diff --git a/pkg/check/redundancy/redundancy.go b/pkg/check/redundancy/redundancy.go
index 550c5c90f..1d651585f 100644
--- a/pkg/check/redundancy/redundancy.go
+++ b/pkg/check/redundancy/redundancy.go
@@ -82,7 +82,8 @@ func (c *Check) Run(ctx context.Context, cluster orchestration.Cluster, o interf
 			return fmt.Errorf("get or create batch: %w", err)
 		}
 
-		err = c.uploadChunks(ctx, uploadClient, chunks, redundancy.Level(i), opts.Seed, batchID)
+		// happy path
+		err = c.uploadChunks(ctx, uploadClient, chunks, redundancy.Level(i), opts.Seed, batchID, true)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("upload chunks: %w", err)
 		}
@@ -97,6 +98,22 @@ func (c *Check) Run(ctx context.Context, cluster orchestration.Cluster, o interf
 			return fmt.Errorf("download and initial content dont match")
 		}
 
+		// non-happy path
+		root, data, chunks, err = c.generateChunks(ctx, opts.DataSize, redundancy.Level(i), opts.Seed)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("get chunks: %w", err)
+		}
+		c.logger.Infof("root hash: %s, chunks: %d", root.String(), len(chunks))
+		err = c.uploadChunks(ctx, uploadClient, chunks, redundancy.Level(i), opts.Seed, batchID, false)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("upload chunks: %w", err)
+		}
+		c.logger.Infof("upload completed. Downloading %s", root.String())
+		_, err = downloadClient.DownloadBytes(ctx, root, &api.DownloadOptions{RedundancyFallbackMode: &fallbackMode})
+		if err == nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("expected download to fail")
+		}
+
 		c.logger.Infof("rLevel %d completed successfully", i)
 	}
 	return nil
@@ -123,17 +140,30 @@ func (c *Check) generateChunks(ctx context.Context, size int64, rLevel redundanc
 	return rootAddr, buf, putter.chunks, nil
 }
 
-func (c *Check) uploadChunks(ctx context.Context, client *bee.Client, chunks []swarm.Chunk, rLevel redundancy.Level, seed int64, batchID string) error {
+func (c *Check) uploadChunks(ctx context.Context, client *bee.Client, chunks []swarm.Chunk, rLevel redundancy.Level, seed int64, batchID string, shouldDownload bool) error {
 	rate := 0.0
-	switch rLevel {
-	case redundancy.MEDIUM:
-		rate = 0.01
-	case redundancy.STRONG:
-		rate = 0.05
-	case redundancy.INSANE:
-		rate = 0.1
-	case redundancy.PARANOID:
-		rate = 0.35
+	if shouldDownload {
+		switch rLevel {
+		case redundancy.MEDIUM:
+			rate = 0.01
+		case redundancy.STRONG:
+			rate = 0.05
+		case redundancy.INSANE:
+			rate = 0.1
+		case redundancy.PARANOID:
+			rate = 0.35
+		}
+	} else {
+		switch rLevel {
+		case redundancy.MEDIUM:
+			rate = 0.1
+		case redundancy.STRONG:
+			rate = 0.15
+		case redundancy.INSANE:
+			rate = 0.2
+		case redundancy.PARANOID:
+			rate = 0.6
+		}
 	}
 
 	rnd := random.PseudoGenerator(seed)