diff --git a/cmd/bee/cmd/start.go b/cmd/bee/cmd/start.go
index dab68c447fb..fc47aa1454e 100644
--- a/cmd/bee/cmd/start.go
+++ b/cmd/bee/cmd/start.go
@@ -466,6 +466,7 @@ func getConfigByNetworkID(networkID uint64, defaultBlockTimeInSeconds uint64) *n
 		config.chainID = chaincfg.Mainnet.ChainID
 	case 5: // Staging.
 		config.chainID = chaincfg.Testnet.ChainID
+		config.blockTime = 12 * time.Second
 	case chaincfg.Testnet.NetworkID:
 		config.bootNodes = []string{"/dnsaddr/testnet.ethswarm.org"}
 		config.blockTime = 12 * time.Second
diff --git a/pkg/storageincentives/agent.go b/pkg/storageincentives/agent.go
index a87540d390d..feccbb89e65 100644
--- a/pkg/storageincentives/agent.go
+++ b/pkg/storageincentives/agent.go
@@ -139,7 +139,6 @@ func (a *Agent) start(blockTime time.Duration, blocksPerRound, blocksPerPhase ui
 
 	phaseEvents.On(commit, func(ctx context.Context) {
 		phaseEvents.Cancel(claim)
-
 		round, _ := a.state.currentRoundAndPhase()
 		err := a.handleCommit(ctx, round)
 		logErr(commit, round, err)
@@ -154,7 +153,6 @@ func (a *Agent) start(blockTime time.Duration, blocksPerRound, blocksPerPhase ui
 	phaseEvents.On(claim, func(ctx context.Context) {
 		phaseEvents.Cancel(reveal)
 		phaseEvents.Publish(sample)
-
 		round, _ := a.state.currentRoundAndPhase()
 		logErr(claim, round, a.handleClaim(ctx, round))
 	})
@@ -215,7 +213,7 @@ func (a *Agent) start(blockTime time.Duration, blocksPerRound, blocksPerPhase ui
 		prevPhase = currentPhase
 		a.metrics.CurrentPhase.Set(float64(currentPhase))
 
-		a.logger.Info("entered new phase", "phase", currentPhase.String(), "round", round, "block", block)
+		a.logger.Info("entered new phase", "phase", currentPhase.String(), "round", round, "block", block, "blockInRound", p)
 
 		a.state.SetCurrentEvent(currentPhase, round)
 		a.state.SetFullySynced(a.fullSyncedFunc())
@@ -245,7 +243,7 @@ func (a *Agent) start(blockTime time.Duration, blocksPerRound, blocksPerPhase ui
 	phaseCheckInterval := blockTime
 	// optimization, we do not need to check the phase change at every new block
 	if blocksPerPhase > 10 {
-		phaseCheckInterval = blockTime * 5
+		phaseCheckInterval = blockTime * 3
 	}
 
 	for {
@@ -276,8 +274,7 @@ func (a *Agent) handleCommit(ctx context.Context, round uint64) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	err := a.commit(ctx, sample, round)
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := a.commit(ctx, sample, round); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -342,8 +339,7 @@ func (a *Agent) handleClaim(ctx context.Context, round uint64) error {
 
 	// In case when there are too many expired batches, Claim trx could runs out of gas.
 	// To prevent this, node should first expire batches before Claiming a reward.
-	err = a.batchExpirer.ExpireBatches(ctx)
-	if err != nil {
+	if err = a.batchExpirer.ExpireBatches(ctx); err != nil {
 		a.logger.Info("expire batches failed", "err", err)
 		// Even when error happens, proceed with claim handler
 		// because this should not prevent node from claiming a reward
@@ -407,6 +403,7 @@ func (a *Agent) handleSample(ctx context.Context, round uint64) (bool, error) {
 		a.logger.Info("not playing in this round")
 		return false, nil
 	}
+
 	a.state.SetLastSelectedRound(round + 1)
 	a.metrics.NeighborhoodSelected.Inc()
 	a.logger.Info("neighbourhood chosen", "round", round)
diff --git a/pkg/storer/sample.go b/pkg/storer/sample.go
index e02027ce00b..bcc096b0efe 100644
--- a/pkg/storer/sample.go
+++ b/pkg/storer/sample.go
@@ -65,7 +65,6 @@ func (db *DB) ReserveSample(
 	consensusTime uint64,
 	minBatchBalance *big.Int,
 ) (Sample, error) {
-
 	g, ctx := errgroup.WithContext(ctx)
 
 	allStats := &SampleStats{}
@@ -85,9 +84,14 @@ func (db *DB) ReserveSample(
 
 	allStats.BatchesBelowValueDuration = time.Since(t)
 
-	chunkC := make(chan *reserve.ChunkBinItem)
+	// Use buffered channels to reduce blocking between phases
+	workers := max(4, runtime.NumCPU())
+	chunkChanBuffer := min(1000, workers*10)
+	sampleChanBuffer := min(500, workers*5)
+
+	chunkC := make(chan *reserve.ChunkBinItem, chunkChanBuffer)
 
-	// Phase 1: Iterate chunk addresses
+	// Phase 1: Iterate chunk addresses with pre-filtering
 	g.Go(func() error {
 		start := time.Now()
 		stats := SampleStats{}
@@ -101,6 +105,20 @@ func (db *DB) ReserveSample(
 			if swarm.Proximity(ch.Address.Bytes(), anchor) < committedDepth {
 				return false, nil
 			}
+
+			// Pre-filter by batch balance to avoid loading chunks unnecessarily
+			if _, found := excludedBatchIDs[string(ch.BatchID)]; found {
+				stats.BelowBalanceIgnored++
+				return false, nil
+			}
+
+			// Pre-filter by chunk type to avoid loading invalid chunks
+			if ch.ChunkType != swarm.ChunkTypeSingleOwner &&
+				ch.ChunkType != swarm.ChunkTypeContentAddressed {
+				stats.RogueChunk++
+				return false, nil
+			}
+
 			select {
 			case chunkC <- ch:
 				stats.TotalIterated++
@@ -113,16 +131,15 @@ func (db *DB) ReserveSample(
 	})
 
 	// Phase 2: Get the chunk data and calculate transformed hash
-	sampleItemChan := make(chan SampleItem)
+	sampleItemChan := make(chan SampleItem, sampleChanBuffer)
 
 	prefixHasherFactory := func() hash.Hash {
 		return swarm.NewPrefixHasher(anchor)
 	}
 
-	workers := max(4, runtime.NumCPU())
 	db.logger.Debug("reserve sampler workers", "count", workers)
 
-	for i := 0; i < workers; i++ {
+	for range workers {
 		g.Go(func() error {
 			wstat := SampleStats{}
 			hasher := bmt.NewHasher(prefixHasherFactory)
@@ -131,20 +148,6 @@ func (db *DB) ReserveSample(
 			}()
 
 			for chItem := range chunkC {
-				// exclude chunks who's batches balance are below minimum
-				if _, found := excludedBatchIDs[string(chItem.BatchID)]; found {
-					wstat.BelowBalanceIgnored++
-
-					continue
-				}
-
-				// Skip chunks if they are not SOC or CAC
-				if chItem.ChunkType != swarm.ChunkTypeSingleOwner &&
-					chItem.ChunkType != swarm.ChunkTypeContentAddressed {
-					wstat.RogueChunk++
-					continue
-				}
-
 				chunkLoadStart := time.Now()
 
 				chunk, err := db.ChunkStore().Get(ctx, chItem.Address)