diff --git a/waku/node.go b/waku/node.go
index 96d4d3fb..c9ec4344 100644
--- a/waku/node.go
+++ b/waku/node.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package waku
 import (
 	"context"
 	"crypto/rand"
+	"database/sql"
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@ var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		relay, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool("relay")
 		key, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString("nodekey")
 		store, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool("store")
+		useDB, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool("use-db")
 		dbPath, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString("dbpath")
 		storenode, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString("storenode")
 		staticnodes, _ := cmd.Flags().GetStringSlice("staticnodes")
@@ -70,39 +72,54 @@ var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
 
 		prvKey, err := crypto.HexToECDSA(key)
 
-		if dbPath == "" {
+		if dbPath == "" && useDB {
 			checkError(errors.New("dbpath can't be null"), "")
 		}
 
-		db, err := sqlite.NewDB(dbPath)
-		checkError(err, "Could not connect to DB")
+		var db *sql.DB
+
+		if useDB {
+			db, err = sqlite.NewDB(dbPath)
+			checkError(err, "Could not connect to DB")
+		}
 
 		ctx := context.Background()
 
-		// Create persistent peerstore
-		queries, err := sqlite.NewQueries("peerstore", db)
-		checkError(err, "Peerstore")
-
-		datastore := dssql.NewDatastore(db, queries)
-		opts := pstoreds.DefaultOpts()
-		peerStore, err := pstoreds.NewPeerstore(ctx, datastore, opts)
-		checkError(err, "Peerstore")
-
 		nodeOpts := []node.WakuNodeOption{
 			node.WithPrivateKey(prvKey),
 			node.WithHostAddress([]net.Addr{hostAddr}),
-			node.WithLibP2POptions(append(node.DefaultLibP2POptions, libp2p.Peerstore(peerStore))...),
 		}
 
+		libp2pOpts := node.DefaultLibP2POptions
+
+		if useDB {
+			// Create persistent peerstore
+			queries, err := sqlite.NewQueries("peerstore", db)
+			checkError(err, "Peerstore")
+
+			datastore := dssql.NewDatastore(db, queries)
+			opts := pstoreds.DefaultOpts()
+			peerStore, err := pstoreds.NewPeerstore(ctx, datastore, opts)
+			checkError(err, "Peerstore")
+
+			libp2pOpts = append(libp2pOpts, libp2p.Peerstore(peerStore))
+		}
+
+		nodeOpts = append(nodeOpts, node.WithLibP2POptions(libp2pOpts...))
+
 		if relay {
 			nodeOpts = append(nodeOpts, node.WithWakuRelay())
 		}
 
 		if store {
-			dbStore, err := persistence.NewDBStore(persistence.WithDB(db))
-			checkError(err, "DBStore")
 			nodeOpts = append(nodeOpts, node.WithWakuStore(true))
-			nodeOpts = append(nodeOpts, node.WithMessageProvider(dbStore))
+			if useDB {
+				dbStore, err := persistence.NewDBStore(persistence.WithDB(db))
+				checkError(err, "DBStore")
+				nodeOpts = append(nodeOpts, node.WithMessageProvider(dbStore))
+			} else {
+				nodeOpts = append(nodeOpts, node.WithMessageProvider(nil))
+			}
 		}
 
 		wakuNode, err := node.New(ctx, nodeOpts...)
@@ -139,8 +156,11 @@ var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
 
 		// shut the node down
 		wakuNode.Stop()
-		err = db.Close()
-		checkError(err, "DBClose")
+
+		if useDB {
+			err = db.Close()
+			checkError(err, "DBClose")
+		}
 	},
 }
 
@@ -158,6 +178,7 @@ func init() {
 	rootCmd.Flags().StringSlice("topics", []string{string(node.DefaultWakuTopic)}, fmt.Sprintf("List of topics to listen (default %s)", node.DefaultWakuTopic))
 	rootCmd.Flags().StringSlice("staticnodes", []string{}, "Multiaddr of peer to directly connect with. Argument may be repeated")
 	rootCmd.Flags().Bool("store", false, "Enable store protocol")
+	rootCmd.Flags().Bool("use-db", true, "Store messages and peers in a DB, (default: true, use false for in-memory only)")
 	rootCmd.Flags().String("dbpath", "./store.db", "Path to DB file")
 	rootCmd.Flags().String("storenode", "", "Multiaddr of peer to connect with for waku store protocol")
 	rootCmd.Flags().Bool("relay", true, "Enable relay protocol")
diff --git a/waku/v2/node/wakuoptions.go b/waku/v2/node/wakuoptions.go
index 6dc00bd4..25a4515e 100644
--- a/waku/v2/node/wakuoptions.go
+++ b/waku/v2/node/wakuoptions.go
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ func WithWakuStore(shouldStoreMessages bool) WakuNodeOption {
 	return func(params *WakuNodeParameters) error {
 		params.enableStore = true
 		params.storeMsgs = shouldStoreMessages
-		params.store = store.NewWakuStore(params.ctx, nil)
+		params.store = store.NewWakuStore(params.ctx, shouldStoreMessages, nil)
 		return nil
 	}
 }
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ func WithMessageProvider(s store.MessageProvider) WakuNodeOption {
 		if params.store != nil {
 			params.store.SetMsgProvider(s)
 		} else {
-			params.store = store.NewWakuStore(params.ctx, s)
+			params.store = store.NewWakuStore(params.ctx, true, s)
 		}
 		return nil
 	}
diff --git a/waku/v2/protocol/waku_store/waku_store.go b/waku/v2/protocol/waku_store/waku_store.go
index 2f188196..0d9bf215 100644
--- a/waku/v2/protocol/waku_store/waku_store.go
+++ b/waku/v2/protocol/waku_store/waku_store.go
@@ -182,16 +182,18 @@ type WakuStore struct {
 	messages      []IndexedWakuMessage
 	messagesMutex sync.Mutex
 
+	storeMsgs   bool
 	msgProvider MessageProvider
 	h           host.Host
 	ctx         context.Context
 }
 
-func NewWakuStore(ctx context.Context, p MessageProvider) *WakuStore {
+func NewWakuStore(ctx context.Context, shouldStoreMessages bool, p MessageProvider) *WakuStore {
 	wakuStore := new(WakuStore)
 	wakuStore.MsgC = make(chan *common.Envelope)
 	wakuStore.msgProvider = p
 	wakuStore.ctx = ctx
+	wakuStore.storeMsgs = shouldStoreMessages
 
 	return wakuStore
 }
@@ -203,12 +205,20 @@ func (store *WakuStore) SetMsgProvider(p MessageProvider) {
 func (store *WakuStore) Start(h host.Host) {
 	store.h = h
 
-	if store.msgProvider == nil {
+	if !store.storeMsgs {
+		log.Info("Store protocol started (messages aren't stored)")
 		return
 	}
 
 	store.h.SetStreamHandler(WakuStoreProtocolId, store.onRequest)
 
+	go store.storeIncomingMessages()
+
+	if store.msgProvider == nil {
+		log.Info("Store protocol started (no message provider)")
+		return
+	}
+
 	messages, err := store.msgProvider.GetAll()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Error("could not load DBProvider messages")
@@ -225,8 +235,6 @@ func (store *WakuStore) Start(h host.Host) {
 	}
 
 	log.Info("Store protocol started")
-
-	go store.storeIncomingMessages()
 }
 
 func (store *WakuStore) storeIncomingMessages() {