diff --git a/gossip/src/cluster_info.rs b/gossip/src/cluster_info.rs
index ec3440d8527ea8..dfbccc68e5c5c5 100644
--- a/gossip/src/cluster_info.rs
+++ b/gossip/src/cluster_info.rs
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ use {
         gossip_error::GossipError,
         ping_pong::{self, PingCache, Pong},
         restart_crds_values::{RestartLastVotedForkSlots, RestartLastVotedForkSlotsError},
-        socketaddr, socketaddr_any,
         weighted_shuffle::WeightedShuffle,
     },
     bincode::{serialize, serialized_size},
@@ -127,7 +126,7 @@ pub const MAX_INCREMENTAL_SNAPSHOT_HASHES: usize = 25;
 const MAX_PRUNE_DATA_NODES: usize = 32;
 /// Number of bytes in the randomly generated token sent with ping messages.
 const GOSSIP_PING_TOKEN_SIZE: usize = 32;
-const GOSSIP_PING_CACHE_CAPACITY: usize = 65536;
+const GOSSIP_PING_CACHE_CAPACITY: usize = 126976;
 const GOSSIP_PING_CACHE_TTL: Duration = Duration::from_secs(1280);
 const GOSSIP_PING_CACHE_RATE_LIMIT_DELAY: Duration = Duration::from_secs(1280 / 64);
 pub const DEFAULT_CONTACT_DEBUG_INTERVAL_MILLIS: u64 = 10_000;
@@ -2422,6 +2421,20 @@ impl ClusterInfo {
             }
             Ok(())
         };
+        let mut pings = Vec::new();
+        let mut rng = rand::thread_rng();
+        let keypair: Arc<Keypair> = self.keypair().clone();
+        let mut verify_gossip_addr = |value: &CrdsValue| {
+            verify_gossip_addr(
+                &mut rng,
+                &keypair,
+                value,
+                stakes,
+                &self.socket_addr_space,
+                &self.ping_cache,
+                &mut pings,
+            )
+        };
         // Split packets based on their types.
         let mut pull_requests = vec![];
         let mut pull_responses = vec![];
@@ -2432,15 +2445,23 @@ impl ClusterInfo {
         for (from_addr, packet) in packets {
             match packet {
                 Protocol::PullRequest(filter, caller) => {
-                    pull_requests.push((from_addr, filter, caller))
+                    if verify_gossip_addr(&caller) {
+                        pull_requests.push((from_addr, filter, caller))
+                    }
                 }
                 Protocol::PullResponse(_, mut data) => {
                     check_duplicate_instance(&data)?;
-                    pull_responses.append(&mut data);
+                    data.retain(&mut verify_gossip_addr);
+                    if !data.is_empty() {
+                        pull_responses.append(&mut data);
+                    }
                 }
-                Protocol::PushMessage(from, data) => {
+                Protocol::PushMessage(from, mut data) => {
                     check_duplicate_instance(&data)?;
-                    push_messages.push((from, data));
+                    data.retain(&mut verify_gossip_addr);
+                    if !data.is_empty() {
+                        push_messages.push((from, data));
+                    }
                 }
                 Protocol::PruneMessage(_from, data) => prune_messages.push(data),
                 Protocol::PingMessage(ping) => ping_messages.push((from_addr, ping)),
@@ -2454,6 +2475,17 @@ impl ClusterInfo {
             }
             push_messages.retain(|(_, data)| !data.is_empty());
         }
+        if !pings.is_empty() {
+            self.stats
+                .packets_sent_gossip_requests_count
+                .add_relaxed(pings.len() as u64);
+            let packet_batch = PacketBatch::new_unpinned_with_recycler_data_and_dests(
+                recycler,
+                "ping_contact_infos",
+                &pings,
+            );
+            let _ = response_sender.send(packet_batch);
+        }
         self.handle_batch_ping_messages(ping_messages, recycler, response_sender);
         self.handle_batch_prune_messages(prune_messages, stakes);
         self.handle_batch_push_messages(
@@ -2722,9 +2754,12 @@ impl ClusterInfo {
         shred_version: u16,
     ) -> (ContactInfo, UdpSocket, Option<TcpListener>) {
         let bind_ip_addr = IpAddr::V4(Ipv4Addr::UNSPECIFIED);
-        let (_, gossip_socket) = bind_in_range(bind_ip_addr, VALIDATOR_PORT_RANGE).unwrap();
-        let contact_info = Self::gossip_contact_info(id, socketaddr_any!(), shred_version);
-
+        let (port, gossip_socket) = bind_in_range(bind_ip_addr, VALIDATOR_PORT_RANGE).unwrap();
+        let contact_info = Self::gossip_contact_info(
+            id,
+            SocketAddr::new(IpAddr::V4(Ipv4Addr::LOCALHOST), port),
+            shred_version,
+        );
         (contact_info, gossip_socket, None)
     }
 }
@@ -3145,6 +3180,44 @@ fn filter_on_shred_version(
     }
 }
 
+// If the CRDS value is an unstaked contact-info, verifies if
+// it has responded to ping on its gossip socket address.
+// Returns false if the CRDS value should be discarded.
+#[must_use]
+fn verify_gossip_addr<R: Rng + CryptoRng>(
+    rng: &mut R,
+    keypair: &Keypair,
+    value: &CrdsValue,
+    stakes: &HashMap<Pubkey, u64>,
+    socket_addr_space: &SocketAddrSpace,
+    ping_cache: &Mutex<PingCache>,
+    pings: &mut Vec<(SocketAddr, Protocol /* ::PingMessage */)>,
+) -> bool {
+    let (pubkey, addr) = match &value.data {
+        CrdsData::ContactInfo(node) => (node.pubkey(), node.gossip()),
+        CrdsData::LegacyContactInfo(node) => (node.pubkey(), node.gossip()),
+        _ => return true, // If not a contact-info, nothing to verify.
+    };
+    // For (sufficiently) staked nodes, don't bother with ping/pong.
+    if stakes.get(pubkey) >= Some(&MIN_STAKE_FOR_GOSSIP) {
+        return true;
+    }
+    // Invalid addresses are not verifiable.
+    let Some(addr) = addr.ok().filter(|addr| socket_addr_space.check(addr)) else {
+        return false;
+    };
+    let (out, ping) = {
+        let node = (*pubkey, addr);
+        let mut pingf = move || Ping::new_rand(rng, keypair).ok();
+        let mut ping_cache = ping_cache.lock().unwrap();
+        ping_cache.check(Instant::now(), node, &mut pingf)
+    };
+    if let Some(ping) = ping {
+        pings.push((addr, Protocol::PingMessage(ping)));
+    }
+    out
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use {
@@ -3153,6 +3226,7 @@ mod tests {
             crds_gossip_pull::tests::MIN_NUM_BLOOM_FILTERS,
             crds_value::{CrdsValue, CrdsValueLabel, Vote as CrdsVote},
             duplicate_shred::{self, tests::new_rand_shred, MAX_DUPLICATE_SHREDS},
+            socketaddr,
         },
         itertools::izip,
         solana_ledger::shred::Shredder,