diff --git a/code/zato-common/src/zato/common/util/api.py b/code/zato-common/src/zato/common/util/api.py
index adbeaaf630..f9eed83892 100644
--- a/code/zato-common/src/zato/common/util/api.py
+++ b/code/zato-common/src/zato/common/util/api.py
@@ -625,6 +625,7 @@ def visit_py_source(
         '  common*.py',
         '*_common*.py',
 
+        '  model_core*.py',
         '  model*.py',
         '*_model*.py',
 
@@ -636,6 +637,10 @@ def visit_py_source(
 
         '  pri_*.py',
         '*_pri.py',
+
+        '  core_*.py',
+        '  channel_*.py',
+        '  adapter_*.py',
     ]
 
     # For storing names of files that we have already deployed,
diff --git a/code/zato-server/src/zato/server/connection/http_soap/outgoing.py b/code/zato-server/src/zato/server/connection/http_soap/outgoing.py
index 43ba99f5ac..f96f644d96 100644
--- a/code/zato-server/src/zato/server/connection/http_soap/outgoing.py
+++ b/code/zato-server/src/zato/server/connection/http_soap/outgoing.py
@@ -502,14 +502,14 @@ def http_request(
                 data = data.encode('utf-8')
 
         # Log what we are sending ..
-        msg = f'HTTP out; cid={cid} → {method} {address} name:{self.config["name"]}; params={params}; len={len(data)}'
+        msg = f'HTTP out → cid={cid}; {method} {address} name:{self.config["name"]}; params={params}; len={len(data)}'
         logger.info(msg)
 
         # .. do invoke the connection ..
         response = self.invoke_http(cid, method, address, data, headers, {}, params=qs_params, *args, **kwargs)
 
         # .. now, log what we received.
-        msg = f'HTTP out; cid={cid} ← {response.status_code} time={response.elapsed}; len={len(response.text)}'
+        msg = f'HTTP out ← cid={cid}; {response.status_code} time={response.elapsed}; len={len(response.text)}'
         logger.info(msg)
 
         # .. check if we are explicitly told that we handle JSON ..
diff --git a/code/zato-server/src/zato/server/service/internal/hot_deploy/__init__.py b/code/zato-server/src/zato/server/service/internal/hot_deploy/__init__.py
index c5fd2bc708..b5f5ed6b97 100644
--- a/code/zato-server/src/zato/server/service/internal/hot_deploy/__init__.py
+++ b/code/zato-server/src/zato/server/service/internal/hot_deploy/__init__.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 # ################################################################################################################################
 
 if 0:
-
+    from zato.common.typing_ import any_, anylist, anylistnone, anyset, intlist, strbytes, strlist, strset
     from zato.server.service.store import InRAMService
     InRAMService = InRAMService
 
@@ -46,9 +46,9 @@
 
 @dataclass(init=False)
 class DeploymentCtx:
-    model_name_list:   list
-    service_id_list:   list
-    service_name_list: list
+    model_name_list:   'strlist'
+    service_id_list:   'intlist'
+    service_name_list: 'strlist'
 
 # ################################################################################################################################
 # ################################################################################################################################
@@ -151,20 +151,22 @@ def backup_current_work_dir(self):
 
 # ################################################################################################################################
 
-    def _deploy_models(self, current_work_dir, file_name):
-        # type: (str, str) -> list
+    def _deploy_models(self, current_work_dir:'str', file_name:'str') -> 'strset':
 
         # Reusable
         from zato.server.service import store as service_store_mod
 
+        # Local aliases
+        model_class = None
+
         # This returns names of all the model classes deployed from the file
         model_name_list = set(self.server.service_store.import_models_from_file(file_name, False, current_work_dir))
 
         # A set of Python objects, each representing a model class (rather than its name)
-        model_classes = set()
+        model_classes:'anyset' = set()
 
         # All the modules to be reloaded due to changes to the data model
-        to_auto_deploy = set()
+        to_auto_deploy:'anyset' = set()
 
         for item in gc.get_objects():
 
@@ -184,7 +186,7 @@ def _deploy_models(self, current_work_dir, file_name):
             for ref in gc.get_referrers(model_class):
 
                 if isinstance(ref, dict):
-                    mod_name = ref.get('__module__')
+                    mod_name:'str' = ref.get('__module__') # type: ignore
                     if mod_name:
 
                         # Import the live Python module object ..
@@ -209,7 +211,7 @@ def _deploy_models(self, current_work_dir, file_name):
         if to_auto_deploy:
 
             # .. format lexicographically for logging ..
-            to_auto_deploy = sorted(to_auto_deploy)
+            to_auto_deploy = sorted(to_auto_deploy) # type: ignore
 
             #  .. nform users that we are to auto-redeploy services and why we are doing it ..
             self.logger.info('Model class `%s` changed; auto-redeploying `%s`', model_class, to_auto_deploy)
@@ -222,13 +224,13 @@ def _deploy_models(self, current_work_dir, file_name):
 
 # ################################################################################################################################
 
-    def _deploy_services(self, current_work_dir, file_name):
-        # type: (str, str) -> list
+    def _deploy_services(self, current_work_dir:'str', file_name:'str') -> 'intlist':
 
-        service_id_list = []
+        service:'InRAMService'
+        service_id_list:'intlist' = []
         info = self.server.service_store.import_services_from_anywhere(file_name, current_work_dir)
 
-        for service in info.to_process: # type: InRAMService
+        for service in info.to_process: # type: ignore
 
             service_id = self.server.service_store.impl_name_to_id[service.impl_name]
             service_id_list.append(service_id)
@@ -266,7 +268,15 @@ def _deploy_file(self, current_work_dir, payload, file_name, should_deploy_in_pl
 
 # ################################################################################################################################
 
-    def _deploy_package(self, session, package_id, payload_name, payload, should_deploy_in_place, in_place_dir_name):
+    def _deploy_package(
+        self,
+        session,      # type: any_
+        package_id,   # type: int
+        payload_name, # type: str
+        payload,      # type: strbytes
+        should_deploy_in_place, # type: bool
+        in_place_dir_name       # type: str
+    ) -> 'anylistnone':
         """ Deploy a package, either a plain Python file or an archive, and update
         the deployment status.
         """
@@ -276,7 +286,7 @@ def _deploy_package(self, session, package_id, payload_name, payload, should_dep
         if should_deploy_in_place:
             work_dir = in_place_dir_name
         else:
-            work_dir = self.server.hot_deploy_config.current_work_dir
+            work_dir:'str' = self.server.hot_deploy_config.current_work_dir
 
         file_name = os.path.join(work_dir, payload_name)
 
@@ -309,8 +319,7 @@ def _deploy_package(self, session, package_id, payload_name, payload, should_dep
 
 # ################################################################################################################################
 
-    def _report_deployment(self, file_name, items, noun):
-        # type: (str, list, str)
+    def _report_deployment(self, file_name:'str', items:'anylist', noun:'str') -> 'None':
         msg = 'Deployed %s {}%sfrom `%s` -> %s'.format(noun)
         len_items = len(items)
         suffix = 's ' if len_items > 1 else ' '