diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 462b887df90..e237b3aafba 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ See [RELEASE](./RELEASE.md) for workflow instructions.
 
 ### Upgrade information
 
+The command line flag `--scan-malfeasant-atxs` has been removed. All malfeasant ATXs before 1.6.0 have been marked as
+such and the node will continue to scan new ATXs for their validity.
+
 ### Highlights
 
 ### Features
@@ -699,6 +702,7 @@ and permanent ineligibility for rewards.
 
 * [#5494](https://github.com/spacemeshos/go-spacemesh/pull/5494)
   Make routing discovery more configurable and less spammy by default.
+
 * [#5511](https://github.com/spacemeshos/go-spacemesh/pull/5511)
   Fix dialing peers on their private IPs, which was causing "portscan" complaints.
 
diff --git a/activation/verify_state.go b/activation/verify_state.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 3300444c847..00000000000
--- a/activation/verify_state.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,90 +0,0 @@
-package activation
-
-import (
-	"context"
-	"fmt"
-	"time"
-
-	"go.uber.org/zap"
-
-	awire "github.com/spacemeshos/go-spacemesh/activation/wire"
-	"github.com/spacemeshos/go-spacemesh/codec"
-	"github.com/spacemeshos/go-spacemesh/log"
-	"github.com/spacemeshos/go-spacemesh/malfeasance/wire"
-	"github.com/spacemeshos/go-spacemesh/sql"
-	"github.com/spacemeshos/go-spacemesh/sql/atxs"
-	"github.com/spacemeshos/go-spacemesh/sql/identities"
-)
-
-func CheckPrevATXs(ctx context.Context, logger *zap.Logger, db sql.Executor) error {
-	collisions, err := atxs.PrevATXCollisions(db)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("get prev ATX collisions: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	logger.Info("found ATX collisions", zap.Int("count", len(collisions)))
-	count := 0
-	for _, collision := range collisions {
-		select {
-		case <-ctx.Done():
-			// stop on context cancellation
-			return ctx.Err()
-		default:
-		}
-
-		if collision.NodeID1 != collision.NodeID2 {
-			logger.Panic(
-				"unexpected collision",
-				log.ZShortStringer("NodeID1", collision.NodeID1),
-				log.ZShortStringer("NodeID2", collision.NodeID2),
-				log.ZShortStringer("ATX1", collision.ATX1),
-				log.ZShortStringer("ATX2", collision.ATX2),
-			)
-		}
-
-		malicious, err := identities.IsMalicious(db, collision.NodeID1)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("get malicious status: %w", err)
-		}
-
-		if malicious {
-			// already malicious no need to generate proof
-			continue
-		}
-
-		// we are ignoring the ATX version, because as of now we only have V1
-		// by the time we have V2, this function is not needed anymore and can be deleted
-		var blob sql.Blob
-		var atx1 awire.ActivationTxV1
-		if _, err := atxs.LoadBlob(ctx, db, collision.ATX1.Bytes(), &blob); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("get blob %s: %w", collision.ATX1.ShortString(), err)
-		}
-		codec.MustDecode(blob.Bytes, &atx1)
-
-		var atx2 awire.ActivationTxV1
-		if _, err := atxs.LoadBlob(ctx, db, collision.ATX2.Bytes(), &blob); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("get blob %s: %w", collision.ATX2.ShortString(), err)
-		}
-		codec.MustDecode(blob.Bytes, &atx2)
-
-		proof := &wire.MalfeasanceProof{
-			Layer: atx1.PublishEpoch.FirstLayer(),
-			Proof: wire.Proof{
-				Type: wire.InvalidPrevATX,
-				Data: &wire.InvalidPrevATXProof{
-					Atx1: atx1,
-					Atx2: atx2,
-				},
-			},
-		}
-
-		encodedProof := codec.MustEncode(proof)
-		if err := identities.SetMalicious(db, collision.NodeID1, encodedProof, time.Now()); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("add malfeasance proof: %w", err)
-		}
-
-		count++
-	}
-	logger.Info("created malfeasance proofs", zap.Int("count", count))
-	return nil
-}
diff --git a/activation/verify_state_test.go b/activation/verify_state_test.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 26446d59265..00000000000
--- a/activation/verify_state_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,69 +0,0 @@
-package activation
-
-import (
-	"context"
-	"math/rand/v2"
-	"testing"
-
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
-	"go.uber.org/zap/zaptest"
-
-	"github.com/spacemeshos/go-spacemesh/activation/wire"
-	"github.com/spacemeshos/go-spacemesh/common/types"
-	"github.com/spacemeshos/go-spacemesh/signing"
-	"github.com/spacemeshos/go-spacemesh/sql"
-	"github.com/spacemeshos/go-spacemesh/sql/atxs"
-	"github.com/spacemeshos/go-spacemesh/sql/identities"
-)
-
-func Test_CheckPrevATXs(t *testing.T) {
-	db := sql.InMemory()
-	logger := zaptest.NewLogger(t)
-
-	// Arrange
-	sig, err := signing.NewEdSigner()
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-
-	// create two ATXs with the same PrevATXID
-	prevATXID := types.RandomATXID()
-	goldenATXID := types.RandomATXID()
-
-	atx1 := newInitialATXv1(t, goldenATXID, func(atx *wire.ActivationTxV1) {
-		atx.PrevATXID = prevATXID
-		atx.PublishEpoch = 2
-	})
-	atx1.Sign(sig)
-	vAtx1 := toAtx(t, atx1)
-	require.NoError(t, atxs.Add(db, vAtx1, atx1.Blob()))
-
-	atx2 := newInitialATXv1(t, goldenATXID, func(atx *wire.ActivationTxV1) {
-		atx.PrevATXID = prevATXID
-		atx.PublishEpoch = 3
-	})
-	atx2.Sign(sig)
-	vAtx2 := toAtx(t, atx2)
-	require.NoError(t, atxs.Add(db, vAtx2, atx2.Blob()))
-
-	// create 100 random ATXs that are not malicious
-	for i := 0; i < 100; i++ {
-		otherSig, err := signing.NewEdSigner()
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-		atx := newInitialATXv1(t, types.RandomATXID(), func(atx *wire.ActivationTxV1) {
-			atx.PrevATXID = types.RandomATXID()
-			atx.NumUnits = rand.Uint32()
-			atx.PublishEpoch = rand.N[types.EpochID](100)
-		})
-		atx.Sign(otherSig)
-		vAtx := toAtx(t, atx)
-		require.NoError(t, atxs.Add(db, vAtx, atx.Blob()))
-	}
-
-	// Act
-	err = CheckPrevATXs(context.Background(), logger, db)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-
-	// Assert
-	malicious, err := identities.IsMalicious(db, sig.NodeID())
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	require.True(t, malicious)
-}
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 5d8409cfad1..1f647489047 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -79,9 +79,6 @@ func AddFlags(flagSet *pflag.FlagSet, cfg *config.Config) (configPath *string) {
 	flagSet.DurationVar(&cfg.DatabasePruneInterval, "db-prune-interval",
 		cfg.DatabasePruneInterval, "configure interval for database pruning")
 
