diff --git a/zebra-consensus/src/chain.rs b/zebra-consensus/src/chain.rs
index 2f9775a1..3e4a6587 100644
--- a/zebra-consensus/src/chain.rs
+++ b/zebra-consensus/src/chain.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 mod tests;
 
 use crate::checkpoint::{CheckpointList, CheckpointVerifier};
+use crate::Config;
 
 use futures_util::FutureExt;
 use std::{
@@ -199,7 +200,8 @@ fn is_higher_than_max_checkpoint(
     }
 }
 
-/// Return a chain verification service, using `network` and `state_service`.
+/// Return a chain verification service, using `config`, `network` and
+/// `state_service`.
 ///
 /// Gets the initial tip from the state service, and uses it to create a block
 /// verifier and checkpoint verifier (if needed).
@@ -212,6 +214,7 @@ fn is_higher_than_max_checkpoint(
 //       mempool transactions. We might want to share the BlockVerifier, and we
 //       might not want to add generated blocks to the state.
 pub async fn init<S>(
+    config: Config,
     network: Network,
     state_service: S,
 ) -> impl Service<
@@ -234,7 +237,10 @@ where
         .expect("State service poll_ready is Ok");
 
     let block_verifier = crate::block::init(state_service.clone());
-    let checkpoint_list = CheckpointList::new(network);
+    let checkpoint_list = match config.checkpoint_sync {
+        true => CheckpointList::new(network),
+        false => CheckpointList::new_up_to(network, Sapling),
+    };
 
     init_from_verifiers(
         network,
@@ -263,7 +269,7 @@ where
 ///
 /// Panics:
 ///
-/// Panics if the `checkpoint_verifier` is None, and the `initial_tip_height` is
+/// Panics if the `checkpoint_list` is None, and the `initial_tip_height` is
 /// below the Sapling network upgrade for `network`. (The `block_verifier` can't
 /// verify all the constraints on pre-Sapling blocks, so they require
 /// checkpoints.)
diff --git a/zebra-consensus/src/chain/tests.rs b/zebra-consensus/src/chain/tests.rs
index b43216d0..94c16436 100644
--- a/zebra-consensus/src/chain/tests.rs
+++ b/zebra-consensus/src/chain/tests.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ use zebra_chain::{
 use zebra_test::transcript::{TransError, Transcript};
 
 use crate::checkpoint::CheckpointList;
+use crate::Config;
 
 use super::*;
 
@@ -225,19 +226,29 @@ async fn verify_block() -> Result<(), Report> {
 
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn verify_checkpoint_test() -> Result<(), Report> {
-    verify_checkpoint().await
+    verify_checkpoint(true).await?;
+    verify_checkpoint(false).await?;
+
+    Ok(())
 }
 
 /// Test that checkpoint verifies work.
 ///
 /// Also tests the `chain::init` function.
 #[spandoc::spandoc]
-async fn verify_checkpoint() -> Result<(), Report> {
+async fn verify_checkpoint(checkpoint_sync: bool) -> Result<(), Report> {
     zebra_test::init();
 
+    let config = Config { checkpoint_sync };
+
     // Test that the chain::init function works. Most of the other tests use
     // init_from_verifiers.
-    let chain_verifier = super::init(Network::Mainnet, zebra_state::in_memory::init()).await;
+    let chain_verifier = super::init(
+        config.clone(),
+        Network::Mainnet,
+        zebra_state::in_memory::init(),
+    )
+    .await;
 
