diff --git a/pkg/bee/client.go b/pkg/bee/client.go
index 85b697e7a..f0de2350e 100644
--- a/pkg/bee/client.go
+++ b/pkg/bee/client.go
@@ -418,10 +418,11 @@ func (c *Client) GetOrCreateBatch(ctx context.Context, amount int64, depth uint6
 		if !b.Exists {
 			continue
 		}
-		max := 1 << (b.Depth - b.BucketDepth)
-		hasFreeSlots := b.Utilization < uint32(max)
+		if b.ImmutableFlag { // skip immutable batches
+			continue
+		}
 
-		if b.Usable && (b.BatchTTL == -1 || b.BatchTTL > 0) && hasFreeSlots {
+		if b.Usable && (b.BatchTTL == -1 || b.BatchTTL > 0) {
 			return b.BatchID, nil
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/check/smoke/smoke.go b/pkg/check/smoke/smoke.go
index bf8185948..09423731d 100644
--- a/pkg/check/smoke/smoke.go
+++ b/pkg/check/smoke/smoke.go
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ type Options struct {
 	UploadGroups    []string
 	DownloaderCount int
 	DownloadGroups  []string
-	GasPrice        string
 	MaxUseBatch     time.Duration
 }
 
@@ -42,15 +41,14 @@ func NewDefaultOptions() Options {
 	return Options{
 		ContentSize:     5000000,
 		RndSeed:         time.Now().UnixNano(),
-		PostageAmount:   1000000,
-		PostageDepth:    20,
+		PostageAmount:   50_000_000,
+		PostageDepth:    24,
 		TxOnErrWait:     10 * time.Second,
 		RxOnErrWait:     10 * time.Second,
 		NodesSyncWait:   time.Second * 30,
 		Duration:        12 * time.Hour,
 		UploadTimeout:   5 * time.Minute,
 		DownloadTimeout: 5 * time.Minute,
-		GasPrice:        "100000000000",
 		MaxUseBatch:     12 * time.Hour,
 	}
 }
@@ -91,8 +89,6 @@ func (c *Check) Run(ctx context.Context, cluster orchestration.Cluster, opts int
 
 	time.Sleep(5 * time.Second) // Wait for the nodes to warmup.
 
-	batches := NewStore(o.MaxUseBatch)
-
 	test := &test{clients: clients, logger: c.logger}
 
 	for i := 0; true; i++ {
@@ -149,15 +145,12 @@ func (c *Check) Run(ctx context.Context, cluster orchestration.Cluster, opts int
 			txCtx, txCancel = context.WithTimeout(ctx, o.UploadTimeout)
 
 			c.metrics.BatchCreateAttempts.Inc()
-			batchID := batches.Get(txName)
-			if batchID == "" {
-				batchID, err = clients[txName].CreatePostageBatch(txCtx, o.PostageAmount, o.PostageDepth, "load-test", true)
-				if err != nil {
-					c.logger.Errorf("create new batch: %v", err)
-					c.metrics.BatchCreateErrors.Inc()
-					continue
-				}
-				batches.Store(txName, batchID)
+
+			batchID, err := clients[txName].GetOrCreateBatch(txCtx, o.PostageAmount, o.PostageDepth, "load-test")
+			if err != nil {
+				c.logger.Errorf("create new batch: %v", err)
+				c.metrics.BatchCreateErrors.Inc()
+				continue
 			}
 
 			c.metrics.UploadAttempts.Inc()
diff --git a/pkg/config/check.go b/pkg/config/check.go
index 8060126a8..490b2c0b2 100644
--- a/pkg/config/check.go
+++ b/pkg/config/check.go
@@ -362,7 +362,6 @@ var Checks = map[string]CheckType{
 				RxOnErrWait   *time.Duration `yaml:"rx-on-err-wait"`
 				NodesSyncWait *time.Duration `yaml:"nodes-sync-wait"`
 				Duration      *time.Duration `yaml:"duration"`
-				MaxUseBatch   *time.Duration `yaml:"max-use-batch"`
 			})
 			if err := check.Options.Decode(checkOpts); err != nil {
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("decoding check %s options: %w", check.Type, err)