**Steps to replicate the issue** (include links if applicable):
* https://commons.wikimedia.beta.wmcloud.org/wiki/Main_Page
* https://commons.wikimedia.beta.wmcloud.org/wiki/Special:Random
* https://en.wikipedia.beta.wmcloud.org/wiki/Special:Random
* Beta enwiki main page loads quickly though. Beta commons main page does not
**What happens?**:
It's taking minutes to load anything.
https://en.wikipedia.beta.wmcloud.org/wiki/Special:Random just gave me:
```Error
Our servers are currently under maintenance or experiencing a technical issue
If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below.
Request served via deployment-cache-text08 deployment-cache-text08, Varnish XID 248807457
Error: 503, Backend fetch failed at Sun, 22 Mar 2026 04:06:51 GMT
```
With wget:
```
wget https://commons.wikimedia.beta.wmcloud.org/wiki/File:Test_upload_header_3_$100_bill8.svg
--2026-03-22 05:22:33-- https://commons.wikimedia.beta.wmcloud.org/wiki/File:Test_upload_header_3_00_bill8.svg
Resolving commons.wikimedia.beta.wmcloud.org (commons.wikimedia.beta.wmcloud.org)... 185.15.56.36
Connecting to commons.wikimedia.beta.wmcloud.org (commons.wikimedia.beta.wmcloud.org)|185.15.56.36|:443... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 503 Backend fetch failed
2026-03-22 05:24:10 ERROR 503: Backend fetch failed.
```
**What should have happened instead?**:
Hmeep hmeep!
**Other information** (browser name/version, screenshots, etc.):
Unsure if related, but these ping results are strange? Why are different domains answering?
```
PING commons.wikimedia.beta.wmcloud.org (185.15.56.36) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from upload.wikimedia.beta.wmflabs.org (185.15.56.36): icmp_seq=1 ttl=53 time=109 ms
64 bytes from upload.wikimedia.beta.wmflabs.org (185.15.56.36): icmp_seq=2 ttl=53 time=106 ms
64 bytes from config-master.wikimedia.beta.wmflabs.org (185.15.56.36): icmp_seq=3 ttl=53 time=102 ms
64 bytes from upload.wikimedia.beta.wmflabs.org (185.15.56.36): icmp_seq=4 ttl=53 time=102 ms
64 bytes from beta.wmflabs.org (185.15.56.36): icmp_seq=5 ttl=53 time=103 ms
64 bytes from instance-deployment-cache-text08.deployment-prep.wmcloud.org (185.15.56.36): icmp_seq=6 ttl=53 time=102 ms
64 bytes from upload.wikimedia.beta.wmflabs.org (185.15.56.36): icmp_seq=7 ttl=53 time=103 ms
64 bytes from upload.wikimedia.beta.wmflabs.org (185.15.56.36): icmp_seq=8 ttl=53 time=103 ms
```