     // Add a timeout layer
     let chain_verifier =
diff --git a/zebra-consensus/src/checkpoint/list.rs b/zebra-consensus/src/checkpoint/list.rs
index e453bcd2..2e0b8079 100644
--- a/zebra-consensus/src/checkpoint/list.rs
+++ b/zebra-consensus/src/checkpoint/list.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ use std::{
 };
 
 use zebra_chain::block;
-use zebra_chain::parameters::Network;
+use zebra_chain::parameters::{Network, NetworkUpgrade, NetworkUpgrade::*};
 
 const MAINNET_CHECKPOINTS: &str = include_str!("main-checkpoints.txt");
 const TESTNET_CHECKPOINTS: &str = include_str!("test-checkpoints.txt");
@@ -86,6 +86,43 @@ impl CheckpointList {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Returns the hard-coded checkpoint list for `network`, up to and
+    /// including the first checkpoint after the activation of the `limit`
+    /// network upgrade.
+    pub fn new_up_to(network: Network, limit: NetworkUpgrade) -> Self {
+        let full_list = Self::new(network);
+
+        match limit {
+            Genesis | BeforeOverwinter | Overwinter => unreachable!("Caller passed a pre-Sapling network upgrade: Zebra must checkpoint up to Sapling activation"),
+            _ => {},
+        };
+
+        let activation = match limit.activation_height(network) {
+            Some(height) => height,
+            // If it's a future upgrade, it can't possibly limit our past checkpoints
+            None => return full_list,
+        };
+
+        let last_checkpoint = match full_list.min_height_in_range(activation..) {
+            Some(height) => height,
+            // If the full list has no checkpoints after limit, then all checkpoints
+            // are already under the limit
+            None => return full_list,
+        };
+
+        let limited_list = full_list
+            .0
+            .range(..=last_checkpoint)
+            .map(|(hash, height)| (*hash, *height));
+
+        match Self::from_list(limited_list) {
+            Ok(list) => list,
+            Err(_) => unreachable!(
+                "Unexpected invalid list: a non-empty prefix of a valid list should also be valid"
+            ),
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Create a new checkpoint list for `network` from `checkpoint_list`.
     ///
     /// Assumes that the provided genesis checkpoint is correct.
@@ -165,6 +202,14 @@ impl CheckpointList {
             .expect("checkpoint lists must have at least one checkpoint")
     }
 
+    /// Return the block height of the lowest checkpoint in a sub-range.
+    pub fn min_height_in_range<R>(&self, range: R) -> Option<block::Height>
+    where
+        R: RangeBounds<block::Height>,
+    {
+        self.0.range(range).map(|(height, _)| *height).next()
+    }
+
     /// Return the block height of the highest checkpoint in a sub-range.
     pub fn max_height_in_range<R>(&self, range: R) -> Option<block::Height>
     where
diff --git a/zebra-consensus/src/checkpoint/list/tests.rs b/zebra-consensus/src/checkpoint/list/tests.rs
index 724cadbd..87dc9455 100644
--- a/zebra-consensus/src/checkpoint/list/tests.rs
+++ b/zebra-consensus/src/checkpoint/list/tests.rs
@@ -2,9 +2,10 @@
 
 use super::*;
 
+use std::ops::Bound::*;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
-use zebra_chain::parameters::{Network, NetworkUpgrade::Sapling};
+use zebra_chain::parameters::{Network, Network::*, NetworkUpgrade, NetworkUpgrade::*};
 use zebra_chain::{
     block::{self, Block},
     serialization::ZcashDeserialize,
@@ -234,20 +235,20 @@ fn checkpoint_list_load_hard_coded() -> Result<(), Error> {
         .parse()
         .expect("hard-coded Testnet checkpoint list should parse");
 
-    let _ = CheckpointList::new(Network::Mainnet);
-    let _ = CheckpointList::new(Network::Testnet);
+    let _ = CheckpointList::new(Mainnet);
+    let _ = CheckpointList::new(Testnet);
 
     Ok(())
 }
 
 #[test]
 fn checkpoint_list_hard_coded_sapling_mainnet() -> Result<(), Error> {
-    checkpoint_list_hard_coded_sapling(Network::Mainnet)
+    checkpoint_list_hard_coded_sapling(Mainnet)
 }
 
