diff --git a/activation/e2e/activation_test.go b/activation/e2e/activation_test.go
index 7e09cb31cd..b69124883a 100644
--- a/activation/e2e/activation_test.go
+++ b/activation/e2e/activation_test.go
@@ -150,6 +150,10 @@ func Test_BuilderWithMultipleClients(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	).Times(numSigners)
 
+	verifier, err := activation.NewPostVerifier(cfg, logger.Named("verifier"))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	t.Cleanup(func() { assert.NoError(t, verifier.Close()) })
+	v := activation.NewValidator(nil, poetDb, cfg, opts.Scrypt, verifier)
 	tab := activation.NewBuilder(
 		conf,
 		cdb,
@@ -160,22 +164,16 @@ func Test_BuilderWithMultipleClients(t *testing.T) {
 		syncer,
 		logger,
 		activation.WithPoetConfig(poetCfg),
+		activation.WithValidator(v),
 	)
 	for _, sig := range signers {
 		tab.Register(sig)
 	}
 
 	require.NoError(t, tab.StartSmeshing(types.Address{}))
-
 	<-endChan
-
 	require.NoError(t, tab.StopSmeshing(false))
 
-	verifier, err := activation.NewPostVerifier(cfg, logger.Named("verifier"))
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	t.Cleanup(func() { assert.NoError(t, verifier.Close()) })
-
-	v := activation.NewValidator(nil, poetDb, cfg, opts.Scrypt, verifier)
 	for _, sig := range signers {
 		atx := atxs[sig.NodeID()]
 
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 71d65aadb2..96795deb22 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/spacemeshos/go-scale v1.1.12
 	github.com/spacemeshos/merkle-tree v0.2.3
 	github.com/spacemeshos/poet v0.10.2
-	github.com/spacemeshos/post v0.12.1
+	github.com/spacemeshos/post v0.12.0
 	github.com/spf13/afero v1.11.0
 	github.com/spf13/cobra v1.8.0
 	github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.5
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 2584244d28..050ba04c23 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -634,8 +634,8 @@ github.com/spacemeshos/merkle-tree v0.2.3 h1:zGEgOR9nxAzJr0EWjD39QFngwFEOxfxMloE
 github.com/spacemeshos/merkle-tree v0.2.3/go.mod h1:VomOcQ5pCBXz7goiWMP5hReyqOfDXGSKbrH2GB9Htww=
 github.com/spacemeshos/poet v0.10.2 h1:FVb0xgCFcjZyIGBQ92SlOZVx4KCmlCRRL4JSHL6LMGU=
 github.com/spacemeshos/poet v0.10.2/go.mod h1:73ROEXGladw3RbvhAk0sIGi/ttfpo+ASUBRvnBK55N8=
-github.com/spacemeshos/post v0.12.1 h1:VJG+sY+1SMDocNnWzqd97iVyfBGX67b63jM9E18m5uY=
-github.com/spacemeshos/post v0.12.1/go.mod h1:lIysveR414fNMmbHyFQWY8GAW9JQN3otFjihP9MumDI=
+github.com/spacemeshos/post v0.12.0 h1:1MmsR8EENLf17RCFebwwIU4jq0ukHMkQcUcgaGad3bQ=
+github.com/spacemeshos/post v0.12.0/go.mod h1:lIysveR414fNMmbHyFQWY8GAW9JQN3otFjihP9MumDI=
 github.com/spacemeshos/sha256-simd v0.1.0 h1:G7Mfu5RYdQiuE+wu4ZyJ7I0TI74uqLhFnKblEnSpjYI=
 github.com/spacemeshos/sha256-simd v0.1.0/go.mod h1:O8CClVIilId7RtuCMV2+YzMj6qjVn75JsxOxaE8vcfM=
 github.com/spaolacci/murmur3 v1.1.0 h1:7c1g84S4BPRrfL5Xrdp6fOJ206sU9y293DDHaoy0bLI=
diff --git a/systest/Makefile b/systest/Makefile
index 95c752a832..53ac8754d9 100644
--- a/systest/Makefile
+++ b/systest/Makefile
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ org ?= spacemeshos
 image_name ?= $(org)/systest:$(version_info)
 poet_image ?= $(org)/poet:v0.10.2
 post_service_image ?= $(org)/post-service:v0.7.0
-post_init_image ?= $(org)/postcli:v0.12.1
+post_init_image ?= $(org)/postcli:v0.12.0
 smesher_image ?= $(org)/go-spacemesh-dev:$(version_info)
 bs_image ?= $(org)/go-spacemesh-dev-bs:$(version_info)
 test_id ?= systest-$(version_info)