diff --git a/beacon_node/beacon_chain/src/payload_envelope_verification/import.rs b/beacon_node/beacon_chain/src/payload_envelope_verification/import.rs
index 7f66f77ff8..00806f0e17 100644
--- a/beacon_node/beacon_chain/src/payload_envelope_verification/import.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/beacon_chain/src/payload_envelope_verification/import.rs
@@ -173,6 +173,14 @@ impl<T: BeaconChainTypes> BeaconChain<T> {
             .map_err(BeaconChainError::TokioJoin)?
             .ok_or(BeaconChainError::RuntimeShutdown)??;
 
+        // TODO(gloas): optimistic sync is not supported for Gloas, maybe we could re-add it
+        if payload_verification_outcome
+            .payload_verification_status
+            .is_optimistic()
+        {
+            return Err(EnvelopeError::OptimisticSyncNotSupported { block_root });
+        }
+
         Ok(AvailabilityPendingExecutedEnvelope::new(
             signed_envelope,
             block_root,
@@ -222,14 +230,6 @@ impl<T: BeaconChainTypes> BeaconChain<T> {
         block_root: Hash256,
         payload_verification_status: PayloadVerificationStatus,
     ) -> Result<Hash256, EnvelopeError> {
-        // TODO(gloas): optimistic sync is not supported for Gloas. Proto-array only tracks
-        // `payload_received` as a bool, so an optimistically-imported payload would be treated as
-        // valid with no way to invalidate it if the EL later rejects it. Reject here (covering both
-        // the gossip and range-sync paths) until fork choice can track optimistic payload status.
-        if payload_verification_status.is_optimistic() {
-            return Err(EnvelopeError::OptimisticSyncNotSupported { block_root });
-        }
-
         // Everything in this initial section is on the hot path for processing the envelope.
         // Take an upgradable read lock on fork choice so we can check if this block has already
         // been imported. We don't want to repeat work importing a block that is already imported.
diff --git a/beacon_node/beacon_chain/src/payload_envelope_verification/mod.rs b/beacon_node/beacon_chain/src/payload_envelope_verification/mod.rs
index 870969c107..95209cad4d 100644
--- a/beacon_node/beacon_chain/src/payload_envelope_verification/mod.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/beacon_chain/src/payload_envelope_verification/mod.rs
@@ -168,11 +168,6 @@ pub enum EnvelopeError {
     /// Error verifying the execution payload
     ExecutionPayloadError(ExecutionPayloadError),
     /// Optimistic sync is not supported for Gloas payload envelopes.
-    ///
-    /// Proto-array only tracks `payload_received` as a bool, so it cannot represent an
-    /// optimistically-imported payload that the EL may later invalidate. Until fork choice can
-    /// track optimistic payload status, we reject optimistic envelopes rather than treat them as
-    /// valid.
     OptimisticSyncNotSupported { block_root: Hash256 },
     /// The envelope's beacon block was not present in fork choice at import time.
     ///
diff --git a/beacon_node/network/src/network_beacon_processor/gossip_methods.rs b/beacon_node/network/src/network_beacon_processor/gossip_methods.rs
index 8b9db8f04c..98c143eaeb 100644
--- a/beacon_node/network/src/network_beacon_processor/gossip_methods.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/network/src/network_beacon_processor/gossip_methods.rs
@@ -3715,6 +3715,7 @@ impl<T: BeaconChainTypes> NetworkBeaconProcessor<T> {
                     | EnvelopeError::BeaconStateError(_)
                     // The following variants are produced during envelope import, not gossip
                     // verification, so they cannot be reached here. Ignore them to be safe.
+                    | EnvelopeError::OptimisticSyncNotSupported { .. }
                     | EnvelopeError::BlockRootNotInForkChoice(_)
                     | EnvelopeError::InternalError(_) => {
                         self.propagate_validation_result(