diff --git a/src/engine/db/event.rs b/src/engine/db/event.rs
index 4500b90..8028432 100644
--- a/src/engine/db/event.rs
+++ b/src/engine/db/event.rs
@@ -439,7 +439,14 @@ pub(crate) fn apply(accounts: &mut HashMap<String, Account>, channels: &mut Hash
         }
         Event::MemoSent { account, from, text, ts, receipt } => {
             if let Some(a) = accounts.get_mut(&key(&account)) {
-                a.memos.push(Memo { from, text, ts, read: false, receipt });
+                // Enforce the mailbox cap in the fold too, so a gossip peer can't push
+                // memos past the limit the local MEMO SEND path enforces. Local sends
+                // are already capped before the event is logged, so this is a no-op on
+                // replay and only bounds an ingested flood. Default mirrors MemoServ's.
+                let limit = a.memo_limit.unwrap_or(30) as usize;
+                if a.memos.len() < limit {
+                    a.memos.push(Memo { from, text, ts, read: false, receipt });
+                }
             }
         }
         Event::MemoRead { account, index } => {
diff --git a/src/engine/db/mod.rs b/src/engine/db/mod.rs
index e330b6b..94e106a 100644
--- a/src/engine/db/mod.rs
+++ b/src/engine/db/mod.rs
@@ -874,8 +874,20 @@ impl EventLog {
         if entry.event.scope() != Scope::Global {
             return Ok(None);
         }
-        if self.versions.get(&entry.origin).is_some_and(|&s| entry.seq <= s) {
-            return Ok(None); // already have it
+        // Apply strictly in per-origin sequence. The FIRST entry ever seen from an
+        // origin sets the baseline — a peer syncing from a COMPACTED node starts
+        // mid-stream (its seqs restart at next_seq(), not 0), so we can't demand 0.
+        // After that, only the next contiguous seq is accepted; a non-contiguous one
+        // (an older duplicate, or a future entry a relay delivered ahead of the direct
+        // path in a 3+-node mesh) is dropped rather than applied, so it can't advance
+        // the version vector past a gap — the digest then re-requests the gap in order
+        // instead of losing it forever.
+        let expected = match self.versions.get(&entry.origin) {
+            None => entry.seq,
+            Some(&s) => s + 1,
+        };
+        if entry.seq != expected {
+            return Ok(None);
         }
         self.persist(&entry)?;
         self.lamport = self.lamport.max(entry.lamport).saturating_add(1); // Lamport receive rule
diff --git a/src/engine/tests.rs b/src/engine/tests.rs
index 167e8a1..f226ecb 100644
--- a/src/engine/tests.rs
+++ b/src/engine/tests.rs
@@ -557,7 +557,7 @@
         // genuine removal, releases her founderless channel.
         let (tx, mut rx) = tokio::sync::mpsc::unbounded_channel();
         e.set_irc_out(tx);
-        e.gossip_ingest(LogEntry::for_test("peer", 1, 1, db::Event::AccountDropped { account: "alice".into() })).unwrap();
+        e.gossip_ingest(LogEntry::for_test("peer", 0, 1, db::Event::AccountDropped { account: "alice".into() })).unwrap();
 
         assert!(e.db.channel("#hers").is_none(), "the dropped account's channel is released");
         let parted = std::iter::from_fn(|| rx.try_recv().ok())
@@ -878,6 +878,34 @@
         assert!(lifted, "gossiped ban lift removes the line from the ircd");
     }
 
+    // A gossiped entry that arrives out of sequence (a relay racing the direct path
+    // in a 3+-node mesh) must NOT advance the version vector past the gap, or the
+    // skipped entries are lost forever; the digest re-requests them in order.
+    #[test]
+    fn gossip_drops_an_out_of_order_entry_until_the_gap_fills() {
+        use echo_nickserv::NickServ;
+        let path = std::env::temp_dir().join("echo-gossip-ooo.jsonl");
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_file(&path);
+        let mut e = Engine::new(vec![Box::new(NickServ { uid: "42SAAAAAA".into(), guest_nick: "Guest".into(), guest_seq: 0 })], Db::open(&path, "test"));
+        e.set_sid("42S".into());
+        let (tx, _rx) = tokio::sync::mpsc::unbounded_channel();
+        e.set_irc_out(tx);
+        let akill = |seq: u64, mask: &str| LogEntry::for_test("peer", seq, seq + 1, db::Event::AkillAdded {
+            kind: "G".into(), mask: mask.into(), setter: "op".into(), reason: "x".into(), ts: 0, expires: None,
+        });
+
+        e.gossip_ingest(akill(0, "*@a")).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(e.gossip_digest().get("peer"), Some(&0), "first entry applies");
+        // Seq 2 arrives before seq 1: dropped, version stays at 0.
+        e.gossip_ingest(akill(2, "*@c")).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(e.gossip_digest().get("peer"), Some(&0), "an out-of-order entry doesn't advance the version");
+        // Seq 1 fills the gap, then the re-delivered seq 2 is contiguous.
+        e.gossip_ingest(akill(1, "*@b")).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(e.gossip_digest().get("peer"), Some(&1));
+        e.gossip_ingest(akill(2, "*@c")).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(e.gossip_digest().get("peer"), Some(&2), "the gap filled, seq 2 now applies");
+    }
+
     // Losing a registration conflict logs out the local session on that name and
     // notifies them over the services-initiated outbound path.
     #[test]