diff --git a/tests/rptest/tests/shard_placement_test.py b/tests/rptest/tests/shard_placement_test.py
index e025b711d6acf..687d465ea979b 100644
--- a/tests/rptest/tests/shard_placement_test.py
+++ b/tests/rptest/tests/shard_placement_test.py
@@ -12,20 +12,68 @@
 from rptest.services.cluster import cluster
 from rptest.services.redpanda import ResourceSettings
 from rptest.services.admin import Admin
+import rptest.services.kgo_verifier_services as kgo
 from rptest.clients.rpk import RpkTool
-from rptest.tests.redpanda_test import RedpandaTest
+from rptest.tests.prealloc_nodes import PreallocNodesTest
 from rptest.services.redpanda_installer import RedpandaInstaller
 from rptest.util import wait_until_result
 
 
-class ShardPlacementTest(RedpandaTest):
+class ShardPlacementTest(PreallocNodesTest):
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
-        super().__init__(*args, num_brokers=5, **kwargs)
+        super().__init__(*args, num_brokers=5, node_prealloc_count=1, **kwargs)
 
     def setUp(self):
         # start the nodes manually
         pass
 
+    def start_client_load(self, topic_name):
+        msg_size = 4096
+
+        if self.redpanda.dedicated_nodes:
+            rate_limit_bps = 100 * 2**20
+        elif not self.debug_mode:
+            rate_limit_bps = 10 * 2**20
+        else:
+            rate_limit_bps = 100 * 2**10
+
+        self.producer = kgo.KgoVerifierProducer(
+            self.test_context,
+            self.redpanda,
+            topic=topic_name,
+            msg_size=msg_size,
+            # some large number to get produce load till the end of test
+            msg_count=2**30,
+            rate_limit_bps=rate_limit_bps,
+            custom_node=self.preallocated_nodes)
+        self.producer.start(clean=False)
+        self.producer.wait_for_acks(10, timeout_sec=30, backoff_sec=1)
+
+        self.consumer = kgo.KgoVerifierConsumerGroupConsumer(
+            self.test_context,
+            self.redpanda,
+            topic=topic_name,
+            msg_size=msg_size,
+            readers=5,
+            loop=True,
+            nodes=self.preallocated_nodes,
+            debug_logs=True)
+        self.consumer.start(clean=False)
+        self.consumer.wait_total_reads(10, timeout_sec=30, backoff_sec=1)
+
+    def stop_client_load(self):
+        self.producer.stop()
+        self.consumer.wait_total_reads(self.producer.produce_status.acked,
+                                       timeout_sec=60,
+                                       backoff_sec=1)
+        self.consumer.stop()
+
+        self.logger.info(
+            f"produced {self.producer.produce_status.acked} msgs, "
+            f"consumed {self.consumer.consumer_status.validator.valid_reads}")
+        assert self.consumer.consumer_status.validator.invalid_reads == 0
+        assert self.consumer.consumer_status.validator.out_of_scope_invalid_reads == 0
+
     def get_replica_shard_map(self, nodes, admin=None):
         """Return map of topic -> partition -> [(node_id, core)]"""
 
@@ -102,7 +150,7 @@ def is_stationary():
                    backoff_sec=backoff_sec)
         return shard_map
 
-    @cluster(num_nodes=5)
+    @cluster(num_nodes=6)
     def test_upgrade(self):
         # Disable partition balancer in this test, as we need partitions
         # to remain stationary.
@@ -127,6 +175,8 @@ def test_upgrade(self):
         for topic in ["foo", "bar"]:
             rpk.create_topic(topic, partitions=n_partitions, replicas=3)
 
+        self.start_client_load("foo")
+
         self.logger.info("created cluster and topics.")
         initial_map = self.get_replica_shard_map(seed_nodes, admin)
         self.print_shard_stats(initial_map)
@@ -236,7 +286,9 @@ def test_upgrade(self):
         self.print_shard_stats(map_after_restart)
         assert map_after_restart == map_before_restart
 
-    @cluster(num_nodes=5)
+        self.stop_client_load()
+
+    @cluster(num_nodes=6)
     def test_manual_rebalance(self):
         self.redpanda.start()
 
@@ -248,6 +300,8 @@ def test_manual_rebalance(self):
         for topic in ["foo", "bar"]:
             rpk.create_topic(topic, partitions=n_partitions, replicas=5)
 
+        self.start_client_load("foo")
+
         # Manually move some partitions to create artificial imbalance
 
         node = self.redpanda.nodes[0]
@@ -287,7 +341,9 @@ def test_manual_rebalance(self):
         for topic, shard_counts in counts_by_topic.items():
             assert max(shard_counts) - min(shard_counts) <= 1
 
-    @cluster(num_nodes=5)
+        self.stop_client_load()
+
+    @cluster(num_nodes=6)
     def test_core_count_change(self):
         self.redpanda.set_resource_settings(ResourceSettings(num_cpus=1))
         self.redpanda.start()
@@ -301,6 +357,8 @@ def test_core_count_change(self):
             # create topics with rf=5 for ease of accounting
             rpk.create_topic(topic, partitions=n_partitions, replicas=5)
 
+        self.start_client_load("foo")
+
         # increase cpu count on one node, restart it and
         # check that new shards are in use.
         self.logger.info("increasing cpu count and restarting...")
@@ -346,9 +404,11 @@ def test_core_count_change(self):
         self.print_shard_stats(map_after_restart)
         assert map_after_restart == shard_map
 
+        self.stop_client_load()
+
         # TODO: core count decrease (not supported yet)
 
-    @cluster(num_nodes=5)
+    @cluster(num_nodes=6)
     def test_node_join(self):
         self.redpanda.add_extra_rp_conf({
             "core_balancing_continuous": True,
@@ -366,6 +426,8 @@ def test_node_join(self):
         for topic in topics:
             rpk.create_topic(topic, partitions=n_partitions, replicas=3)
 
+        self.start_client_load("foo")
+
         self.logger.info(f"created topics: {topics}")
         initial_shard_map = self.wait_shard_map_stationary(seed_nodes, admin)
         self.print_shard_stats(initial_shard_map)
@@ -407,3 +469,5 @@ def shard_rebalance_finished():
                                                     backoff_sec=2)
         self.logger.info("shard rebalance finished")
         self.print_shard_stats(shard_map_after_balance)
+
+        self.stop_client_load()