diff --git a/waku/v2/protocol/relay/waku_relay.go b/waku/v2/protocol/relay/waku_relay.go
index a62c1304..edb75e49 100644
--- a/waku/v2/protocol/relay/waku_relay.go
+++ b/waku/v2/protocol/relay/waku_relay.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/core/host"
+	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/core/peer"
 	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/core/protocol"
 	"go.opencensus.io/stats"
 	"go.opencensus.io/tag"
@@ -29,6 +30,18 @@ const WakuRelayID_v200 = protocol.ID("/vac/waku/relay/2.0.0")
 
 var DefaultWakuTopic string = waku_proto.DefaultPubsubTopic().String()
 
+type cacheItem struct {
+	msg         *pb.WakuMessage
+	id          string
+	pubsubTopic string
+}
+
+type msgReq struct {
+	id          string
+	pubsubTopic string
+	ch          chan *pb.WakuMessage
+}
+
 type WakuRelay struct {
 	host       host.Host
 	opts       []pubsub.Option
@@ -49,6 +62,14 @@ type WakuRelay struct {
 	// TODO: convert to concurrent maps
 	subscriptions      map[string][]*Subscription
 	subscriptionsMutex sync.Mutex
+
+	msgCache      map[string]*pb.WakuMessage
+	msgCacheCh    chan cacheItem
+	deleteCacheCh chan string
+	getMsgCh      chan msgReq
+
+	cancel context.CancelFunc
+	wg     sync.WaitGroup
 }
 
 func msgIdFn(pmsg *pubsub_pb.Message) string {
@@ -65,6 +86,7 @@ func NewWakuRelay(h host.Host, bcaster v2.Broadcaster, minPeersToPublish int, ti
 	w.subscriptions = make(map[string][]*Subscription)
 	w.bcaster = bcaster
 	w.minPeersToPublish = minPeersToPublish
+	w.wg = sync.WaitGroup{}
 	w.log = log.Named("relay")
 
 	// default options required by WakuRelay
@@ -91,6 +113,18 @@ func NewWakuRelay(h host.Host, bcaster v2.Broadcaster, minPeersToPublish int, ti
 }
 
 func (w *WakuRelay) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
+	w.wg.Wait()
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
+	w.cancel = cancel
+
+	w.msgCacheCh = make(chan cacheItem, 1000)
+	w.deleteCacheCh = make(chan string, 1000)
+	w.msgCache = make(map[string]*pb.WakuMessage, 1000)
+	w.getMsgCh = make(chan msgReq, 1000)
+
+	w.wg.Add(1)
+	go w.cacheWorker(ctx)
+
 	ps, err := pubsub.NewGossipSub(ctx, w.host, w.opts...)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -101,6 +135,56 @@ func (w *WakuRelay) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (w *WakuRelay) getMessageFromCache(topic string, id string) *pb.WakuMessage {
+	resultCh := make(chan *pb.WakuMessage, 1)
+	defer close(resultCh)
+
+	w.getMsgCh <- msgReq{
+		id:          id,
+		pubsubTopic: topic,
+		ch:          resultCh,
+	}
+
+	return <-resultCh
+}
+
+func (w *WakuRelay) AddToCache(pubsubTopic string, id string, msg *pb.WakuMessage) {
+	w.msgCacheCh <- cacheItem{
+		msg:         msg,
+		id:          id,
+		pubsubTopic: pubsubTopic,
+	}
+}
+
+func (w *WakuRelay) cacheWorker(ctx context.Context) {
+	defer w.wg.Done()
+
+	deleteCounter := 0
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return
+		case item := <-w.msgCacheCh:
+			w.msgCache[item.pubsubTopic+item.id] = item.msg
+		case req := <-w.getMsgCh:
+			key := req.pubsubTopic + req.id
+			req.ch <- w.msgCache[key]
+			w.deleteCacheCh <- key
+		case key := <-w.deleteCacheCh:
+			delete(w.msgCache, key)
+			deleteCounter++
+			// Shrink msg cache to avoid oom
+			if deleteCounter > 1000 {
+				newMsgCache := make(map[string]*pb.WakuMessage, 1000)
+				for k, v := range w.msgCache {
+					newMsgCache[k] = v
+				}
+				w.msgCache = newMsgCache
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // PubSub returns the implementation of the pubsub system
 func (w *WakuRelay) PubSub() *pubsub.PubSub {
 	return w.pubsub
@@ -139,6 +223,20 @@ func (w *WakuRelay) upsertTopic(topic string) (*pubsub.Topic, error) {
 	return pubSubTopic, nil
 }
 
+func (w *WakuRelay) validatorFactory(pubsubTopic string) func(ctx context.Context, peerID peer.ID, message *pubsub.Message) bool {
+	return func(ctx context.Context, peerID peer.ID, message *pubsub.Message) bool {
+		msg := new(pb.WakuMessage)
+		err := proto.Unmarshal(message.Data, msg)
+		if err != nil {
+			return false
+		}
+
+		w.AddToCache(pubsubTopic, message.ID, msg)
+
+		return true
+	}
+}
+
 func (w *WakuRelay) subscribe(topic string) (subs *pubsub.Subscription, err error) {
 	sub, ok := w.relaySubs[topic]
 	if !ok {
@@ -147,6 +245,11 @@ func (w *WakuRelay) subscribe(topic string) (subs *pubsub.Subscription, err erro
 			return nil, err
 		}
 
