diff --git a/cmd/arc/services/blocktx.go b/cmd/arc/services/blocktx.go
index cf6c44389..3202a703f 100644
--- a/cmd/arc/services/blocktx.go
+++ b/cmd/arc/services/blocktx.go
@@ -8,12 +8,13 @@ import (
 
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/attribute"
 
+	"github.com/libsv/go-p2p"
+
 	"github.com/bitcoin-sv/arc/internal/grpc_opts"
 	"github.com/bitcoin-sv/arc/internal/message_queue/nats/client/nats_core"
 	"github.com/bitcoin-sv/arc/internal/message_queue/nats/client/nats_jetstream"
 	"github.com/bitcoin-sv/arc/internal/message_queue/nats/nats_connection"
 	"github.com/bitcoin-sv/arc/internal/tracing"
-	"github.com/libsv/go-p2p"
 
 	"github.com/bitcoin-sv/arc/config"
 	"github.com/bitcoin-sv/arc/internal/blocktx"
@@ -127,6 +128,7 @@ func StartBlockTx(logger *slog.Logger, arcConfig *config.ArcConfig) (func(), err
 		blocktx.WithRegisterTxsInterval(btxConfig.RegisterTxsInterval),
 		blocktx.WithMessageQueueClient(mqClient),
 		blocktx.WithMaxBlockProcessingDuration(btxConfig.MaxBlockProcessingDuration),
+		blocktx.WithIncomingIsLongest(btxConfig.IncomingIsLongest),
 	)
 
 	blockRequestCh := make(chan blocktx.BlockRequest, blockProcessingBuffer)
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 793bfe117..eb715c08b 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ type BlocktxConfig struct {
 	MaxAllowedBlockHeightMismatch int                 `mapstructure:"maxAllowedBlockHeightMismatch"`
 	MessageQueue                  *MessageQueueConfig `mapstructure:"mq"`
 	P2pReadBufferSize             int                 `mapstructure:"p2pReadBufferSize"`
+	IncomingIsLongest             bool                `mapstructure:"incomingIsLongest"`
 }
 
 type DbConfig struct {
diff --git a/config/defaults.go b/config/defaults.go
index 869d44492..e46783a04 100644
--- a/config/defaults.go
+++ b/config/defaults.go
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ func getBlocktxConfig() *BlocktxConfig {
 		MaxBlockProcessingDuration:    5 * time.Minute,
 		MessageQueue:                  &MessageQueueConfig{},
 		P2pReadBufferSize:             8 * 1024 * 1024,
+		IncomingIsLongest:             false,
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/config/example_config.yaml b/config/example_config.yaml
index 6f6f20c6f..69cf1415d 100644
--- a/config/example_config.yaml
+++ b/config/example_config.yaml
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ blocktx:
   registerTxsInterval: 10s # time interval to read from the channel registered transactions
   maxBlockProcessingDuration: 5m # maximum time a blocktx can spend on processing a block before unlocking it to be requested again
   monitorPeers: false # if enabled, peers which do not receive alive signal from nodes will be restarted
+  incomingIsLongest: false # whether each new block received is considered to be from the longest blockchain. If there are a lot of block gaps in blocktx database it is advisable to set this to true
   fillGaps:
     enabled: true
     interval: 15m # time interval to check and fill gaps in processed blocks
diff --git a/internal/blocktx/processor.go b/internal/blocktx/processor.go
index 701da61d0..c4da1bfe1 100644
--- a/internal/blocktx/processor.go
+++ b/internal/blocktx/processor.go
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ type Processor struct {
 	processGuardsMap            sync.Map
 	stats                       *processorStats
 	statCollectionInterval      time.Duration
-	hasGaps                     bool
+	incomingIsLongest           bool
 
 	now                        func() time.Time
 	maxBlockProcessingDuration time.Duration
@@ -551,7 +551,7 @@ func (p *Processor) verifyAndInsertBlock(ctx context.Context, blockMsg *p2p.Bloc
 		Chainwork:    calculateChainwork(blockMsg.Header.Bits).String(),
 	}
 
-	if p.hasGaps {
+	if p.incomingIsLongest {
 		incomingBlock.Status = blocktx_api.Status_LONGEST
 	} else {
 		err = p.assignBlockStatus(ctx, incomingBlock, previousBlockHash)
diff --git a/internal/blocktx/processor_opts.go b/internal/blocktx/processor_opts.go
index 29b9291db..3cb5b9401 100644
--- a/internal/blocktx/processor_opts.go
+++ b/internal/blocktx/processor_opts.go
@@ -79,3 +79,9 @@ func WithMaxBlockProcessingDuration(d time.Duration) func(*Processor) {
 		processor.maxBlockProcessingDuration = d
 	}
 }
+
+func WithIncomingIsLongest(enabled bool) func(*Processor) {
+	return func(processor *Processor) {
+		processor.incomingIsLongest = enabled
+	}
+}