diff --git a/src/server/api/sync.ts b/src/server/api/sync.ts
index 2d99a44..4ba269e 100644
--- a/src/server/api/sync.ts
+++ b/src/server/api/sync.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import { cpSync, existsSync, mkdirSync, readdirSync, readFileSync, realpathSync,
 import { dirname, join } from 'path'
 import { Hype } from '@because/hype'
 
+const MAX_VERSIONS = 5
+
 interface FileChangeEvent {
   hash?: string
   path: string
@@ -294,7 +296,7 @@ router.post('/apps/:app/activate', async c => {
     // Atomic rename over old symlink/directory
     renameSync(tempLink, currentLink)
 
-    // Clean up old versions (keep 5 most recent)
+    // Clean up old versions
     try {
       const entries = readdirSync(appDir, { withFileTypes: true })
 
@@ -305,13 +307,24 @@ router.post('/apps/:app/activate', async c => {
         .sort()
         .reverse() // Newest first
 
-      // Keep 5 most recent, delete the rest
-      const toDelete = versionDirs.slice(5)
+      // Keep most recent, delete the rest
+      const toDelete = versionDirs.slice(MAX_VERSIONS)
       for (const dir of toDelete) {
         const dirPath = join(appDir, dir)
         rmSync(dirPath, { recursive: true, force: true })
         console.log(`Cleaned up old version: ${dir}`)
       }
+
+      // Delete node_modules from old kept versions (not the active one)
+      const toKeep = versionDirs.slice(0, MAX_VERSIONS)
+      for (const dir of toKeep) {
+        if (dir === version) continue
+        const nm = join(appDir, dir, 'node_modules')
+        if (existsSync(nm)) {
+          rmSync(nm, { recursive: true, force: true })
+          console.log(`Removed node_modules from old version: ${dir}`)
+        }
+      }
     } catch (e) {
       // Log but don't fail activation if cleanup fails
       console.error(`Failed to clean up old versions: ${e}`)