 #[test]
 fn checkpoint_list_hard_coded_sapling_testnet() -> Result<(), Error> {
-    checkpoint_list_hard_coded_sapling(Network::Testnet)
+    checkpoint_list_hard_coded_sapling(Testnet)
 }
 
 /// Check that the hard-coded lists cover the Sapling network upgrade
@@ -267,3 +268,84 @@ fn checkpoint_list_hard_coded_sapling(network: Network) -> Result<(), Error> {
 
     Ok(())
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn checkpoint_list_up_to_mainnet() -> Result<(), Error> {
+    checkpoint_list_up_to(Mainnet, Sapling)?;
+    checkpoint_list_up_to(Mainnet, Blossom)?;
+    checkpoint_list_up_to(Mainnet, Heartwood)?;
+    checkpoint_list_up_to(Mainnet, Canopy)?;
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn checkpoint_list_up_to_testnet() -> Result<(), Error> {
+    checkpoint_list_up_to(Testnet, Sapling)?;
+    checkpoint_list_up_to(Testnet, Blossom)?;
+    checkpoint_list_up_to(Testnet, Heartwood)?;
+    checkpoint_list_up_to(Testnet, Canopy)?;
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+/// Check that CheckpointList::new_up_to works
+fn checkpoint_list_up_to(network: Network, limit: NetworkUpgrade) -> Result<(), Error> {
+    zebra_test::init();
+
+    let sapling_activation = Sapling
+        .activation_height(network)
+        .expect("Unexpected network upgrade info: Sapling must have an activation height");
+
+    let limited_list = CheckpointList::new_up_to(network, limit);
+    let full_list = CheckpointList::new(network);
+
+    assert!(
+        limited_list.max_height() >= sapling_activation,
+        "Pre-Sapling blocks must be verified by checkpoints"
+    );
+
+    if let Some(limit_activation) = limit.activation_height(network) {
+        if limit_activation <= full_list.max_height() {
+            assert!(
+                limited_list.max_height() >= limit_activation,
+                "The 'limit' network upgrade must be verified by checkpoints"
+            );
+
+            let next_checkpoint_after_limit = limited_list
+                .min_height_in_range((Included(limit_activation), Unbounded))
+                .expect("There must be a checkpoint at or after the limit");
+
+            assert_eq!(
+                limited_list
+                    .min_height_in_range((Excluded(next_checkpoint_after_limit), Unbounded)),
+                None,
+                "There must not be multiple checkpoints after the limit"
+            );
+
+            let next_activation = NetworkUpgrade::next(network, limit_activation)
+                .map(|nu| nu.activation_height(network))
+                .flatten();
+            if let Some(next_activation) = next_activation {
+                // We expect that checkpoints happen much more often than network upgrades
+                assert!(
+                    limited_list.max_height() < next_activation,
+                    "The next network upgrade after 'limit' must not be verified by checkpoints"
+                );
+            }
+
+            // We have an effective limit, so skip the "no limit" test
+            return Ok(());
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Either the activation height is unspecified, or it is above the maximum
+    // checkpoint height (in the full checkpoint list)
+    assert_eq!(
+        limited_list.max_height(),
+        full_list.max_height(),
+        "Future network upgrades must not limit checkpoints"
+    );
+
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/zebrad/src/commands/start.rs b/zebrad/src/commands/start.rs
index 5c416963..d31f88ee 100644
--- a/zebrad/src/commands/start.rs
+++ b/zebrad/src/commands/start.rs
@@ -43,7 +43,12 @@ impl StartCmd {
 
         let config = app_config();
         let state = zebra_state::on_disk::init(config.state.clone(), config.network.network);
-        let verifier = zebra_consensus::chain::init(config.network.network, state.clone()).await;
+        let verifier = zebra_consensus::chain::init(
+            config.consensus.clone(),
+            config.network.network,
+            state.clone(),
+        )
+        .await;
 
         // The service that our node uses to respond to requests by peers
         let node = Buffer::new(