diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 60ff4cdc93..0b029c3f32 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ on:
   pull_request:
 
 env:
-  NWAKU_VERSION: "v0.11"
+  NWAKU_VERSION: "v0.13.0"
   NODE_JS: "16"
 
 jobs:
diff --git a/nwaku b/nwaku
index fec1397483..9debd44e2a 160000
--- a/nwaku
+++ b/nwaku
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit fec13974836149c2b81cab8d4178dee7bfc56db1
+Subproject commit 9debd44e2aebf07eaf96b4525a4497c69aaf4445
diff --git a/packages/core/src/lib/waku.ts b/packages/core/src/lib/waku.ts
index f792eb6c56..ba1bdd6c9e 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/lib/waku.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/lib/waku.ts
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ import { FilterCodec, WakuFilter } from "./waku_filter";
 import { LightPushCodec, WakuLightPush } from "./waku_light_push";
 import { EncoderV0 } from "./waku_message/version_0";
 import { WakuRelay } from "./waku_relay";
-import { RelayCodecs, RelayPingContentTopic } from "./waku_relay/constants";
 import * as relayConstants from "./waku_relay/constants";
+import { RelayCodecs, RelayPingContentTopic } from "./waku_relay/constants";
 import { StoreCodec, WakuStore } from "./waku_store";
 
 export const DefaultPingKeepAliveValueSecs = 0;
@@ -109,13 +109,20 @@ export class WakuNode implements Waku {
    * Dials to the provided peer.
    *
    * @param peer The peer to dial
-   * @param protocols Waku protocols we expect from the peer; Default to Relay
+   * @param protocols Waku protocols we expect from the peer; Defaults to mounted protocols
    */
   async dial(
     peer: PeerId | Multiaddr,
     protocols?: Protocols[]
   ): Promise<Stream> {
-    const _protocols = protocols ?? [Protocols.Relay];
+    const _protocols = protocols ?? [];
+
+    if (typeof protocols === "undefined") {
+      this.relay && _protocols.push(Protocols.Relay);
+      this.store && _protocols.push(Protocols.Store);
+      this.filter && _protocols.push(Protocols.Filter);
+      this.lightPush && _protocols.push(Protocols.LightPush);
+    }
 
     const codecs: string[] = [];
     if (_protocols.includes(Protocols.Relay)) {
@@ -131,8 +138,6 @@ export class WakuNode implements Waku {
       codecs.push(FilterCodec);
     }
 
-    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/ban-ts-comment
-    // @ts-ignore: new Multiaddr is not backward compatible
     return this.libp2p.dialProtocol(peer, codecs);
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/lib/waku_store/index.ts b/packages/core/src/lib/waku_store/index.ts
index 6bef492059..efcbf10b72 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/lib/waku_store/index.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/lib/waku_store/index.ts
@@ -227,8 +227,8 @@ export class WakuStore {
     );
 
     log("Querying history with the following options", {
-      peerId: options?.peerId?.toString(),
       ...options,
+      peerId: options?.peerId?.toString(),
     });
 
     const res = await selectPeerForProtocol(
diff --git a/packages/tests/package.json b/packages/tests/package.json
index 5b4ce611c2..f2eaabaade 100644
--- a/packages/tests/package.json
+++ b/packages/tests/package.json
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
     "check:spelling": "cspell \"{README.md,{tests,src}/**/*.ts}\"",
     "check:tsc": "tsc -p tsconfig.dev.json",
     "test": "run-s test:*",
-    "test:node": "TS_NODE_PROJECT=./tsconfig.json mocha",
+    "test:node": "TS_NODE_PROJECT=./tsconfig.dev.json mocha",
     "reset-hard": "git clean -dfx -e .idea && git reset --hard && npm i && npm run build"
   },
   "engines": {
diff --git a/packages/tests/src/nwaku.ts b/packages/tests/src/nwaku.ts
index 036196446e..1a240e6dff 100644
--- a/packages/tests/src/nwaku.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/src/nwaku.ts
@@ -44,10 +44,10 @@ export interface Args {
   nodekey?: string;
   portsShift?: number;
   logLevel?: LogLevel;
-  persistMessages?: boolean;
   lightpush?: boolean;
   filter?: boolean;
   store?: boolean;
+  storeMessageDbUrl?: string;
   topics?: string;
   rpcPrivate?: boolean;
   websocketSupport?: boolean;
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@ export class Nwaku {
       headers: new Headers({ "Content-Type": "application/json" }),
     });
     const json = await res.json();
-    log(`RPC Response: `, res, JSON.stringify(json));
+    log(`RPC Response: `, JSON.stringify(json));
     return json.result;
   }
 
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ export function argsToArray(args: Args): Array<string> {
 
   for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(args)) {
     // Change the key from camelCase to kebab-case
-    const kebabKey = key.replace(/([A-Z])/, (_, capital) => {
+    const kebabKey = key.replace(/([A-Z])/g, (_, capital) => {
       return "-" + capital.toLowerCase();
     });
 
