diff --git a/tests/waku_rln_relay/test_waku_rln_relay.nim b/tests/waku_rln_relay/test_waku_rln_relay.nim
index 907b7c1b3..10f6539c5 100644
--- a/tests/waku_rln_relay/test_waku_rln_relay.nim
+++ b/tests/waku_rln_relay/test_waku_rln_relay.nim
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {.used.}
 
 import
-  std/[options, os, sequtils, times, tempfiles],
+  std/[options, os, sequtils, tempfiles],
   stew/byteutils,
   stew/shims/net as stewNet,
   testutils/unittests,
@@ -17,7 +17,10 @@ import
     waku_rln_relay/protocol_metrics,
     waku_keystore,
   ],
-  ./rln/waku_rln_relay_utils
+  ./rln/waku_rln_relay_utils,
+  ../testlib/[wakucore, futures, wakunode, testutils]
+
+from std/times import epochTime
 
 suite "Waku rln relay":
   test "key_gen Nim Wrappers":
@@ -686,7 +689,7 @@ suite "Waku rln relay":
     # it is a duplicate
     assert isDuplicate3, "duplicate should be found"
 
-  asyncTest "validateMessageAndUpdateLog test":
+  asyncTest "validateMessageAndUpdateLog: again epoch":
     let index = MembershipIndex(5)
 
     let wakuRlnConfig = WakuRlnConfig(
@@ -700,27 +703,31 @@ suite "Waku rln relay":
     let wakuRlnRelay = (await WakuRlnRelay.new(wakuRlnConfig)).valueOr:
       raiseAssert $error
 
-    # get the current epoch time
-    let time = epochTime()
+    let time_1 = epochTime()
 
-    #  create some messages from the same peer and append rln proof to them, except wm4
     var
-      wm1 = WakuMessage(payload: "Valid message".toBytes())
+      # create some messages from the same peer and append rln proof to them, except wm4
+      wm1 = WakuMessage(payload: "Valid message".toBytes(), timestamp: now())
       # another message in the same epoch as wm1, it will break the messaging rate limit
-      wm2 = WakuMessage(payload: "Spam".toBytes())
-      #  wm3 points to the next epoch
-      wm3 = WakuMessage(payload: "Valid message".toBytes())
-      wm4 = WakuMessage(payload: "Invalid message".toBytes())
+      wm2 = WakuMessage(payload: "Spam message".toBytes(), timestamp: now())
 
-    wakuRlnRelay.unsafeAppendRLNProof(wm1, time).isOkOr:
+    await sleepAsync(1000)
+    let time_2 = epochTime()
+
+    var
+      #  wm3 points to the next epoch bcz of the sleep 
+      wm3 = WakuMessage(payload: "Valid message".toBytes(), timestamp: now())
+      wm4 = WakuMessage(payload: "Invalid message".toBytes(), timestamp: now())
+
+    wakuRlnRelay.unsafeAppendRLNProof(wm1, time_1).isOkOr:
       raiseAssert $error
-    wakuRlnRelay.unsafeAppendRLNProof(wm2, time).isOkOr:
+    wakuRlnRelay.unsafeAppendRLNProof(wm2, time_1).isOkOr:
       raiseAssert $error
-    wakuRlnRelay.unsafeAppendRLNProof(wm3, time + float64(wakuRlnRelay.rlnEpochSizeSec)).isOkOr:
+
+    wakuRlnRelay.unsafeAppendRLNProof(wm3, time_2).isOkOr:
       raiseAssert $error
 
     # validate messages
-    # validateMessage proc checks the validity of the message fields and adds it to the log (if valid)
     let
       msgValidate1 = wakuRlnRelay.validateMessageAndUpdateLog(wm1)
       # wm2 is published within the same Epoch as wm1 and should be found as spam
@@ -736,6 +743,48 @@ suite "Waku rln relay":
       msgValidate3 == MessageValidationResult.Valid
       msgValidate4 == MessageValidationResult.Invalid
 
