Denote by $Δ_M$ the $M$-dimensional simplex. A map $f\colon Δ_M\to\mathbb R^d$ is an almost $r$-embedding if $fσ_1\cap\ldots\cap fσ_r=\emptyset$ whenever $σ_1,\ldots,σ_r$ are pairwise disjoint faces. A counterexample to the topological Tverberg conjecture asserts that if $r$ is not a prime power and $d\ge2r+1$, then there is an almost $r$-embedding $Δ_{(d+1)(r-1)}\to\mathbb R^d$. This was improved by Blagojević-Frick-Ziegler using a simple construction of higher-dimensional counterexamples by taking $k$-fold join power of lower-dimensional ones. We improve this further (for $d$ large compared to $r$): If $r$ is not a prime power and $N:=(d+1)r-r\Big\lceil\dfrac{d+2}{r+1}\Big\rceil-2$, then there is an almost $r$-embedding $Δ_N\to\mathbb R^d$. For the $r$-fold van Kampen-Flores conjecture we also produce counterexamples which are stronger than previously known. Our proof is based on generalizations of the Mabillard-Wagner theorem on construction of almost $r$-embeddings from equivariant maps, and of the Özaydin theorem on existence of equivariant maps.