diff --git a/src/msg/fbuf/p2pmsg_conversion.cpp b/src/msg/fbuf/p2pmsg_conversion.cpp
index 0d2d2679..f1a6503f 100644
--- a/src/msg/fbuf/p2pmsg_conversion.cpp
+++ b/src/msg/fbuf/p2pmsg_conversion.cpp
@@ -52,10 +52,19 @@ namespace msg::fbuf::p2pmsg
         return p2p::peer_message_info{p2p_msg, p2p_msg->content_type(), p2p_msg->created_on()};
     }
 
-    bool verify_proposal_msg_signature(const p2p::peer_message_info &mi)
+    bool verify_proposal_msg_trust(const p2p::peer_message_info &mi)
     {
         const auto &msg = *mi.p2p_msg->content_as_ProposalMsg();
 
+        std::string_view pubkey = flatbuf_bytes_to_sv(msg.pubkey());
+        
+        // Before verifying the hash, Validate if the message is from a trusted node.
+        if (!unl::exists(std::string(pubkey)))
+        {
+            LOG_DEBUG << "Peer proposal message pubkey verification failed. Not in UNL.";
+            return false;
+        }
+
         // Get hash of proposal data field values and verify the signature against the hash.
         flatbuf_hasher hasher;
         hasher.add(msg.stage());
@@ -71,19 +80,28 @@ namespace msg::fbuf::p2pmsg
         hasher.add(msg.last_primary_shard_id());
         hasher.add(msg.last_blob_shard_id());
 
-        return crypto::verify(hasher.hash(), flatbuf_bytes_to_sv(msg.sig()), flatbuf_bytes_to_sv(msg.pubkey())) == 0;
+        return crypto::verify(hasher.hash(), flatbuf_bytes_to_sv(msg.sig()), pubkey) == 0;
     }
 
-    bool verify_npl_msg_signature(const p2p::peer_message_info &mi)
+    bool verify_npl_msg_trust(const p2p::peer_message_info &mi)
     {
         const auto &msg = *mi.p2p_msg->content_as_NplMsg();
 
+        std::string_view pubkey = flatbuf_bytes_to_sv(msg.pubkey());
+        
+        // Before verifying the hash, Validate if the message is from a trusted node.
+        if (!unl::exists(std::string(pubkey)))
+        {
+            LOG_INFO << "Peer npl message pubkey verification failed. Not in UNL.";
+            return false;
+        }
+
         // Get hash of npl message field values and verify the signature against the hash.
         flatbuf_hasher hasher;
         hasher.add(msg.data());
         hasher.add(msg.lcl_id());
 
-        return crypto::verify(hasher.hash(), flatbuf_bytes_to_sv(msg.sig()), flatbuf_bytes_to_sv(msg.pubkey())) == 0;
+        return crypto::verify(hasher.hash(), flatbuf_bytes_to_sv(msg.sig()), pubkey) == 0;
     }
 
     const p2p::peer_challenge create_peer_challenge_from_msg(const p2p::peer_message_info &mi)
diff --git a/src/msg/fbuf/p2pmsg_conversion.hpp b/src/msg/fbuf/p2pmsg_conversion.hpp
index 371bc0c2..b62e20b2 100644
--- a/src/msg/fbuf/p2pmsg_conversion.hpp
+++ b/src/msg/fbuf/p2pmsg_conversion.hpp
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@ namespace msg::fbuf::p2pmsg
 
     const p2p::peer_message_info get_peer_message_info(std::string_view message);
 
-    bool verify_proposal_msg_signature(const p2p::peer_message_info &mi);
+    bool verify_proposal_msg_trust(const p2p::peer_message_info &mi);
 
-    bool verify_npl_msg_signature(const p2p::peer_message_info &mi);
+    bool verify_npl_msg_trust(const p2p::peer_message_info &mi);
 
     const p2p::peer_challenge create_peer_challenge_from_msg(const p2p::peer_message_info &mi);
 
diff --git a/src/p2p/peer_comm_server.cpp b/src/p2p/peer_comm_server.cpp
index adcb282d..d772ffd4 100644
--- a/src/p2p/peer_comm_server.cpp
+++ b/src/p2p/peer_comm_server.cpp
@@ -200,8 +200,13 @@ namespace p2p
     {
         if (connected_status_check_counter == 600)
         {
-            // One is added to session list size to reflect the loop back connection.
-            const bool current_state = (sessions.size() + 1) < (unl::count() * WEAKLY_CONNECTED_THRESHOLD);
+            // Get the count of peers which are unl nodes.
+            // One is added to session list size only if we are a unl node, to reflect the self connection.
+            const int connected_peer_count = std::count_if(sessions.begin(), sessions.end(), [](const p2p::peer_comm_session &session) {
+                                                 return session.is_unl;
+                                             }) +
+                                             (conf::cfg.node.is_unl ? 1 : 0);
+            const bool current_state = connected_peer_count < (unl::count() * WEAKLY_CONNECTED_THRESHOLD);
             if (is_weakly_connected != current_state)
             {
                 is_weakly_connected = !is_weakly_connected;
diff --git a/src/p2p/peer_session_handler.cpp b/src/p2p/peer_session_handler.cpp
index e9760463..ca5e58e6 100644
--- a/src/p2p/peer_session_handler.cpp
+++ b/src/p2p/peer_session_handler.cpp
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ namespace p2p
         }
         else if (mi.type == p2pmsg::P2PMsgContent_ProposalMsg)
         {
-            if (!p2pmsg::verify_proposal_msg_signature(mi))
+            if (!p2pmsg::verify_proposal_msg_trust(mi))
             {
                 session.increment_metric(comm::SESSION_THRESHOLDS::MAX_BADSIGMSGS_PER_MINUTE, 1);
                 LOG_DEBUG << "Proposal rejected due to trust failure. " << session.display_name();
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ namespace p2p
         }
         else if (mi.type == p2pmsg::P2PMsgContent_NplMsg)
         {
-            if (!p2pmsg::verify_npl_msg_signature(mi))
+            if (!p2pmsg::verify_npl_msg_trust(mi))
             {
                 session.increment_metric(comm::SESSION_THRESHOLDS::MAX_BADSIGMSGS_PER_MINUTE, 1);
                 LOG_DEBUG << "Npl message rejected due to trust failure. " << session.display_name();