diff --git a/core/block_validator.go b/core/block_validator.go
index afb1ab3be..d24287eb1 100644
--- a/core/block_validator.go
+++ b/core/block_validator.go
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ func (v *BlockValidator) ValidateCXReceiptsProof(cxp *types.CXReceiptsProof) err
 	merkleProof := cxp.MerkleProof
 	shardRoot := common.Hash{}
 	foundMatchingShardID := false
-	byteBuffer := bytes.NewBuffer([]byte{})
+	byteBuffer := bytes.Buffer{}
 
 	// prepare to calculate source shard outgoing cxreceipts root hash
 	for j := 0; j < len(merkleProof.ShardIDs); j++ {
diff --git a/core/types/cx_receipt.go b/core/types/cx_receipt.go
index c77dac5a0..d819e8964 100644
--- a/core/types/cx_receipt.go
+++ b/core/types/cx_receipt.go
@@ -182,5 +182,10 @@ func (cxp *CXReceiptsProof) GetToShardID() (uint32, error) {
 
 // ContainsEmptyField checks whether the given CXReceiptsProof contains empty field
 func (cxp *CXReceiptsProof) ContainsEmptyField() bool {
-	return cxp == nil || cxp.Receipts == nil || cxp.MerkleProof == nil || cxp.Header == nil || len(cxp.CommitSig)+len(cxp.CommitBitmap) == 0
+	anyNil := cxp == nil ||
+		cxp.Receipts == nil ||
+		cxp.MerkleProof == nil ||
+		cxp.Header == nil
+	anyZero := len(cxp.CommitSig)+len(cxp.CommitBitmap) == 0
+	return anyNil || anyZero
 }
diff --git a/node/node.go b/node/node.go
index 89312571e..ba94f25f6 100644
--- a/node/node.go
+++ b/node/node.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"crypto/ecdsa"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/harmony-one/harmony/consensus"
 	"github.com/harmony-one/harmony/consensus/reward"
 	"github.com/harmony-one/harmony/core"
+	"github.com/harmony-one/harmony/core/rawdb"
 	"github.com/harmony-one/harmony/core/types"
 	"github.com/harmony-one/harmony/drand"
 	"github.com/harmony-one/harmony/internal/chain"
@@ -289,20 +291,27 @@ func (node *Node) addPendingTransactions(newTxs types.Transactions) {
 
 // Add new staking transactions to the pending staking transaction list.
 func (node *Node) addPendingStakingTransactions(newStakingTxs staking.StakingTransactions) {
-	txPoolLimit := 1000 // TODO: incorporate staking txn into TxPool
-
+	// TODO: incorporate staking txn into TxPool
 	if node.NodeConfig.ShardID == shard.BeaconChainShardID &&
 		node.Blockchain().Config().IsPreStaking(node.Blockchain().CurrentHeader().Epoch()) {
 		node.pendingStakingTxMutex.Lock()
 		for _, tx := range newStakingTxs {
+			const txPoolLimit = 1000
+			if s := len(node.pendingStakingTransactions); s >= txPoolLimit {
+				utils.Logger().Info().
+					Int("tx-pool-size", s).
+					Int("tx-pool-limit", txPoolLimit).
+					Msg("Current staking txn pool reached limit")
+				break
+			}
 			if _, ok := node.pendingStakingTransactions[tx.Hash()]; !ok {
 				node.pendingStakingTransactions[tx.Hash()] = tx
 			}
-			if len(node.pendingStakingTransactions) > txPoolLimit {
-				break
-			}
 		}
-		utils.Logger().Info().Int("length of newStakingTxs", len(newStakingTxs)).Int("totalPending", len(node.pendingStakingTransactions)).Msg("Got more staking transactions")
+		utils.Logger().Info().
+			Int("length of newStakingTxs", len(newStakingTxs)).
+			Int("totalPending", len(node.pendingStakingTransactions)).
+			Msg("Got more staking transactions")
 		node.pendingStakingTxMutex.Unlock()
 	}
 }
@@ -311,7 +320,8 @@ func (node *Node) addPendingStakingTransactions(newStakingTxs staking.StakingTra
 func (node *Node) AddPendingStakingTransaction(
 	newStakingTx *staking.StakingTransaction) {
 	// TODO: everyone should record staking txns, not just leader
-	if node.Consensus.IsLeader() && node.NodeConfig.ShardID == 0 {
+	if node.Consensus.IsLeader() &&
+		node.NodeConfig.ShardID == shard.BeaconChainShardID {
 		node.addPendingStakingTransactions(staking.StakingTransactions{newStakingTx})
 	} else {
 		utils.Logger().Info().Str("Hash", newStakingTx.Hash().Hex()).Msg("Broadcasting Staking Tx")
@@ -337,20 +347,63 @@ func (node *Node) AddPendingReceipts(receipts *types.CXReceiptsProof) {
 	defer node.pendingCXMutex.Unlock()
 
 	if receipts.ContainsEmptyField() {
-		utils.Logger().Info().Int("totalPendingReceipts", len(node.pendingCXReceipts)).Msg("CXReceiptsProof contains empty field")
+		utils.Logger().Info().
+			Int("totalPendingReceipts", len(node.pendingCXReceipts)).
+			Msg("CXReceiptsProof contains empty field")
 		return
 	}
 
 	blockNum := receipts.Header.Number().Uint64()
 	shardID := receipts.Header.ShardID()
+
+	// Sanity checks
+
+	if err := node.Blockchain().Validator().ValidateCXReceiptsProof(receipts); err != nil {
+		if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), rawdb.MsgNoShardStateFromDB) {
+			utils.Logger().Error().Err(err).Msg("[proposeReceiptsProof] Invalid CXReceiptsProof")
+			return
+		}
+	}
+
+	// cross-shard receipt should not be coming from our shard
+	if s := node.Consensus.ShardID; s == shardID {
+		utils.Logger().Info().
+			Uint32("my-shard", s).
+			Uint32("receipt-shard", shardID).
+			Msg("ShardID of incoming receipt was same as mine")
+		return
+	}
+
+	if e := receipts.Header.Epoch(); blockNum == 0 ||
+		!node.Blockchain().Config().IsCrossLink(e) {
+		utils.Logger().Info().
+			Uint64("incoming-epoch", e.Uint64()).
+			Msg("Incoming receipt had meaningless epoch")
+		return
+	}
+
 	key := utils.GetPendingCXKey(shardID, blockNum)
 
+	// DDoS protection
+	const maxCrossTxnSize = 4096
+	if s := len(node.pendingCXReceipts); s >= maxCrossTxnSize {
+		utils.Logger().Info().
+			Int("pending-cx-receipts-size", s).
+			Int("pending-cx-receipts-limit", maxCrossTxnSize).
+			Msg("Current pending cx-receipts reached size limit")
+		return
+	}
+
 	if _, ok := node.pendingCXReceipts[key]; ok {
-		utils.Logger().Info().Int("totalPendingReceipts", len(node.pendingCXReceipts)).Msg("Already Got Same Receipt message")
+		utils.Logger().Info().
+			Int("totalPendingReceipts", len(node.pendingCXReceipts)).
+			Msg("Already Got Same Receipt message")
 		return
 	}
 	node.pendingCXReceipts[key] = receipts
-	utils.Logger().Info().Int("totalPendingReceipts", len(node.pendingCXReceipts)).Msg("Got ONE more receipt message")
+	utils.Logger().Info().
+		Int("totalPendingReceipts", len(node.pendingCXReceipts)).
+		Msg("Got ONE more receipt message")
 }
 
 func (node *Node) startRxPipeline(