During December 2024, Justin contributed to the zeek/zeek repository by developing a cluster performance optimization feature focused on startup efficiency. He implemented a solution in Zeek scripting and C++ that pre-computes and caches the Cluster::node_topic value during initialization, eliminating redundant calculations of an invariant property. This approach reduced both startup latency and CPU usage, particularly benefiting large pool configurations by improving readiness and scalability. Justin’s work demonstrated a strong grasp of caching strategies and performance profiling, addressing a specific bottleneck in the initialization path. Over the month, he delivered this feature with depth, though no major bugs were reported.