diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/control_test.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/control_test.go
index 83babeca3..c9efc312c 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/control_test.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/control_test.go
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ func testEngineFailInitAndReload(t *testing.T, degradedMode bool, opts []shard.O
 }
 
 func TestExecBlocks(t *testing.T) {
-	e := testNewEngine(t).setShardsNum(t, 2).engine // number doesn't matter in this test, 2 is several but not many
+	e := testNewEngine(t).setShardsNum(t, 2).prepare(t).engine // number doesn't matter in this test, 2 is several but not many
 
 	// put some object
 	obj := testutil.GenerateObjectWithCID(cidtest.ID())
@@ -302,7 +302,8 @@ func engineWithShards(t *testing.T, path string, num int) (*StorageEngine, []str
 					meta.WithEpochState(epochState{}),
 				),
 			}
-		})
+		}).
+		prepare(t)
 	e, ids := te.engine, te.shardIDs
 
 	for _, id := range ids {
@@ -312,8 +313,5 @@ func engineWithShards(t *testing.T, path string, num int) (*StorageEngine, []str
 	require.Equal(t, num, len(e.shards))
 	require.Equal(t, num, len(e.shardPools))
 
-	require.NoError(t, e.Open(context.Background()))
-	require.NoError(t, e.Init(context.Background()))
-
 	return e, currShards
 }
diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/delete_test.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/delete_test.go
index e095e4bbd..0dd2e94bb 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/delete_test.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/delete_test.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"git.frostfs.info/TrueCloudLab/frostfs-node/pkg/core/object"
 	"git.frostfs.info/TrueCloudLab/frostfs-node/pkg/local_object_storage/internal/testutil"
 	"git.frostfs.info/TrueCloudLab/frostfs-node/pkg/local_object_storage/shard"
-	"git.frostfs.info/TrueCloudLab/frostfs-node/pkg/util/logger/test"
 	apistatus "git.frostfs.info/TrueCloudLab/frostfs-sdk-go/client/status"
 	cidtest "git.frostfs.info/TrueCloudLab/frostfs-sdk-go/container/id/test"
 	objectSDK "git.frostfs.info/TrueCloudLab/frostfs-sdk-go/object"
@@ -49,9 +48,8 @@ func TestDeleteBigObject(t *testing.T) {
 	link.SetSplitID(splitID)
 	link.SetChildren(childIDs...)
 
-	e := testNewEngine(t).setShardsNum(t, 3).engine
-	e.log = test.NewLogger(t)
-	defer e.Close(context.Background())
+	e := testNewEngine(t).setShardsNum(t, 3).prepare(t).engine
+	defer func() { require.NoError(t, e.Close(context.Background())) }()
 
 	for i := range children {
 		require.NoError(t, Put(context.Background(), e, children[i], false))
@@ -115,11 +113,13 @@ func TestDeleteBigObjectWithoutGC(t *testing.T) {
 	link.SetSplitID(splitID)
 	link.SetChildren(childIDs...)
 
-	s1 := testNewShard(t, shard.WithDisabledGC())
+	te := testNewEngine(t).setShardsNumAdditionalOpts(t, 1, func(_ int) []shard.Option {
+		return []shard.Option{shard.WithDisabledGC()}
+	}).prepare(t)
+	e := te.engine
+	defer func() { require.NoError(t, e.Close(context.Background())) }()
 
-	e := testNewEngine(t).setInitializedShards(t, s1).engine
-	e.log = test.NewLogger(t)
-	defer e.Close(context.Background())
+	s1 := te.shards[0]
 
 	for i := range children {
 		require.NoError(t, Put(context.Background(), e, children[i], false))
diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/engine_test.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/engine_test.go
index bac35917c..a7cb90bae 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/engine_test.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/engine_test.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package engine
 import (
 	"context"
 	"path/filepath"
-	"sync/atomic"
 	"testing"
 
