diff --git a/waku/node/health_monitor/event_loop_monitor.nim b/waku/node/health_monitor/event_loop_monitor.nim
index e423cd2ec..d4b8d98d2 100644
--- a/waku/node/health_monitor/event_loop_monitor.nim
+++ b/waku/node/health_monitor/event_loop_monitor.nim
@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@ const CheckInterval = 5.seconds
 declarePublicGauge event_loop_lag_seconds,
   "chronos event loop lag in seconds: difference between actual and expected wake-up interval"
 
-proc eventLoopMonitorLoop*() {.async.} =
+type OnLagChange* = proc(lagTooHigh: bool) {.gcsafe, raises: [].}
+
+proc eventLoopMonitorLoop*(onLagChange: OnLagChange = nil) {.async.} =
   ## Monitors chronos event loop responsiveness.
   ##
   ## Schedules a task every `CheckInterval`. Because chronos is single-threaded
@@ -22,8 +24,10 @@ proc eventLoopMonitorLoop*() {.async.} =
   ##   actual_elapsed >> CheckInterval      → tasks are accumulating / loop is stalling
   ##
   ## The lag (actual - expected) is exposed via `event_loop_lag_seconds`.
+  ## When lag transitions above or below `CheckInterval`, `onLagChange` is called.
 
   var lastWakeup = Moment.now()
+  var lagWasHigh = false
   while true:
     await sleepAsync(CheckInterval)
 
@@ -34,6 +38,8 @@ proc eventLoopMonitorLoop*() {.async.} =
 
     event_loop_lag_seconds.set(lagSecs)
 
+    let lagIsHigh = lag > CheckInterval
+
     if lag > CheckInterval:
       warn "chronos event loop severely lagging, many tasks may be accumulating",
         expected_secs = CheckInterval.seconds,
@@ -45,4 +51,8 @@ proc eventLoopMonitorLoop*() {.async.} =
         actual_secs = actualElapsed.nanoseconds.float64 / 1_000_000_000.0,
         lag_secs = lagSecs
 
+    if not isNil(onLagChange) and lagIsHigh != lagWasHigh:
+      lagWasHigh = lagIsHigh
+      onLagChange(lagIsHigh)
+
     lastWakeup = now
diff --git a/waku/node/health_monitor/health_status.nim b/waku/node/health_monitor/health_status.nim
index 4dd2bdd9a..91663a507 100644
--- a/waku/node/health_monitor/health_status.nim
+++ b/waku/node/health_monitor/health_status.nim
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ type HealthStatus* {.pure.} = enum
   NOT_READY
   NOT_MOUNTED
   SHUTTING_DOWN
+  EVENT_LOOP_LAGGING
 
 proc init*(t: typedesc[HealthStatus], strRep: string): Result[HealthStatus, string] =
   try:
diff --git a/waku/node/health_monitor/node_health_monitor.nim b/waku/node/health_monitor/node_health_monitor.nim
index 966dc2fcc..c92dc1aaf 100644
--- a/waku/node/health_monitor/node_health_monitor.nim
+++ b/waku/node/health_monitor/node_health_monitor.nim
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ type NodeHealthMonitor* = ref object
   relayObserver: PubSubObserver
   peerEventListener: WakuPeerEventListener
   shardHealthListener: EventShardTopicHealthChangeListener
+  eventLoopLagExceeded: bool
+    ## set to true when the chronos event loop lag exceeds the severe threshold,
+    ## causing the node health to be reported as EVENT_LOOP_LAGGING until lag recovers.
 
 func getHealth*(report: HealthReport, kind: WakuProtocol): ProtocolHealth =
   for h in report.protocolsHealth:
@@ -443,7 +446,8 @@ proc getNodeHealthReport*(hm: NodeHealthMonitor): Future[HealthReport] {.async.}
     hm.cachedProtocols = await hm.getAllProtocolHealthInfo()
     hm.connectionStatus = hm.calculateConnectionState()
 
-  report.nodeHealth = HealthStatus.READY
+  report.nodeHealth =
+    if hm.eventLoopLagExceeded: HealthStatus.EVENT_LOOP_LAGGING else: HealthStatus.READY
   report.connectionStatus = hm.connectionStatus
   report.protocolsHealth = hm.cachedProtocols
   return report
@@ -463,7 +467,8 @@ proc getSyncNodeHealthReport*(hm: NodeHealthMonitor): HealthReport =
     hm.cachedProtocols = hm.getSyncAllProtocolHealthInfo()
     hm.connectionStatus = hm.calculateConnectionState()
 
-  report.nodeHealth = HealthStatus.READY
+  report.nodeHealth =
+    if hm.eventLoopLagExceeded: HealthStatus.EVENT_LOOP_LAGGING else: HealthStatus.READY
   report.connectionStatus = hm.connectionStatus
   report.protocolsHealth = hm.cachedProtocols
   return report
@@ -696,7 +701,11 @@ proc startHealthMonitor*(hm: NodeHealthMonitor): Result[void, string] =
   hm.healthUpdateEvent.fire()
 
   hm.healthLoopFut = hm.healthLoop()
-  hm.eventLoopMonitorFut = eventLoopMonitorLoop()
+  hm.eventLoopMonitorFut = eventLoopMonitorLoop(
+    proc(lagTooHigh: bool) {.gcsafe, raises: [].} =
+      hm.eventLoopLagExceeded = lagTooHigh
+      hm.healthUpdateEvent.fire()
+  )
 
   hm.startKeepalive().isOkOr:
     return err("startHealthMonitor: failed starting keep alive: " & error)