diff --git a/waku/cliutils/protected_topic.go b/waku/cliutils/protected_topic.go
index 2537f45d..e3302690 100644
--- a/waku/cliutils/protected_topic.go
+++ b/waku/cliutils/protected_topic.go
@@ -1,20 +1,24 @@
 package cliutils
 
 import (
+	"crypto/ecdsa"
+	"encoding/hex"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto"
 )
 
 type ProtectedTopic struct {
-	Topic   string
-	Address common.Address
+	Topic     string
+	PublicKey *ecdsa.PublicKey
 }
 
 func (p ProtectedTopic) String() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", p.Topic, p.Address.String())
+	pubKBytes := crypto.FromECDSAPub(p.PublicKey)
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", p.Topic, hex.EncodeToString(pubKBytes))
 }
 
 type ProtectedTopicSlice struct {
@@ -27,13 +31,13 @@ func (k *ProtectedTopicSlice) Set(value string) error {
 		return errors.New("expected topic_name:hex_encoded_public_key")
 	}
 
-	if !common.IsHexAddress(protectedTopicParts[1]) {
-		return errors.New("invalid address format")
+	pubk, err := crypto.UnmarshalPubkey(common.FromHex(protectedTopicParts[1]))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
-
 	*k.Values = append(*k.Values, ProtectedTopic{
-		Topic:   protectedTopicParts[0],
-		Address: common.HexToAddress(protectedTopicParts[1]),
+		Topic:     protectedTopicParts[0],
+		PublicKey: pubk,
 	})
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/waku/node.go b/waku/node.go
index 759a063d..2e99ca54 100644
--- a/waku/node.go
+++ b/waku/node.go
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ func Execute(options Options) {
 		}
 
 		for _, protectedTopic := range options.Relay.ProtectedTopics {
-			err := wakuNode.Relay().AddSignedTopicValidator(protectedTopic.Topic, protectedTopic.Address)
+			err := wakuNode.Relay().AddSignedTopicValidator(protectedTopic.Topic, protectedTopic.PublicKey)
 			failOnErr(err, "Error adding signed topic validator")
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/waku/v2/protocol/relay/validators.go b/waku/v2/protocol/relay/validators.go
index 418b6f4d..dac50714 100644
--- a/waku/v2/protocol/relay/validators.go
+++ b/waku/v2/protocol/relay/validators.go
@@ -4,10 +4,11 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"crypto/ecdsa"
+	"crypto/elliptic"
 	"encoding/binary"
+	"encoding/hex"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto/secp256k1"
 
@@ -55,7 +56,8 @@ func withinTimeWindow(t timesource.Timesource, msg *pb.WakuMessage) bool {
 
 type validatorFn = func(ctx context.Context, peerID peer.ID, message *pubsub.Message) bool
 
-func validatorFnBuilder(t timesource.Timesource, address common.Address) (validatorFn, error) {
+func validatorFnBuilder(t timesource.Timesource, publicKey *ecdsa.PublicKey) (validatorFn, error) {
+	address := crypto.PubkeyToAddress(*publicKey)
 	topic := protocol.NewNamedShardingPubsubTopic(address.String() + "/proto").String()
 	return func(ctx context.Context, peerID peer.ID, message *pubsub.Message) bool {
 		msg := new(pb.WakuMessage)
@@ -82,10 +84,10 @@ func validatorFnBuilder(t timesource.Timesource, address common.Address) (valida
 	}, nil
 }
 
-func (w *WakuRelay) AddSignedTopicValidator(topic string, address common.Address) error {
-	w.log.Info("adding validator to signed topic", zap.String("topic", topic), zap.String("address", address.String()))
+func (w *WakuRelay) AddSignedTopicValidator(topic string, publicKey *ecdsa.PublicKey) error {
+	w.log.Info("adding validator to signed topic", zap.String("topic", topic), zap.String("publicKey", hex.EncodeToString(elliptic.Marshal(publicKey.Curve, publicKey.X, publicKey.Y))))
 
-	fn, err := validatorFnBuilder(w.timesource, address)
+	fn, err := validatorFnBuilder(w.timesource, publicKey)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/waku/v2/protocol/relay/validators_test.go b/waku/v2/protocol/relay/validators_test.go
index 8b0820eb..352b1b1f 100644
--- a/waku/v2/protocol/relay/validators_test.go
+++ b/waku/v2/protocol/relay/validators_test.go
@@ -60,13 +60,11 @@ func TestMsgHash(t *testing.T) {
 
 	msgData, _ := proto.Marshal(msg)
 
-	address := crypto.PubkeyToAddress(prvKey.PublicKey)
-
 	//expectedMessageHash, _ := hex.DecodeString("662F8C20A335F170BD60ABC1F02AD66F0C6A6EE285DA2A53C95259E7937C0AE9")
 	//messageHash := MsgHash(pubsubTopic, msg)
 	//require.True(t, bytes.Equal(expectedMessageHash, messageHash))
 
-	myValidator, err := validatorFnBuilder(NewFakeTimesource(timestamp), address)
+	myValidator, err := validatorFnBuilder(NewFakeTimesource(timestamp), &prvKey.PublicKey)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	result := myValidator(context.Background(), "", &pubsub.Message{
 		Message: &pubsub_pb.Message{
@@ -77,7 +75,7 @@ func TestMsgHash(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Exceed 5m window in both directions
 	now5m1sInPast := timestamp.Add(-5 * time.Minute).Add(-1 * time.Second)
-	myValidator, err = validatorFnBuilder(NewFakeTimesource(now5m1sInPast), address)
+	myValidator, err = validatorFnBuilder(NewFakeTimesource(now5m1sInPast), &prvKey.PublicKey)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	result = myValidator(context.Background(), "", &pubsub.Message{
 		Message: &pubsub_pb.Message{
@@ -87,7 +85,7 @@ func TestMsgHash(t *testing.T) {
 	require.False(t, result)
 
 	now5m1sInFuture := timestamp.Add(5 * time.Minute).Add(1 * time.Second)
-	myValidator, err = validatorFnBuilder(NewFakeTimesource(now5m1sInFuture), address)
+	myValidator, err = validatorFnBuilder(NewFakeTimesource(now5m1sInFuture), &prvKey.PublicKey)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	result = myValidator(context.Background(), "", &pubsub.Message{
 		Message: &pubsub_pb.Message{