 	"git.frostfs.info/TrueCloudLab/frostfs-node/pkg/local_object_storage/blobstor"
@@ -26,68 +25,77 @@ func (s epochState) CurrentEpoch() uint64 {
 
 type testEngineWrapper struct {
 	engine   *StorageEngine
+	shards   []*shard.Shard
 	shardIDs []*shard.ID
 }
 
 func testNewEngine(t testing.TB, opts ...Option) *testEngineWrapper {
-	engine := New(WithLogger(test.NewLogger(t)))
-	for _, opt := range opts {
-		opt(engine.cfg)
-	}
-	return &testEngineWrapper{
-		engine: engine,
-	}
-}
-
-func (te *testEngineWrapper) setInitializedShards(t testing.TB, shards ...*shard.Shard) *testEngineWrapper {
-	for _, s := range shards {
-		pool, err := ants.NewPool(10, ants.WithNonblocking(true))
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-
-		te.engine.shards[s.ID().String()] = hashedShard{
-			shardWrapper: shardWrapper{
-				errorCount: new(atomic.Uint32),
-				Shard:      s,
-			},
-			hash: hrw.StringHash(s.ID().String()),
-		}
-		te.engine.shardPools[s.ID().String()] = pool
-		te.shardIDs = append(te.shardIDs, s.ID())
-	}
-	return te
+	opts = append(testGetDefaultEngineOptions(t), opts...)
+	return &testEngineWrapper{engine: New(opts...)}
 }
 
 func (te *testEngineWrapper) setShardsNum(t testing.TB, num int) *testEngineWrapper {
-	shards := make([]*shard.Shard, 0, num)
-
-	for range num {
-		shards = append(shards, testNewShard(t))
-	}
-
-	return te.setInitializedShards(t, shards...)
+	return te.setShardsNumOpts(t, num, func(_ int) []shard.Option {
+		return testGetDefaultShardOptions(t)
+	})
 }
 
-func (te *testEngineWrapper) setShardsNumOpts(t testing.TB, num int, shardOpts func(id int) []shard.Option) *testEngineWrapper {
+func (te *testEngineWrapper) setShardsNumOpts(
+	t testing.TB, num int, shardOpts func(id int) []shard.Option,
+) *testEngineWrapper {
+	te.shards = make([]*shard.Shard, num)
+	te.shardIDs = make([]*shard.ID, num)
 	for i := range num {
-		opts := shardOpts(i)
-		id, err := te.engine.AddShard(context.Background(), opts...)
+		shard, err := te.engine.createShard(context.Background(), shardOpts(i))
 		require.NoError(t, err)
-		te.shardIDs = append(te.shardIDs, id)
+		require.NoError(t, te.engine.addShard(shard))
+		te.shards[i] = shard
+		te.shardIDs[i] = shard.ID()
 	}
+	require.Len(t, te.engine.shards, num)
+	require.Len(t, te.engine.shardPools, num)
 	return te
 }
 
-func (te *testEngineWrapper) setShardsNumAdditionalOpts(t testing.TB, num int, shardOpts func(id int) []shard.Option) *testEngineWrapper {
-	for i := range num {
-		defaultOpts := testDefaultShardOptions(t)
-		opts := append(defaultOpts, shardOpts(i)...)
-		id, err := te.engine.AddShard(context.Background(), opts...)
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-		te.shardIDs = append(te.shardIDs, id)
-	}
+func (te *testEngineWrapper) setShardsNumAdditionalOpts(
+	t testing.TB, num int, shardOpts func(id int) []shard.Option,
+) *testEngineWrapper {
+	return te.setShardsNumOpts(t, num, func(id int) []shard.Option {
+		return append(testGetDefaultShardOptions(t), shardOpts(id)...)
+	})
+}
+
+// prepare calls Open and Init on the created engine.
+func (te *testEngineWrapper) prepare(t testing.TB) *testEngineWrapper {
+	require.NoError(t, te.engine.Open(context.Background()))
+	require.NoError(t, te.engine.Init(context.Background()))
 	return te
 }
 
