diff --git a/activation/post.go b/activation/post.go
index fa3cd97a445..d273e2f08bc 100644
--- a/activation/post.go
+++ b/activation/post.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"math"
 	"runtime"
 	"sync"
 
@@ -82,7 +83,7 @@ type PostSetupOpts struct {
 	DataDir          string              `mapstructure:"smeshing-opts-datadir"`
 	NumUnits         uint32              `mapstructure:"smeshing-opts-numunits"`
 	MaxFileSize      uint64              `mapstructure:"smeshing-opts-maxfilesize"`
-	ProviderID       int                 `mapstructure:"smeshing-opts-provider"`
+	ProviderID       uint64              `mapstructure:"smeshing-opts-provider"`
 	Throttle         bool                `mapstructure:"smeshing-opts-throttle"`
 	Scrypt           config.ScryptParams `mapstructure:"smeshing-opts-scrypt"`
 	ComputeBatchSize uint64              `mapstructure:"smeshing-opts-compute-batch-size"`
@@ -169,23 +170,32 @@ func DefaultPostSetupOpts() PostSetupOpts {
 		DataDir:          opts.DataDir,
 		NumUnits:         opts.NumUnits,
 		MaxFileSize:      opts.MaxFileSize,
-		ProviderID:       opts.ProviderID,
+		ProviderID:       math.MaxUint64,
 		Throttle:         opts.Throttle,
 		Scrypt:           opts.Scrypt,
 		ComputeBatchSize: opts.ComputeBatchSize,
 	}
 }
 
-func (o PostSetupOpts) ToInitOpts() config.InitOpts {
-	return config.InitOpts{
+func (o PostSetupOpts) ToInitOpts() (config.InitOpts, error) {
+	if o.ProviderID == math.MaxUint64 {
+		return config.InitOpts{}, fmt.Errorf("no provider ID specified: %d", o.ProviderID)
+	}
+	if o.ProviderID > math.MaxUint32 {
+		return config.InitOpts{}, fmt.Errorf("invalid provider id: %d", o.ProviderID)
+	}
+
+	providerID := uint32(o.ProviderID)
+	initOpts := config.InitOpts{
 		DataDir:          o.DataDir,
 		NumUnits:         o.NumUnits,
 		MaxFileSize:      o.MaxFileSize,
-		ProviderID:       o.ProviderID,
+		ProviderID:       &providerID,
 		Throttle:         o.Throttle,
 		Scrypt:           o.Scrypt,
 		ComputeBatchSize: o.ComputeBatchSize,
 	}
+	return initOpts, nil
 }
 
 // PostSetupManager implements the PostProvider interface.
@@ -368,27 +378,21 @@ func (mgr *PostSetupManager) PrepareInitializer(ctx context.Context, opts PostSe
 		return fmt.Errorf("post setup session in progress")
 	}
 
-	if opts.ProviderID == config.BestProviderID {
-		p, err := mgr.BestProvider()
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		mgr.logger.Info("found best compute provider: id: %d, model: %v, device type: %v", p.ID, p.Model, p.DeviceType)
-		opts.ProviderID = int(p.ID)
-	}
-
 	var err error
 	mgr.commitmentAtxId, err = mgr.commitmentAtx(ctx, opts.DataDir)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	initOpts, err := opts.ToInitOpts()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	newInit, err := initialization.NewInitializer(
 		initialization.WithNodeId(mgr.id.Bytes()),
 		initialization.WithCommitmentAtxId(mgr.commitmentAtxId.Bytes()),
 		initialization.WithConfig(mgr.cfg.ToConfig()),
-		initialization.WithInitOpts(opts.ToInitOpts()),
+		initialization.WithInitOpts(initOpts),
 		initialization.WithLogger(mgr.logger.Zap()),
 	)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/activation/post_test.go b/activation/post_test.go
index c9402bea1ca..47daea5fd7f 100644
--- a/activation/post_test.go
+++ b/activation/post_test.go
@@ -108,18 +108,6 @@ func TestPostSetupManager_PrepareInitializer(t *testing.T) {
 	req.Error(mgr.PrepareInitializer(ctx, opts))
 }
 
-func TestPostSetupManager_PrepareInitializer_BestProvider(t *testing.T) {
-	req := require.New(t)
-
-	mgr := newTestPostManager(t)
-
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), time.Second*30)
-	defer cancel()
-
-	mgr.opts.ProviderID = config.BestProviderID
-	req.NoError(mgr.PrepareInitializer(ctx, mgr.opts))
-}
-
 // Checks that the sequence of calls for initialization (first
 // PrepareInitializer and then StartSession) is enforced.
 func TestPostSetupManager_InitializationCallSequence(t *testing.T) {
@@ -442,7 +430,7 @@ func newTestPostManager(tb testing.TB, o ...newPostSetupMgrOptionFunc) *testPost
 
 	opts := DefaultPostSetupOpts()
 	opts.DataDir = tb.TempDir()
-	opts.ProviderID = int(initialization.CPUProviderID())
+	opts.ProviderID = uint64(initialization.CPUProviderID())
 	opts.Scrypt.N = 2 // Speedup initialization in tests.
 
