diff --git a/hosts/skydick/DATAPOOL.md b/hosts/skydick/DATAPOOL.md
index 50d919c..530e6bb 100644
--- a/hosts/skydick/DATAPOOL.md
+++ b/hosts/skydick/DATAPOOL.md
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 - `dick/users/<user>/{files,bt-state,vm}` for per-user private data
 - `dick/system/{backup,vm}` for centrally managed system storage
 - `dick/templates/vm` for shared read-only VM base images
+- `dick` should carry `atime=off`, so child datasets inherit a read-optimized default unless explicitly overridden
 
 The old `dick/{share,backup,torrent,vm}` layout is no longer part of the design. Torrent payload now
 lives under `/srv/media/data`, and organized media under `/srv/media/library`.
@@ -183,6 +184,11 @@
 10.0.1.1:/users/ldx  /mnt/skydick  nfs4  rw,hard,rsize=1048576,wsize=1048576,nconnect=16,_netdev  0  0
 ```
 
+For SMB on `skydick`, keep Samba on its Linux defaults for socket buffers and SMB multichannel
+unless a benchmark proves a specific override helps. The host-side low-risk storage tuning is
+`atime=off` on the `dick` pool root so reads do not create extra metadata writes across child
+datasets.
+
 ## Share details
 
 ### Public (`/srv/public`)
@@ -369,6 +375,13 @@
 done
 ```
 
+`dick` is expected to have `atime=off`; the child datasets above inherit it automatically. Verify
+after creation:
+
+```bash
+zfs get atime dick dick/users/<newuser> dick/users/<newuser>/files
+```
+
 ### 6. Bootstrap SMB login if the user needs SMB
 
 ```bash
@@ -456,6 +469,12 @@
 zfs list -o name,used,avail,refer,quota -r dick
 ```
 
+Check the datapool access-time policy:
+
+```bash
+zfs get -r atime dick
+```
+
 Check NFS exports:
 
 ```bash
@@ -504,6 +523,13 @@
 - Add `rsize=1048576,wsize=1048576` for 1MB read/write blocks
 - Check link speed: `ethtool <interface> | grep Speed`
 
+### Slow SMB transfers
+
+- Do not force Samba `socket options` buffer sizes unless you have benchmark data; Linux autotuning is usually better
+- Confirm the datapool inherits `atime=off`: `zfs get -r atime dick`
+- Check live SMB sessions and negotiated dialect: `smbstatus -b`
+- Check the active link speed on skydick: `ethtool <interface> | grep Speed`
+
 ### Files not showing up in media library
 
 The *arr stack (Sonarr/Radarr/Lidarr) hardlinks files from `/srv/media/data/` to
diff --git a/hosts/skydick/datapool.nix b/hosts/skydick/datapool.nix
index 37daa2e..f4d7861 100644
--- a/hosts/skydick/datapool.nix
+++ b/hosts/skydick/datapool.nix
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 # === Pool creation ===
 #
 #   zpool create -o ashift=12 -o autotrim=on -o failmode=continue \
-#     -O compression=zstd -O relatime=on \
+#     -O compression=zstd -O atime=off \
 #     -O xattr=sa -O acltype=posixacl -O dnodesize=auto \
 #     -O normalization=formD -O redundant_metadata=most \
 #     -O mountpoint=none -O canmount=off \
@@ -156,6 +156,10 @@
 #   ZFS quota on dick/users/<user> caps total across all child datasets.
 #   dick/media is shared — no per-user quota; manage via service-level controls.
 #
+# Access time:
+#   dick should carry atime=off so child datasets inherit it by default. This
+#   avoids metadata writes on reads across SMB/NFS-serving datasets.
+#
 # Auth:
 #   NFS all_squash provides UID mapping, not authentication.  Per-user NFS here
 #   uses one explicit export per user, which is acceptable for a small fixed set
@@ -216,6 +220,32 @@
 
   ];
 
+  # Keep the manually created dick pool aligned with the documented policy.
+  systemd.services.dick-zfs-properties = {
+    description = "Apply ZFS properties for the dick datapool";
+    wants = [ "zfs-mount.service" ];
+    after = [ "zfs-mount.service" ];
+    before = [ "nfs-server.service" "samba-smbd.service" ];
+    wantedBy = [ "multi-user.target" ];
+
+    serviceConfig = {
+      Type = "oneshot";
+      RemainAfterExit = true;
+    };
+
+    script = ''
+      set -euo pipefail
+      if ! ${pkgs.zfs}/bin/zpool list -H -o name dick >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        exit 0
+      fi
+
+      # Child datasets on the datapool currently inherit the pool default.
+      # Setting the root keeps read-heavy SMB/NFS trees from generating atime
+      # metadata writes without having to stamp every descendant explicitly.
+      ${pkgs.zfs}/bin/zfs set atime=off dick
+    '';
+  };
+
   systemd.services.samba-ldap-admin-password = {
     description = "Seed Samba LDAP admin password into secrets.tdb";
     wants = [ "network-online.target" ];
@@ -302,19 +332,15 @@
         "hosts allow" = "10.0. 127.";
         "hosts deny" = "ALL";
 
-        "socket options" = "TCP_NODELAY IPTOS_LOWDELAY SO_RCVBUF=1048576 SO_SNDBUF=1048576";
-        "use sendfile" = "yes";
-        "aio read size" = "16384";
-        "aio write size" = "16384";
-        "min receivefile size" = "16384";
+        # Keep Samba on Linux defaults for socket buffers and multichannel.
+        # skydick's active 10 GbE NIC already exposes RSS queues, so manual
+        # interface capability tags or fixed SO_RCVBUF/SO_SNDBUF tuning would
+        # add complexity without a measured benefit.
 
         "map to guest" = "never";
         "server min protocol" = "SMB2_10";
 
         "load printers" = "no";
-        
-        "server multi channel support" = "yes";
-        
       };
 
       # Shared datasets