+func testGetDefaultEngineOptions(t testing.TB) []Option {
+	return []Option{
+		WithLogger(test.NewLogger(t)),
+	}
+}
+
+func testGetDefaultShardOptions(t testing.TB) []shard.Option {
+	return []shard.Option{
+		shard.WithLogger(test.NewLogger(t)),
+		shard.WithBlobStorOptions(
+			blobstor.WithStorages(
+				newStorages(t, t.TempDir(), 1<<20)),
+			blobstor.WithLogger(test.NewLogger(t)),
+		),
+		shard.WithPiloramaOptions(pilorama.WithPath(filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "pilorama"))),
+		shard.WithMetaBaseOptions(
+			meta.WithPath(filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "metabase")),
+			meta.WithPermissions(0o700),
+			meta.WithEpochState(epochState{}),
+			meta.WithLogger(test.NewLogger(t)),
+		),
+	}
+}
+
 func newStorages(t testing.TB, root string, smallSize uint64) []blobstor.SubStorage {
 	return []blobstor.SubStorage{
 		{
@@ -137,34 +145,3 @@ func newTestStorages(root string, smallSize uint64) ([]blobstor.SubStorage, *tes
 		},
 	}, smallFileStorage, largeFileStorage
 }
-
-func testNewShard(t testing.TB, opts ...shard.Option) *shard.Shard {
-	sid, err := generateShardID()
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-
-	shardOpts := append([]shard.Option{shard.WithID(sid)}, testDefaultShardOptions(t)...)
-	s := shard.New(append(shardOpts, opts...)...)
-
-	require.NoError(t, s.Open(context.Background()))
-	require.NoError(t, s.Init(context.Background()))
-
-	return s
-}
-
-func testDefaultShardOptions(t testing.TB) []shard.Option {
-	return []shard.Option{
-		shard.WithLogger(test.NewLogger(t)),
-		shard.WithBlobStorOptions(
-			blobstor.WithStorages(
-				newStorages(t, t.TempDir(), 1<<20)),
-			blobstor.WithLogger(test.NewLogger(t)),
-		),
-		shard.WithPiloramaOptions(pilorama.WithPath(filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "pilorama"))),
-		shard.WithMetaBaseOptions(
-			meta.WithPath(filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "metabase")),
-			meta.WithPermissions(0o700),
-			meta.WithEpochState(epochState{}),
-			meta.WithLogger(test.NewLogger(t)),
-		),
-	}
-}
diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/error_test.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/error_test.go
index 57c423764..d68a7e826 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/error_test.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/error_test.go
@@ -67,10 +67,8 @@ func newEngineWithErrorThreshold(t testing.TB, dir string, errThreshold uint32)
 					pilorama.WithPath(filepath.Join(dir, fmt.Sprintf("%d.pilorama", id))),
 					pilorama.WithPerm(0o700)),
 			}
-		})
+		}).prepare(t)
 	e := te.engine
-	require.NoError(t, e.Open(context.Background()))
-	require.NoError(t, e.Init(context.Background()))
 
 	for i, id := range te.shardIDs {
 		testShards[i].id = id
diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/evacuate_test.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/evacuate_test.go
index 54eacc3f2..beab8384e 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/evacuate_test.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/evacuate_test.go
@@ -75,10 +75,9 @@ func newEngineEvacuate(t *testing.T, shardNum int, objPerShard int) (*StorageEng
 					pilorama.WithPerm(0o700),
 				),
 			}
-		})
+		}).
+		prepare(t)
 	e, ids := te.engine, te.shardIDs
-	require.NoError(t, e.Open(context.Background()))
-	require.NoError(t, e.Init(context.Background()))
 
 	objects := make([]*objectSDK.Object, 0, objPerShard*len(ids))
 	treeID := "version"
diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/exists_test.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/exists_test.go
index e2e5ff13e..1b51c10dc 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/exists_test.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/exists_test.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ func BenchmarkExists(b *testing.B) {
 }
 
 func benchmarkExists(b *testing.B, shardNum int) {
-	e := testNewEngine(b).setShardsNum(b, shardNum).engine
+	e := testNewEngine(b).setShardsNum(b, shardNum).prepare(b).engine
 	defer func() { require.NoError(b, e.Close(context.Background())) }()
 
 	addr := oidtest.Address()
diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/head_test.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/head_test.go
index 5afc50f07..f9db81f16 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/head_test.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/head_test.go
@@ -39,11 +39,11 @@ func TestHeadRaw(t *testing.T) {
 	link.SetSplitID(splitID)
 
 	t.Run("virtual object split in different shards", func(t *testing.T) {
-		s1 := testNewShard(t)
-		s2 := testNewShard(t)
+		te := testNewEngine(t).setShardsNum(t, 2).prepare(t)
+		e := te.engine
+		defer func() { require.NoError(t, e.Close(context.Background())) }()
 
