diff --git a/optimism/devnet.go b/optimism/devnet.go
index 3220827ea7..8dc9057e69 100644
--- a/optimism/devnet.go
+++ b/optimism/devnet.go
@@ -519,18 +519,13 @@ func StartSequencerDevnet(ctx context.Context, d *Devnet, params *SequencerDevne
 	d.AddOpBatcher(0, 0, 0)
 	d.AddOpProposer(0, 0, 0)
 
-	block, err := d.L1Client(0).BlockByNumber(ctx, nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	expHeight := uint64(time.Now().Sub(time.Unix(int64(block.Time()), 0)).Seconds() / 2)
-	if err := WaitBlock(ctx, d.L2Client(0), expHeight); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
 	d.InitBindingsL1(0)
 	d.InitBindingsL2(0)
 
+	if err := WaitBlock(ctx, d.L1Client(0), 2); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/optimism/helper.go b/optimism/helper.go
index 286a0462d7..4270aad4b2 100644
--- a/optimism/helper.go
+++ b/optimism/helper.go
@@ -4,16 +4,19 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"errors"
+	"io"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"time"
+
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core/types"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/ethclient"
 	"github.com/ethereum/hive/hivesim"
-	"io"
-	"io/ioutil"
-	"time"
 )
 
+var ErrTransactionFailed = errors.New("transaction failed")
+
 func BytesFile(name string, data []byte) hivesim.StartOption {
 	return hivesim.WithDynamicFile(name, func() (io.ReadCloser, error) {
 		return ioutil.NopCloser(bytes.NewReader(data)), nil
@@ -74,16 +77,20 @@ func WaitReceipt(ctx context.Context, client *ethclient.Client, hash common.Hash
 	defer ticker.Stop()
 	for {
 		receipt, err := client.TransactionReceipt(ctx, hash)
-		if receipt != nil && err == nil {
-			return receipt, nil
-		} else if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, ethereum.NotFound) {
+		if errors.Is(err, ethereum.NotFound) {
+			select {
+			case <-ctx.Done():
+				return nil, ctx.Err()
+			case <-ticker.C:
+				continue
+			}
+		}
+		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-
-		select {
-		case <-ctx.Done():
-			return nil, ctx.Err()
-		case <-ticker.C:
+		if receipt.Status == types.ReceiptStatusFailed {
+			return receipt, ErrTransactionFailed
 		}
+		return receipt, nil
 	}
 }
diff --git a/simulators/optimism/l1ops/deposit_tests.go b/simulators/optimism/l1ops/deposit_tests.go
index bacaca334f..b18584623d 100644
--- a/simulators/optimism/l1ops/deposit_tests.go
+++ b/simulators/optimism/l1ops/deposit_tests.go
@@ -52,7 +52,11 @@ func contractPortalDepositTest(t *hivesim.T, env *optimism.TestEnv) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	l1Opts := l1Vault.KeyedTransactor(depositor)
-	l1Opts.Value = big.NewInt(0.1 * params.Ether)
+	l1Opts.Value = big.NewInt(0.5 * params.Ether)
+	// Set a high gas limit to prevent reverts. The gas limit
+	// can sometimes be off by a bit as a result of the resource
+	// metering code.
+	l1Opts.GasLimit = 3_000_000
 
 	portal := env.Devnet.Bindings.BindingsL1.OptimismPortal
 	tx, err := portal.DepositTransaction(l1Opts, common.Address{}, common.Big0, 1_000_000, true, deployTx.Data())
@@ -83,6 +87,11 @@ func doDeposit(t *hivesim.T, env *optimism.TestEnv, depositor common.Address, mi
 	l1Vault := env.Devnet.L1Vault
 	opts := l1Vault.KeyedTransactor(depositor)
 	opts.Value = mintAmount
+
+	// Set a high gas limit to prevent reverts. The gas limit
+	// can sometimes be off by a bit as a result of the resource
+	// metering code.
+	opts.GasLimit = 3_000_000
 	tx, err := depositContract.DepositTransaction(opts, depositor, common.Big0, 1_000_000, false, nil)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	receipt, err := optimism.WaitReceipt(env.TimeoutCtx(time.Minute), l1, tx.Hash())
@@ -91,9 +100,8 @@ func doDeposit(t *hivesim.T, env *optimism.TestEnv, depositor common.Address, mi
 	reconstructedDep, err := derive.UnmarshalDepositLogEvent(receipt.Logs[0])
 	require.NoError(t, err, "could not reconstruct L2 deposit")
 	tx = types.NewTx(reconstructedDep)
-	receipt, err = optimism.WaitReceipt(env.TimeoutCtx(45*time.Second), l2, tx.Hash())
+	_, err = optimism.WaitReceipt(env.TimeoutCtx(45*time.Second), l2, tx.Hash())
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	require.Equal(t, receipt.Status, types.ReceiptStatusSuccessful)
 }
 
 func awaitDeposit(t *hivesim.T, env *optimism.TestEnv, tx *types.Transaction, l1, l2 *ethclient.Client) *types.Receipt {
@@ -104,6 +112,5 @@ func awaitDeposit(t *hivesim.T, env *optimism.TestEnv, tx *types.Transaction, l1
 	tx = types.NewTx(reconstructedDep)
 	receipt, err = optimism.WaitReceipt(env.TimeoutCtx(45*time.Second), l2, tx.Hash())
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	require.Equal(t, receipt.Status, types.ReceiptStatusSuccessful)
 	return receipt
 }