diff --git a/examples/v2/publisher.nim b/examples/v2/publisher.nim
index ed7557c4b..58e39b5d2 100644
--- a/examples/v2/publisher.nim
+++ b/examples/v2/publisher.nim
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ proc setupAndPublish(rng: ref HmacDrbgContext) {.async.} =
 
     await node.start()
     await node.mountRelay()
+    node.peerManager.start()
     if not await node.startDiscv5():
       error "failed to start discv5"
       quit(1)
diff --git a/examples/v2/subscriber.nim b/examples/v2/subscriber.nim
index 2f9f2a59e..1e51743b7 100644
--- a/examples/v2/subscriber.nim
+++ b/examples/v2/subscriber.nim
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ proc setupAndSubscribe(rng: ref HmacDrbgContext) {.async.} =
 
     await node.start()
     await node.mountRelay()
+    node.peerManager.start()
     if not await node.startDiscv5():
       error "failed to start discv5"
       quit(1)
diff --git a/tests/v2/test_wakunode_relay.nim b/tests/v2/test_wakunode_relay.nim
index 1db98e389..c105508c2 100644
--- a/tests/v2/test_wakunode_relay.nim
+++ b/tests/v2/test_wakunode_relay.nim
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {.used.}
 
 import
-  std/os,
+  std/[os,sysrand,sequtils,tables,math],
   stew/byteutils,
   stew/shims/net as stewNet,
   testutils/unittests,
-  chronicles, 
-  chronos, 
+  chronicles,
+  chronos,
   libp2p/crypto/crypto,
   libp2p/crypto/secp,
   libp2p/peerid,
@@ -19,8 +19,11 @@ import
   ../../waku/v2/protocol/waku_message,
   ../../waku/v2/node/peer_manager,
   ../../waku/v2/utils/peers,
-  ../../waku/v2/node/waku_node
-
+  ../../waku/v2/node/waku_node,
+  ../../waku/v2/protocol/waku_relay,
+  ../test_helpers,
+  ./testlib/common
+  #./testlib/testutils
 
 template sourceDir: string = currentSourcePath.parentDir()
 const KEY_PATH = sourceDir / "resources/test_key.pem"
@@ -28,7 +31,7 @@ const CERT_PATH = sourceDir / "resources/test_cert.pem"
 
 procSuite "WakuNode - Relay":
   let rng = crypto.newRng()
-  
+
   asyncTest "Relay protocol is started correctly":
     let
       nodeKey1 = crypto.PrivateKey.random(Secp256k1, rng[])[]
@@ -61,7 +64,7 @@ procSuite "WakuNode - Relay":
       GossipSub(node2.wakuRelay).heartbeatFut.isNil == false
 
     await allFutures([node1.stop(), node2.stop()])
-  
+
   asyncTest "Messages are correctly relayed":
     let
       nodeKey1 = crypto.PrivateKey.random(Secp256k1, rng[])[]
@@ -109,7 +112,7 @@ procSuite "WakuNode - Relay":
     await node1.stop()
     await node2.stop()
     await node3.stop()
-  
+
   asyncTest "filtering relayed messages using topic validators":
     ## test scenario:
     ## node1 and node3 set node2 as their relay node
@@ -204,7 +207,39 @@ procSuite "WakuNode - Relay":
       (await completionFutValidatorRej.withTimeout(10.seconds)) == true
 
     await allFutures(node1.stop(), node2.stop(), node3.stop())
- 
+
+  asyncTest "Stats of peer sending wrong WakuMessages are updated":
+    # Create 2 nodes
+    let nodes = toSeq(0..1).mapIt(WakuNode.new(generateKey(), ValidIpAddress.init("0.0.0.0"), Port(0)))
+
+    # Start all the nodes and mount relay with
+    await allFutures(nodes.mapIt(it.start()))
+    await allFutures(nodes.mapIt(it.mountRelay()))
+
+    # Connect nodes
+    let conn = await nodes[0].peerManager.dialPeer(nodes[1].switch.peerInfo.toRemotePeerInfo(), WakuRelayCodec)
+    require conn.isSome
+
+    # Node 1 subscribes to topic
+    proc handler(topic: string, data: seq[byte]) {.async, gcsafe.} = discard
+    nodes[1].subscribe(DefaultPubsubTopic, handler)
+    await sleepAsync(500.millis)
+
+    # Node 0 publishes 5 messages not compliant with WakuMessage (aka random bytes)
+    for i in 0..4:
+      discard await nodes[0].wakuRelay.publish(DefaultPubsubTopic, urandom(1*(10^2)))
+
+    # Wait for gossip
+    await sleepAsync(500.millis)
+
+    # Verify that node 1 has received 5 invalid messages from node 0
+    # meaning that message validity is enforced to gossip messages
+    var peerStats = nodes[1].wakuRelay.peerStats
+    check:
+      peerStats[nodes[0].switch.peerInfo.peerId].topicInfos[DefaultPubsubTopic].invalidMessageDeliveries == 5.0
+
+    await allFutures(nodes.mapIt(it.stop()))
+
   asyncTest "Messages are relayed between two websocket nodes":
     let
       nodeKey1 = crypto.PrivateKey.random(Secp256k1, rng[])[]
@@ -380,7 +415,7 @@ procSuite "WakuNode - Relay":
 
     check:
       (await completionFut.withTimeout(5.seconds)) == true
-    
+
     await allFutures(node1.stop(), node2.stop())
 
   asyncTest "Messages are relayed between nodes with multiple transports (websocket and secure Websockets)":
@@ -389,7 +424,7 @@ procSuite "WakuNode - Relay":
       node1 = WakuNode.new(nodeKey1, ValidIpAddress.init("0.0.0.0"), bindPort = Port(60550), wsBindPort = Port(8000), wssEnabled = true, secureKey = KEY_PATH, secureCert = CERT_PATH)
       nodeKey2 = crypto.PrivateKey.random(Secp256k1, rng[])[]
       node2 = WakuNode.new(nodeKey2, ValidIpAddress.init("0.0.0.0"), bindPort = Port(60552),wsBindPort = Port(8100), wsEnabled = true )
-    
+
     let
       pubSubTopic = "test"
       contentTopic = ContentTopic("/waku/2/default-content/proto")
diff --git a/waku/v2/protocol/waku_relay.nim b/waku/v2/protocol/waku_relay.nim
index 2bd0c22bd..142849aca 100644
--- a/waku/v2/protocol/waku_relay.nim
+++ b/waku/v2/protocol/waku_relay.nim
@@ -97,6 +97,17 @@ proc new*(T: type WakuRelay,
       verifySignature = false,
       maxMessageSize = MaxWakuMessageSize
     )
+
+    # Rejects messages that are not WakuMessage
+    proc validator(topic: string, message: messages.Message): Future[ValidationResult] {.async.} =
+      let msg = WakuMessage.decode(message.data)
+      if msg.isOk():
+        return ValidationResult.Accept
+      return ValidationResult.Reject
+
+    # Add validator to all default pubsub topics
+    for pubSubTopic in defaultPubsubTopics:
+      wr.addValidator(pubSubTopic, validator)
   except InitializationError:
     return err("initialization error: " & getCurrentExceptionMsg())