+		err = w.pubsub.RegisterTopicValidator(topic, w.validatorFactory(topic))
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
 		sub, err = pubSubTopic.Subscribe()
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
@@ -204,7 +307,21 @@ func (w *WakuRelay) Publish(ctx context.Context, message *pb.WakuMessage) ([]byt
 
 // Stop unmounts the relay protocol and stops all subscriptions
 func (w *WakuRelay) Stop() {
+	if w.cancel == nil {
+		return // Not started
+	}
+
 	w.host.RemoveStreamHandler(WakuRelayID_v200)
+
+	w.cancel()
+	w.wg.Wait()
+
+	close(w.msgCacheCh)
+	close(w.deleteCacheCh)
+	close(w.getMsgCh)
+
+	w.msgCache = nil
+
 	w.subscriptionsMutex.Lock()
 	defer w.subscriptionsMutex.Unlock()
 
@@ -228,10 +345,7 @@ func (w *WakuRelay) EnoughPeersToPublishToTopic(topic string) bool {
 
 // SubscribeToTopic returns a Subscription to receive messages from a pubsub topic
 func (w *WakuRelay) SubscribeToTopic(ctx context.Context, topic string) (*Subscription, error) {
-	// Subscribes to a PubSub topic.
-	// NOTE The data field SHOULD be decoded as a WakuMessage.
 	sub, err := w.subscribe(topic)
-
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -314,7 +428,7 @@ func (w *WakuRelay) nextMessage(ctx context.Context, sub *pubsub.Subscription) <
 	return msgChannel
 }
 
-func (w *WakuRelay) subscribeToTopic(ctx context.Context, t string, subscription *Subscription, sub *pubsub.Subscription) {
+func (w *WakuRelay) subscribeToTopic(ctx context.Context, pubsubTopic string, subscription *Subscription, sub *pubsub.Subscription) {
 	ctx, err := tag.New(ctx, tag.Insert(metrics.KeyType, "relay"))
 	if err != nil {
 		w.log.Error("creating tag map", zap.Error(err))
@@ -322,7 +436,6 @@ func (w *WakuRelay) subscribeToTopic(ctx context.Context, t string, subscription
 	}
 
 	subChannel := w.nextMessage(ctx, sub)
-
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-subscription.quit:
@@ -339,20 +452,16 @@ func (w *WakuRelay) subscribeToTopic(ctx context.Context, t string, subscription
 				}
 
 				close(subscription.C)
-			}(t)
+			}(pubsubTopic)
 			// TODO: if there are no more relay subscriptions, close the pubsub subscription
 		case msg := <-subChannel:
 			if msg == nil {
 				return
 			}
 			stats.Record(ctx, metrics.Messages.M(1))
-			wakuMessage := &pb.WakuMessage{}
-			if err := proto.Unmarshal(msg.Data, wakuMessage); err != nil {
-				w.log.Error("decoding message", zap.Error(err))
-				return
-			}
 
-			envelope := waku_proto.NewEnvelope(wakuMessage, w.timesource.Now().UnixNano(), string(t))
+			wakuMessage := w.getMessageFromCache(pubsubTopic, msg.ID)
+			envelope := waku_proto.NewEnvelope(wakuMessage, w.timesource.Now().UnixNano(), string(pubsubTopic))
 
 			w.log.Debug("waku.relay received", logging.HexString("hash", envelope.Hash()))
 
diff --git a/waku/v2/protocol/relay/waku_relay_test.go b/waku/v2/protocol/relay/waku_relay_test.go
index 08eac0fd..8568e32f 100644
--- a/waku/v2/protocol/relay/waku_relay_test.go
+++ b/waku/v2/protocol/relay/waku_relay_test.go
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ func TestWakuRelay(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, testTopic, topics[0])
 
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+
 	go func() {
 		defer cancel()
 
diff --git a/waku/v2/protocol/rln/waku_rln_relay.go b/waku/v2/protocol/rln/waku_rln_relay.go
index da724e69..02d47976 100644
--- a/waku/v2/protocol/rln/waku_rln_relay.go
+++ b/waku/v2/protocol/rln/waku_rln_relay.go
@@ -372,6 +372,9 @@ func (r *WakuRLNRelay) addValidator(
 				zap.Binary("payload", wakuMessage.Payload),
 				zap.Any("proof", wakuMessage.RateLimitProof),
 			)
+
+			relay.AddToCache(pubsubTopic, message.ID, wakuMessage)
+
 			return true
 		case MessageValidationResult_Invalid:
 			r.log.Debug("message could not be verified",
@@ -404,6 +407,9 @@ func (r *WakuRLNRelay) addValidator(
 		}
 	}
 
+	// In case there's a topic validator registered
+	_ = relay.PubSub().UnregisterTopicValidator(pubsubTopic)
+
 	return relay.PubSub().RegisterTopicValidator(pubsubTopic, validator)
 }