diff --git a/src/bot/core.py b/src/bot/core.py
index 192bddd3..2d5e99bb 100644
--- a/src/bot/core.py
+++ b/src/bot/core.py
@@ -64,6 +64,18 @@ async def initialize(self) -> None:
         builder.write_timeout(30)
         builder.pool_timeout(30)
 
+        # Explicitly set proxy from environment variables.
+        # This is necessary because python-telegram-bot's Application.builder()
+        # does not automatically use HTTP_PROXY/HTTPS_PROXY environment variables.
+        # Without this, the httpx connection pool can become corrupted when running
+        # behind a proxy, causing the bot to stop responding to messages.
+        import os
+
+        proxy_url = os.environ.get("HTTPS_PROXY") or os.environ.get("HTTP_PROXY")
+        if proxy_url:
+            builder.proxy(proxy_url)
+            logger.info("Proxy configured", proxy=proxy_url)
+
         self.app = builder.build()
 
         # Initialize feature registry