diff --git a/packages/api/src/metrics/OpenTelemetryServer.ts b/packages/api/src/metrics/OpenTelemetryServer.ts
index 23719d367..62c8beb04 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/metrics/OpenTelemetryServer.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/metrics/OpenTelemetryServer.ts
@@ -32,17 +32,14 @@ export type OpenTelemetryServerConfig = {
 };
 
 @sequencerModule()
-export class OpenTelemetryServer
-  extends SequencerModule<OpenTelemetryServerConfig>
-  implements DependencyFactory
-{
+export class OpenTelemetryServer extends SequencerModule<OpenTelemetryServerConfig> {
   public constructor(
     @inject("Sequencer") private readonly sequencer: Sequencer<any>
   ) {
     super();
   }
 
-  public dependencies() {
+  public static dependencies() {
     return {
       Tracer: {
         useClass: OpenTelemetryTracer,
@@ -99,3 +96,5 @@ export class OpenTelemetryServer
     log.info("OpenTelemetryServer started");
   }
 }
+
+OpenTelemetryServer satisfies DependencyFactory;
diff --git a/packages/api/src/metrics/OpenTelemetryTracer.ts b/packages/api/src/metrics/OpenTelemetryTracer.ts
index 215ecab56..26db76766 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/metrics/OpenTelemetryTracer.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/metrics/OpenTelemetryTracer.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ export class OpenTelemetryTracer implements Tracer {
     // We need to import this here, so that the OpenTelemetryServer will be resolved
     // before this module, and therefore will be already started when this module is
     // eventually consumed and used
-    @inject("OpenTelemetryServer") openTelemetryServer: OpenTelemetryServer
+    @inject("OpenTelemetryServer")
+    private readonly openTelemetryServer: OpenTelemetryServer
   ) {
     noop();
   }
@@ -24,6 +25,9 @@ export class OpenTelemetryTracer implements Tracer {
     f: () => Promise<T>,
     metadata?: Record<string, string | number>
   ) {
+    if (this.openTelemetryServer.config.tracing?.enabled !== true) {
+      return await f();
+    }
     if (this.tracer === undefined) {
       this.tracer = opentelemetry.trace.getTracer("protokit", "canary");
     }
diff --git a/packages/library/src/runtime/Withdrawals.ts b/packages/library/src/runtime/Withdrawals.ts
index 417d3d0de..fd7dfb962 100644
--- a/packages/library/src/runtime/Withdrawals.ts
+++ b/packages/library/src/runtime/Withdrawals.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import {
+  outgoingMessage,
   OutgoingMessages,
   runtimeModule,
   RuntimeModule,
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ export class Withdrawal extends Struct({
 
 @runtimeModule()
 export class Withdrawals extends RuntimeModule {
+  @outgoingMessage()
   messages = new OutgoingMessages({
     withdrawal: Withdrawal,
   });
diff --git a/packages/module/src/factories/MethodIdFactory.ts b/packages/module/src/factories/MethodIdFactory.ts
index fe6be798c..3f168721b 100644
--- a/packages/module/src/factories/MethodIdFactory.ts
+++ b/packages/module/src/factories/MethodIdFactory.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { DependencyRecord } from "@proto-kit/common";
+import { DependencyFactory, DependencyRecord } from "@proto-kit/common";
 
 import { MethodIdResolver } from "../runtime/MethodIdResolver";
 
@@ -11,3 +11,5 @@ export class MethodIdFactory {
     } satisfies DependencyRecord;
   }
 }
+
+MethodIdFactory satisfies DependencyFactory;
diff --git a/packages/sequencer/src/appChain/AreProofsEnabledFactory.ts b/packages/sequencer/src/appChain/AreProofsEnabledFactory.ts
index 9492875a1..153f40746 100644
--- a/packages/sequencer/src/appChain/AreProofsEnabledFactory.ts
+++ b/packages/sequencer/src/appChain/AreProofsEnabledFactory.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 import { injectable } from "tsyringe";
-import { AreProofsEnabled, DependencyRecord } from "@proto-kit/common";
+import {
+  AreProofsEnabled,
+  DependencyFactory,
+  DependencyRecord,
+} from "@proto-kit/common";
 
