diff --git a/Sources/BranchSDK/BNCNetworkService.m b/Sources/BranchSDK/BNCNetworkService.m
index 01c5178..9f6b4dd 100644
--- a/Sources/BranchSDK/BNCNetworkService.m
+++ b/Sources/BranchSDK/BNCNetworkService.m
@@ -86,6 +86,36 @@ - (instancetype) init {
     return self;
 }
 
+// Avoid locking in dealloc; just tear down with ivars
+- (void)dealloc {
+    NSURLSession *session = _session;
+    if (session) {
+        [session invalidateAndCancel];
+        _session = nil;
+    }
+    NSOperationQueue *queue = _sessionQueue;
+    if (queue) {
+        [queue cancelAllOperations];
+        _sessionQueue = nil;
+    }
+}
+
+// IMPORTANT: do not touch properties here; use ivars so you don’t create a session while tearing down
+- (void)cancelAllOperations {
+    @synchronized (self) {
+        NSURLSession *session = _session;
+        if (session) {
+            [session invalidateAndCancel];
+            _session = nil;
+        }
+        NSOperationQueue *queue = _sessionQueue;
+        if (queue) {
+            [queue cancelAllOperations];
+            _sessionQueue = nil;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 #pragma mark - Getters & Setters
 
 - (void) setDefaultTimeoutInterval:(NSTimeInterval)defaultTimeoutInterval {
@@ -183,25 +213,25 @@ - (void)startOperation:(BNCNetworkOperation *)operation {
     } else {
         [[BranchLogger shared] logError:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"Expected NSMutableURLRequest, got %@", [operation.request class]] error:nil];
     }
-    
-    operation.sessionTask = [self.session dataTaskWithRequest:operation.request completionHandler:^(NSData * _Nullable data, NSURLResponse * _Nullable response, NSError * _Nullable error) {
+
+    operation.sessionTask = [self.session dataTaskWithRequest:operation.request completionHandler:^(NSData *data, NSURLResponse *response, NSError *error) {
         operation.responseData = data;
-        operation.response = (NSHTTPURLResponse*) response;
+        operation.response = (NSHTTPURLResponse*)response;
         operation.error = error;
-        
-        if (operation.completionBlock) {
-            operation.completionBlock(operation);
+
+        // Capture, clear, then invoke to avoid unexpected long-lived captures
+        void (^completion)(BNCNetworkOperation *) = operation.completionBlock;
+        operation.completionBlock = nil;
+
+        if (completion) {
+            completion(operation);
         }
+
+        // Break back-reference to the service
+        operation.networkService = nil;
     }];
     
     [operation.sessionTask resume];
 }
 
-- (void) cancelAllOperations {
-    @synchronized (self) {
-        [self.session invalidateAndCancel];
-        _session = nil;
-    }
-}
-
 @end
diff --git a/Sources/BranchSDK/BNCPreferenceHelper.m b/Sources/BranchSDK/BNCPreferenceHelper.m
index 05c4d84..2680a21 100644
--- a/Sources/BranchSDK/BNCPreferenceHelper.m
+++ b/Sources/BranchSDK/BNCPreferenceHelper.m
@@ -1038,23 +1038,33 @@ - (void)writeObjectToDefaults:(NSString *)key value:(NSObject *)value {
 }
 
 - (void)persistPrefsToDisk {
-    if (self.useStorage) {
-        @synchronized (self) {
-            if (!self.persistenceDict) return;
-            
-            NSData *data = [self serializePrefDict:self.persistenceDict];
-            if (!data) return;
-            
-            NSURL *prefsURL = [self.class.URLForPrefsFile copy];
-            NSBlockOperation *newPersistOp = [NSBlockOperation blockOperationWithBlock:^ {
+    if (!self.useStorage) return;
+
+    @synchronized (self) {
+        if (!self.persistenceDict) return;
+
+        NSData *data = [self serializePrefDict:self.persistenceDict];
+        if (!data) return;
+
+        NSURL *prefsURL = [self.class.URLForPrefsFile copy];
+
+        // Coalesce: drop older pending writes to avoid retaining many large NSData snapshots
+        [_persistPrefsQueue cancelAllOperations];
+
+        NSBlockOperation *op = [NSBlockOperation blockOperationWithBlock:^{
+            @autoreleasepool {
                 NSError *error = nil;
                 [data writeToURL:prefsURL options:NSDataWritingAtomic error:&error];
                 if (error) {
                     [[BranchLogger shared] logWarning:@"Failed to persist preferences" error:error];
                 }
-            }];
-            [_persistPrefsQueue addOperation:newPersistOp];
-        }
+            }
+        }];
+
+        // Optional: lower priority; it’s background I/O
+        op.queuePriority = NSOperationQueuePriorityLow;
+
+        [_persistPrefsQueue addOperation:op];
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/Sources/BranchSDK/BNCURLFilter.m b/Sources/BranchSDK/BNCURLFilter.m
index 387070f..db5fb1d 100644
--- a/Sources/BranchSDK/BNCURLFilter.m
+++ b/Sources/BranchSDK/BNCURLFilter.m
@@ -106,19 +106,36 @@ - (void)updatePatternListFromServerWithCompletion:(void (^_Nullable) (void))comp
         return;
     }
 
-    NSString *urlString = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@/sdk/uriskiplist_v%ld.json", [BNCPreferenceHelper sharedInstance].patternListURL, (long) self.listVersion+1];
-    NSMutableURLRequest *request = [NSMutableURLRequest requestWithURL:[NSURL URLWithString:urlString] cachePolicy:NSURLRequestReloadIgnoringLocalCacheData timeoutInterval:30.0];
+    NSString *urlString = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@/sdk/uriskiplist_v%ld.json",
+                           [BNCPreferenceHelper sharedInstance].patternListURL,
+                           (long)self.listVersion + 1];
+    NSMutableURLRequest *request =
+        [NSMutableURLRequest requestWithURL:[NSURL URLWithString:urlString]
+                                 cachePolicy:NSURLRequestReloadIgnoringLocalCacheData
+                             timeoutInterval:30.0];
 
     __block id<BNCNetworkServiceProtocol> networkService = [[Branch networkServiceClass] new];
-    id<BNCNetworkOperationProtocol> operation = [networkService networkOperationWithURLRequest:request completion: ^(id<BNCNetworkOperationProtocol> operation) {
-        [self processServerOperation:operation];
+
+    __weak typeof(self) weakSelf = self;
+    id<BNCNetworkOperationProtocol> operation =
+    [networkService networkOperationWithURLRequest:request
+                                        completion:^(id<BNCNetworkOperationProtocol> op) {
+        // Process result
+        [weakSelf processServerOperation:op];
+
         if (completion) {
             completion();
         }
+
+        // IMPORTANT: break the NSURLSession delegate retain cycle
+        [networkService cancelAllOperations];   // invalidates and cancels the session
+        networkService = nil;                   // drop our last reference ASAP
     }];
+
     [operation start];
 }
 
+
 - (BOOL)foundUpdatedURLList:(id<BNCNetworkOperationProtocol>)operation {
     NSInteger statusCode = operation.response.statusCode;
     NSError *error = operation.error;