diff --git a/prerender-single-product.cjs b/prerender-single-product.cjs
index e5f32d5..c362b7f 100644
--- a/prerender-single-product.cjs
+++ b/prerender-single-product.cjs
@@ -66,12 +66,7 @@ const renderSingleProduct = async (productSeoName) => {
   const socketUrl = "http://127.0.0.1:9303";
   console.log(`🔌 Connecting to socket at ${socketUrl}...`);
 
-  const socket = io(socketUrl, {
-    path: "/socket.io/",
-    transports: ["websocket"],
-    reconnection: false,
-    timeout: 10000,
-  });
+  const socket = io(socketUrl, config.socketIoClientOptions);
 
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
     const timeout = setTimeout(() => {
diff --git a/prerender.cjs b/prerender.cjs
index c7f32fa..aacc549 100644
--- a/prerender.cjs
+++ b/prerender.cjs
@@ -166,12 +166,7 @@ const NotFound404 = require("./src/pages/NotFound404.js").default;
 // Worker function for parallel product rendering  
 const renderProductWorker = async (productSeoNames, workerId, progressCallback, categoryMap = {}) => {
   const socketUrl = "http://127.0.0.1:9303";
-  const workerSocket = io(socketUrl, {
-    path: "/socket.io/",
-    transports: ["websocket"],
-    reconnection: false,
-    timeout: 10000,
-  });
+  const workerSocket = io(socketUrl, config.socketIoClientOptions);
 
   return new Promise((resolve) => {
     let processedCount = 0;
@@ -863,12 +858,7 @@ const fetchCategoryDataAndRender = () => {
     process.exit(1);
   }, 15000);
 
-  const socket = io(socketUrl, {
-    path: "/socket.io/",
-    transports: ["websocket"],
-    reconnection: false,
-    timeout: 10000,
-  });
+  const socket = io(socketUrl, config.socketIoClientOptions);
 
   socket.on("connect", () => {
     console.log('Socket connected. Emitting "categoryList"...');
diff --git a/prerender/config.cjs b/prerender/config.cjs
index 314c9e1..d0943a5 100644
--- a/prerender/config.cjs
+++ b/prerender/config.cjs
@@ -69,11 +69,21 @@ const globalCssCollection = new Set();
 // Get webpack entrypoints
 const webpackEntrypoints = getWebpackEntrypoints();
 
+/** Socket.IO client options for prerender scripts: skip backend connection counters (balanced on disconnect). */
+const socketIoClientOptions = {
+  path: "/socket.io/",
+  transports: ["websocket"],
+  reconnection: false,
+  timeout: 10000,
+  auth: { prerender: true },
+};
+
 module.exports = {
   isProduction,
   outputDir,
   getWebpackEntrypoints,
   globalCss,
   globalCssCollection,
-  webpackEntrypoints
+  webpackEntrypoints,
+  socketIoClientOptions,
 }; 
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/prerender/data-fetching.cjs b/prerender/data-fetching.cjs
index 09e2391..941ceab 100644
--- a/prerender/data-fetching.cjs
+++ b/prerender/data-fetching.cjs
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ const fetchCategoryProducts = (socket, categoryId) => {
       "getCategoryProducts",
       {
         full: true,
+        nocount: true,
         categoryId:
           categoryId === "neu" || categoryId === "bald"
             ? categoryId