diff --git a/logos_delivery/waku/node/waku_node.nim b/logos_delivery/waku/node/waku_node.nim
index 47fbfd89c..3b10d5b7b 100644
--- a/logos_delivery/waku/node/waku_node.nim
+++ b/logos_delivery/waku/node/waku_node.nim
@@ -404,12 +404,19 @@ proc mountStoreSync*(
     ## RLN mounts after store sync (but before the switch starts accepting
     ## connections), so capture the node and check at call time; nil rln
     ## means RLN is not configured on this network. Freshness is not
-    ## checked: synced messages are old by design. Known gap: proofs built
-    ## against roots older than the acceptable root window are rejected,
-    ## so history sync across heavy membership churn is bounded by it.
+    ## checked: synced messages are old by design. Known gaps: archives do
+    ## not persist RLN proofs, so archive-served messages arrive proofless
+    ## and can only be counted, not verified (enforcement needs proof
+    ## persistence); and proofs built against roots older than the
+    ## acceptable root window are rejected, bounding history sync across
+    ## heavy membership churn.
     if node.rln.isNil():
       return true
 
+    if msg.proof.len == 0:
+      total_transfer_messages_unverified.inc()
+      return true
+
     let res = await node.rln.validateMessage(msg, checkFreshness = false)
     return res == MessageValidationResult.Valid
 
diff --git a/logos_delivery/waku/waku_store_sync.nim b/logos_delivery/waku/waku_store_sync.nim
index 03c1b33af..cadde72ea 100644
--- a/logos_delivery/waku/waku_store_sync.nim
+++ b/logos_delivery/waku/waku_store_sync.nim
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 {.push raises: [].}
 
 import
-  ./waku_store_sync/reconciliation, ./waku_store_sync/transfer, ./waku_store_sync/common
+  ./waku_store_sync/reconciliation,
+  ./waku_store_sync/transfer,
+  ./waku_store_sync/common,
+  ./waku_store_sync/protocols_metrics
 
-export reconciliation, transfer, common
+export reconciliation, transfer, common, protocols_metrics
diff --git a/logos_delivery/waku/waku_store_sync/protocols_metrics.nim b/logos_delivery/waku/waku_store_sync/protocols_metrics.nim
index 02b0df9b1..f76db8b47 100644
--- a/logos_delivery/waku/waku_store_sync/protocols_metrics.nim
+++ b/logos_delivery/waku/waku_store_sync/protocols_metrics.nim
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ declarePublicCounter total_bytes_exchanged,
 declarePublicCounter total_transfer_messages_rejected,
   "number of received transfer messages dropped by validation"
 
+declarePublicCounter total_transfer_messages_unverified,
+  "number of received transfer messages accepted without proof verification (archives do not persist RLN proofs)"
+
 declarePublicCounter total_transfer_messages_exchanged,
   "the number of messages sent and received by the transfer protocol", ["direction"]