diff --git a/src/Nethermind/Nethermind.Xdc.Test/Helpers/XdcBlockHeaderBuilder.cs b/src/Nethermind/Nethermind.Xdc.Test/Helpers/XdcBlockHeaderBuilder.cs
index 79b96eff3bd..5083dd4e1aa 100644
--- a/src/Nethermind/Nethermind.Xdc.Test/Helpers/XdcBlockHeaderBuilder.cs
+++ b/src/Nethermind/Nethermind.Xdc.Test/Helpers/XdcBlockHeaderBuilder.cs
@@ -111,6 +111,12 @@ public XdcBlockHeaderBuilder WithExtraConsensusData(ExtraFieldsV2 extraFieldsV2)
         return this;
     }
 
+    public new XdcBlockHeaderBuilder WithTimestamp(ulong timestamp)
+    {
+        TestObjectInternal.Timestamp = timestamp;
+        return this;
+    }
+
     public XdcBlockHeaderBuilder WithValidator(Signature signature)
     {
         XdcTestObjectInternal.Validator = signature.Bytes.ToArray();
diff --git a/src/Nethermind/Nethermind.Xdc.Test/Helpers/XdcTestBlockchain.cs b/src/Nethermind/Nethermind.Xdc.Test/Helpers/XdcTestBlockchain.cs
index dc3197d911e..2f5e2c3b3f3 100644
--- a/src/Nethermind/Nethermind.Xdc.Test/Helpers/XdcTestBlockchain.cs
+++ b/src/Nethermind/Nethermind.Xdc.Test/Helpers/XdcTestBlockchain.cs
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ protected override ContainerBuilder ConfigureContainer(ContainerBuilder builder,
             .AddSingleton((_) => BlockProducer)
             //.AddSingleton((_) => BlockProducerRunner)
             .AddSingleton<IRewardCalculator, ZeroRewardCalculator>()
-            .AddSingleton<ITimestamper>((_) => Timestamper)
+            .AddSingleton<ITimestamper>((ctx) => ctx.Resolve<ManualTimestamper>())
             .AddSingleton<IBlockProducerRunner, XdcHotStuff>()
 
