diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/control_test.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/control_test.go
index f954d906..2c44eb16 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/control_test.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/control_test.go
@@ -192,7 +192,8 @@ func testEngineFailInitAndReload(t *testing.T, errOnAdd bool, opts []shard.Optio
 }
 
 func TestExecBlocks(t *testing.T) {
-	e := testNewEngineWithShardNum(t, 2) // number doesn't matter in this test, 2 is several but not many
+	e := testNewEngine(t).setShardsNum(t, 2).engine // number doesn't matter in this test, 2 is several but not many
+
 	t.Cleanup(func() {
 		os.RemoveAll(t.Name())
 	})
@@ -314,25 +315,26 @@ func TestReload(t *testing.T) {
 
 // engineWithShards creates engine with specified number of shards. Returns
 // slice of paths to their metabase and the engine.
-// TODO: #1776 unify engine construction in tests
 func engineWithShards(t *testing.T, path string, num int) (*StorageEngine, []string) {
 	addPath := filepath.Join(path, "add")
 
 	currShards := make([]string, 0, num)
 
-	e := New()
-	for i := 0; i < num; i++ {
-		id, err := e.AddShard(
-			shard.WithBlobStorOptions(
-				blobstor.WithStorages(newStorages(filepath.Join(addPath, strconv.Itoa(i)), errSmallSize))),
-			shard.WithMetaBaseOptions(
-				meta.WithPath(filepath.Join(addPath, fmt.Sprintf("%d.metabase", i))),
-				meta.WithPermissions(0700),
-				meta.WithEpochState(epochState{}),
-			),
-		)
-		require.NoError(t, err)
+	te := testNewEngine(t).
+		setShardsNumAdditionalOpts(t, num, func(id int) []shard.Option {
+			return []shard.Option{
+				shard.WithBlobStorOptions(
+					blobstor.WithStorages(newStorages(filepath.Join(addPath, strconv.Itoa(id)), errSmallSize))),
+				shard.WithMetaBaseOptions(
+					meta.WithPath(filepath.Join(addPath, fmt.Sprintf("%d.metabase", id))),
+					meta.WithPermissions(0700),
+					meta.WithEpochState(epochState{}),
+				),
+			}
+		})
+	e, ids := te.engine, te.shardIDs
 
+	for _, id := range ids {
 		currShards = append(currShards, calculateShardID(e.shards[id.String()].DumpInfo()))
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/delete_test.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/delete_test.go
index 8a4e6a7f..54d73cee 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/delete_test.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/delete_test.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func TestDeleteBigObject(t *testing.T) {
 	s2 := testNewShard(t, 2)
 	s3 := testNewShard(t, 3)
 
-	e := testNewEngineWithShards(t, s1, s2, s3)
+	e := testNewEngine(t).setInitializedShards(t, s1, s2, s3).engine
 	e.log = &logger.Logger{Logger: zaptest.NewLogger(t)}
 	defer e.Close()
 
diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/engine_test.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/engine_test.go
index 83dbcd09..ddaf88d1 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/engine_test.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/engine_test.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"go.uber.org/atomic"
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
+	"go.uber.org/zap/zaptest"
 )
 
 type epochState struct{}
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ func benchmarkExists(b *testing.B, shardNum int) {
 		shards[i] = testNewShard(b, i)
 	}
 
-	e := testNewEngineWithShards(b, shards...)
+	e := testNewEngine(b).setInitializedShards(b, shards...).engine
 	b.Cleanup(func() {
 		_ = e.Close()
 		_ = os.RemoveAll(b.Name())
@@ -75,24 +76,68 @@ func benchmarkExists(b *testing.B, shardNum int) {
 	}
 }
 
-func testNewEngineWithShards(t testing.TB, shards ...*shard.Shard) *StorageEngine {
-	engine := New()
+type testEngineWrapper struct {
+	engine   *StorageEngine
+	shardIDs []*shard.ID
+}
 
+func testNewEngine(t testing.TB, opts ...Option) *testEngineWrapper {
+	engine := New(WithLogger(&logger.Logger{Logger: zaptest.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)
 
