diff --git a/truecluster/cli.py b/truecluster/cli.py
index 50dfd98..398644c 100644
--- a/truecluster/cli.py
+++ b/truecluster/cli.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ def cluster_cmd(
     max_nodes: int = typer.Option(1, "--max-nodes", min=1, help="Maximum/requested worker shard count"),
     quant: str = typer.Option("fp16", "--quant", help="Weight mode; currently only fp16 is implemented"),
     target_node_memory_gb: Optional[float] = typer.Option(None, "--target-node-memory-gb", help="Optional planner memory hint"),
+    weight_chunk_mb: float = typer.Option(4.0, "--weight-chunk-mb", min=0.0625, help="Model weight transfer chunk size in MiB"),
     trust_remote_code: bool = typer.Option(False, "--trust-remote-code", help="Allow HF remote code for config/tokenizer"),
     hf_cache_dir: Optional[str] = typer.Option(None, "--hf-cache-dir", help="Optional HuggingFace cache directory"),
     log_level: str = typer.Option("info", "--log-level"),
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ def cluster_cmd(
             max_nodes=max_nodes,
             quant=quant,
             target_node_memory_gb=target_node_memory_gb,
+            weight_chunk_mb=weight_chunk_mb,
             trust_remote_code=trust_remote_code,
             hf_cache_dir=hf_cache_dir,
         )
@@ -62,6 +64,7 @@ async def _run_cluster(
     max_nodes: int,
     quant: str,
     target_node_memory_gb: float | None,
+    weight_chunk_mb: float,
     trust_remote_code: bool,
     hf_cache_dir: str | None,
 ) -> None:
@@ -69,7 +72,12 @@ async def _run_cluster(
     log.info("loading model into coordinator RAM: %s", model)
     store = ModelStore.load(model, quant=quant, trust_remote_code=trust_remote_code, hf_cache_dir=hf_cache_dir)
     log.info("model loaded: %s layers, %s tensors", store.num_layers, len(store.tensors))
-    runtime = ClusterRuntime(store, max_nodes=max_nodes, target_node_memory_gb=target_node_memory_gb)
+    runtime = ClusterRuntime(
+        store,
+        max_nodes=max_nodes,
+        target_node_memory_gb=target_node_memory_gb,
+        weight_chunk_mb=weight_chunk_mb,
+    )
     node_server = await start_node_server(node_host, node_port, runtime)
     api = create_app(runtime)
     config = uvicorn.Config(api, host=api_host, port=api_port, log_level="info")
diff --git a/truecluster/cluster/server.py b/truecluster/cluster/server.py
index c9fb040..e1963a0 100644
--- a/truecluster/cluster/server.py
+++ b/truecluster/cluster/server.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ from truecluster.protocol.framing import make_message, read_message, write_messa
 from truecluster.protocol.tensors import deserialize_tensor, serialize_tensor
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+DEFAULT_WEIGHT_CHUNK_BYTES = 4 * 1024 * 1024
 
 
 @dataclass
@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@ class ClusterRuntime:
         model_store: ModelStore,
         max_nodes: int,
         target_node_memory_gb: float | None = None,
+        weight_chunk_mb: float = 4.0,
     ):
         self.model_store = model_store
         self.max_nodes = max_nodes
@@ -64,6 +66,7 @@ class ClusterRuntime:
         self.assignments = plan_even_layers(model_store.num_layers, max_nodes, target_bytes, layer_bytes)
         self.required_nodes = len(self.assignments)
         self.nodes: list[NodeHandle] = []
+        self.weight_chunk_bytes = max(64 * 1024, int(weight_chunk_mb * 1024 * 1024))
         self._assigning = False
         self.generation_lock = asyncio.Lock()
         log.info("planned %s assignment(s): %s", self.required_nodes, self.assignments)
@@ -129,7 +132,7 @@ class ClusterRuntime:
                 },
             )
             for name, tensor in tensors.items():
-                await node.send(M.WEIGHT_TENSOR, {"name": name, "tensor": serialize_tensor(tensor)})
+                await self._send_weight_tensor(node, name, tensor)
             await node.send(M.WEIGHTS_COMPLETE, {})
             reply = await node.recv()
         if reply.get("type") == M.LOAD_COMPLETE:
@@ -138,6 +141,27 @@ class ClusterRuntime:
             return
         raise RuntimeError(f"node {node.node_id} failed to load: {reply}")
 
