rack-test", "~> 2"
+  gem.add_development_dependency "rake", "~> 13.0"
+  gem.add_development_dependency "rollbar", "~> 3.2"
+  gem.add_development_dependency "rspec", "~> 3.1", ">= 3.1.0"
+  gem.add_development_dependency "rubocop", "~> 0.52", ">= 0.52.1"
+  gem.add_development_dependency "sequel", "~> 5.4", "< 6.0"
+  gem.add_development_dependency "sinatra-contrib", ">= 2.0", "< 5.0"
+  gem.add_development_dependency "timecop", "~> 0.7", ">= 0.7.1"
 end