diff --git a/pkg/storer/epoch_migration_test.go b/pkg/storer/epoch_migration_test.go
index 2c651108eaf..9c7246129d6 100644
--- a/pkg/storer/epoch_migration_test.go
+++ b/pkg/storer/epoch_migration_test.go
@@ -235,11 +235,11 @@ func TestEpochMigration(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	if !strings.ContainsAny(logBytes.String(), "migrating pinning collections done") {
+	if !strings.Contains(logBytes.String(), "migrating pinning collections done") {
 		t.Fatalf("expected log to contain 'migrating pinning collections done', got %s", logBytes.String())
 	}
 
-	if !strings.ContainsAny(logBytes.String(), "migrating reserve contents done") {
+	if !strings.Contains(logBytes.String(), "migrating reserve contents done") {
 		t.Fatalf("expected log to contain 'migrating pinning collections done', got %s", logBytes.String())
 	}
 
@@ -264,6 +264,67 @@ func TestEpochMigration(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("expected 1 pin, got %d", len(pins))
 	}
 
+	if !strings.Contains(logBytes.String(), pins[0].String()) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected log to contain root pin reference, got %s", logBytes.String())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestEpochMigrationLightNode(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	var (
+		dataPath    = t.TempDir()
+		baseAddress = swarm.RandAddress(t)
+		stateStore  = mockstatestore.NewStateStore()
+		reserve     storer.ReservePutter
+		logBytes    = bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
+		logger      = log.NewLogger("test", log.WithSink(logBytes))
+		indexStore  = inmemstore.New()
+	)
+
+	createOldDataDir(t, dataPath, baseAddress, stateStore)
+
+	r, err := sharky.NewRecovery(path.Join(dataPath, "sharky"), 2, swarm.SocMaxChunkSize)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	sharkyRecovery := &testSharkyRecovery{Recovery: r}
+
+	err = storer.EpochMigration(
+		context.Background(),
+		dataPath,
+		stateStore,
+		indexStore,
+		reserve,
+		sharkyRecovery,
+		logger,
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if !strings.Contains(logBytes.String(), "migrating pinning collections done") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected log to contain 'migrating pinning collections done', got %s", logBytes.String())
+	}
+
+	if strings.Contains(logBytes.String(), "migrating reserve contents done") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected log to not contain 'migrating reserve contents done', got %s", logBytes.String())
+	}
+
+	if sharkyRecovery.addCalls != 21 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 31 add calls, got %d", sharkyRecovery.addCalls)
+	}
+
+	pins, err := pinstore.Pins(indexStore)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if len(pins) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 1 pin, got %d", len(pins))
+	}
+
 	if !strings.ContainsAny(logBytes.String(), pins[0].String()) {
 		t.Fatalf("expected log to contain root pin reference, got %s", logBytes.String())
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/storer/export_test.go b/pkg/storer/export_test.go
index b894f7f31ee..395cd28c686 100644
--- a/pkg/storer/export_test.go
+++ b/pkg/storer/export_test.go
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@ var (
 	EpochMigration  = epochMigration
 )
 
+type (
+	ReservePutter = reservePutter
+)
+
 func (db *DB) Reserve() *reserve.Reserve {
 	return db.reserve
 }
diff --git a/pkg/storer/internal/reserve/reserve.go b/pkg/storer/internal/reserve/reserve.go
index 583ac8dc4b4..00e4b2bf4ff 100644
--- a/pkg/storer/internal/reserve/reserve.go
+++ b/pkg/storer/internal/reserve/reserve.go
@@ -341,10 +341,19 @@ func (r *Reserve) EvictBatchBin(
 				}
 				moveToCache = append(moveToCache, item.Address)
 			}
-			if err := r.cacheCb(ctx, store, moveToCache...); err != nil {
+			if err := batch.Commit(); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-			return batch.Commit()
+			if err := r.cacheCb(ctx, store, moveToCache...); err != nil {
+				r.logger.Error(err, "evict and move to cache")
+				for _, rItem := range moveToCache {
+					err = store.ChunkStore().Delete(ctx, rItem)
+					if err != nil {
+						return err
+					}
+				}
+			}
+			return nil
 		})
 		if err != nil {
 			return evictionCompleted, err
@@ -375,7 +384,11 @@ func (r *Reserve) DeleteChunk(
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	return r.cacheCb(ctx, store, item.Address)
+	if err := r.cacheCb(ctx, store, item.Address); err != nil {
+		r.logger.Error(err, "delete and move to cache")
+		return store.ChunkStore().Delete(ctx, item.Address)
+	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 // CleanupBinIndex removes the bin index entry for the chunk. This is called mainly
diff --git a/pkg/storer/reserve.go b/pkg/storer/reserve.go
index 3af31f78c9c..cb98a588180 100644
--- a/pkg/storer/reserve.go
+++ b/pkg/storer/reserve.go
@@ -586,6 +586,7 @@ func (db *DB) unreserve(ctx context.Context) (err error) {
 	if target == 0 {
 		return nil
 	}
+	db.logger.Info("unreserve", "target", target, "radius", radius)
 
 	totalEvicted := 0
 	for radius < swarm.MaxBins {
diff --git a/pkg/storer/storer.go b/pkg/storer/storer.go
index 16af098225a..27936e78ef0 100644
--- a/pkg/storer/storer.go
+++ b/pkg/storer/storer.go
@@ -395,7 +395,8 @@ func performEpochMigration(ctx context.Context, basePath string, opts *Options)
 
 	logger := opts.Logger.WithName("epochmigration").Register()
 
-	var rs *reserve.Reserve
+	var rs reservePutter
+
 	if opts.ReserveCapacity > 0 {
 		rs, err = reserve.New(
 			opts.Address,