diff --git a/rust/main/config/mainnet_config.json b/rust/main/config/mainnet_config.json
index dc66d22345..06d1e30497 100644
--- a/rust/main/config/mainnet_config.json
+++ b/rust/main/config/mainnet_config.json
@@ -785,7 +785,8 @@
       "index": {
         "from": 1,
         "mode": "sequence",
-        "chunk": 100
+        "chunk": 100,
+        "direction": "forward"
       },
       "interchainGasPaymaster": "ABb3i11z7wKoGCfeRQNQbVYWjAm7jG7HzZnDLV4RKRbK",
       "mailbox": "EitxJuv2iBjsg2d7jVy2LDC1e2zBrx4GB5Y9h2Ko3A9Y",
diff --git a/rust/main/hyperlane-base/src/contract_sync/cursors/sequence_aware/mod.rs b/rust/main/hyperlane-base/src/contract_sync/cursors/sequence_aware/mod.rs
index 74e7ebe014..89a30ec1ea 100644
--- a/rust/main/hyperlane-base/src/contract_sync/cursors/sequence_aware/mod.rs
+++ b/rust/main/hyperlane-base/src/contract_sync/cursors/sequence_aware/mod.rs
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
-use std::{fmt::Debug, sync::Arc, time::Duration};
+use std::{fmt::Debug, ops::RangeInclusive, sync::Arc, time::Duration};
 
 use async_trait::async_trait;
 use eyre::Result;
+
 use hyperlane_core::{
     ChainCommunicationError, ContractSyncCursor, CursorAction,
-    HyperlaneSequenceAwareIndexerStoreReader, IndexMode, Indexed, LogMeta, SequenceAwareIndexer,
+    HyperlaneSequenceAwareIndexerStoreReader, IndexDirection, IndexMode, Indexed, LogMeta,
+    SequenceAwareIndexer,
 };
-use std::ops::RangeInclusive;
 
 mod backward;
 mod forward;
@@ -67,6 +68,7 @@ pub(crate) struct ForwardBackwardSequenceAwareSyncCursor<T> {
     forward: ForwardSequenceAwareSyncCursor<T>,
     backward: BackwardSequenceAwareSyncCursor<T>,
     last_direction: SyncDirection,
+    index_direction: IndexDirection,
 }
 
 impl<T: Debug> ForwardBackwardSequenceAwareSyncCursor<T> {
@@ -76,6 +78,7 @@ impl<T: Debug> ForwardBackwardSequenceAwareSyncCursor<T> {
         store: Arc<dyn HyperlaneSequenceAwareIndexerStoreReader<T>>,
         chunk_size: u32,
         mode: IndexMode,
+        direction: IndexDirection,
     ) -> Result<Self> {
         let (sequence_count, tip) = latest_sequence_querier
             .latest_sequence_count_and_tip()
@@ -97,6 +100,7 @@ impl<T: Debug> ForwardBackwardSequenceAwareSyncCursor<T> {
             forward: forward_cursor,
             backward: backward_cursor,
             last_direction: SyncDirection::Forward,
+            index_direction: direction,
         })
     }
 }
@@ -109,15 +113,20 @@ impl<T: Send + Sync + Clone + Debug + 'static> ContractSyncCursor<T>
         // TODO: Proper ETA for backwards sync
         let eta = Duration::from_secs(0);
         // Prioritize forward syncing over backward syncing.
-        if let Some(forward_range) = self.forward.get_next_range().await? {
-            self.last_direction = SyncDirection::Forward;
-            return Ok((CursorAction::Query(forward_range), eta));
+        if self.index_direction.can_forward() {
+            if let Some(forward_range) = self.forward.get_next_range().await? {
+                self.last_direction = SyncDirection::Forward;
+                return Ok((CursorAction::Query(forward_range), eta));
+            }
         }
 
