diff --git a/src/apps/relay/cmd_relay.cpp b/src/apps/relay/cmd_relay.cpp
index dc69215..03da21f 100644
--- a/src/apps/relay/cmd_relay.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/relay/cmd_relay.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ static void checkConfig() {
             LW << "Your relay.info.pubkey is incorrectly formatted. It should be 64 hex digits.";
         }
     }
+
+    if (cfg().events__rejectEphemeralEventsOlderThanSeconds >= cfg().events__ephemeralEventsLifetimeSeconds) {
+        LW << "rejectEphemeralEventsOlderThanSeconds is >= ephemeralEventsLifetimeSeconds, which could result in unnecessary disk activity";
+    }
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/events.cpp b/src/events.cpp
index 3b209ff..e4a2a35 100644
--- a/src/events.cpp
+++ b/src/events.cpp
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ void verifyEventTimestamp(const NostrIndex::Event *flat) {
     if (ts < earliest) throw herr("created_at too early");
     if (ts > latest) throw herr("created_at too late");
 
-    if (flat->expiration() != 0 && flat->expiration() <= now) throw herr("event expired");
+    if (flat->expiration() > 1 && flat->expiration() <= now) throw herr("event expired");
 }
 
 void parseAndVerifyEvent(const tao::json::value &origJson, secp256k1_context *secpCtx, bool verifyMsg, bool verifyTime, std::string &flatStr, std::string &jsonStr) {