diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index c65eafc..acfc149 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "@imqueue/core",
-  "version": "3.2.0",
+  "version": "3.2.1",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "@imqueue/core",
-      "version": "3.2.0",
+      "version": "3.2.1",
       "license": "GPL-3.0-only",
       "dependencies": {
         "ioredis": "^5.11.1"
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@
         "oxfmt": "0.57.0",
         "oxlint": "1.72.0",
         "typescript": "^7.0.2"
+      },
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">=22.12.0"
       }
     },
     "node_modules/@ioredis/commands": {
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index bf887e9..8b0ea07 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@imqueue/core",
-  "version": "3.2.0",
+  "version": "3.2.1",
   "description": "Simple JSON-based messaging queue for inter service communication",
   "keywords": [
     "message-queue",
diff --git a/test/mocks/os.ts b/test/mocks/os.ts
index d3484f2..ff7050b 100644
--- a/test/mocks/os.ts
+++ b/test/mocks/os.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 import os from 'node:os';
 import { mockBuiltin } from './mockBuiltin.js';
 
-export const networkInterfaces = () => {
+const defaultInterfaces = () => {
     return {
         lo: [
             {
@@ -37,4 +37,13 @@ export const networkInterfaces = () => {
     };
 };
 
+// mutable holder: the module mock binds `networkInterfaces` once at
+// registration, so tests swap the implementation through this object
+// (patching the CommonJS os object would not reach the mocked binding)
+export const networkInterfacesMock: { impl: () => any } = {
+    impl: defaultInterfaces,
+};
+
+export const networkInterfaces = () => networkInterfacesMock.impl();
+
 mockBuiltin('os', { ...os, networkInterfaces });
diff --git a/test/unit/UDPWorker.spec.ts b/test/unit/UDPWorker.spec.ts
index e18365d..69520fa 100644
--- a/test/unit/UDPWorker.spec.ts
+++ b/test/unit/UDPWorker.spec.ts
@@ -25,10 +25,10 @@ import '../mocks/index.js';
 import { describe, it, mock } from 'node:test';
 import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
 import { EventEmitter } from 'node:events';
-// import-equals keeps the live (mocked) CJS module object (unlike
-// `import * as`, which esModuleInterop turns into a copy), so patching
-// os.networkInterfaces below is observed by the code under test
-import os = require('node:os');
+// the module mock binds networkInterfaces once at registration, so tests
+// swap implementations through the mock's mutable holder — patching the
+// CommonJS os object would not reach the ESM binding the source uses
+import { networkInterfacesMock } from '../mocks/index.js';
 import { UDPWorker } from '../../src/UDPWorker.js';
 
 const OPTIONS: any = {
@@ -189,9 +189,9 @@ describe('UDPWorker', () => {
     });
 
     it('skips interface entries with no addresses', () => {
-        const original = os.networkInterfaces;
+        const original = networkInterfacesMock.impl;
 
-        (os as any).networkInterfaces = () => ({
+        networkInterfacesMock.impl = () => ({
             empty: undefined,
             lo: [
                 {
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ describe('UDPWorker', () => {
 
             assert.equal(worker.selectNetworkInterface(), '127.0.0.1');
         } finally {
-            (os as any).networkInterfaces = original;
+            networkInterfacesMock.impl = original;
         }
     });
 
diff --git a/test/unit/helpers/copyEventEmitter.spec.ts b/test/unit/helpers/copyEventEmitter.spec.ts
index 3f702df..094807e 100644
--- a/test/unit/helpers/copyEventEmitter.spec.ts
+++ b/test/unit/helpers/copyEventEmitter.spec.ts
@@ -23,10 +23,7 @@ import '../../mocks/index.js';
 import { describe, it } from 'node:test';
 import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
 import { EventEmitter } from 'node:events';
-// import-equals keeps the live CJS module object (unlike `import * as`,
-// which esModuleInterop turns into a copy), so patching util.inspect below
-// is observed by the code under test
-import util = require('node:util');
+import util from 'node:util';
 import { syncBuiltinESMExports } from 'node:module';
 import { copyEventEmitter } from '../../../src/helpers/index.js';
 
@@ -183,7 +180,6 @@ describe('copyEventEmitter()', () => {
         source.on(eventName, mockListener as any);
         copyEventEmitter(source, target);
 
-        // Restore original inspect
         (util as any).inspect = originalInspect;
         syncBuiltinESMExports();
 
@@ -194,7 +190,6 @@ describe('copyEventEmitter()', () => {
         const source = new EventEmitter();
         const target = new EventEmitter();
 
-        // Create a mock listener that looks like onceWrapper and has a truthy listener property
         let called = 0;
         const realListener = () => {
             called++;