-		engine.shards[s.ID().String()] = hashedShard{
+		te.engine.shards[s.ID().String()] = hashedShard{
 			shardWrapper: shardWrapper{
 				errorCount: atomic.NewUint32(0),
 				Shard:      s,
 			},
 			hash: hrw.Hash([]byte(s.ID().String())),
 		}
-		engine.shardPools[s.ID().String()] = pool
+		te.engine.shardPools[s.ID().String()] = pool
+		te.shardIDs = append(te.shardIDs, s.ID())
+	}
+	return te
+}
+
+func (te *testEngineWrapper) setShardsNum(t testing.TB, num int) *testEngineWrapper {
+	shards := make([]*shard.Shard, 0, num)
+
+	for i := 0; i < num; i++ {
+		shards = append(shards, testNewShard(t, i))
 	}
 
-	return engine
+	return te.setInitializedShards(t, shards...)
+}
+
+func (te *testEngineWrapper) setShardsNumOpts(t testing.TB, num int, shardOpts func(id int) []shard.Option) *testEngineWrapper {
+	for i := 0; i < num; i++ {
+		opts := shardOpts(i)
+		id, err := te.engine.AddShard(opts...)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		te.shardIDs = append(te.shardIDs, id)
+	}
+	return te
+}
+
+func (te *testEngineWrapper) setShardsNumAdditionalOpts(t testing.TB, num int, shardOpts func(id int) []shard.Option) *testEngineWrapper {
+	for i := 0; i < num; i++ {
+		defaultOpts := testDefaultShardOptions(t, i)
+		opts := append(defaultOpts, shardOpts(i)...)
+		id, err := te.engine.AddShard(opts...)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		te.shardIDs = append(te.shardIDs, id)
+	}
+	return te
 }
 
 func newStorages(root string, smallSize uint64) []blobstor.SubStorage {
@@ -145,8 +190,17 @@ func testNewShard(t testing.TB, id int) *shard.Shard {
 	sid, err := generateShardID()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	s := shard.New(
-		shard.WithID(sid),
+	shardOpts := append([]shard.Option{shard.WithID(sid)}, testDefaultShardOptions(t, id)...)
+	s := shard.New(shardOpts...)
+
+	require.NoError(t, s.Open())
+	require.NoError(t, s.Init(context.Background()))
+
+	return s
+}
+
+func testDefaultShardOptions(t testing.TB, id int) []shard.Option {
+	return []shard.Option{
 		shard.WithLogger(&logger.Logger{Logger: zap.L()}),
 		shard.WithBlobStorOptions(
 			blobstor.WithStorages(
@@ -157,46 +211,5 @@ func testNewShard(t testing.TB, id int) *shard.Shard {
 			meta.WithPath(filepath.Join(t.Name(), fmt.Sprintf("%d.metabase", id))),
 			meta.WithPermissions(0700),
 			meta.WithEpochState(epochState{}),
-		))
-
-	require.NoError(t, s.Open())
-	require.NoError(t, s.Init(context.Background()))
-
-	return s
-}
-
-func testEngineFromShardOpts(t *testing.T, num int, extraOpts []shard.Option) *StorageEngine {
-	engine := New()
-	for i := 0; i < num; i++ {
-		_, err := engine.AddShard(append([]shard.Option{
-			shard.WithBlobStorOptions(
-				blobstor.WithStorages(
-					newStorages(filepath.Join(t.Name(), fmt.Sprintf("blobstor%d", i)),
-						1<<20)),
-			),
-			shard.WithMetaBaseOptions(
-				meta.WithPath(filepath.Join(t.Name(), fmt.Sprintf("metabase%d", i))),
-				meta.WithPermissions(0700),
-				meta.WithEpochState(epochState{}),
-			),
-			shard.WithPiloramaOptions(
-				pilorama.WithPath(filepath.Join(t.Name(), fmt.Sprintf("pilorama%d", i)))),
-		}, extraOpts...)...)
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-	}
-
-	require.NoError(t, engine.Open())
-	require.NoError(t, engine.Init(context.Background()))
-
-	return engine
-}
-
-func testNewEngineWithShardNum(t *testing.T, num int) *StorageEngine {
-	shards := make([]*shard.Shard, 0, num)
-
-	for i := 0; i < num; i++ {
-		shards = append(shards, testNewShard(t, i))
-	}
-
-	return testNewEngineWithShards(t, shards...)
+		)}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/error_test.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/error_test.go
index 8a32c8b6..c9b194f6 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/error_test.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/error_test.go
@@ -48,37 +48,39 @@ func newEngineWithErrorThreshold(t testing.TB, dir string, errThreshold uint32)
 		t.Cleanup(func() { _ = os.RemoveAll(dir) })
 	}
 
