diff --git a/waku/node/waku_node.nim b/waku/node/waku_node.nim
index 5df6200a19..c7724c6c86 100644
--- a/waku/node/waku_node.nim
+++ b/waku/node/waku_node.nim
@@ -732,8 +732,8 @@ proc lightpushPublish*(node: WakuNode, pubsubTopic: Option[PubsubTopic], message
 when defined(rln):
   proc mountRlnRelay*(node: WakuNode,
                       rlnConf: WakuRlnConfig,
-                      spamHandler: Option[SpamHandler] = none(SpamHandler),
-                      registrationHandler: Option[RegistrationHandler] = none(RegistrationHandler)) {.async.} =
+                      spamHandler = none(SpamHandler),
+                      registrationHandler = none(RegistrationHandler)) {.async.} =
     info "mounting rln relay"
 
     if node.wakuRelay.isNil():
@@ -903,3 +903,11 @@ proc stop*(node: WakuNode) {.async.} =
       await node.wakuRlnRelay.stop()
 
   node.started = false
+
+proc isReady*(node: WakuNode): bool =
+  when defined(rln):
+    if node.wakuRlnRelay == nil:
+      return false
+    return node.wakuRlnRelay.isReady()
+  ## TODO: add other protocol `isReady` checks
+  return true
diff --git a/waku/waku_rln_relay/group_manager/group_manager_base.nim b/waku/waku_rln_relay/group_manager/group_manager_base.nim
index 0dc1ceb307..79bf2835bb 100644
--- a/waku/waku_rln_relay/group_manager/group_manager_base.nim
+++ b/waku/waku_rln_relay/group_manager/group_manager_base.nim
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ type
     initialized*: bool
     latestIndex*: MembershipIndex
     validRoots*: Deque[MerkleNode]
+    isReady*: bool
 
 # This proc is used to initialize the group manager
 # Any initialization logic should be implemented here
diff --git a/waku/waku_rln_relay/group_manager/on_chain/group_manager.nim b/waku/waku_rln_relay/group_manager/on_chain/group_manager.nim
index 56c82cb27b..1427b45aef 100644
--- a/waku/waku_rln_relay/group_manager/on_chain/group_manager.nim
+++ b/waku/waku_rln_relay/group_manager/on_chain/group_manager.nim
@@ -388,6 +388,8 @@ proc startOnchainSync(g: OnchainGroupManager): Future[void] {.async.} =
   # listen to blockheaders and contract events
   try:
     await g.startListeningToEvents()
+    # rln is ready now
+    g.isReady = true
   except CatchableError:
     raise newException(ValueError, "failed to start listening to events: " & getCurrentExceptionMsg())
 
diff --git a/waku/waku_rln_relay/group_manager/static/group_manager.nim b/waku/waku_rln_relay/group_manager/static/group_manager.nim
index c2ccae8c21..0b0af9cec3 100644
--- a/waku/waku_rln_relay/group_manager/static/group_manager.nim
+++ b/waku/waku_rln_relay/group_manager/static/group_manager.nim
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ method init*(g: StaticGroupManager): Future[void] {.async,gcsafe.} =
   g.latestIndex += MembershipIndex(idCommitments.len() - 1)
 
   g.initialized = true
+  g.isReady = true
 
   return
 
diff --git a/waku/waku_rln_relay/rln_relay.nim b/waku/waku_rln_relay/rln_relay.nim
index 887e28d00f..6f20ce36f7 100644
--- a/waku/waku_rln_relay/rln_relay.nim
+++ b/waku/waku_rln_relay/rln_relay.nim
@@ -400,6 +400,14 @@ proc mount(conf: WakuRlnConfig,
   return WakuRLNRelay(groupManager: groupManager,
                       messageBucket: messageBucket)
 
+proc isReady*(rlnPeer: WakuRLNRelay): bool =
+  ## returns true if the rln-relay protocol is ready to relay messages
+  ## returns false otherwise
+  
+  # could be nil during startup
+  if rlnPeer.groupManager == nil:
+    return false
+  return rlnPeer.groupManager.isReady
 
 proc new*(T: type WakuRlnRelay,
           conf: WakuRlnConfig,