diff --git a/src/node/api_clients/rest.py b/src/node/api_clients/rest.py
index 72963ae1..210cae38 100644
--- a/src/node/api_clients/rest.py
+++ b/src/node/api_clients/rest.py
@@ -93,7 +93,20 @@ class REST(BaseClient):
         return get_messages_response.json()
 
     def get_store_messages(
-        self, peer_addr, include_data, pubsub_topic, content_topics, start_time, end_time, hashes, cursor, page_size, ascending, store_v, **kwargs
+        self,
+        peer_addr,
+        include_data,
+        pubsub_topic,
+        content_topics,
+        start_time,
+        end_time,
+        hashes,
+        cursor,
+        page_size,
+        ascending,
+        store_v,
+        encode_pubsubtopic=True,
+        **kwargs,
     ):
         base_url = f"store/{store_v}/messages"
         params = []
@@ -103,7 +116,10 @@ class REST(BaseClient):
         if include_data is not None:
             params.append(f"includeData={include_data}")
         if pubsub_topic is not None:
-            params.append(f"pubsubTopic={quote(pubsub_topic, safe='')}")
+            if encode_pubsubtopic:
+                params.append(f"pubsubTopic={quote(pubsub_topic, safe='')}")
+            else:
+                params.append(f"pubsubTopic={pubsub_topic}")
         if content_topics is not None:
             params.append(f"contentTopics={quote(content_topics, safe='')}")
         if start_time is not None:
diff --git a/tests/store/test_topics.py b/tests/store/test_topics.py
index 564a9852..39c5ef27 100644
--- a/tests/store/test_topics.py
+++ b/tests/store/test_topics.py
@@ -149,3 +149,22 @@ class TestTopics(StepsStore):
         except Exception as e:
             logger.error(f"store request with very long pubsub topic wasn't accepted ")
             assert e.args[0].find("Client Error: Request Header Fields Too Large for url") != -1, "error isn't for large url"
+
+    def test_store_with_wrong_encoding_pubsubtopic(self):
+        wrong_encoidng_topic = "%23waku%2F2%2Frs%2F3%2F0"
+        empty_response = []
+        logger.debug(f"trying get message with  wrong encoded pubsub topic {wrong_encoidng_topic}")
+        store_response = self.store_nodes[0].get_store_messages(
+            pubsub_topic=wrong_encoidng_topic, encode_pubsubtopic=False, include_data="true", page_size=20, ascending="true"
+        )
+        logger.debug(f"response for getting message with wrong encoded pubsub topic {store_response}")
+        assert store_response["messages"] == empty_response, "Error !! message retrieved with wrong encoding pubsub_topic"
+
+    def test_store_without_encoding_pubsubtopic(self):
+        topic = PUBSUB_TOPICS_STORE[0]
+        logger.debug(f"trying get message with  wrong encoded pubsub topic {topic}")
+        store_response = self.store_nodes[0].get_store_messages(
+            pubsub_topic=topic, encode_pubsubtopic=False, include_data="true", page_size=20, ascending="true"
+        )
+        logger.debug(f"response for getting message without encoding pubsub topic {store_response}")
+        assert store_response["messages"][0]["pubsubTopic"] == PUBSUB_TOPICS_STORE[0], "topics Don't match !!"