+    async def _send_weight_tensor(self, node: NodeHandle, name: str, tensor: torch.Tensor) -> None:
+        serialized = serialize_tensor(tensor)
+        data = serialized["data"]
+        total_bytes = len(data)
+        chunk_count = max(1, (total_bytes + self.weight_chunk_bytes - 1) // self.weight_chunk_bytes)
+        for chunk_index in range(chunk_count):
+            start = chunk_index * self.weight_chunk_bytes
+            end = min(start + self.weight_chunk_bytes, total_bytes)
+            await node.send(
+                M.WEIGHT_CHUNK,
+                {
+                    "name": name,
+                    "dtype": serialized["dtype"],
+                    "shape": serialized["shape"],
+                    "total_bytes": total_bytes,
+                    "chunk_index": chunk_index,
+                    "chunk_count": chunk_count,
+                    "data": data[start:end],
+                },
+            )
+
     async def clear_caches(self) -> None:
         for node in self.ready_nodes[: self.required_nodes]:
             async with node.lock:
@@ -234,8 +258,8 @@ async def start_node_server(host: str, port: int, runtime: ClusterRuntime) -> as
             # Keep the connection open. Inference and assignment methods own reads/writes.
             while not reader.at_eof():
                 await asyncio.sleep(30)
-        except Exception:
-            log.exception("node connection failed from %s", peer)
+        except Exception as exc:
+            log.warning("node connection failed from %s: %s", peer, exc)
         finally:
             try:
                 writer.close()
diff --git a/truecluster/node/client.py b/truecluster/node/client.py
index 6257b8c..03426bd 100644
--- a/truecluster/node/client.py
+++ b/truecluster/node/client.py
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ async def run_node(
                     )
                 elif msg_type == M.WEIGHT_TENSOR:
                     runtime.add_tensor(payload["name"], deserialize_tensor(payload["tensor"], device="cpu"))
+                elif msg_type == M.WEIGHT_CHUNK:
+                    completed = runtime.add_tensor_chunk(payload)
+                    if completed and len(runtime.tensors) % 25 == 0:
+                        log.info("received %s tensors", len(runtime.tensors))
                 elif msg_type == M.WEIGHTS_COMPLETE:
                     log.info("all weights received; loading shard")
                     runtime.load()
diff --git a/truecluster/node/runtime.py b/truecluster/node/runtime.py
index 44e8e2c..1aa135e 100644
--- a/truecluster/node/runtime.py
+++ b/truecluster/node/runtime.py
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ from typing import Any
 
 import torch
 
+from truecluster.protocol.tensors import deserialize_tensor
+
 from truecluster.model.qwen import QwenLayerShard
 
 
@@ -12,16 +14,48 @@ class NodeRuntime:
         self.device = device
         self.assignment: dict[str, Any] | None = None
         self.tensors: dict[str, torch.Tensor] = {}
+        self._tensor_chunks: dict[str, dict[str, Any]] = {}
         self.shard: QwenLayerShard | None = None
 
     def set_assignment(self, payload: dict[str, Any]) -> None:
         self.assignment = payload
         self.tensors = {}
+        self._tensor_chunks = {}
         self.shard = None
 
     def add_tensor(self, name: str, tensor: torch.Tensor) -> None:
         self.tensors[name] = tensor
 
+    def add_tensor_chunk(self, payload: dict[str, Any]) -> bool:
+        """Add one incoming weight chunk.
+
+        Returns True when the full tensor has been reassembled.
+        """
+
+        name = payload["name"]
+        entry = self._tensor_chunks.setdefault(
+            name,
+            {
+                "dtype": payload["dtype"],
+                "shape": payload["shape"],
+                "total_bytes": int(payload["total_bytes"]),
+                "chunk_count": int(payload["chunk_count"]),
+                "chunks": {},
+            },
+        )
+        entry["chunks"][int(payload["chunk_index"])] = payload["data"]
+        if len(entry["chunks"]) != entry["chunk_count"]:
+            return False
+        data = b"".join(entry["chunks"][i] for i in range(entry["chunk_count"]))
+        if len(data) != entry["total_bytes"]:
+            raise RuntimeError(f"reassembled tensor {name} has {len(data)} bytes, expected {entry['total_bytes']}")
+        self.tensors[name] = deserialize_tensor(
+            {"dtype": entry["dtype"], "shape": entry["shape"], "data": data},
+            device="cpu",
+        )
+        del self._tensor_chunks[name]
+        return True
+
     def load(self) -> None:
         if self.assignment is None:
             raise RuntimeError("no assignment received")
diff --git a/truecluster/protocol/framing.py b/truecluster/protocol/framing.py
index 72e70a1..360a249 100644
--- a/truecluster/protocol/framing.py
+++ b/truecluster/protocol/framing.py
@@ -28,7 +28,11 @@ async def read_message(reader: asyncio.StreamReader) -> dict[str, Any] | None:
 
     (length,) = struct.unpack(">Q", header)
     if length > MAX_FRAME_BYTES:
-        raise ProtocolError(f"frame too large: {length} bytes")
+        preview = header.decode("ascii", errors="replace")
+        raise ProtocolError(
+            f"invalid TrueCluster frame header or frame too large: {length} bytes; "
+            f"first 8 bytes={preview!r}"
+        )
     try:
         data = await reader.readexactly(length)
     except asyncio.IncompleteReadError as exc:
diff --git a/truecluster/protocol/messages.py b/truecluster/protocol/messages.py
index 3fc7327..7dcec13 100644
--- a/truecluster/protocol/messages.py
+++ b/truecluster/protocol/messages.py
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 HELLO = "HELLO"
 HELLO_ACK = "HELLO_ACK"
 ASSIGNMENT = "ASSIGNMENT"
-WEIGHT_TENSOR = "WEIGHT_TENSOR"
+WEIGHT_TENSOR = "WEIGHT_TENSOR"  # legacy whole-tensor frame
+WEIGHT_CHUNK = "WEIGHT_CHUNK"
 WEIGHTS_COMPLETE = "WEIGHTS_COMPLETE"
 LOAD_COMPLETE = "LOAD_COMPLETE"
 LOAD_FAILED = "LOAD_FAILED"