diff --git a/infrastructure/logging/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/teku/infrastructure/logging/StatusLogger.java b/infrastructure/logging/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/teku/infrastructure/logging/StatusLogger.java
index b4e21d2e649..194e0b85681 100644
--- a/infrastructure/logging/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/teku/infrastructure/logging/StatusLogger.java
+++ b/infrastructure/logging/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/teku/infrastructure/logging/StatusLogger.java
@@ -502,6 +502,14 @@ public void warnFlagDeprecation(final String oldFlag, final String newFlag) {
         Color.YELLOW);
   }
 
+  public void warnIgnoringWeakSubjectivityPeriod() {
+    log.warn(
+        print(
+            "Ignoring weak subjectivity period check (--ignore-weak-subjectivity-period-enabled). Syncing "
+                + "from outside of the weak subjectivity period is considered UNSAFE.",
+            Color.YELLOW));
+  }
+
   private void logWithColorIfLevelGreaterThanInfo(
       final Level level, final String msg, final ColorConsolePrinter.Color color) {
     final boolean useColor = level.compareTo(Level.INFO) < 0;
diff --git a/services/beaconchain/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/teku/services/beaconchain/BeaconChainController.java b/services/beaconchain/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/teku/services/beaconchain/BeaconChainController.java
index e6a0cf48c1b..e80f0764336 100644
--- a/services/beaconchain/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/teku/services/beaconchain/BeaconChainController.java
+++ b/services/beaconchain/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/teku/services/beaconchain/BeaconChainController.java
@@ -409,17 +409,24 @@ protected SafeFuture<?> initialize() {
                     spec))
         .thenCompose(
             client -> {
+              if (isAllowSyncOutsideWeakSubjectivityPeriod()) {
+                STATUS_LOG.warnIgnoringWeakSubjectivityPeriod();
+              }
+
               // Setup chain storage
               this.recentChainData = client;
               if (recentChainData.isPreGenesis()) {
                 setupInitialState(client);
-              } else if (beaconConfig
-                  .eth2NetworkConfig()
-                  .getNetworkBoostrapConfig()
-                  .isUsingCustomInitialState()) {
-                STATUS_LOG.warnInitialStateIgnored();
+                return SafeFuture.completedFuture(client);
+              } else {
+                if (isUsingCustomInitialState()) {
+                  STATUS_LOG.warnInitialStateIgnored();
+                }
+                if (!isAllowSyncOutsideWeakSubjectivityPeriod()) {
+                  validateWeakSubjectivityPeriod(client);
+                }
+                return SafeFuture.completedFuture(client);
               }
-              return SafeFuture.completedFuture(client);
             })
         // Init other services
         .thenRun(this::initAll)
@@ -431,6 +438,26 @@ protected SafeFuture<?> initialize() {
         .thenCompose(__ -> timerService.start());
   }
 