-        if let Some(backward_range) = self.backward.get_next_range().await? {
-            self.last_direction = SyncDirection::Backward;
-            return Ok((CursorAction::Query(backward_range), eta));
+        if self.index_direction.can_backward() {
+            if let Some(backward_range) = self.backward.get_next_range().await? {
+                self.last_direction = SyncDirection::Backward;
+                return Ok((CursorAction::Query(backward_range), eta));
+            }
         }
+
         // TODO: Define the sleep time from interval flag
         return Ok((CursorAction::Sleep(Duration::from_secs(5)), eta));
     }
diff --git a/rust/main/hyperlane-base/src/contract_sync/mod.rs b/rust/main/hyperlane-base/src/contract_sync/mod.rs
index df9563d8a7..340417aa31 100644
--- a/rust/main/hyperlane-base/src/contract_sync/mod.rs
+++ b/rust/main/hyperlane-base/src/contract_sync/mod.rs
@@ -356,6 +356,7 @@ where
                 Arc::new(self.store.clone()),
                 index_settings.chunk_size,
                 index_settings.mode,
+                index_settings.direction,
             )
             .await?,
         ))
diff --git a/rust/main/hyperlane-base/src/settings/chains.rs b/rust/main/hyperlane-base/src/settings/chains.rs
index 33600418bb..3be93792cf 100644
--- a/rust/main/hyperlane-base/src/settings/chains.rs
+++ b/rust/main/hyperlane-base/src/settings/chains.rs
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ use eyre::{eyre, Context, Result};
 use ethers_prometheus::middleware::{ChainInfo, ContractInfo, PrometheusMiddlewareConf};
 use hyperlane_core::{
     config::OperationBatchConfig, AggregationIsm, CcipReadIsm, ContractLocator, HyperlaneAbi,
-    HyperlaneDomain, HyperlaneDomainProtocol, HyperlaneMessage, HyperlaneProvider, IndexMode,
-    InterchainGasPaymaster, InterchainGasPayment, InterchainSecurityModule, Mailbox,
+    HyperlaneDomain, HyperlaneDomainProtocol, HyperlaneMessage, HyperlaneProvider, IndexDirection,
+    IndexMode, InterchainGasPaymaster, InterchainGasPayment, InterchainSecurityModule, Mailbox,
     MerkleTreeHook, MerkleTreeInsertion, MultisigIsm, ReorgPeriod, RoutingIsm,
     SequenceAwareIndexer, ValidatorAnnounce, H256,
 };
@@ -183,6 +183,8 @@ pub struct IndexSettings {
     pub chunk_size: u32,
     /// The indexing mode.
     pub mode: IndexMode,
+    /// The indexing direction.
+    pub direction: IndexDirection,
 }
 
 impl ChainConf {
diff --git a/rust/main/hyperlane-base/src/settings/parser/mod.rs b/rust/main/hyperlane-base/src/settings/parser/mod.rs
index d176ad857b..a4b837c9f5 100644
--- a/rust/main/hyperlane-base/src/settings/parser/mod.rs
+++ b/rust/main/hyperlane-base/src/settings/parser/mod.rs
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ use url::Url;
 use h_cosmos::RawCosmosAmount;
 use hyperlane_core::{
     cfg_unwrap_all, config::*, HyperlaneDomain, HyperlaneDomainProtocol,
-    HyperlaneDomainTechnicalStack, IndexMode, ReorgPeriod,
+    HyperlaneDomainTechnicalStack, IndexDirection, IndexMode, ReorgPeriod,
 };
 
 use crate::settings::{
@@ -170,6 +170,12 @@ fn parse_chain(
                 })
                 .unwrap_or_default()
         });
+    let direction = chain
+        .chain(&mut err)
+        .get_opt_key("index")
+        .get_opt_key("direction")
+        .parse_value("Invalid index direction")
+        .unwrap_or(IndexDirection::Both);
 
     let mailbox = chain
         .chain(&mut err)
@@ -234,6 +240,7 @@ fn parse_chain(
             from,
             chunk_size,
             mode,
+            direction,
         },
     })
 }
diff --git a/rust/main/hyperlane-core/src/traits/indexer.rs b/rust/main/hyperlane-core/src/traits/indexer.rs
index 1c05360ff5..070f2355ff 100644
--- a/rust/main/hyperlane-core/src/traits/indexer.rs
+++ b/rust/main/hyperlane-core/src/traits/indexer.rs
@@ -24,6 +24,35 @@ pub enum IndexMode {
     Sequence,
 }
 
+/// Indexing direction.
+#[derive(Copy, Debug, Default, Deserialize, Clone)]
+#[serde(rename_all = "camelCase")]
+pub enum IndexDirection {
+    /// Both directions: backward and forward
+    #[default]
+    Both,
+    /// Backward direction
+    Backward,
+    /// Forward direction
+    Forward,
+}
+
+impl IndexDirection {
+    pub fn can_backward(&self) -> bool {
+        match self {
+            IndexDirection::Both | IndexDirection::Backward => true,
+            IndexDirection::Forward => false,
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn can_forward(&self) -> bool {
+        match self {
+            IndexDirection::Both | IndexDirection::Forward => true,
+            IndexDirection::Backward => false,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /// Interface for an indexer.
 #[async_trait]
 #[auto_impl(&, Box, Arc,)]