diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 627b5f0e8c..f12adc8970 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ Deploy nodes to prod:
     # +---------------------------+
     # |  🟠 Deploy SSV Prater nodes  |
     # +---------------------------+
-    #- .k8/production/prater/scripts/deploy-cluster-1--4.sh $DOCKER_REPO_INFRA_PROD $CI_COMMIT_SHA ssv $APP_REPLICAS_INFRA_PROD blox-infra-prod kubernetes-admin@blox-infra-prod ssv.network $K8S_API_VERSION $PROD_HEALTH_CHECK_IMAGE $SSV_NODES_CPU_LIMIT_V3 $SSV_NODES_MEM_LIMIT_V3
+    - .k8/production/prater/scripts/deploy-cluster-1--4.sh $DOCKER_REPO_INFRA_PROD $CI_COMMIT_SHA ssv $APP_REPLICAS_INFRA_PROD blox-infra-prod kubernetes-admin@blox-infra-prod ssv.network $K8S_API_VERSION $PROD_HEALTH_CHECK_IMAGE $SSV_NODES_CPU_LIMIT_V3 $SSV_NODES_MEM_LIMIT_V3
     #
     # +----------------------------+
     # |  🔴 Deploy SSV Mainnet nodes  |
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ Deploy exporter to prod:
     # +------------------------------+
     # |  🟠 Deploy Prater exporter   |
     # +------------------------------+
-    # - .k8/production/prater/scripts/deploy-exporters.sh $DOCKER_REPO_INFRA_PROD $CI_COMMIT_SHA ssv $APP_REPLICAS_INFRA_PROD blox-infra-prod kubernetes-admin@blox-infra-prod ssv.network $K8S_API_VERSION $SSV_EXPORTER_CPU_LIMIT $SSV_EXPORTER_MEM_LIMIT
+    - .k8/production/prater/scripts/deploy-exporters.sh $DOCKER_REPO_INFRA_PROD $CI_COMMIT_SHA ssv $APP_REPLICAS_INFRA_PROD blox-infra-prod kubernetes-admin@blox-infra-prod ssv.network $K8S_API_VERSION $SSV_EXPORTER_CPU_LIMIT $SSV_EXPORTER_MEM_LIMIT
     #
     # +------------------------------+
     # │  🔴 Deploy Mainnet exporter  |
diff --git a/message/validation/consensus_validation.go b/message/validation/consensus_validation.go
index fde979826b..674f148ea6 100644
--- a/message/validation/consensus_validation.go
+++ b/message/validation/consensus_validation.go
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ func (mv *messageValidator) validateSignerBehaviorConsensus(
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if !(msgSlot > signerState.Slot || msgSlot == signerState.Slot && msgRound > signerState.Round) {
+	if msgSlot == signerState.Slot && msgRound == signerState.Round {
 		if mv.hasFullData(signedMsg) && signerState.ProposalData != nil && !bytes.Equal(signerState.ProposalData, signedMsg.FullData) {
 			return ErrDuplicatedProposalWithDifferentData
 		}
diff --git a/message/validation/validation.go b/message/validation/validation.go
index 2a363efe25..c00b2b8ea3 100644
--- a/message/validation/validation.go
+++ b/message/validation/validation.go
@@ -77,8 +77,14 @@ type messageValidator struct {
 	dutyStore               *dutystore.Store
 	ownOperatorID           spectypes.OperatorID
 	operatorIDToPubkeyCache *hashmap.Map[spectypes.OperatorID, *rsa.PublicKey]
-	selfPID                 peer.ID
-	selfAccept              bool
+
+	// validationLocks is a map of lock per SSV message ID to
+	// prevent concurrent access to the same state.
+	validationLocks map[spectypes.MessageID]*sync.Mutex
+	validationMutex sync.Mutex
+
+	selfPID    peer.ID
+	selfAccept bool
 }
 