 @injectable()
 export class InMemoryAreProofsEnabled implements AreProofsEnabled {
@@ -23,3 +27,5 @@ export class AreProofsEnabledFactory {
     } satisfies DependencyRecord;
   }
 }
+
+AreProofsEnabledFactory satisfies DependencyFactory;
diff --git a/packages/sequencer/src/appChain/SharedDependencyFactory.ts b/packages/sequencer/src/appChain/SharedDependencyFactory.ts
index fee1eda6a..1f3e9a1db 100644
--- a/packages/sequencer/src/appChain/SharedDependencyFactory.ts
+++ b/packages/sequencer/src/appChain/SharedDependencyFactory.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
-import { DependencyDeclaration, DependencyRecord } from "@proto-kit/common";
+import {
+  DependencyDeclaration,
+  DependencyFactory,
+  DependencyRecord,
+} from "@proto-kit/common";
 import { StateServiceProvider } from "@proto-kit/protocol";
 import { MethodIdResolver } from "@proto-kit/module";
 
@@ -19,3 +23,5 @@ export class SharedDependencyFactory {
     };
   }
 }
+
+SharedDependencyFactory satisfies DependencyFactory;
diff --git a/packages/sequencer/src/logging/ConsoleTracingFactory.ts b/packages/sequencer/src/logging/ConsoleTracingFactory.ts
index 86ad608c3..9787a7dd9 100644
--- a/packages/sequencer/src/logging/ConsoleTracingFactory.ts
+++ b/packages/sequencer/src/logging/ConsoleTracingFactory.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { DependencyRecord } from "@proto-kit/common";
+import { DependencyFactory, DependencyRecord } from "@proto-kit/common";
 
 import { ConsoleTracer } from "./ConsoleTracer";
 
@@ -11,3 +11,5 @@ export class ConsoleTracingFactory {
     } satisfies DependencyRecord;
   }
 }
+
+ConsoleTracingFactory satisfies DependencyFactory;
diff --git a/packages/sequencer/src/protocol/baselayer/MinaBaseLayer.ts b/packages/sequencer/src/protocol/baselayer/MinaBaseLayer.ts
index 95891c863..1d8e56fbd 100644
--- a/packages/sequencer/src/protocol/baselayer/MinaBaseLayer.ts
+++ b/packages/sequencer/src/protocol/baselayer/MinaBaseLayer.ts
@@ -143,3 +143,5 @@ export class MinaBaseLayer
     this.network = Network;
   }
 }
+
+MinaBaseLayer satisfies DependencyFactory;
diff --git a/packages/sequencer/src/sequencer/SequencerStartupModule.ts b/packages/sequencer/src/sequencer/SequencerStartupModule.ts
index 29ffeb940..998b3e520 100644
--- a/packages/sequencer/src/sequencer/SequencerStartupModule.ts
+++ b/packages/sequencer/src/sequencer/SequencerStartupModule.ts
@@ -151,6 +151,15 @@ export class SequencerStartupModule
 
     log.info("Compiling Protocol circuits, this can take a few minutes");
 
+    const timeout = setTimeout(
+      () => {
+        log.error(
+          "No response yet received from workers - have you configured a TaskQueue and a corresponding worker running (either in-process or somewhere else)"
+        );
+      },
+      this.areProofsEnabled.areProofsEnabled ? 20 * 60 * 1000 : 30 * 1000
+    );
+
     const root = await this.compileRuntime(flow);
 
     const protocolBridgeArtifacts = await this.compileProtocolAndBridge(
@@ -176,6 +185,8 @@ export class SequencerStartupModule
     });
 
     log.info("Protocol circuits compiled successfully, commencing startup");
+
+    clearTimeout(timeout);
   }
 
   public async close() {
diff --git a/packages/sequencer/src/worker/worker/FlowTaskWorker.ts b/packages/sequencer/src/worker/worker/FlowTaskWorker.ts
index 48dbd9a21..137b3ddee 100644
--- a/packages/sequencer/src/worker/worker/FlowTaskWorker.ts
+++ b/packages/sequencer/src/worker/worker/FlowTaskWorker.ts
@@ -106,6 +106,8 @@ export class FlowTaskWorker<Tasks extends Task<any, any>[]>
       ...newWorkers,
     };
 
+    log.info("All tasks prepared and ready");
+
     this.prepareResolve!();
   }