diff --git a/system/athena/athenad.py b/system/athena/athenad.py
index 5a02d45c43..5df7eec3f0 100755
--- a/system/athena/athenad.py
+++ b/system/athena/athenad.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ from typing import cast
 from collections.abc import Callable
 
 import requests
+from requests.adapters import HTTPAdapter, DEFAULT_POOLBLOCK
 from jsonrpc import JSONRPCResponseManager, dispatcher
 from websocket import (ABNF, WebSocket, WebSocketException, WebSocketTimeoutException,
                        create_connection)
@@ -55,6 +56,11 @@ WS_FRAME_SIZE = 4096
 DEVICE_STATE_UPDATE_INTERVAL = 1.0  # in seconds
 DEFAULT_UPLOAD_PRIORITY = 99  # higher number = lower priority
 
+# https://bytesolutions.com/dscp-tos-cos-precedence-conversion-chart,
+# https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Differentiated_services
+UPLOAD_TOS = 0x20  # CS1, low priority background traffic
+SSH_TOS = 0x90  # AF42, DSCP of 36/HDD_LINUX_AC_VI with the minimum delay flag
+
 NetworkType = log.DeviceState.NetworkType
 
 UploadFileDict = dict[str, str | int | float | bool]
@@ -63,6 +69,17 @@ UploadItemDict = dict[str, str | bool | int | float | dict[str, str]]
 UploadFilesToUrlResponse = dict[str, int | list[UploadItemDict] | list[str]]
 
 
+class UploadTOSAdapter(HTTPAdapter):
+  def init_poolmanager(self, connections, maxsize, block=DEFAULT_POOLBLOCK, **pool_kwargs):
+    pool_kwargs["socket_options"] = [(socket.IPPROTO_IP, socket.IP_TOS, UPLOAD_TOS)]
+    super().init_poolmanager(connections, maxsize, block, **pool_kwargs)
+
+
+UPLOAD_SESS = requests.Session()
+UPLOAD_SESS.mount("http://", UploadTOSAdapter())
+UPLOAD_SESS.mount("https://", UploadTOSAdapter())
+
+
 @dataclass
 class UploadFile:
   fn: str
@@ -309,10 +326,10 @@ def _do_upload(upload_item: UploadItem, callback: Callable = None) -> requests.R
   stream = None
   try:
     stream, content_length = get_upload_stream(path, compress)
-    response = requests.put(upload_item.url,
-                            data=CallbackReader(stream, callback, content_length) if callback else stream,
-                            headers={**upload_item.headers, 'Content-Length': str(content_length)},
-                            timeout=30)
+    response = UPLOAD_SESS.put(upload_item.url,
+                               data=CallbackReader(stream, callback, content_length) if callback else stream,
+                               headers={**upload_item.headers, 'Content-Length': str(content_length)},
+                               timeout=30)
     return response
   finally:
     if stream:
@@ -482,8 +499,7 @@ def startLocalProxy(global_end_event: threading.Event, remote_ws_uri: str, local
                            enable_multithread=True)
 
     # Set TOS to keep connection responsive while under load.
-    # DSCP of 36/HDD_LINUX_AC_VI with the minimum delay flag
-    ws.sock.setsockopt(socket.IPPROTO_IP, socket.IP_TOS, 0x90)
+    ws.sock.setsockopt(socket.IPPROTO_IP, socket.IP_TOS, SSH_TOS)
 
     ssock, csock = socket.socketpair()
     local_sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
diff --git a/system/athena/tests/test_athenad.py b/system/athena/tests/test_athenad.py
index dd82325815..e559e0c05c 100644
--- a/system/athena/tests/test_athenad.py
+++ b/system/athena/tests/test_athenad.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ from cereal import messaging
 from openpilot.common.params import Params
 from openpilot.common.timeout import Timeout
 from openpilot.system.athena import athenad
-from openpilot.system.athena.athenad import MAX_RETRY_COUNT, dispatcher
+from openpilot.system.athena.athenad import MAX_RETRY_COUNT, UPLOAD_SESS, dispatcher
 from openpilot.system.athena.tests.helpers import HTTPRequestHandler, MockWebsocket, MockApi, EchoSocket
 from openpilot.selfdrive.test.helpers import http_server_context
 from openpilot.system.hardware.hw import Paths
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ def seed_athena_server(host, port):
   with Timeout(2, 'HTTP Server seeding failed'):
     while True:
       try:
-        requests.put(f'http://{host}:{port}/qlog.zst', data='', timeout=10)
+        UPLOAD_SESS.put(f'http://{host}:{port}/qlog.zst', data='', timeout=10)
         break
       except requests.exceptions.ConnectionError:
         time.sleep(0.1)
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ class TestAthenadMethods:
   @pytest.mark.parametrize("status,retry", [(500,True), (412,False)])
   @with_upload_handler
   def test_upload_handler_retry(self, mocker, host, status, retry):
-    mock_put = mocker.patch('requests.put')
+    mock_put = mocker.patch('openpilot.system.athena.athenad.UPLOAD_SESS.put')
     mock_put.return_value.__enter__.return_value.status_code = status
     fn = self._create_file('qlog.zst')
     item = athenad.UploadItem(path=fn, url=f"{host}/qlog.zst", headers={}, created_at=int(time.time()*1000), id='', allow_cellular=True)