diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index d2e42f2d..4cddce9f 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -227,8 +227,10 @@ jobs:
                 CIRCLE_BRANCH=${BRANCHES##*/}
                 echo "CIRCLE_BRANCH is empty, trying to set it from git, result: $CIRCLE_BRANCH"
               fi
-              if [[ $CIRCLE_BRANCH != "main" && ! $CIRCLE_TAG =~ (a|b|rc) ]]; then
-                echo "Final release tags are only allowed on main branch."
+              if [[ $CIRCLE_BRANCH != "main" && \
+                  ! $CIRCLE_BRANCH =~ ^release/v[0-9]+\.[0-9]+(\.[0-9]+)?$ && \
+                  ! $CIRCLE_TAG =~ (a|b|rc) ]]; then
+                echo "Final release tags are only allowed from main or release/vX.Y(.Z) branches."
                 exit 1
               else
                 DOCKER_TAG=${DOCKER_BASE}/keyper:${CIRCLE_TAG}
diff --git a/rolling-shutter/keyper/keypermetrics/metrics.go b/rolling-shutter/keyper/keypermetrics/metrics.go
index c5e1c2bb..927d541e 100644
--- a/rolling-shutter/keyper/keypermetrics/metrics.go
+++ b/rolling-shutter/keyper/keypermetrics/metrics.go
@@ -14,6 +14,13 @@ import (
 	"github.com/shutter-network/rolling-shutter/rolling-shutter/medley/chainsync"
 )
 
+const (
+	DKGMessageTypePolyEval       = "poly_eval"
+	DKGMessageTypePolyCommitment = "poly_commitment"
+	DKGMessageTypeAccusation     = "accusation"
+	DKGMessageTypeApology        = "apology"
+)
+
 var MetricsKeyperCurrentBlockL1 = prometheus.NewGauge(
 	prometheus.GaugeOpts{
 		Namespace: "shutter",
@@ -71,6 +78,26 @@ var MetricsKeyperCurrentPhase = prometheus.NewGaugeVec(
 	[]string{"eon", "phase"},
 )
 
+var MetricsKeyperDKGMessagesSent = prometheus.NewCounterVec(
+	prometheus.CounterOpts{
+		Namespace: "shutter",
+		Subsystem: "keyper",
+		Name:      "dkg_messages_sent",
+		Help:      "Number of DKG messages scheduled for sending for the given eon, partitioned by message type",
+	},
+	[]string{"eon", "message_type"},
+)
+
+var MetricsKeyperDKGMessagesReceived = prometheus.NewCounterVec(
+	prometheus.CounterOpts{
+		Namespace: "shutter",
+		Subsystem: "keyper",
+		Name:      "dkg_messages_received",
+		Help:      "Number of DKG messages received for the given eon, partitioned by message type",
+	},
+	[]string{"eon", "message_type"},
+)
+
 var MetricsKeyperCurrentBatchConfigIndex = prometheus.NewGauge(
 	prometheus.GaugeOpts{
 		Namespace: "shutter",
@@ -128,6 +155,8 @@ func InitMetrics(dbpool *pgxpool.Pool, config kprconfig.Config) {
 	prometheus.MustRegister(MetricsKeyperDKGStatus)
 	prometheus.MustRegister(MetricsKeyperEthAddress)
 	prometheus.MustRegister(MetricsExecutionClientVersion)
+	prometheus.MustRegister(MetricsKeyperDKGMessagesSent)
+	prometheus.MustRegister(MetricsKeyperDKGMessagesReceived)
 
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	queries := database.New(dbpool)
diff --git a/rolling-shutter/keyper/smobserver/smdriver.go b/rolling-shutter/keyper/smobserver/smdriver.go
index 67d5bd75..532dd2b4 100644
--- a/rolling-shutter/keyper/smobserver/smdriver.go
+++ b/rolling-shutter/keyper/smobserver/smdriver.go
@@ -165,6 +165,10 @@ func (smdrv *ShuttermintDriver) handleBlock(
 	block *coretypes.ResultBlockResults,
 	lastCommittedHeight int64,
 ) error {
+	err := smdrv.shuttermintState.Load(ctx, queries)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	oldMeta, err := queries.TMGetSyncMeta(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -217,7 +221,11 @@ func (smdrv *ShuttermintDriver) handleBlock(
 		return err
 	}
 
-	return nil
+	err = smdrv.shuttermintState.BeforeSaveHook(ctx, queries)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return smdrv.shuttermintState.Save(ctx, queries)
 }
 
 func (smdrv *ShuttermintDriver) innerHandleTransactions(
diff --git a/rolling-shutter/keyper/smobserver/smstate.go b/rolling-shutter/keyper/smobserver/smstate.go
index 5196de3d..12157b20 100644
--- a/rolling-shutter/keyper/smobserver/smstate.go
+++ b/rolling-shutter/keyper/smobserver/smstate.go
@@ -202,11 +202,22 @@ func (st *ShuttermintState) sendPolyEvals(ctx context.Context, queries *database
 			receivers = nil
 			encryptedEvals = nil
 		}()
-		return queries.ScheduleShutterMessage(
+		eonLabel := strconv.FormatInt(currentEon, 10)
+		err := queries.ScheduleShutterMessage(
 			ctx,
 			fmt.Sprintf("poly eval (eon=%d)", currentEon),
 			shmsg.NewPolyEval(uint64(currentEon), receivers, encryptedEvals),
 		)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		for range receivers {
+			keypermetrics.MetricsKeyperDKGMessagesSent.WithLabelValues(
+				eonLabel,
+				keypermetrics.DKGMessageTypePolyEval,
+			).Inc()
+		}
+		return nil
 	}
 
 	for _, eval := range evals {
@@ -218,7 +229,10 @@ func (st *ShuttermintState) sendPolyEvals(ctx context.Context, queries *database
 			currentEon = eval.Eon
 		}
 
