diff --git a/floodsub.go b/floodsub.go
index 53fea34..5490efc 100644
--- a/floodsub.go
+++ b/floodsub.go
@@ -67,8 +67,8 @@ func (fs *FloodSubRouter) EnoughPeers(topic string, suggested int) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-func (fs *FloodSubRouter) AcceptFrom(peer.ID) bool {
-	return true
+func (fs *FloodSubRouter) AcceptFrom(peer.ID) AcceptStatus {
+	return AcceptAll
 }
 
 func (fs *FloodSubRouter) HandleRPC(rpc *RPC) {}
diff --git a/gossipsub.go b/gossipsub.go
index 6cf7164..2c11510 100644
--- a/gossipsub.go
+++ b/gossipsub.go
@@ -505,9 +505,18 @@ func (gs *GossipSubRouter) EnoughPeers(topic string, suggested int) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-func (gs *GossipSubRouter) AcceptFrom(p peer.ID) bool {
+func (gs *GossipSubRouter) AcceptFrom(p peer.ID) AcceptStatus {
 	_, direct := gs.direct[p]
-	return direct || gs.score.Score(p) >= gs.graylistThreshold
+	if direct {
+		return AcceptAll
+	}
+
+	if gs.score.Score(p) < gs.graylistThreshold {
+		return AcceptNone
+	}
+
+	// TODO throttle tracking and reaction
+	return AcceptAll
 }
 
 func (gs *GossipSubRouter) HandleRPC(rpc *RPC) {
diff --git a/pubsub.go b/pubsub.go
index 9bb751a..3d13ac9 100644
--- a/pubsub.go
+++ b/pubsub.go
@@ -168,8 +168,8 @@ type PubSubRouter interface {
 	// AcceptFrom is invoked on any incoming message before pushing it to the validation pipeline
 	// or processing control information.
 	// Allows routers with internal scoring to vet peers before committing any processing resources
-	// to the message and implement an effective graylist.
-	AcceptFrom(peer.ID) bool
+	// to the message and implement an effective graylist and react to validation queue overload.
+	AcceptFrom(peer.ID) AcceptStatus
 	// HandleRPC is invoked to process control messages in the RPC envelope.
 	// It is invoked after subscriptions and payload messages have been processed.
 	HandleRPC(*RPC)
@@ -183,6 +183,17 @@ type PubSubRouter interface {
 	Leave(topic string)
 }
 
+type AcceptStatus int
+
+const (
+	// AcceptAll signals to accept the incoming RPC for full processing
+	AcceptNone AcceptStatus = iota
+	// AcceptControl signals to accept the incoming RPC only for control message processing
+	AcceptControl
+	// AcceptNone signals to drop the incoming RPC
+	AcceptAll
+)
+
 type Message struct {
 	*pb.Message
 	ReceivedFrom  peer.ID
@@ -923,19 +934,26 @@ func (p *PubSub) handleIncomingRPC(rpc *RPC) {
 	}
 
 	// ask the router to vet the peer before commiting any processing resources
-	if !p.rt.AcceptFrom(rpc.from) {
-		log.Debugf("received message from router graylisted peer %s. Dropping RPC", rpc.from)
+	switch p.rt.AcceptFrom(rpc.from) {
+	case AcceptNone:
+		log.Debugf("received message from router graylisted peer %s; dropping RPC", rpc.from)
 		return
-	}
 
-	for _, pmsg := range rpc.GetPublish() {
-		if !(p.subscribedToMsg(pmsg) || p.canRelayMsg(pmsg)) {
-			log.Debug("received message we didn't subscribe to. Dropping.")
-			continue
+	case AcceptControl:
+		if len(rpc.GetPublish()) > 0 {
+			log.Debugf("ignoring payload in message from peer %s", rpc.from)
 		}
 
-		msg := &Message{pmsg, rpc.from, nil}
-		p.pushMsg(msg)
+	case AcceptAll:
+		for _, pmsg := range rpc.GetPublish() {
+			if !(p.subscribedToMsg(pmsg) || p.canRelayMsg(pmsg)) {
+				log.Debug("received message we didn't subscribe to; ignoring payload message")
+				continue
+			}
+
+			msg := &Message{pmsg, rpc.from, nil}
+			p.pushMsg(msg)
+		}
 	}
 
 	p.rt.HandleRPC(rpc)
diff --git a/randomsub.go b/randomsub.go
index 7726b9e..b98c9bb 100644
--- a/randomsub.go
+++ b/randomsub.go
@@ -90,8 +90,8 @@ func (rs *RandomSubRouter) EnoughPeers(topic string, suggested int) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-func (rs *RandomSubRouter) AcceptFrom(peer.ID) bool {
-	return true
+func (rs *RandomSubRouter) AcceptFrom(peer.ID) AcceptStatus {
+	return AcceptAll
 }
 
 func (rs *RandomSubRouter) HandleRPC(rpc *RPC) {}
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ func (rs *RandomSubRouter) Publish(msg *Message) {
 		}
 		xpeers := peerMapToList(rspeers)
 		shufflePeers(xpeers)
-		xpeers = xpeers[:RandomSubD]
+		xpeers = xpeers[:target]
 		for _, p := range xpeers {
 			tosend[p] = struct{}{}
 		}