             .AddSingleton<ITxPool>((ctx) =>
diff --git a/src/Nethermind/Nethermind.Xdc.Test/SignTransactionManagerTests.cs b/src/Nethermind/Nethermind.Xdc.Test/SignTransactionManagerTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bc7f3fa2733
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Nethermind/Nethermind.Xdc.Test/SignTransactionManagerTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Demerzel Solutions Limited
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-3.0-only
+
+using System;
+using Nethermind.Blockchain;
+using Nethermind.Consensus;
+using Nethermind.Core;
+using Nethermind.Core.Crypto;
+using Nethermind.Core.Specs;
+using Nethermind.Core.Test.Builders;
+using Nethermind.Logging;
+using Nethermind.TxPool;
+using Nethermind.Xdc.Spec;
+using Nethermind.Xdc.Types;
+using NSubstitute;
+using NUnit.Framework;
+
+namespace Nethermind.Xdc.Test;
+
+[Parallelizable(ParallelScope.All)]
+internal class SignTransactionManagerTests
+{
+    // window = MergeSignRange(15) * MinePeriod(2) * MaxSignableBlockPeriods(2) = 60s.
+    [TestCase(0L, true)]
+    [TestCase(60L, true)]
+    [TestCase(61L, false)]
+    [TestCase(86_400L, false)]
+    public void OnBlockAddedToMain_SignsOnlyRecentHeadBlocks(long secondsBehind, bool shouldSign)
+    {
+        IXdcReleaseSpec spec = Substitute.For<IXdcReleaseSpec>();
+        spec.MergeSignRange.Returns(15);
+        spec.MinePeriod.Returns(2);
+
+        ISpecProvider specProvider = Substitute.For<ISpecProvider>();
+        specProvider.GetSpec(Arg.Any<ForkActivation>()).Returns(spec);
+
+        ManualTimestamper timestamper = new();
+
+        XdcBlockHeader header = Build.A.XdcBlockHeader()
+            .WithNumber(spec.MergeSignRange)
+            .WithTimestamp((ulong)(timestamper.UnixTime.SecondsLong - secondsBehind))
+            .WithExtraConsensusData(new ExtraFieldsV2(1, new QuorumCertificate(new BlockRoundInfo(Hash256.Zero, 0, 0), null, 0)))
+            .TestObject;
+        Block block = new(header);
+
+        ISigner signer = Substitute.For<ISigner>();
+        signer.Address.Returns(TestItem.AddressA);
+        signer.TrySign(Arg.Any<Transaction>()).Returns(true);
+
+        ITxPool txPool = Substitute.For<ITxPool>();
+        txPool.SubmitTx(Arg.Any<Transaction>(), Arg.Any<TxHandlingOptions>()).Returns(AcceptTxResult.Accepted);
+
+        IBlockTree blockTree = Substitute.For<IBlockTree>();
+        blockTree.WasProcessed(block.Number, block.Hash!).Returns(true);
+        blockTree.FindBestSuggestedHeader().Returns(header); // bestSuggested == head => not syncing
+        blockTree.Head.Returns(block);
+
+        ISnapshotManager snapshotManager = Substitute.For<ISnapshotManager>();
+        snapshotManager.GetSnapshotByBlockNumber(Arg.Any<long>(), Arg.Any<IXdcReleaseSpec>())
+            .Returns(new Snapshot(block.Number, TestItem.KeccakA, [TestItem.AddressA]));
+
+        SignTransactionManager manager = new(
+            new Lazy<ISigner>(() => signer),
+            new Lazy<ITxPool>(() => txPool),
+            blockTree, snapshotManager, specProvider, timestamper, LimboLogs.Instance);
+        manager.Start();
+
+        blockTree.BlockAddedToMain += Raise.EventWith(new BlockReplacementEventArgs(block));
+
+        txPool.Received(shouldSign ? 1 : 0).SubmitTx(Arg.Any<Transaction>(), Arg.Any<TxHandlingOptions>());
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/Nethermind/Nethermind.Xdc/SignTransactionManager.cs b/src/Nethermind/Nethermind.Xdc/SignTransactionManager.cs
index d7184e29005..6fe198c7bc7 100644
--- a/src/Nethermind/Nethermind.Xdc/SignTransactionManager.cs
+++ b/src/Nethermind/Nethermind.Xdc/SignTransactionManager.cs
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ internal class SignTransactionManager(
     IBlockTree blockTree,
     ISnapshotManager snapshotManager,
     ISpecProvider specProvider,
+    ITimestamper timestamper,
     ILogManager logManager) : ISignTransactionManager, IStartable, IDisposable
 {
     // Lazy: ISigner and ITxPool are registered during InitializeBlockchain, after this class is instantiated.
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ internal class SignTransactionManager(
     private readonly IBlockTree _blockTree = blockTree;
     private readonly ISnapshotManager _snapshotManager = snapshotManager;
     private readonly ISpecProvider _specProvider = specProvider;
+    private readonly ITimestamper _timestamper = timestamper;
     private readonly ILogger _logger = logManager.GetClassLogger<SignTransactionManager>();
     private readonly AssociativeKeyCache<ValueHash256> _alreadySigned = new(128);
 
@@ -76,6 +78,11 @@ private void OnBlockAddedToMain(object? sender, BlockReplacementEventArgs e)
         if (spec is null)
             return;
 
+        // Sign only recent head blocks; older ones are replayed during catch-up.
+        long window = spec.MergeSignRange * spec.MinePeriod * XdcConstants.MaxSignableBlockPeriods;
+        if ((long)xdcHeader.Timestamp + window < _timestamper.UnixTime.SecondsLong)
+            return;
+
         if (xdcHeader.Number % spec.MergeSignRange != 0)
             return;
 
diff --git a/src/Nethermind/Nethermind.Xdc/XdcConstants.cs b/src/Nethermind/Nethermind.Xdc/XdcConstants.cs
index 0d21f802e2d..7b8ff33af57 100644
--- a/src/Nethermind/Nethermind.Xdc/XdcConstants.cs
+++ b/src/Nethermind/Nethermind.Xdc/XdcConstants.cs
@@ -60,4 +60,7 @@ internal static class XdcConstants
 
     // 4-byte selector + 32-byte block number + 32-byte block hash
     public const int SignTransactionDataLength = 68;
+
+    // Only sign recent head blocks.
+    public const int MaxSignableBlockPeriods = 2;
 }