-	e := New(
-		WithLogger(&logger.Logger{Logger: zaptest.NewLogger(t)}),
-		WithShardPoolSize(1),
-		WithErrorThreshold(errThreshold))
-
 	var testShards [2]*testShard
 
-	for i := range testShards {
-		storages, smallFileStorage, largeFileStorage := newTestStorages(filepath.Join(dir, strconv.Itoa(i)), errSmallSize)
-		id, err := e.AddShard(
-			shard.WithLogger(&logger.Logger{Logger: zaptest.NewLogger(t)}),
-			shard.WithBlobStorOptions(blobstor.WithStorages(storages)),
-			shard.WithMetaBaseOptions(
-				meta.WithPath(filepath.Join(dir, fmt.Sprintf("%d.metabase", i))),
-				meta.WithPermissions(0700),
-				meta.WithEpochState(epochState{}),
-			),
-			shard.WithPiloramaOptions(
-				pilorama.WithPath(filepath.Join(dir, fmt.Sprintf("%d.pilorama", i))),
-				pilorama.WithPerm(0700)))
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-
-		testShards[i] = &testShard{
-			id:               id,
-			smallFileStorage: smallFileStorage,
-			largeFileStorage: largeFileStorage,
-		}
-	}
+	te := testNewEngine(t,
+		WithShardPoolSize(1),
+		WithErrorThreshold(errThreshold),
+	).
+		setShardsNumOpts(t, 2, func(id int) []shard.Option {
+			storages, smallFileStorage, largeFileStorage := newTestStorages(filepath.Join(dir, strconv.Itoa(id)), errSmallSize)
+			testShards[id] = &testShard{
+				smallFileStorage: smallFileStorage,
+				largeFileStorage: largeFileStorage,
+			}
+			return []shard.Option{
+				shard.WithLogger(&logger.Logger{Logger: zaptest.NewLogger(t)}),
+				shard.WithBlobStorOptions(blobstor.WithStorages(storages)),
+				shard.WithMetaBaseOptions(
+					meta.WithPath(filepath.Join(dir, fmt.Sprintf("%d.metabase", id))),
+					meta.WithPermissions(0700),
+					meta.WithEpochState(epochState{}),
+				),
+				shard.WithPiloramaOptions(
+					pilorama.WithPath(filepath.Join(dir, fmt.Sprintf("%d.pilorama", id))),
+					pilorama.WithPerm(0700)),
+			}
+		})
+	e := te.engine
 	require.NoError(t, e.Open())
 	require.NoError(t, e.Init(context.Background()))
 
+	for i, id := range te.shardIDs {
+		testShards[i].id = id
+	}
+
 	return &testEngine{
 		ng:     e,
 		dir:    dir,
diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/evacuate_test.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/evacuate_test.go
index 04d68d2e..51abc4b1 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/evacuate_test.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/evacuate_test.go
@@ -29,28 +29,23 @@ func newEngineEvacuate(t *testing.T, shardNum int, objPerShard int) (*StorageEng
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	t.Cleanup(func() { _ = os.RemoveAll(dir) })
 
