diff --git a/gossip/gossip/channel/channel.go b/gossip/gossip/channel/channel.go
index ae1383e79f2..8502d13fd26 100644
--- a/gossip/gossip/channel/channel.go
+++ b/gossip/gossip/channel/channel.go
@@ -420,6 +420,10 @@ func (gc *gossipChannel) HandleMessage(msg proto.ReceivedMessage) {
 				gc.logger.Warning("Payload is empty, got it from", msg.GetConnectionInfo().ID)
 				return
 			}
+			// Would this block go into the message store if it was verified?
+			if !gc.blockMsgStore.CheckValid(msg.GetGossipMessage()) {
+				return
+			}
 			if !gc.verifyBlock(m.GossipMessage, msg.GetConnectionInfo().ID) {
 				gc.logger.Warning("Failed verifying block", m.GetDataMsg().Payload.SeqNum)
 				return
@@ -468,6 +472,10 @@ func (gc *gossipChannel) HandleMessage(msg proto.ReceivedMessage) {
 					gc.logger.Warning("DataUpdate message contains item with channel", gMsg.Channel, "but should be", gc.chainID)
 					return
 				}
+				// Would this block go into the message store if it was verified?
+				if !gc.blockMsgStore.CheckValid(msg.GetGossipMessage()) {
+					return
+				}
 				if !gc.verifyBlock(gMsg.GossipMessage, msg.GetConnectionInfo().ID) {
 					return
 				}
diff --git a/gossip/gossip/gossip_impl.go b/gossip/gossip/gossip_impl.go
index da317819a74..1a877b4836c 100644
--- a/gossip/gossip/gossip_impl.go
+++ b/gossip/gossip/gossip_impl.go
@@ -437,26 +437,6 @@ func (g *gossipServiceImpl) validateMsg(msg proto.ReceivedMessage) bool {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if msg.GetGossipMessage().IsDataMsg() {
-		blockMsg := msg.GetGossipMessage().GetDataMsg()
-		if blockMsg.Payload == nil {
-			g.logger.Warning("Empty block! Discarding it")
-			return false
-		}
-
-		// If we're configured to skip block validation, don't verify it
-		if g.conf.SkipBlockVerification {
-			return true
-		}
-
-		seqNum := blockMsg.Payload.SeqNum
-		rawBlock := blockMsg.Payload.Data
-		if err := g.mcs.VerifyBlock(msg.GetGossipMessage().Channel, seqNum, rawBlock); err != nil {
-			g.logger.Warning("Could not verify block", blockMsg.Payload.SeqNum, ":", err)
-			return false
-		}
-	}
-
 	if msg.GetGossipMessage().IsStateInfoMsg() {
 		if err := g.validateStateInfoMsg(msg.GetGossipMessage()); err != nil {
 			g.logger.Warning("StateInfo message", msg, "is found invalid:", err)