+  private boolean isUsingCustomInitialState() {
+    return beaconConfig.eth2NetworkConfig().getNetworkBoostrapConfig().isUsingCustomInitialState();
+  }
+
+  private boolean isAllowSyncOutsideWeakSubjectivityPeriod() {
+    return beaconConfig
+        .eth2NetworkConfig()
+        .getNetworkBoostrapConfig()
+        .isAllowSyncOutsideWeakSubjectivityPeriod();
+  }
+
+  private void validateWeakSubjectivityPeriod(final RecentChainData client) {
+    final AnchorPoint latestFinalizedAnchor = client.getStore().getLatestFinalized();
+    final UInt64 currentSlot = getCurrentSlot(client.getGenesisTime());
+    final WeakSubjectivityCalculator wsCalculator =
+        WeakSubjectivityCalculator.create(beaconConfig.weakSubjectivity());
+    wsInitializer.validateAnchorIsWithinWeakSubjectivityPeriod(
+        latestFinalizedAnchor, currentSlot, spec, wsCalculator);
+  }
+
   public void initAll() {
     initKeyValueStore();
     initExecutionLayer();
@@ -1281,10 +1308,7 @@ protected void setupInitialState(final RecentChainData client) {
      WeakSubjectivityPeriodCalculator to the WeakSubjectivityInitializer. Otherwise, we pass an Optional.empty().
     */
     final Optional<WeakSubjectivityCalculator> maybeWsCalculator;
-    if (beaconConfig
-        .eth2NetworkConfig()
-        .getNetworkBoostrapConfig()
-        .isAllowSyncOutsideWeakSubjectivityPeriod()) {
+    if (isAllowSyncOutsideWeakSubjectivityPeriod()) {
       maybeWsCalculator = Optional.empty();
     } else {
       maybeWsCalculator =
diff --git a/services/beaconchain/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/teku/services/beaconchain/WeakSubjectivityInitializer.java b/services/beaconchain/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/teku/services/beaconchain/WeakSubjectivityInitializer.java
index 3bc6897a2fd..07074781926 100644
--- a/services/beaconchain/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/teku/services/beaconchain/WeakSubjectivityInitializer.java
+++ b/services/beaconchain/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/teku/services/beaconchain/WeakSubjectivityInitializer.java
@@ -139,6 +139,24 @@ public SafeFuture<WeakSubjectivityConfig> finalizeAndStoreConfig(
             });
   }
 
+  public void validateAnchorIsWithinWeakSubjectivityPeriod(
+      final AnchorPoint initialAnchor,
+      final UInt64 currentSlot,
+      final Spec spec,
+      final WeakSubjectivityCalculator weakSubjectivityCalculator) {
+    final CheckpointState checkpointState =
+        CheckpointState.create(
+            spec,
+            initialAnchor.getCheckpoint(),
+            initialAnchor.getBlockSummary(),
+            initialAnchor.getState());
+    if (!weakSubjectivityCalculator.isWithinWeakSubjectivityPeriod(checkpointState, currentSlot)) {
+      throw new IllegalStateException(
+          "Cannot sync outside of weak subjectivity period. Consider re-syncing your node using --checkpoint-sync-url or use --ignore-weak-subjectivity-period-enabled to ignore this check.");
+    }
+    ;
+  }
+
   public void validateInitialAnchor(
       final AnchorPoint initialAnchor,
       final UInt64 currentSlot,
@@ -154,18 +172,9 @@ public void validateInitialAnchor(
     }
 
     maybeWsCalculator.ifPresent(
-        weakSubjectivityCalculator -> {
-          final CheckpointState checkpointState =
-              CheckpointState.create(
-                  spec,
-                  initialAnchor.getCheckpoint(),
-                  initialAnchor.getBlockSummary(),
-                  initialAnchor.getState());
-          if (!weakSubjectivityCalculator.isWithinWeakSubjectivityPeriod(
-              checkpointState, currentSlot)) {
-            throw new IllegalStateException("Cannot sync outside of weak subjectivity period.");
-          }
-        });
+        wsCalculator ->
+            validateAnchorIsWithinWeakSubjectivityPeriod(
+                initialAnchor, currentSlot, spec, wsCalculator));
 
     if (initialAnchor.isGenesis()) {
       // Skip extra validations for genesis state
diff --git a/services/beaconchain/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/teku/services/beaconchain/WeakSubjectivityInitializerTest.java b/services/beaconchain/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/teku/services/beaconchain/WeakSubjectivityInitializerTest.java
index a7795171490..b61de9d44dc 100644
--- a/services/beaconchain/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/teku/services/beaconchain/WeakSubjectivityInitializerTest.java
+++ b/services/beaconchain/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/teku/services/beaconchain/WeakSubjectivityInitializerTest.java
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ public void validateInitialAnchor_withSubjectivityCheck_outOfWeakSubjectivityPer
                 initializer.validateInitialAnchor(
                     anchor, currentSlot, spec, Optional.of(wsCalculator)))
         .isInstanceOf(IllegalStateException.class)
-        .hasMessageContaining("Cannot sync outside of weak subjectivity period.");
+        .hasMessageContaining("Cannot sync outside of weak subjectivity period");
   }
 
   @Test