+  asyncTest "validateMessageAndUpdateLog: against timestamp":
+    let index = MembershipIndex(5)
+
+    let wakuRlnConfig = WakuRlnConfig(
+      dynamic: false,
+      credIndex: some(index),
+      userMessageLimit: 10,
+      epochSizeSec: 10,
+      treePath: genTempPath("rln_tree", "waku_rln_relay_2"),
+    )
+
+    let wakuRlnRelay = (await WakuRlnRelay.new(wakuRlnConfig)).valueOr:
+      raiseAssert $error
+
+    # usually it's 20 seconds but we set it to 2 for testing purposes which make the test faster
+    wakuRlnRelay.rlnMaxTimestampGap = 2
+
+    var time = epochTime()
+
+    var
+      wm1 = WakuMessage(payload: "timestamp message".toBytes(), timestamp: now())
+      wm2 = WakuMessage(payload: "timestamp message".toBytes(), timestamp: now())
+
+    wakuRlnRelay.unsafeAppendRLNProof(wm1, time).isOkOr:
+      raiseAssert $error
+
+    wakuRlnRelay.unsafeAppendRLNProof(wm2, time).isOkOr:
+      raiseAssert $error
+
+    # validate the first message because it's timestamp is the same as the generated timestamp
+    let msgValidate1 = wakuRlnRelay.validateMessageAndUpdateLog(wm1)
+
+    # wait for 3 seconds to make the timestamp different from generated timestamp
+    await sleepAsync(3000)
+
+    # invalidate the second message because it's timestamp is different from the generated timestamp
+    let msgValidate2 = wakuRlnRelay.validateMessageAndUpdateLog(wm2)
+
+    check:
+      msgValidate1 == MessageValidationResult.Valid
+      msgValidate2 == MessageValidationResult.Invalid
+
   asyncTest "validateMessageAndUpdateLog: multiple senders with same external nullifier":
     let index1 = MembershipIndex(5)
     let index2 = MembershipIndex(6)
@@ -766,9 +815,11 @@ suite "Waku rln relay":
 
     #  create messages from different peers and append rln proofs to them
     var
-      wm1 = WakuMessage(payload: "Valid message from sender 1".toBytes())
+      wm1 =
+        WakuMessage(payload: "Valid message from sender 1".toBytes(), timestamp: now())
       # another message in the same epoch as wm1, it will break the messaging rate limit
-      wm2 = WakuMessage(payload: "Valid message from sender 2".toBytes())
+      wm2 =
+        WakuMessage(payload: "Valid message from sender 2".toBytes(), timestamp: now())
 
     wakuRlnRelay1.appendRLNProof(wm1, time).isOkOr:
       raiseAssert $error
diff --git a/tests/waku_rln_relay/test_wakunode_rln_relay.nim b/tests/waku_rln_relay/test_wakunode_rln_relay.nim
index 3ff6923e0..7620dfc14 100644
--- a/tests/waku_rln_relay/test_wakunode_rln_relay.nim
+++ b/tests/waku_rln_relay/test_wakunode_rln_relay.nim
@@ -132,7 +132,8 @@ procSuite "WakuNode - RLN relay":
     let payload = "Hello".toBytes()
 
     # prepare the epoch
-    var message = WakuMessage(payload: @payload, contentTopic: contentTopic)
+    var message =
+      WakuMessage(payload: @payload, contentTopic: contentTopic, timestamp: now())
     doAssert(node1.wakuRlnRelay.unsafeAppendRLNProof(message, epochTime()).isOk())
 
     debug "Nodes participating in the test",
@@ -221,19 +222,25 @@ procSuite "WakuNode - RLN relay":
     var messages1: seq[WakuMessage] = @[]
     var messages2: seq[WakuMessage] = @[]
 
-    let epochTime = epochTime()
+    var epochTime = epochTime()
 
     for i in 0 ..< 3:
       var message = WakuMessage(
-        payload: ("Payload_" & $i).toBytes(), contentTopic: contentTopics[0]
+        payload: ("Payload_" & $i).toBytes(),
+        timestamp: now(),
+        contentTopic: contentTopics[0],
       )
       nodes[0].wakuRlnRelay.unsafeAppendRLNProof(message, epochTime).isOkOr:
         raiseAssert $error
       messages1.add(message)
 
+    epochTime = epochTime()
+
     for i in 0 ..< 3:
       var message = WakuMessage(
-        payload: ("Payload_" & $i).toBytes(), contentTopic: contentTopics[1]
+        payload: ("Payload_" & $i).toBytes(),
+        timestamp: now(),
+        contentTopic: contentTopics[1],
       )
       nodes[1].wakuRlnRelay.unsafeAppendRLNProof(message, epochTime).isOkOr:
         raiseAssert $error
@@ -364,8 +371,12 @@ procSuite "WakuNode - RLN relay":
       # check the proof is generated correctly outside when block to avoid duplication
     let rateLimitProof = rateLimitProofRes.get().encode().buffer
 
-    let message =
-      WakuMessage(payload: @payload, contentTopic: contentTopic, proof: rateLimitProof)
+    let message = WakuMessage(
+      payload: @payload,
+      contentTopic: contentTopic,
+      proof: rateLimitProof,
+      timestamp: now(),
+    )
 