-	flagSet.BoolVar(&cfg.ScanMalfeasantATXs, "scan-malfeasant-atxs", cfg.ScanMalfeasantATXs,
-		"scan for malfeasant ATXs")
-
 	flagSet.BoolVar(&cfg.NoMainOverride, "no-main-override",
 		cfg.NoMainOverride, "force 'nomain' builds to run on the mainnet")
 
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index aac864e8da7..b289ba722bc 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -122,9 +122,6 @@ type BaseConfig struct {
 
 	PruneActivesetsFrom types.EpochID `mapstructure:"prune-activesets-from"`
 
-	// ScanMalfeasantATXs is a flag to enable scanning for malfeasant ATXs.
-	ScanMalfeasantATXs bool `mapstructure:"scan-malfeasant-atxs"`
-
 	NetworkHRP string `mapstructure:"network-hrp"`
 
 	// MinerGoodAtxsPercent is a threshold to decide if tortoise activeset should be
diff --git a/config/mainnet.go b/config/mainnet.go
index 996ddbc7dac..30d6a71e099 100644
--- a/config/mainnet.go
+++ b/config/mainnet.go
@@ -80,8 +80,7 @@ func MainnetConfig() Config {
 			DatabaseConnections:   16,
 			DatabasePruneInterval: 30 * time.Minute,
 			DatabaseVacuumState:   15,
-			PruneActivesetsFrom:   12,    // starting from epoch 13 activesets below 12 will be pruned
-			ScanMalfeasantATXs:    false, // opt-in
+			PruneActivesetsFrom:   12, // starting from epoch 13 activesets below 12 will be pruned
 			NetworkHRP:            "sm",
 
 			LayerDuration:  5 * time.Minute,
diff --git a/node/node.go b/node/node.go
index 95a0b05decd..ac8dc5e5f0d 100644
--- a/node/node.go
+++ b/node/node.go
@@ -2005,15 +2005,6 @@ func (app *App) setupDBs(ctx context.Context, lg log.Log) error {
 		datastore.WithConsensusCache(data),
 	)
 
-	if app.Config.ScanMalfeasantATXs {
-		app.log.With().Info("checking DB for malicious ATXs")
-		start = time.Now()
-		if err := activation.CheckPrevATXs(ctx, app.log.Zap(), app.db); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("malicious ATX check: %w", err)
-		}
-		app.log.With().Info("malicious ATX check completed", log.Duration("duration", time.Since(start)))
-	}
-
 	migrations, err = sql.LocalMigrations()
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("load local migrations: %w", err)