diff --git a/bzz/chunker.go b/bzz/chunker.go
index 2f4b554c76..d01994c6d8 100644
--- a/bzz/chunker.go
+++ b/bzz/chunker.go
@@ -206,8 +206,7 @@ func (self *TreeChunker) split(depth int, treeSize int64, key Key, data SectionR
 	var hash Key
 	dpaLogger.Debugf("depth: %v, max subtree size: %v, data size: %v", depth, treeSize, size)
 
-	switch {
-	case depth == 0:
+	if depth == 0 {
 		// leaf nodes -> content chunks
 		hash = self.Hash(size, data)
 		dpaLogger.Debugf("content chunk: max subtree size: %v, data size: %v", treeSize, size)
@@ -216,13 +215,11 @@ func (self *TreeChunker) split(depth int, treeSize int64, key Key, data SectionR
 			Data: data,
 			Size: size,
 		}
-	case size < treeSize:
-		parentWg.Add(1)
-		// last item on this level (== size % self.Branches ^ (depth + 1) )
-		self.split(depth-1, treeSize/self.Branches, key, data, chunkC, errc, parentWg)
-		return
-
-	default:
+	} else {
+		for size < treeSize {
+			treeSize /= self.Branches
+			depth--
+		}
 		// intermediate chunk containing child nodes hashes
 		branches := int64((size-1)/treeSize) + 1
 		dpaLogger.Debugf("intermediate node: setting branches: %v, depth: %v, max subtree size: %v, data size: %v", branches, depth, treeSize, size)