diff --git a/packages/cli/src/deploy/getDeployClient.ts b/packages/cli/src/deploy/getDeployClient.ts
index fa7b259d79..87d9672922 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/deploy/getDeployClient.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/deploy/getDeployClient.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { transactionQueue } from "@latticexyz/common/actions";
 import { rhodolite } from "@latticexyz/common/chains";
-import { claimGasPass, getAllowance, hasPassIssuer, gasEstimator } from "@latticexyz/paymaster/internal";
+import { claimGasPass, getAllowance, hasPassIssuer } from "@latticexyz/paymaster/internal";
 import { wiresaw } from "@latticexyz/wiresaw/internal";
 import { smartAccountActions } from "permissionless";
 import { toSimpleSmartAccount } from "permissionless/accounts";
@@ -61,8 +61,7 @@ export async function getDeployClient(opts: {
       const account = await toSimpleSmartAccount({ client, owner: opts.account });
       const bundlerClient = createBundlerClient({
         chain,
-        // TODO: figure out how to remove gas estimator (currently times out if not present)
-        transport: gasEstimator(wiresaw(http(bundlerHttpUrl))),
+        transport: wiresaw(http(bundlerHttpUrl)),
         account,
         paymaster: {
           getPaymasterData: async () => ({
diff --git a/packages/entrykit/src/getBundlerTransport.ts b/packages/entrykit/src/getBundlerTransport.ts
index ed3b8325ae..9b71ee460d 100644
--- a/packages/entrykit/src/getBundlerTransport.ts
+++ b/packages/entrykit/src/getBundlerTransport.ts
@@ -2,13 +2,13 @@ import { transactionQueue } from "@latticexyz/common/actions";
 import { Chain, createClient, fallback, http, webSocket } from "viem";
 import { privateKeyToAccount, generatePrivateKey } from "viem/accounts";
 import { wiresaw } from "@latticexyz/wiresaw/internal";
-import { gasEstimator, userOpExecutor } from "@latticexyz/paymaster/internal";
+import { userOpExecutor } from "@latticexyz/paymaster/internal";
 
 export function getBundlerTransport(chain: Chain) {
   const bundlerHttpUrl = chain.rpcUrls.bundler?.http[0];
   // TODO: bundler websocket
   const bundlerTransport = bundlerHttpUrl
-    ? gasEstimator(wiresaw(http(bundlerHttpUrl)))
+    ? wiresaw(http(bundlerHttpUrl))
     : chain.id === 31337
       ? userOpExecutor({
           executor: createClient({
diff --git a/packages/entrykit/src/onboarding/useSetupSession.ts b/packages/entrykit/src/onboarding/useSetupSession.ts
index 771e454cf7..ba270f872d 100644
--- a/packages/entrykit/src/onboarding/useSetupSession.ts
+++ b/packages/entrykit/src/onboarding/useSetupSession.ts
@@ -113,6 +113,15 @@ export function useSetupSession({ userClient }: { userClient: ConnectedClient })
 
         if (!calls.length) return;
 
+        // if (!(await userClient.account.isDeployed())) {
+        //   // send empty tx to create the smart account, otherwise the first tx may fail due to bad gas estimation
+        //   console.log("creating smart account at", userClient.account.address);
+        //   const hash = await getAction(userClient, sendUserOperation, "sendUserOperation")({ calls: [] });
+        //   console.log("tx:", hash);
+        //   const receipt = await getAction(userClient, waitForTransactionReceipt, "waitForTransactionReceipt")({ hash });
+        //   console.log("receipt:", receipt.status);
+        // }
+
         console.log("setting up account with", calls, userClient);
         const hash = await getAction(userClient, sendUserOperation, "sendUserOperation")({ calls });
         console.log("got user op hash", hash);