-		e := testNewEngine(t).setInitializedShards(t, s1, s2).engine
-		defer e.Close(context.Background())
+		s1, s2 := te.shards[0], te.shards[1]
 
 		var putPrmLeft shard.PutPrm
 		putPrmLeft.SetObject(child)
diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/inhume_test.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/inhume_test.go
index b4fbbd810..6980afb07 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/inhume_test.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/inhume_test.go
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ func TestStorageEngine_Inhume(t *testing.T) {
 
 	t.Run("delete small object", func(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Parallel()
-		e := testNewEngine(t).setShardsNum(t, 1).engine
-		defer e.Close(context.Background())
+		e := testNewEngine(t).setShardsNum(t, 1).prepare(t).engine
+		defer func() { require.NoError(t, e.Close(context.Background())) }()
 
 		err := Put(context.Background(), e, parent, false)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -56,11 +56,12 @@ func TestStorageEngine_Inhume(t *testing.T) {
 
 	t.Run("delete big object", func(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Parallel()
-		s1 := testNewShard(t)
-		s2 := testNewShard(t)
 
-		e := testNewEngine(t).setInitializedShards(t, s1, s2).engine
-		defer e.Close(context.Background())
+		te := testNewEngine(t).setShardsNum(t, 2).prepare(t)
+		e := te.engine
+		defer func() { require.NoError(t, e.Close(context.Background())) }()
+
+		s1, s2 := te.shards[0], te.shards[1]
 
 		var putChild shard.PutPrm
 		putChild.SetObject(child)
diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/list_test.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/list_test.go
index d683b5475..6cfa546f8 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/list_test.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/list_test.go
@@ -68,10 +68,7 @@ func TestListWithCursor(t *testing.T) {
 						meta.WithEpochState(epochState{}),
 					),
 				}
-			}).engine
-			require.NoError(t, e.Open(context.Background()))
-			require.NoError(t, e.Init(context.Background()))
-
+			}).prepare(t).engine
 			defer func() {
 				require.NoError(t, e.Close(context.Background()))
 			}()
diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/lock_test.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/lock_test.go
index 7e15c76f5..feca9cb69 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/lock_test.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/lock_test.go
@@ -57,11 +57,9 @@ func TestLockUserScenario(t *testing.T) {
 				}),
 				shard.WithTombstoneSource(tss{lockerExpiresAfter}),
 			}
-		})
+		}).
+		prepare(t)
 	e := testEngine.engine
-	require.NoError(t, e.Open(context.Background()))
-	require.NoError(t, e.Init(context.Background()))
-
 	defer func() { require.NoError(t, e.Close(context.Background())) }()
 
 	lockerID := oidtest.ID()
@@ -162,11 +160,9 @@ func TestLockExpiration(t *testing.T) {
 					return pool
 				}),
 			}
-		})
+		}).
+		prepare(t)
 	e := testEngine.engine
-	require.NoError(t, e.Open(context.Background()))
-	require.NoError(t, e.Init(context.Background()))
-
 	defer func() { require.NoError(t, e.Close(context.Background())) }()
 
 	const lockerExpiresAfter = 13
@@ -243,9 +239,8 @@ func TestLockForceRemoval(t *testing.T) {
 				}),
 				shard.WithDeletedLockCallback(e.processDeletedLocks),
 			}
-		}).engine
-	require.NoError(t, e.Open(context.Background()))
-	require.NoError(t, e.Init(context.Background()))
+		}).
+		prepare(t).engine
 	defer func() { require.NoError(t, e.Close(context.Background())) }()
 
 	cnr := cidtest.ID()
diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/shards_test.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/shards_test.go
index 207491bd4..0bbc7563c 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/shards_test.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/shards_test.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import (
 func TestRemoveShard(t *testing.T) {
 	const numOfShards = 6
 
-	te := testNewEngine(t).setShardsNum(t, numOfShards)
+	te := testNewEngine(t).setShardsNum(t, numOfShards).prepare(t)
 	e, ids := te.engine, te.shardIDs
 	defer func() { require.NoError(t, e.Close(context.Background())) }()
 
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ func TestDisableShards(t *testing.T) {
 
 	const numOfShards = 2
 
-	te := testNewEngine(t).setShardsNum(t, numOfShards)
+	te := testNewEngine(t).setShardsNum(t, numOfShards).prepare(t)
 	e, ids := te.engine, te.shardIDs
 	defer func() { require.NoError(t, e.Close(context.Background())) }()