diff --git a/changelog.d/2-features/mls-stale-app-messages b/changelog.d/2-features/mls-stale-app-messages
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5005ccbac9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/2-features/mls-stale-app-messages
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+MLS application messages for older epochs are now rejected
diff --git a/integration/test/Test/MLS.hs b/integration/test/Test/MLS.hs
index 7cd2b466a1..5c53958c74 100644
--- a/integration/test/Test/MLS.hs
+++ b/integration/test/Test/MLS.hs
@@ -39,6 +39,33 @@ testSendMessageNoReturnToSender = do
         )
         wsSender
 
+testStaleApplicationMessage :: HasCallStack => Domain -> App ()
+testStaleApplicationMessage otherDomain = do
+  [alice, bob, charlie, dave, eve] <-
+    createAndConnectUsers [OwnDomain, otherDomain, OwnDomain, OwnDomain, OwnDomain]
+  [alice1, bob1, charlie1] <- traverse createMLSClient [alice, bob, charlie]
+  traverse_ uploadNewKeyPackage [bob1, charlie1]
+  void $ createNewGroup alice1
+
+  -- alice adds bob first
+  void $ createAddCommit alice1 [bob] >>= sendAndConsumeCommitBundle
+
+  -- bob prepares some application messages
+  [msg1, msg2] <- replicateM 2 $ createApplicationMessage bob1 "hi alice"
+
+  -- alice adds charlie and dave with different commits
+  void $ createAddCommit alice1 [charlie] >>= sendAndConsumeCommitBundle
+  void $ createAddCommit alice1 [dave] >>= sendAndConsumeCommitBundle
+
+  -- bob's application messages still go through
+  void $ postMLSMessage bob1 msg1.message >>= getJSON 201
+
+  -- alice adds eve
+  void $ createAddCommit alice1 [eve] >>= sendAndConsumeCommitBundle
+
+  -- bob's application messages are now rejected
+  void $ postMLSMessage bob1 msg2.message >>= getJSON 409
+
 testMixedProtocolUpgrade :: HasCallStack => Domain -> App ()
 testMixedProtocolUpgrade secondDomain = do
   (alice, tid) <- createTeam OwnDomain
diff --git a/services/galley/src/Galley/API/MLS/Message.hs b/services/galley/src/Galley/API/MLS/Message.hs
index 3db183b2b2..d7c721a66b 100644
--- a/services/galley/src/Galley/API/MLS/Message.hs
+++ b/services/galley/src/Galley/API/MLS/Message.hs
@@ -371,6 +371,7 @@ postMLSMessageToLocalConv ::
   Sem r ([LocalConversationUpdate], Maybe UnreachableUsers)
 postMLSMessageToLocalConv qusr c con msg ctype convOrSubId = do
   lConvOrSub <- fetchConvOrSub qusr msg.groupId ctype convOrSubId
+  let convOrSub = tUnqualified lConvOrSub
 
   for_ msg.sender $ \sender ->
     void $ getSenderIdentity qusr c sender lConvOrSub
@@ -380,12 +381,23 @@ postMLSMessageToLocalConv qusr c con msg ctype convOrSubId = do
     IncomingMessageContentPublic pub -> case pub.content of
       FramedContentCommit _commit -> throwS @'MLSUnsupportedMessage
       FramedContentApplicationData _ -> throwS @'MLSUnsupportedMessage
+      -- proposal message
       FramedContentProposal prop ->
         processProposal qusr lConvOrSub msg.groupId msg.epoch pub prop
     IncomingMessageContentPrivate -> do
-      when ((tUnqualified lConvOrSub).migrationState == MLSMigrationMixed) $
+      -- application message:
+
+      -- reject all application messages if the conv is in mixed state
+      when (convOrSub.migrationState == MLSMigrationMixed) $
         throwS @'MLSUnsupportedMessage
 
+      -- reject application messages older than 2 epochs
+      let epochInt :: Epoch -> Integer
+          epochInt = fromIntegral . epochNumber
+      when
+        (epochInt msg.epoch < epochInt convOrSub.mlsMeta.cnvmlsEpoch - 2)
+        $ throwS @'MLSStaleMessage
+
   unreachables <- propagateMessage qusr (Just c) lConvOrSub con msg.rawMessage (tUnqualified lConvOrSub).members
   pure ([], unreachables)