-	e := New(
-		WithLogger(&logger.Logger{Logger: zaptest.NewLogger(t)}),
-		WithShardPoolSize(1))
-
-	ids := make([]*shard.ID, shardNum)
-
-	for i := range ids {
-		ids[i], err = e.AddShard(
-			shard.WithLogger(&logger.Logger{Logger: zaptest.NewLogger(t)}),
-			shard.WithBlobStorOptions(
-				blobstor.WithStorages([]blobstor.SubStorage{{
-					Storage: fstree.New(
-						fstree.WithPath(filepath.Join(dir, strconv.Itoa(i))),
-						fstree.WithDepth(1)),
-				}})),
-			shard.WithMetaBaseOptions(
-				meta.WithPath(filepath.Join(dir, fmt.Sprintf("%d.metabase", i))),
-				meta.WithPermissions(0700),
-				meta.WithEpochState(epochState{}),
-			))
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-	}
+	te := testNewEngine(t, WithShardPoolSize(1)).
+		setShardsNumOpts(t, shardNum, func(id int) []shard.Option {
+			return []shard.Option{
+				shard.WithLogger(&logger.Logger{Logger: zaptest.NewLogger(t)}),
+				shard.WithBlobStorOptions(
+					blobstor.WithStorages([]blobstor.SubStorage{{
+						Storage: fstree.New(
+							fstree.WithPath(filepath.Join(dir, strconv.Itoa(id))),
+							fstree.WithDepth(1)),
+					}})),
+				shard.WithMetaBaseOptions(
+					meta.WithPath(filepath.Join(dir, fmt.Sprintf("%d.metabase", id))),
+					meta.WithPermissions(0700),
+					meta.WithEpochState(epochState{})),
+			}
+		})
+	e, ids := te.engine, te.shardIDs
 	require.NoError(t, e.Open())
 	require.NoError(t, e.Init(context.Background()))
 
diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/head_test.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/head_test.go
index 1ddfedc5..e2a1edc9 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/head_test.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/head_test.go
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ func TestHeadRaw(t *testing.T) {
 		s1 := testNewShard(t, 1)
 		s2 := testNewShard(t, 2)
 
-		e := testNewEngineWithShards(t, s1, s2)
+		e := testNewEngine(t).setInitializedShards(t, s1, s2).engine
 		defer e.Close()
 
 		var putPrmLeft shard.PutPrm
diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/inhume_test.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/inhume_test.go
index e3150c17..4f8c96b9 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/inhume_test.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/inhume_test.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func TestStorageEngine_Inhume(t *testing.T) {
 	link.SetSplitID(splitID)
 
 	t.Run("delete small object", func(t *testing.T) {
-		e := testNewEngineWithShardNum(t, 1)
+		e := testNewEngine(t).setShardsNum(t, 1).engine
 		defer e.Close()
 
 		err := Put(e, parent)
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ func TestStorageEngine_Inhume(t *testing.T) {
 		s1 := testNewShard(t, 1)
 		s2 := testNewShard(t, 2)
 
-		e := testNewEngineWithShards(t, s1, s2)
+		e := testNewEngine(t).setInitializedShards(t, s1, s2).engine
 		defer e.Close()
 
 		var putChild shard.PutPrm
diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/list_test.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/list_test.go
index ad0eb191..1261de9d 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/list_test.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/list_test.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import (
 func TestListWithCursor(t *testing.T) {
 	s1 := testNewShard(t, 1)
 	s2 := testNewShard(t, 2)
-	e := testNewEngineWithShards(t, s1, s2)
+	e := testNewEngine(t).setInitializedShards(t, s1, s2).engine
 
 	t.Cleanup(func() {
 		e.Close()
diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/lock_test.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/lock_test.go
index 1014b214..fd3b04ef 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/lock_test.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/lock_test.go
@@ -45,15 +45,21 @@ func TestLockUserScenario(t *testing.T) {
 	tombForLockID := oidtest.ID()
 	tombObj.SetID(tombForLockID)
 