 	goldenATXID := types.ATXID{2, 3, 4}
diff --git a/activation/validation_test.go b/activation/validation_test.go
index 96e9e3e0eea..88d944ee8ad 100644
--- a/activation/validation_test.go
+++ b/activation/validation_test.go
@@ -29,18 +29,20 @@ func Test_Validation_VRFNonce(t *testing.T) {
 		LabelsPerUnit: postCfg.LabelsPerUnit,
 	}
 
-	initOpts := DefaultPostSetupOpts()
-	initOpts.DataDir = t.TempDir()
-	initOpts.ProviderID = int(initialization.CPUProviderID())
+	opts := DefaultPostSetupOpts()
+	opts.DataDir = t.TempDir()
+	opts.ProviderID = uint64(initialization.CPUProviderID())
 
 	nodeId := types.BytesToNodeID(make([]byte, 32))
 	commitmentAtxId := types.EmptyATXID
 
+	initOpts, err := opts.ToInitOpts()
+	r.NoError(err)
 	init, err := initialization.NewInitializer(
 		initialization.WithNodeId(nodeId.Bytes()),
 		initialization.WithCommitmentAtxId(commitmentAtxId.Bytes()),
 		initialization.WithConfig(postCfg.ToConfig()),
-		initialization.WithInitOpts(initOpts.ToInitOpts()),
+		initialization.WithInitOpts(initOpts),
 	)
 	r.NoError(err)
 	r.NoError(init.Initialize(context.Background()))
@@ -54,27 +56,27 @@ func Test_Validation_VRFNonce(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("valid vrf nonce", func(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Parallel()
 
-		require.NoError(t, v.VRFNonce(nodeId, commitmentAtxId, nonce, meta, initOpts.NumUnits))
+		require.NoError(t, v.VRFNonce(nodeId, commitmentAtxId, nonce, meta, opts.NumUnits))
 	})
 
 	t.Run("invalid vrf nonce", func(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Parallel()
 
 		nonce := types.VRFPostIndex(1)
-		require.Error(t, v.VRFNonce(nodeId, commitmentAtxId, &nonce, meta, initOpts.NumUnits))
+		require.Error(t, v.VRFNonce(nodeId, commitmentAtxId, &nonce, meta, opts.NumUnits))
 	})
 
 	t.Run("wrong commitmentAtxId", func(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Parallel()
 
 		commitmentAtxId := types.ATXID{1, 2, 3}
-		require.Error(t, v.VRFNonce(nodeId, commitmentAtxId, nonce, meta, initOpts.NumUnits))
+		require.Error(t, v.VRFNonce(nodeId, commitmentAtxId, nonce, meta, opts.NumUnits))
 	})
 
 	t.Run("numUnits can be smaller", func(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Parallel()
 
-		require.NoError(t, v.VRFNonce(nodeId, commitmentAtxId, nonce, meta, initOpts.NumUnits-1))
+		require.NoError(t, v.VRFNonce(nodeId, commitmentAtxId, nonce, meta, opts.NumUnits-1))
 	})
 }
 
diff --git a/api/grpcserver/smesher_service.go b/api/grpcserver/smesher_service.go
index db0eeb84ccc..ff3a1fe72b0 100644
--- a/api/grpcserver/smesher_service.go
+++ b/api/grpcserver/smesher_service.go
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ func (s SmesherService) StartSmeshing(ctx context.Context, in *pb.StartSmeshingR
 	opts.DataDir = in.Opts.DataDir
 	opts.NumUnits = in.Opts.NumUnits
 	opts.MaxFileSize = in.Opts.MaxFileSize
-	opts.ProviderID = int(in.Opts.ProviderId)
+	opts.ProviderID = uint64(in.Opts.ProviderId)
 	opts.Throttle = in.Opts.Throttle
 
 	coinbaseAddr, err := types.StringToAddress(in.Coinbase.Address)
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 73807aa34f7..50329ac9e30 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ func AddCommands(cmd *cobra.Command) {
 		cfg.SMESHING.Opts.NumUnits, "")
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().Uint64Var(&cfg.SMESHING.Opts.MaxFileSize, "smeshing-opts-maxfilesize",
 		cfg.SMESHING.Opts.MaxFileSize, "")
-	cmd.PersistentFlags().IntVar(&cfg.SMESHING.Opts.ProviderID, "smeshing-opts-provider",
+	cmd.PersistentFlags().Uint64Var(&cfg.SMESHING.Opts.ProviderID, "smeshing-opts-provider",
 		cfg.SMESHING.Opts.ProviderID, "")
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&cfg.SMESHING.Opts.Throttle, "smeshing-opts-throttle",
 		cfg.SMESHING.Opts.Throttle, "")
diff --git a/config/presets/fastnet.go b/config/presets/fastnet.go
index 4f4dc7f6356..523570452d5 100644
--- a/config/presets/fastnet.go
+++ b/config/presets/fastnet.go
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ func fastnet() config.Config {
 