@@ -442,6 +442,7 @@ export function defaultArgs(): Args {
     rpc: true,
     rpcAdmin: true,
     websocketSupport: true,
+    storeMessageDbUrl: "sqlite://:memory:",
     logLevel: LogLevel.Debug,
   };
 }
diff --git a/packages/tests/tests/nwaku.node.spec.ts b/packages/tests/tests/nwaku.node.spec.ts
index 5299aab3f6..b1602bb2da 100644
--- a/packages/tests/tests/nwaku.node.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/tests/nwaku.node.spec.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ describe("nwaku", () => {
       "--rpc=true",
       "--rpc-admin=true",
       "--websocket-support=true",
+      "--store-message-db-url=sqlite://:memory:",
       "--log-level=DEBUG",
       "--ports-shift=42",
     ];
diff --git a/packages/tests/tests/store.node.spec.ts b/packages/tests/tests/store.node.spec.ts
index da6deeece3..b7ff8c5076 100644
--- a/packages/tests/tests/store.node.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/tests/store.node.spec.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ describe("Waku Store", () => {
   beforeEach(async function () {
     this.timeout(15_000);
     nwaku = new Nwaku(makeLogFileName(this));
-    await nwaku.start({ persistMessages: true, store: true, lightpush: true });
+    await nwaku.start({ store: true, lightpush: true });
   });
 
   afterEach(async function () {
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ describe("Waku Store", () => {
       expect(
         await nwaku.sendMessage(
           Nwaku.toMessageRpcQuery({
-            payload: utf8ToBytes(`Message ${i}`),
+            payload: new Uint8Array([i]),
             contentTopic: TestContentTopic,
           })
         )
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ describe("Waku Store", () => {
 
     expect(messages?.length).eq(totalMsgs);
     const result = messages?.findIndex((msg) => {
-      return bytesToUtf8(msg.payload!) === "Message 0";
+      return msg.payload![0]! === 0;
     });
     expect(result).to.not.eq(-1);
   });
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ describe("Waku Store", () => {
       expect(
         await nwaku.sendMessage(
           Nwaku.toMessageRpcQuery({
-            payload: utf8ToBytes(`Message ${i}`),
+            payload: new Uint8Array([i]),
             contentTopic: TestContentTopic,
           })
         )
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ describe("Waku Store", () => {
 
     expect(messages?.length).eq(totalMsgs);
     const result = messages?.findIndex((msg) => {
-      return bytesToUtf8(msg.payload!) === "Message 0";
+      return msg.payload![0]! === 0;
     });
     expect(result).to.not.eq(-1);
   });
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ describe("Waku Store", () => {
       expect(
         await nwaku.sendMessage(
           Nwaku.toMessageRpcQuery({
-            payload: utf8ToBytes(`Message ${i}`),
+            payload: new Uint8Array([i]),
             contentTopic: TestContentTopic,
           })
         )
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ describe("Waku Store", () => {
       expect(
         await nwaku.sendMessage(
           Nwaku.toMessageRpcQuery({
-            payload: utf8ToBytes(`Message ${i}`),
+            payload: new Uint8Array([i]),
             contentTopic: TestContentTopic,
           })
         )
@@ -225,13 +225,8 @@ describe("Waku Store", () => {
     );
 
     expect(messages?.length).eq(totalMsgs);
-    for (let index = 0; index < totalMsgs; index++) {
-      expect(
-        messages?.findIndex((msg) => {
-          return bytesToUtf8(msg.payload!) === `Message ${index}`;
-        })
-      ).to.eq(index);
-    }
+    const payloads = messages.map((msg) => msg.payload![0]!);
+    expect(payloads).to.deep.eq(Array.from(Array(totalMsgs).keys()));
   });
 
   it("Ordered Callback - Backward", async function () {
@@ -242,7 +237,7 @@ describe("Waku Store", () => {
       expect(
         await nwaku.sendMessage(
           Nwaku.toMessageRpcQuery({
-            payload: utf8ToBytes(`Message ${i}`),
+            payload: new Uint8Array([i]),
             contentTopic: TestContentTopic,
           })
         )
@@ -270,13 +265,8 @@ describe("Waku Store", () => {
     messages = messages.reverse();
 
     expect(messages?.length).eq(totalMsgs);
-    for (let index = 0; index < totalMsgs; index++) {
-      expect(
-        messages?.findIndex((msg) => {
-          return bytesToUtf8(msg.payload!) === `Message ${index}`;
-        })
-      ).to.eq(index);
-    }
+    const payloads = messages.map((msg) => msg.payload![0]!);
+    expect(payloads).to.deep.eq(Array.from(Array(totalMsgs).keys()));
   });
 