-		fmt.Printf("SEND POLY EVALS: eon=%d receiver=%s\n", eval.Eon, eval.ReceiverAddress)
+		log.Info().
+			Int64("eon", eval.Eon).
+			Str("receiverAddress", eval.ReceiverAddress).
+			Msg("sending poly eval")
 		receiver, err := shdb.DecodeAddress(eval.ReceiverAddress)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -386,6 +400,7 @@ func (st *ShuttermintState) startPhase1Dealing(
 		log.Fatal().Err(err).Msg("aborting due to unexpected error")
 	}
 	dkg.markDirty()
+	eonLabel := strconv.FormatUint(eon, 10)
 	err = queries.ScheduleShutterMessage(
 		ctx,
 		fmt.Sprintf("poly commitment (eon=%d)", eon),
@@ -394,6 +409,10 @@ func (st *ShuttermintState) startPhase1Dealing(
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	keypermetrics.MetricsKeyperDKGMessagesSent.WithLabelValues(
+		eonLabel,
+		keypermetrics.DKGMessageTypePolyCommitment,
+	).Inc()
 
 	for _, eval := range polyEvals {
 		err = queries.InsertPolyEval(ctx, database.InsertPolyEvalParams{
@@ -413,9 +432,14 @@ func (st *ShuttermintState) startPhase2Accusing(
 ) error {
 	accusations := dkg.pure.StartPhase2Accusing()
 	dkg.markDirty()
+	eonLabel := strconv.FormatUint(eon, 10)
 	if len(accusations) > 0 {
 		var accused []common.Address
 		for _, a := range accusations {
+			keypermetrics.MetricsKeyperDKGMessagesSent.WithLabelValues(
+				eonLabel,
+				keypermetrics.DKGMessageTypeAccusation,
+			).Inc()
 			accused = append(accused, dkg.keypers[a.Accused])
 		}
 		err := queries.ScheduleShutterMessage(
@@ -438,11 +462,16 @@ func (st *ShuttermintState) startPhase3Apologizing(
 ) error {
 	apologies := dkg.pure.StartPhase3Apologizing()
 	dkg.markDirty()
+	eonLabel := strconv.FormatUint(eon, 10)
 	if len(apologies) > 0 {
 		var accusers []common.Address
 		var polyEvals []*big.Int
 
 		for _, a := range apologies {
+			keypermetrics.MetricsKeyperDKGMessagesSent.WithLabelValues(
+				eonLabel,
+				keypermetrics.DKGMessageTypeApology,
+			).Inc()
 			accusers = append(accusers, dkg.keypers[a.Accuser])
 			polyEvals = append(polyEvals, a.Eval)
 		}
@@ -621,6 +650,10 @@ func (st *ShuttermintState) handlePolyCommitment(
 		return nil
 	}
 	dkg.markDirty()
+	keypermetrics.MetricsKeyperDKGMessagesReceived.WithLabelValues(
+		strconv.FormatUint(e.Eon, 10),
+		keypermetrics.DKGMessageTypePolyCommitment,
+	).Inc()
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -642,6 +675,7 @@ func (st *ShuttermintState) handlePolyEval(
 			Msg("event for non existent eon received")
 		return nil
 	}
+	eonLabel := strconv.FormatUint(e.Eon, 10)
 	sender, err := medley.FindAddressIndex(dkg.keypers, e.Sender)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil
@@ -678,6 +712,10 @@ func (st *ShuttermintState) handlePolyEval(
 	}
 	log.Info().Str("event", e.String()).Int("keyper", sender).
 		Msg("got poly eval message")
+	keypermetrics.MetricsKeyperDKGMessagesReceived.WithLabelValues(
+		eonLabel,
+		keypermetrics.DKGMessageTypePolyEval,
+	).Inc()
 	dkg.markDirty()
 	return nil
 }
@@ -697,6 +735,7 @@ func (st *ShuttermintState) handleAccusation(
 			Msg("received accusation in wrong phase")
 		return nil
 	}
+	eonLabel := strconv.FormatUint(e.Eon, 10)
 	sender, err := medley.FindAddressIndex(dkg.keypers, e.Sender)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Info().Str("event", e.String()).
@@ -721,7 +760,12 @@ func (st *ShuttermintState) handleAccusation(
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Info().Str("event", e.String()).Err(err).
 				Msg("cannot handle accusation")
+			continue
 		}
+		keypermetrics.MetricsKeyperDKGMessagesReceived.WithLabelValues(
+			eonLabel,
+			keypermetrics.DKGMessageTypeAccusation,
+		).Inc()
 	}
 	dkg.markDirty()
 	return nil
@@ -741,6 +785,7 @@ func (st *ShuttermintState) handleApology(
 			Msg("Warning: received apology in wrong phase")
 		return nil
 	}
+	eonLabel := strconv.FormatUint(e.Eon, 10)
 	sender, err := medley.FindAddressIndex(dkg.keypers, e.Sender)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Info().Str("event", e.String()).Msg("failed to handle apology. bad sender")
@@ -763,7 +808,12 @@ func (st *ShuttermintState) handleApology(
 			})
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Info().Str("event", e.String()).Err(err).Msg("failed to handle apology")
+			continue
 		}
+		keypermetrics.MetricsKeyperDKGMessagesReceived.WithLabelValues(
+			eonLabel,
+			keypermetrics.DKGMessageTypeApology,
+		).Inc()
 	}
 	dkg.markDirty()
 	return nil