diff --git a/kaiax/gov/headergov/impl/header.go b/kaiax/gov/headergov/impl/header.go
index 86d94a8d1..077fbcf90 100644
--- a/kaiax/gov/headergov/impl/header.go
+++ b/kaiax/gov/headergov/impl/header.go
@@ -172,10 +172,22 @@ func (h *headerGovModule) checkConsistency(blockNum uint64, vote headergov.VoteD
 			return err
 		}
 
-		if slices.Contains(council, params.GoverningNode) {
+		if !slices.Contains(council, params.GoverningNode) {
+			return ErrGovNodeNotInValSetList
+		}
+		if !h.ChainConfig.IsPermissionlessForkEnabled(new(big.Int).SetUint64(blockNum)) {
 			return nil
 		}
-		return ErrGovNodeNotInValSetList
+
+		// After Permissionless only the governing node may vote, so a successor outside the council could never vote again.
+		newNode, ok := vote.Value().(common.Address)
+		if !ok || common.EmptyAddress(newNode) {
+			return ErrInvalidKeyValue
+		}
+		if !slices.Contains(council, newNode) {
+			return ErrGovNodeNotInValSetList
+		}
+		return nil
 	case gov.Kip71LowerBoundBaseFee:
 		params := h.GetParamSet(blockNum)
 		if vote.Value().(uint64) > params.UpperBoundBaseFee {
diff --git a/kaiax/gov/headergov/impl/header_test.go b/kaiax/gov/headergov/impl/header_test.go
index 7516b147d..9912867b4 100644
--- a/kaiax/gov/headergov/impl/header_test.go
+++ b/kaiax/gov/headergov/impl/header_test.go
@@ -143,6 +143,40 @@ func TestVerifyVote_SingleMode(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+// A successor outside the council could never vote after Permissionless, since only the
+// governing node may vote from then on.
+func TestVerifyVote_GoverningNodeSuccessor(t *testing.T) {
+	tcs := []struct {
+		desc           string
+		permissionless bool
+		governingNode  common.Address
+		successor      common.Address
+		expectedError  error
+	}{
+		{"council member", true, validVoter, validVoter, nil},
+		{"zero address", true, validVoter, common.Address{}, ErrInvalidKeyValue},
+		{"outside the council", true, validVoter, common.Address{9}, ErrGovNodeNotInValSetList},
+		{"pre-permissionless accepts any address", false, validVoter, common.Address{}, nil},
+		{"governing node outside the council", false, common.Address{2}, validVoter, ErrGovNodeNotInValSetList},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range tcs {
+		t.Run(tc.desc, func(t *testing.T) {
+			config := getTestChainConfig()
+			config.Governance.GoverningNode = tc.governingNode
+			if tc.permissionless {
+				config.PermissionlessCompatibleBlock = common.Big0
+			} else {
+				config.PermissionlessCompatibleBlock = nil
+			}
+			h := newHeaderGovModule(t, config)
+			vote := headergov.NewVoteData(validVoter, string(gov.GovernanceGoverningNode), tc.successor)
+			vb, err := vote.ToVoteBytes()
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			assert.Equal(t, tc.expectedError, h.VerifyVote(&types.Header{Number: big.NewInt(1), Vote: vb, Extra: extra}))
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestGetVotesInEpoch(t *testing.T) {
 	h := newHeaderGovModule(t, getTestChainConfig())