diff --git a/cmd/bootstrapper/server.go b/cmd/bootstrapper/server.go
index 5f9986ffb23..af4159b69c5 100644
--- a/cmd/bootstrapper/server.go
+++ b/cmd/bootstrapper/server.go
@@ -134,8 +134,40 @@ func (s *Server) Start(ctx context.Context, errCh chan error, params *NetworkPar
 		// start generating fallback data
 		s.eg.Go(
 			func() error {
-				s.genDataLoop(ctx, errCh, last, params.updateActiveSetTime, s.GenFallbackActiveSet)
-				return nil
+				var (
+					errs    = 0
+					maxErrs = 10
+					timer   *time.Timer
+					timeC   <-chan time.Time
+					backoff = 10 * time.Second
+				)
+				for epoch := last; ; epoch++ {
+					wait := time.Until(params.updateActiveSetTime(epoch))
+					select {
+					case <-timeC:
+						if err := s.GenFallbackActiveSet(ctx, epoch); err != nil {
+							errs++
+							timer.Reset(backoff)
+							continue
+						}
+						errs = 0
+						if !timer.Stop() {
+							<-timer.C
+						}
+						timeC = nil
+					case <-time.After(wait):
+						if err := s.GenFallbackActiveSet(ctx, epoch); err != nil {
+							timer = time.NewTimer(backoff)
+							timeC = timer.C
+							if errs >= maxErrs {
+								errCh <- err
+								return err
+							}
+						}
+					case <-ctx.Done():
+						return ctx.Err()
+					}
+				}
 			})
 		s.eg.Go(
 			func() error {
diff --git a/config/presets/fastnet.go b/config/presets/fastnet.go
index e616057ac07..225a2482d59 100644
--- a/config/presets/fastnet.go
+++ b/config/presets/fastnet.go
@@ -51,7 +51,9 @@ func fastnet() config.Config {
 	conf.LayerDuration = 15 * time.Second
 	conf.Sync.Interval = 5 * time.Second
 	conf.Sync.GossipDuration = 10 * time.Second
-	conf.Sync.AtxSync.EpochInfoInterval = 20 * time.Second
+	conf.Sync.AtxSync.EpochInfoInterval = 1 * time.Second
+	conf.Sync.AtxSync.EpochInfoPeers = 10
+	conf.Sync.AtxSync.RequestsLimit = 100
 	conf.Sync.MalSync.IDRequestInterval = 20 * time.Second
 	conf.LayersPerEpoch = 4
 	conf.RegossipAtxInterval = 30 * time.Second
diff --git a/systest/tests/checkpoint_test.go b/systest/tests/checkpoint_test.go
index bd74e489c59..705682ac12c 100644
--- a/systest/tests/checkpoint_test.go
+++ b/systest/tests/checkpoint_test.go
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ func TestCheckpoint(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	tctx.Log.Infow("waiting for all miners to be smeshing", "last epoch", checkpointEpoch+2)
-	ensureSmeshing(t, tctx, cl, checkpointEpoch+2)
+	ensureSmeshing(t, tctx, cl, checkpointEpoch+4)
 
 	// increase the cluster size to the original test size
 	tctx.Log.Info("cluster size changed to ", size)
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ func TestCheckpoint(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, cl.AddSmeshers(tctx, addedLater))
 
 	tctx.Log.Infow("waiting for all miners to be smeshing", "last epoch", lastEpoch)
-	ensureSmeshing(t, tctx, cl, lastEpoch)
+	ensureSmeshing(t, tctx, cl, lastEpoch+6)
 }
 
 func ensureSmeshing(t *testing.T, tctx *testcontext.Context, cl *cluster.Cluster, stop uint32) {