 	conf.SMESHING.CoinbaseAccount = types.GenerateAddress([]byte("1")).String()
 	conf.SMESHING.Start = false
-	conf.SMESHING.Opts.ProviderID = int(initialization.CPUProviderID())
+	conf.SMESHING.Opts.ProviderID = uint64(initialization.CPUProviderID())
 	conf.SMESHING.Opts.NumUnits = 2
 	conf.SMESHING.Opts.Throttle = true
 	// Override proof of work flags to use light mode (less memory intensive)
diff --git a/config/presets/standalone.go b/config/presets/standalone.go
index 018f48d73da..a409391d727 100644
--- a/config/presets/standalone.go
+++ b/config/presets/standalone.go
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ func standalone() config.Config {
 
 	conf.SMESHING.CoinbaseAccount = types.GenerateAddress([]byte("1")).String()
 	conf.SMESHING.Start = true
-	conf.SMESHING.Opts.ProviderID = int(initialization.CPUProviderID())
+	conf.SMESHING.Opts.ProviderID = uint64(initialization.CPUProviderID())
 	conf.SMESHING.Opts.NumUnits = 1
 	conf.SMESHING.Opts.Throttle = true
 	conf.SMESHING.Opts.DataDir = conf.DataDirParent
diff --git a/config/presets/testnet.go b/config/presets/testnet.go
index 7f3dfb3411c..19e96ac1377 100644
--- a/config/presets/testnet.go
+++ b/config/presets/testnet.go
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ func testnet() config.Config {
 
 	conf.SMESHING.CoinbaseAccount = types.GenerateAddress([]byte("1")).String()
 	conf.SMESHING.Start = false
-	conf.SMESHING.Opts.ProviderID = int(initialization.CPUProviderID())
+	conf.SMESHING.Opts.ProviderID = uint64(initialization.CPUProviderID())
 	conf.SMESHING.Opts.NumUnits = 2
 	conf.SMESHING.Opts.Throttle = true
 
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 8613e46ee40..ecef59ffe6f 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/spacemeshos/go-scale v1.1.10
 	github.com/spacemeshos/merkle-tree v0.2.2
 	github.com/spacemeshos/poet v0.8.7
-	github.com/spacemeshos/post v0.8.11
+	github.com/spacemeshos/post v0.8.12-0.20230804123744-7e32021db1c1
 	github.com/spf13/afero v1.9.5
 	github.com/spf13/cobra v1.7.0
 	github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.5
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 6036a224e21..510eb907781 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -647,8 +647,8 @@ github.com/spacemeshos/merkle-tree v0.2.2 h1:+zF+17CwVebq9UzShunUBXv16rEVKIJHh2C
 github.com/spacemeshos/merkle-tree v0.2.2/go.mod h1:0Q/z4S5Kt9qz/c3qWa7hKA1yT7n7odyysbPIUTRu/xo=
 github.com/spacemeshos/poet v0.8.7 h1:Q85SDIlV0Asn7AJ9TaIbE1upimcXSUixYVeSY2bFqXI=
 github.com/spacemeshos/poet v0.8.7/go.mod h1:eRT87JENlVfItdJvKtnFCnSFcceeYTRrsXfF5u5sE8k=
-github.com/spacemeshos/post v0.8.11 h1:uZo8n5wF0fGOxRzXHabU/Buu9aLyPT4YWi6ZFms9mWg=
-github.com/spacemeshos/post v0.8.11/go.mod h1:LDj6XQht1ZvTZurBJ+LZNf17t92qIQymWgU2sY6V2Zs=
+github.com/spacemeshos/post v0.8.12-0.20230804123744-7e32021db1c1 h1:+T+Pg/fHVBS7rPS4TBSUDRUo7DhLHreSFhjRlzcGpr0=
+github.com/spacemeshos/post v0.8.12-0.20230804123744-7e32021db1c1/go.mod h1:LDj6XQht1ZvTZurBJ+LZNf17t92qIQymWgU2sY6V2Zs=
 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/node/node_test.go b/node/node_test.go
index 6e5b44b36de..b0c46d061a2 100644
--- a/node/node_test.go
+++ b/node/node_test.go
@@ -999,7 +999,7 @@ func getTestDefaultConfig(tb testing.TB) *config.Config {
 	cfg.SMESHING = config.DefaultSmeshingConfig()
 	cfg.SMESHING.Start = true
 	cfg.SMESHING.Opts.NumUnits = cfg.POST.MinNumUnits + 1
-	cfg.SMESHING.Opts.ProviderID = int(initialization.CPUProviderID())
+	cfg.SMESHING.Opts.ProviderID = uint64(initialization.CPUProviderID())
 
 	// note: these need to be set sufficiently low enough that turbohare finishes well before the LayerDurationSec
 	cfg.HARE.RoundDuration = 2