     ## node1 publishes a message with an invalid rln proof, the message is then relayed to node2 which in turn
     ## attempts to verify the rate limit proof and fails hence does not relay the message to node3, thus the relayHandler of node3
@@ -452,24 +463,36 @@ procSuite "WakuNode - RLN relay":
     await node3.connectToNodes(@[node2.switch.peerInfo.toRemotePeerInfo()])
 
     # get the current epoch time
-    let time = epochTime()
+    let time_1 = epochTime()
+
     #  create some messages with rate limit proofs
     var
-      wm1 = WakuMessage(payload: "message 1".toBytes(), contentTopic: contentTopic)
+      wm1 = WakuMessage(
+        payload: "message 1".toBytes(), timestamp: now(), contentTopic: contentTopic
+      )
       # another message in the same epoch as wm1, it will break the messaging rate limit
-      wm2 = WakuMessage(payload: "message 2".toBytes(), contentTopic: contentTopic)
+      wm2 = WakuMessage(
+        payload: "message 2".toBytes(), timestamp: now(), contentTopic: contentTopic
+      )
       #  wm3 points to the next epoch
-      wm3 = WakuMessage(payload: "message 3".toBytes(), contentTopic: contentTopic)
-      wm4 = WakuMessage(payload: "message 4".toBytes(), contentTopic: contentTopic)
 
-    node3.wakuRlnRelay.unsafeAppendRLNProof(wm1, time).isOkOr:
+    await sleepAsync(1000.millis)
+    let time_2 = epochTime()
+
+    var
+      wm3 = WakuMessage(
+        payload: "message 3".toBytes(), timestamp: now(), contentTopic: contentTopic
+      )
+      wm4 = WakuMessage(
+        payload: "message 4".toBytes(), timestamp: now(), contentTopic: contentTopic
+      )
+
+    node3.wakuRlnRelay.unsafeAppendRLNProof(wm1, time_1).isOkOr:
       raiseAssert $error
-    node3.wakuRlnRelay.unsafeAppendRLNProof(wm2, time).isOkOr:
+    node3.wakuRlnRelay.unsafeAppendRLNProof(wm2, time_1).isOkOr:
       raiseAssert $error
 
-    node3.wakuRlnRelay.unsafeAppendRLNProof(
-      wm3, time + float64(node3.wakuRlnRelay.rlnEpochSizeSec)
-    ).isOkOr:
+    node3.wakuRlnRelay.unsafeAppendRLNProof(wm3, time_2).isOkOr:
       raiseAssert $error
 
     #  relay handler for node3
@@ -700,8 +723,12 @@ procSuite "WakuNode - RLN relay":
     # Given some messages with rln proofs
     let time = epochTime()
     var
-      msg1 = WakuMessage(payload: "message 1".toBytes(), contentTopic: contentTopic)
-      msg2 = WakuMessage(payload: "message 2".toBytes(), contentTopic: contentTopic)
+      msg1 = WakuMessage(
+        payload: "message 1".toBytes(), timestamp: now(), contentTopic: contentTopic
+      )
+      msg2 = WakuMessage(
+        payload: "message 2".toBytes(), timestamp: now(), contentTopic: contentTopic
+      )
 
     node1.wakuRlnRelay.unsafeAppendRLNProof(msg1, time).isOkOr:
       raiseAssert $error
diff --git a/waku/waku_rln_relay/rln_relay.nim b/waku/waku_rln_relay/rln_relay.nim
index 5dae3bd51..48b3e8d79 100644
--- a/waku/waku_rln_relay/rln_relay.nim
+++ b/waku/waku_rln_relay/rln_relay.nim
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ type WakuRLNRelay* = ref object of RootObj
   nullifierLog*: OrderedTable[Epoch, Table[Nullifier, ProofMetadata]]
   lastEpoch*: Epoch # the epoch of the last published rln message
   rlnEpochSizeSec*: uint64
+  rlnMaxTimestampGap*: uint64
   rlnMaxEpochGap*: uint64
   groupManager*: GroupManager
   onFatalErrorAction*: OnFatalErrorHandler
@@ -103,6 +104,7 @@ type WakuRLNRelay* = ref object of RootObj
 proc calcEpoch*(rlnPeer: WakuRLNRelay, t: float64): Epoch =
   ## gets time `t` as `flaot64` with subseconds resolution in the fractional part
   ## and returns its corresponding rln `Epoch` value
+
   let e = uint64(t / rlnPeer.rlnEpochSizeSec.float64)
   return toEpoch(e)
 
@@ -211,25 +213,26 @@ proc validateMessage*(
   # track message count for metrics
   waku_rln_messages_total.inc()
 
