diff --git a/waku/factory/node_factory.nim b/waku/factory/node_factory.nim
index 58026663e..f3cbb7fe7 100644
--- a/waku/factory/node_factory.nim
+++ b/waku/factory/node_factory.nim
@@ -117,16 +117,10 @@ proc setupProtocols(
   ## Optionally include persistent message storage.
   ## No protocols are started yet.
 
-  var shardCount: uint32
-  if conf.pubsubTopics.len > 0:
-    shardCount = uint32(conf.pubsubTopics.len)
-  else:
-    shardCount = uint32(conf.shards.len)
-
   node.mountMetadata(conf.clusterId).isOkOr:
     return err("failed to mount waku metadata protocol: " & error)
 
-  node.mountSharding(conf.clusterId, shardCount).isOkOr:
+  node.mountSharding(conf.clusterId, uint32(conf.pubsubTopics.len)).isOkOr:
     return err("failed to mount waku sharding: " & error)
 
   # Mount relay on all nodes
diff --git a/waku/node/peer_manager/peer_manager.nim b/waku/node/peer_manager/peer_manager.nim
index 679041580..798b4a14c 100644
--- a/waku/node/peer_manager/peer_manager.nim
+++ b/waku/node/peer_manager/peer_manager.nim
@@ -348,11 +348,6 @@ proc onConnEvent(pm: PeerManager, peerId: PeerID, event: ConnEvent) {.async.} =
     discard
 
 proc onPeerMetadata(pm: PeerManager, peerId: PeerId) {.async.} =
-  # To prevent metadata protocol from breaking prev nodes, by now we only
-  # disconnect if the clusterid is specified.
-  if pm.wakuMetadata.clusterId == 0:
-    return
-
   let res = catch:
     await pm.switch.dial(peerId, WakuMetadataCodec)