diff --git a/bin/ethlambda/src/main.rs b/bin/ethlambda/src/main.rs
index e7bc504f..b26481f2 100644
--- a/bin/ethlambda/src/main.rs
+++ b/bin/ethlambda/src/main.rs
@@ -131,6 +131,15 @@ struct CliOptions {
     /// Directory for RocksDB storage
     #[arg(long, default_value = "./data")]
     data_dir: PathBuf,
+    /// Disable the sync-gate's suppression of validator duties.
+    ///
+    /// By default a node that judges itself to be syncing (local head lagging
+    /// wall clock while the network still progresses) skips block proposal,
+    /// attestation production, and aggregate re-derivation. With this flag the
+    /// sync state is still tracked and exported via `lean_node_sync_status`,
+    /// but it no longer suppresses any duty: the gate becomes observe-only.
+    #[arg(long, default_value = "false")]
+    disable_duty_sync_gate: bool,
 }
 
 // Shadow single-steps execution in a discrete-event simulation, so the default
@@ -284,6 +293,7 @@ async fn main() -> eyre::Result<()> {
         validator_keys,
         aggregator.clone(),
         attestation_committee_count,
+        !options.disable_duty_sync_gate,
     );
 
     // Note: SwarmConfig.is_aggregator is intentionally a plain bool, not the
diff --git a/crates/blockchain/src/lib.rs b/crates/blockchain/src/lib.rs
index e2a32b1d..4360377d 100644
--- a/crates/blockchain/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/blockchain/src/lib.rs
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ impl BlockChain {
         validator_keys: HashMap<u64, ValidatorKeyPair>,
         aggregator: AggregatorController,
         attestation_committee_count: u64,
+        gate_duties: bool,
     ) -> BlockChain {
         metrics::set_is_aggregator(aggregator.is_enabled());
         metrics::set_node_sync_status(metrics::SyncStatus::Idle);
@@ -106,7 +107,7 @@ impl BlockChain {
             last_tick_instant: None,
             attestation_committee_count,
             pre_merge_coverage: None,
-            sync_status: SyncStatusTracker::default(),
+            sync_status: SyncStatusTracker::new(gate_duties),
         }
         .start();
         let time_until_genesis = (SystemTime::UNIX_EPOCH + Duration::from_secs(genesis_time))
@@ -172,7 +173,9 @@ pub struct BlockChainServer {
     /// Observability-only.
     pre_merge_coverage: Option<coverage::CoverageSnapshot>,
 
-    /// Stateful sync heuristic used by `lean_node_sync_status`.
+    /// Stateful sync heuristic used by `lean_node_sync_status`. Also gates
+    /// validator duties while syncing, unless that gating was disabled at
+    /// startup via `--disable-duty-sync-gate` (then it is metric-only).
     sync_status: SyncStatusTracker,
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/blockchain/src/sync_status.rs b/crates/blockchain/src/sync_status.rs
index 48b20a97..02c71c9f 100644
--- a/crates/blockchain/src/sync_status.rs
+++ b/crates/blockchain/src/sync_status.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+use tracing::debug;
+
 use crate::metrics::SyncStatus;
 
 /// Local head lag beyond which the node is considered to be syncing.
@@ -12,12 +14,35 @@ const NETWORK_STALL_THRESHOLD: u64 = 8;
 /// Recovery band that prevents the sync status from flapping near the threshold.
 const SYNC_HYSTERESIS_BAND: u64 = 2;
 
-#[derive(Default)]
 pub(crate) struct SyncStatusTracker {
     syncing: bool,
+    /// Whether the syncing state suppresses validator duties.
+    ///
+    /// When `false`, [`Self::update`] still tracks `syncing` and drives the
+    /// `lean_node_sync_status` metric, but [`Self::duties_allowed`] always
+    /// returns `true`: the gate is observe-only. Seeded from the CLI
+    /// `--disable-duty-sync-gate` flag (gating stays on by default).
+    gate_duties: bool,
+}
+
+impl Default for SyncStatusTracker {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            syncing: false,
+            gate_duties: true,
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 impl SyncStatusTracker {
+    /// Build a tracker, choosing whether the syncing state gates duties.
+    pub(crate) fn new(gate_duties: bool) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            gate_duties,
+            ..Self::default()
+        }
+    }
+
     pub(crate) fn update(
         &mut self,
         current_slot: u64,
@@ -26,6 +51,7 @@ impl SyncStatusTracker {
     ) -> SyncStatus {
         let head_lag = current_slot.saturating_sub(head_slot);
         let network_lag = current_slot.saturating_sub(max_seen_slot);
+        let was_syncing = self.syncing;
 
         if network_lag > NETWORK_STALL_THRESHOLD {
             self.syncing = false;
@@ -35,6 +61,18 @@ impl SyncStatusTracker {
             self.syncing = head_lag > SYNC_LAG_THRESHOLD;
         }
 
+        if self.syncing != was_syncing {
+            debug!(
+                current_slot,
+                head_slot,
+                max_seen_slot,
+                head_lag,
+                network_lag,
+                syncing = self.syncing,
+                "Sync status changed"
+            );
+        }
+
         if self.syncing {
             SyncStatus::Syncing
         } else {
@@ -43,7 +81,8 @@ impl SyncStatusTracker {
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn duties_allowed(&self) -> bool {
-        !self.syncing
+        // Gate disabled: the syncing state is observe-only, never suppresses duties.
+        !self.gate_duties || !self.syncing
     }
 }