diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 1d14b46..aab1cd4 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -156,17 +156,18 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 
         uint32_t conns_needed = (n + 399) / 400;
         if (conns_needed < 1) conns_needed = 1;
-        if (conns_needed > WS_MAX_CONNECTIONS) conns_needed = WS_MAX_CONNECTIONS;
-        ws_client.connection_count = conns_needed;
+        if (conns_needed >= WS_MAX_CONNECTIONS) conns_needed = WS_MAX_CONNECTIONS - 1;
+        ws_client.connection_count = conns_needed + 1;
 
-        log_write("[MAIN] Connecting %u WS connections...\n", conns_needed);
-        for (uint32_t i = 0; i < conns_needed; i++) {
+        log_write("[MAIN] Connecting %u WS connections (%u book + 1 private)...\n",
+                ws_client.connection_count, conns_needed);
+        for (uint32_t i = 0; i < ws_client.connection_count; i++) {
             if (ws_client_connect(&ws_client, i) != 0) {
                 log_write("[MAIN] WS connection %u failed\n", i);
             }
         }
 
-        // Batch-subscribe up to 400 symbols per WS connection
+        // Batch-subscribe up to 400 symbols per WS connection (book connections only)
         uint32_t batch_start = 0;
         for (uint32_t conn_idx = 0; conn_idx < conns_needed; conn_idx++) {
             uint32_t batch_end = batch_start + 400;
diff --git a/src/ws_client.c b/src/ws_client.c
index 2225b0d..d5c846b 100644
--- a/src/ws_client.c
+++ b/src/ws_client.c
@@ -403,9 +403,9 @@ int ws_client_connect(ws_client_t *client, uint32_t conn_idx) {
         ws_client_subscribe(client, conn_idx, conn->symbol_indices, conn->symbol_count);
     }
 
-    /* Subscribe to private channels — only on connection 0 to avoid
-       duplicate delivery of order/balance events across connections */
-    if (conn_idx == 0) {
+    /* Subscribe to private channels — only on the dedicated private connection
+       (the last one, which has no book subscriptions). */
+    if (conn_idx == client->connection_count - 1) {
         char msg[256];
         snprintf(msg, sizeof(msg),
                  "{\"type\":\"subscribe\",\"topic\":\"/spotMarket/tradeOrdersV2\","