diff --git a/src/Data/Cycles.ts b/src/Data/Cycles.ts
index aaffe8e6..f4aa04ce 100644
--- a/src/Data/Cycles.ts
+++ b/src/Data/Cycles.ts
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ function updateNodeList(cycle: P2PTypes.CycleCreatorTypes.CycleData): void {
       ip: joinRequest.nodeInfo.externalIp,
       port: joinRequest.nodeInfo.externalPort,
     }))
-    NodeList.addNodes(NodeList.NodeStatus.STANDBY, standbyNodeList)
+    NodeList.addStandbyNodes(standbyNodeList)
   }
 
   if (standbyRemove.length > 0) {
diff --git a/src/NodeList.ts b/src/NodeList.ts
index aec5daa1..c0b92c26 100644
--- a/src/NodeList.ts
+++ b/src/NodeList.ts
@@ -146,14 +146,6 @@ export function addNodes(status: NodeStatus, nodes: Node[]): void {
           //   activeListByIdSorted.map((node) => node.id)
           // )
           break
-        case NodeStatus.STANDBY:
-          if (activeList.has(key)) {
-            activeList.delete(key)
-            activeListByIdSorted = activeListByIdSorted.filter((node) => node.publicKey === key)
-          }
-          if (syncingList.has(key)) syncingList.delete(key)
-          if (!standbyList.has(key)) standbyList.set(key, node)
-          break
       }
       /* eslint-disable security/detect-object-injection */
       byPublicKey[node.publicKey] = node
@@ -172,7 +164,7 @@ export function addNodes(status: NodeStatus, nodes: Node[]): void {
     }
   }
 }
-export function refreshNodes(status: NodeStatus, nodes: Node[]): void {
+export function refreshNodes(status: NodeStatus, nodes: ConsensusNodeInfo[] | JoinedConsensor[]): void {
   if (nodes.length === 0) return
   Logger.mainLogger.debug('Refreshing nodes', nodes.length, nodes)
   for (const node of nodes) {
@@ -184,9 +176,6 @@ export function refreshNodes(status: NodeStatus, nodes: Node[]): void {
       Logger.mainLogger.debug('adding new node during refresh', node.publicKey)
       list.push(node)
       switch (status) {
-        case NodeStatus.STANDBY:
-          standbyList.set(node.publicKey, node)
-          break
         case NodeStatus.SYNCING:
           syncingList.set(node.publicKey, node)
           break
@@ -254,6 +243,15 @@ export function removeNodes(publicKeys: string[]): void {
   }
 }
 
+export const addStandbyNodes = (nodes: ConsensusNodeInfo[]): void => {
+  if (nodes.length === 0) return
+  Logger.mainLogger.debug('Adding standby nodes to the list', nodes.length, nodes)
+  for (const node of nodes) {
+    if (standbyList.has(node.publicKey)) continue
+    standbyList.set(node.publicKey, node)
+  }
+}
+
 export const removeStandbyNodes = (publicKeys: string[]): void => {
   if (publicKeys.length > 0) Logger.mainLogger.debug('Removing standby nodes', publicKeys)
   for (const key of publicKeys) {
diff --git a/src/sync-v2/index.ts b/src/sync-v2/index.ts
index ab8677dc..d13359c4 100644
--- a/src/sync-v2/index.ts
+++ b/src/sync-v2/index.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import {
 import { ArchiverNodeInfo, resetActiveArchivers } from '../State'
 import { getActiveNodeListFromArchiver } from '../NodeList'
 import * as NodeList from '../NodeList'
-import { verifyArchiverList, verifyCycleRecord, verifyStandbyList, verifyValidatorList } from './verify'
+import { verifyArchiverList, verifyCycleRecord, verifyValidatorList } from './verify'
 import * as Logger from '../Logger'
 
 /**
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ export function syncV2(
               }))
               NodeList.addNodes(NodeList.NodeStatus.SYNCING, syncingNodeList)
               NodeList.addNodes(NodeList.NodeStatus.ACTIVE, activeNodeList)
-              NodeList.addNodes(NodeList.NodeStatus.STANDBY, standbyNodeList)
+              NodeList.addStandbyNodes(standbyNodeList)
 
               // reset the active archivers list with the new list
               resetActiveArchivers(archiverList)
@@ -172,9 +172,7 @@ function syncStandbyNodeList(
   return robustQueryForStandbyNodeListHash(activeNodes).andThen(({ value, winningNodes }) =>
     // get full standby list from one of the winning nodes
     getStandbyNodeListFromNode(winningNodes[0], value.standbyNodeListHash).andThen((standbyList) =>
-      verifyStandbyList(standbyList, value.standbyNodeListHash).map(
-        () => [standbyList, value.standbyNodeListHash] as [P2PTypes.JoinTypes.JoinRequest[], hexstring]
-      )
+      okAsync([standbyList, value.standbyNodeListHash] as [P2PTypes.JoinTypes.JoinRequest[], hexstring])
     )
   )
 }