   it("Generator, with asymmetric & symmetric encrypted messages", async function () {
@@ -385,27 +375,27 @@ describe("Waku Store", () => {
     const now = new Date();
 
     const startTime = new Date();
-    // Set start time 5 minutes in the past
-    startTime.setTime(now.getTime() - 5 * 60 * 1000);
+    // Set start time 15 seconds in the past
+    startTime.setTime(now.getTime() - 15 * 1000);
 
     const message1Timestamp = new Date();
-    // Set first message was 4 minutes in the past
-    message1Timestamp.setTime(now.getTime() - 4 * 60 * 1000);
+    // Set first message was 10 seconds in the past
+    message1Timestamp.setTime(now.getTime() - 10 * 1000);
 
     const message2Timestamp = new Date();
-    // Set second message 2 minutes in the past
-    message2Timestamp.setTime(now.getTime() - 2 * 60 * 1000);
+    // Set second message 2 seconds in the past
+    message2Timestamp.setTime(now.getTime() - 2 * 1000);
     const messageTimestamps = [message1Timestamp, message2Timestamp];
 
     const endTime = new Date();
-    // Set end time 1 minute in the past
-    endTime.setTime(now.getTime() - 60 * 1000);
+    // Set end time 1 second in the past
+    endTime.setTime(now.getTime() - 1000);
 
     for (let i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
       expect(
         await nwaku.sendMessage(
           Nwaku.toMessageRpcQuery({
-            payload: utf8ToBytes(`Message ${i}`),
+            payload: new Uint8Array([i]),
             contentTopic: TestContentTopic,
             timestamp: messageTimestamps[i],
           })
@@ -453,7 +443,7 @@ describe("Waku Store", () => {
 
     expect(firstMessages?.length).eq(1);
 
-    expect(bytesToUtf8(firstMessages[0].payload!)).eq("Message 0");
+    expect(firstMessages[0].payload![0]!).eq(0);
 
     expect(bothMessages?.length).eq(2);
   });
@@ -467,7 +457,7 @@ describe("Waku Store", () => {
       expect(
         await nwaku.sendMessage(
           Nwaku.toMessageRpcQuery({
-            payload: utf8ToBytes(`Message ${i}`),
+            payload: new Uint8Array([i]),
             contentTopic: TestContentTopic,
           })
         )
@@ -505,7 +495,6 @@ describe("Waku Store, custom pubsub topic", () => {
     this.timeout(15_000);
     nwaku = new Nwaku(makeLogFileName(this));
     await nwaku.start({
-      persistMessages: true,
       store: true,
       topics: customPubSubTopic,
     });
@@ -524,7 +513,7 @@ describe("Waku Store, custom pubsub topic", () => {
       expect(
         await nwaku.sendMessage(
           Nwaku.toMessageRpcQuery({
-            payload: utf8ToBytes(`Message ${i}`),
+            payload: new Uint8Array([i]),
             contentTopic: TestContentTopic,
           }),
           customPubSubTopic
@@ -556,7 +545,7 @@ describe("Waku Store, custom pubsub topic", () => {
 
     expect(messages?.length).eq(totalMsgs);
     const result = messages?.findIndex((msg) => {
-      return bytesToUtf8(msg.payload!) === "Message 0";
+      return msg.payload![0]! === 0;
     });
     expect(result).to.not.eq(-1);
   });
diff --git a/packages/tests/tests/wait_for_remote_peer.node.spec.ts b/packages/tests/tests/wait_for_remote_peer.node.spec.ts
index 96aeba1ed3..08bbb4da5c 100644
--- a/packages/tests/tests/wait_for_remote_peer.node.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/tests/wait_for_remote_peer.node.spec.ts
@@ -101,7 +101,6 @@ describe("Wait for remote peer", function () {
       relay: false,
       lightpush: false,
       filter: false,
-      persistMessages: true,
     });
     const multiAddrWithId = await nwaku.getMultiaddrWithId();
 
@@ -128,7 +127,6 @@ describe("Wait for remote peer", function () {
       relay: false,
       lightpush: false,
       filter: false,
-      persistMessages: true,
     });
     const multiAddrWithId = await nwaku.getMultiaddrWithId();
 
@@ -213,7 +211,6 @@ describe("Wait for remote peer", function () {
       lightpush: true,
       relay: false,
       store: true,
-      persistMessages: true,
     });
     const multiAddrWithId = await nwaku.getMultiaddrWithId();
 
diff --git a/packages/tests/tests/waku.node.spec.ts b/packages/tests/tests/waku.node.spec.ts
index 587f6ab808..4d8def7b4d 100644
--- a/packages/tests/tests/waku.node.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/tests/waku.node.spec.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ describe("Waku Dial [node only]", function () {
         filter: true,
         store: true,
         lightpush: true,
-        persistMessages: true,
       });
       const multiAddrWithId = await nwaku.getMultiaddrWithId();