diff --git a/src/Lantern.Beacon/Networking/Gossip/GossipSubManager.cs b/src/Lantern.Beacon/Networking/Gossip/GossipSubManager.cs
index 299486f..d8cd10e 100644
--- a/src/Lantern.Beacon/Networking/Gossip/GossipSubManager.cs
+++ b/src/Lantern.Beacon/Networking/Gossip/GossipSubManager.cs
@@ -169,6 +169,12 @@ private void HandleLightClientOptimisticUpdate(PeerId peerId, byte[] update)
     
     private void CheckIfPeerExistsInGossip(PeerId peerId)
     {
+        if (!syncProtocol.IsInitialised)
+        {
+            _logger.LogDebug("Sync protocol is not initialized. Ignore gossip message");
+            return;
+        }
+        
         var foundLivePeer = false;
                 
         foreach (var gossipPeer in peerState.GossipPeers.Keys)