diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/control.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/control.go
index d5228d24..00053d2f 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/control.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/control.go
@@ -268,30 +268,29 @@ func (e *StorageEngine) Reload(rcfg ReConfiguration) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("could not remove shards: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	e.mtx.Lock()
-	defer e.mtx.Unlock()
-
 	for _, newPath := range shardsToAdd {
-		id, err := e.addShard(rcfg.shards[newPath]...)
+		sh, err := e.createShard(rcfg.shards[newPath])
 		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("could not add new shard: %w", err)
+			return fmt.Errorf("could not add new shard with '%s' metabase path: %w", newPath, err)
 		}
 
-		idStr := id.String()
-		sh := e.shards[idStr]
+		idStr := sh.ID().String()
 
 		err = sh.Open()
 		if err == nil {
 			err = sh.Init()
 		}
 		if err != nil {
-			delete(e.shards, idStr)
-			e.shardPools[idStr].Release()
-			delete(e.shardPools, idStr)
-
+			_ = sh.Close()
 			return fmt.Errorf("could not init %s shard: %w", idStr, err)
 		}
 
+		err = e.addShard(sh)
+		if err != nil {
+			_ = sh.Close()
+			return fmt.Errorf("could not add %s shard: %w", idStr, err)
+		}
+
 		e.log.Info("added new shard", zap.String("id", idStr))
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/shards.go b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/shards.go
index 4c14ba65..91a1b2af 100644
--- a/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/shards.go
+++ b/pkg/local_object_storage/engine/shards.go
@@ -44,23 +44,27 @@ func (m metricsWithID) DecObjectCounter(objectType string) {
 // Returns any error encountered that did not allow adding a shard.
 // Otherwise returns the ID of the added shard.
 func (e *StorageEngine) AddShard(opts ...shard.Option) (*shard.ID, error) {
-	e.mtx.Lock()
-	defer e.mtx.Unlock()
-
-	return e.addShard(opts...)
-}
-
-func (e *StorageEngine) addShard(opts ...shard.Option) (*shard.ID, error) {
-	pool, err := ants.NewPool(int(e.shardPoolSize), ants.WithNonblocking(true))
+	sh, err := e.createShard(opts)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not create a shard: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	err = e.addShard(sh)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not add %s shard: %w", sh.ID().String(), err)
+	}
+
+	return sh.ID(), nil
+}
+
+func (e *StorageEngine) createShard(opts []shard.Option) (*shard.Shard, error) {
 	id, err := generateShardID()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not generate shard ID: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	e.mtx.RLock()
+
 	if e.metrics != nil {
 		opts = append(opts, shard.WithMetricsWriter(
 			metricsWithID{
@@ -70,6 +74,8 @@ func (e *StorageEngine) addShard(opts ...shard.Option) (*shard.ID, error) {
 		))
 	}
 
+	e.mtx.RUnlock()
+
 	sh := shard.New(append(opts,
 		shard.WithID(id),
 		shard.WithExpiredTombstonesCallback(e.processExpiredTombstones),
@@ -81,9 +87,21 @@ func (e *StorageEngine) addShard(opts ...shard.Option) (*shard.ID, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not update shard ID: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	return sh, err
+}
+
+func (e *StorageEngine) addShard(sh *shard.Shard) error {
+	e.mtx.Lock()
+	defer e.mtx.Unlock()
+
+	pool, err := ants.NewPool(int(e.shardPoolSize), ants.WithNonblocking(true))
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("could not create pool: %w", err)
+	}
+
 	strID := sh.ID().String()
 	if _, ok := e.shards[strID]; ok {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("shard with id %s was already added", strID)
+		return fmt.Errorf("shard with id %s was already added", strID)
 	}
 
 	e.shards[strID] = shardWrapper{
@@ -93,7 +111,7 @@ func (e *StorageEngine) addShard(opts ...shard.Option) (*shard.ID, error) {
 
 	e.shardPools[strID] = pool
 
-	return sh.ID(), nil
+	return nil
 }
 
 // removeShards removes specified shards. Skips non-existent shards.