-	e := testEngineFromShardOpts(t, 2, []shard.Option{
-		shard.WithGCWorkerPoolInitializer(func(sz int) util.WorkerPool {
-			pool, err := ants.NewPool(sz)
-			require.NoError(t, err)
+	testEngine := testNewEngine(t).
+		setShardsNumAdditionalOpts(t, 2, func(id int) []shard.Option {
+			return []shard.Option{
+				shard.WithGCWorkerPoolInitializer(func(sz int) util.WorkerPool {
+					pool, err := ants.NewPool(sz)
+					require.NoError(t, err)
 
-			return pool
-		}),
-		shard.WithTombstoneSource(tss{lockerExpiresAfter}),
-	})
+					return pool
+				}),
+				shard.WithTombstoneSource(tss{lockerExpiresAfter}),
+			}
+		})
+	e := testEngine.engine
+	require.NoError(t, e.Open())
+	require.NoError(t, e.Init(context.Background()))
 
 	t.Cleanup(func() {
 		_ = e.Close()
@@ -146,14 +152,20 @@ func TestLockExpiration(t *testing.T) {
 	//   3. lock expiration epoch is coming
 	//   4. after some delay the object is not locked anymore
 
-	e := testEngineFromShardOpts(t, 2, []shard.Option{
-		shard.WithGCWorkerPoolInitializer(func(sz int) util.WorkerPool {
-			pool, err := ants.NewPool(sz)
-			require.NoError(t, err)
+	testEngine := testNewEngine(t).
+		setShardsNumAdditionalOpts(t, 2, func(id int) []shard.Option {
+			return []shard.Option{
+				shard.WithGCWorkerPoolInitializer(func(sz int) util.WorkerPool {
+					pool, err := ants.NewPool(sz)
+					require.NoError(t, err)
 
-			return pool
-		}),
-	})
+					return pool
+				}),
+			}
+		})
+	e := testEngine.engine
+	require.NoError(t, e.Open())
+	require.NoError(t, e.Init(context.Background()))
 
 	t.Cleanup(func() {
 		_ = e.Close()
@@ -218,16 +230,20 @@ func TestLockForceRemoval(t *testing.T) {
 	//   5. the object is not locked anymore
 	var e *StorageEngine
 
-	e = testEngineFromShardOpts(t, 2, []shard.Option{
-		shard.WithGCWorkerPoolInitializer(func(sz int) util.WorkerPool {
-			pool, err := ants.NewPool(sz)
-			require.NoError(t, err)
-
-			return pool
-		}),
-		shard.WithDeletedLockCallback(e.processDeletedLocks),
-	})
+	e = testNewEngine(t).
+		setShardsNumAdditionalOpts(t, 2, func(id int) []shard.Option {
+			return []shard.Option{
+				shard.WithGCWorkerPoolInitializer(func(sz int) util.WorkerPool {
+					pool, err := ants.NewPool(sz)
+					require.NoError(t, err)
 
+					return pool
+				}),
+				shard.WithDeletedLockCallback(e.processDeletedLocks),
+			}
+		}).engine
+	require.NoError(t, e.Open())
+	require.NoError(t, e.Init(context.Background()))
 	t.Cleanup(func() {
 		_ = e.Close()
 		_ = os.RemoveAll(t.Name())
diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/shards_test.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/shards_test.go
index 67a006b5..1bc0b880 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/shards_test.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/shards_test.go
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ import (
 func TestRemoveShard(t *testing.T) {
 	const numOfShards = 6
 
-	e := testNewEngineWithShardNum(t, numOfShards)
+	te := testNewEngine(t).setShardsNum(t, numOfShards)
+	e, ids := te.engine, te.shardIDs
 	t.Cleanup(func() {
 		e.Close()
 		os.RemoveAll(t.Name())
@@ -22,12 +23,12 @@ func TestRemoveShard(t *testing.T) {
 	removedNum := numOfShards / 2
 
 	mSh := make(map[string]bool, numOfShards)
-	for i, sh := range e.DumpInfo().Shards {
+	for i, id := range ids {
 		if i == removedNum {
 			break
 		}
 
-		mSh[sh.ID.String()] = true
+		mSh[id.String()] = true
 	}
 
 	for id, remove := range mSh {