 // NewMessageValidator returns a new MessageValidator with the given network configuration and options.
@@ -88,6 +94,7 @@ func NewMessageValidator(netCfg networkconfig.NetworkConfig, opts ...Option) Mes
 		metrics:                 &nopMetrics{},
 		netCfg:                  netCfg,
 		operatorIDToPubkeyCache: hashmap.New[spectypes.OperatorID, *rsa.PublicKey](),
+		validationLocks:         make(map[spectypes.MessageID]*sync.Mutex),
 	}
 
 	for _, opt := range opts {
@@ -431,6 +438,17 @@ func (mv *messageValidator) validateSSVMessage(ssvMessage *spectypes.SSVMessage,
 		return nil, descriptor, e
 	}
 
+	// Lock this SSV message ID to prevent concurrent access to the same state.
+	mv.validationMutex.Lock()
+	mutex, ok := mv.validationLocks[msg.GetID()]
+	if !ok {
+		mutex = &sync.Mutex{}
+		mv.validationLocks[msg.GetID()] = mutex
+	}
+	mutex.Lock()
+	defer mutex.Unlock()
+	mv.validationMutex.Unlock()
+
 	descriptor.SSVMessageType = ssvMessage.MsgType
 
 	if mv.nodeStorage != nil {
diff --git a/protocol/v2/ssv/runner/runner.go b/protocol/v2/ssv/runner/runner.go
index ff833d8c31..9034d5da84 100644
--- a/protocol/v2/ssv/runner/runner.go
+++ b/protocol/v2/ssv/runner/runner.go
@@ -54,8 +54,7 @@ type BaseRunner struct {
 	BeaconRoleType spectypes.BeaconRole
 
 	// implementation vars
-	TimeoutF         TimeoutF `json:"-"`
-	VerifySignatures bool     `json:"-"`
+	TimeoutF TimeoutF `json:"-"`
 
 	// highestDecidedSlot holds the highest decided duty slot and gets updated after each decided is reached
 	highestDecidedSlot spec.Slot
diff --git a/protocol/v2/ssv/runner/runner_signatures.go b/protocol/v2/ssv/runner/runner_signatures.go
index edfc608ea7..54e4d9de1e 100644
--- a/protocol/v2/ssv/runner/runner_signatures.go
+++ b/protocol/v2/ssv/runner/runner_signatures.go
@@ -58,15 +58,13 @@ func (b *BaseRunner) validatePartialSigMsgForSlot(
 		return errors.New("invalid partial sig slot")
 	}
 
-	if b.VerifySignatures {
-		if err := types.VerifyByOperators(signedMsg.GetSignature(), signedMsg, b.Share.DomainType, spectypes.PartialSignatureType, b.Share.Committee); err != nil {
-			return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to verify PartialSignature")
-		}
+	if err := types.VerifyByOperators(signedMsg.GetSignature(), signedMsg, b.Share.DomainType, spectypes.PartialSignatureType, b.Share.Committee); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to verify PartialSignature")
+	}
 
-		for _, msg := range signedMsg.Message.Messages {
-			if err := b.verifyBeaconPartialSignature(msg); err != nil {
-				return errors.Wrap(err, "could not verify Beacon partial Signature")
-			}
+	for _, msg := range signedMsg.Message.Messages {
+		if err := b.verifyBeaconPartialSignature(msg); err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "could not verify Beacon partial Signature")
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/protocol/v2/ssv/spectest/msg_processing_type.go b/protocol/v2/ssv/spectest/msg_processing_type.go
index 412b92b8da..b962418894 100644
--- a/protocol/v2/ssv/spectest/msg_processing_type.go
+++ b/protocol/v2/ssv/spectest/msg_processing_type.go
@@ -48,8 +48,6 @@ func RunMsgProcessing(t *testing.T, test *MsgProcessingSpecTest) {
 }
 
 func (test *MsgProcessingSpecTest) RunAsPartOfMultiTest(t *testing.T, logger *zap.Logger) {
-	test.Runner.GetBaseRunner().VerifySignatures = true
-
 	v := ssvtesting.BaseValidator(logger, spectestingutils.KeySetForShare(test.Runner.GetBaseRunner().Share))
 	v.DutyRunners[test.Runner.GetBaseRunner().BeaconRoleType] = test.Runner
 	v.Network = test.Runner.GetNetwork().(specqbft.Network) // TODO need to align