-  # checks if the `msg`'s epoch is far from the current epoch
-  # it corresponds to the validation of rln external nullifier
-  # get current rln epoch
-  let epoch: Epoch = rlnPeer.getCurrentEpoch()
+  # checks if the message's timestamp is within acceptable range
+  let currentTime = getTime().toUnixFloat()
+  let messageTime = msg.timestamp.float64 / 1e9
 
-  let
-    msgEpoch = proof.epoch
-    # calculate the gaps
-    gap = absDiff(epoch, msgEpoch)
+  let timeDiff = uint64(abs(currentTime - messageTime))
 
-  trace "epoch info", currentEpoch = fromEpoch(epoch), msgEpoch = fromEpoch(msgEpoch)
+  debug "time info",
+    currentTime = currentTime, messageTime = messageTime, msgHash = msg.hash
 
-  # validate the epoch
-  if gap > rlnPeer.rlnMaxEpochGap:
-    # message's epoch is too old or too ahead
-    # accept messages whose epoch is within +-MaxEpochGap from the current epoch
-    warn "invalid message: epoch gap exceeds a threshold",
-      gap = gap, payloadLen = msg.payload.len, msgEpoch = fromEpoch(proof.epoch)
-    waku_rln_invalid_messages_total.inc(labelValues = ["invalid_epoch"])
+  if timeDiff > rlnPeer.rlnMaxTimestampGap:
+    warn "invalid message: timestamp difference exceeds threshold",
+      timeDiff = timeDiff, maxTimestampGap = rlnPeer.rlnMaxTimestampGap
+    waku_rln_invalid_messages_total.inc(labelValues = ["invalid_timestamp"])
+    return MessageValidationResult.Invalid
+
+  let computedEpoch = rlnPeer.calcEpoch(messageTime)
+  if proof.epoch != computedEpoch:
+    warn "invalid message: timestamp mismatches epoch",
+      proofEpoch = fromEpoch(proof.epoch), computedEpoch = fromEpoch(computedEpoch)
+    waku_rln_invalid_messages_total.inc(labelValues = ["timestamp_mismatch"])
     return MessageValidationResult.Invalid
 
   let rootValidationRes = rlnPeer.groupManager.validateRoot(proof.merkleRoot)
@@ -242,8 +245,9 @@ proc validateMessage*(
 
   # verify the proof
   let
-    contentTopicBytes = msg.contentTopic.toBytes
-    input = concat(msg.payload, contentTopicBytes)
+    contentTopicBytes = toBytes(msg.contentTopic)
+    timestampBytes = toBytes(msg.timestamp.uint64)
+    input = concat(msg.payload, contentTopicBytes, @(timestampBytes))
 
   waku_rln_proof_verification_total.inc()
   waku_rln_proof_verification_duration_seconds.nanosecondTime:
@@ -265,6 +269,8 @@ proc validateMessage*(
   if proofMetadataRes.isErr():
     waku_rln_errors_total.inc(labelValues = ["proof_metadata_extraction"])
     return MessageValidationResult.Invalid
+
+  let msgEpoch = proof.epoch
   let hasDup = rlnPeer.hasDuplicate(msgEpoch, proofMetadataRes.get())
   if hasDup.isErr():
     waku_rln_errors_total.inc(labelValues = ["duplicate_check"])
@@ -305,10 +311,12 @@ proc validateMessageAndUpdateLog*(
 
 proc toRLNSignal*(wakumessage: WakuMessage): seq[byte] =
   ## it is a utility proc that prepares the `data` parameter of the proof generation procedure i.e., `proofGen`  that resides in the current module
-  ## it extracts the `contentTopic` and the `payload` of the supplied `wakumessage` and serializes them into a byte sequence
+  ## it extracts the `contentTopic`, `timestamp` and the `payload` of the supplied `wakumessage` and serializes them into a byte sequence
+
   let
-    contentTopicBytes = wakumessage.contentTopic.toBytes()
-    output = concat(wakumessage.payload, contentTopicBytes)
+    contentTopicBytes = toBytes(wakumessage.contentTopic)
+    timestampBytes = toBytes(wakumessage.timestamp.uint64)
+    output = concat(wakumessage.payload, contentTopicBytes, @(timestampBytes))
   return output
 
 proc appendRLNProof*(
@@ -479,6 +487,7 @@ proc mount(
     nonceManager: NonceManager.init(conf.userMessageLimit, conf.epochSizeSec.float),
     rlnEpochSizeSec: conf.epochSizeSec,
     rlnMaxEpochGap: max(uint64(MaxClockGapSeconds / float64(conf.epochSizeSec)), 1),
+    rlnMaxTimestampGap: uint64(MaxClockGapSeconds),
     onFatalErrorAction: conf.onFatalErrorAction,
   )