diff --git a/app/service/BlockchainService.js b/app/service/BlockchainService.js
index a8720b844e996a01b6849172b3dd16537d231adf..f1122f57c1049a0753d60650880e8ff3bf15d7ac 100644
--- a/app/service/BlockchainService.js
+++ b/app/service/BlockchainService.js
@@ -1337,6 +1337,14 @@ function BlockchainService (conn, conf, IdentityService, PeeringService) {
     }
     var sigFunc, block, difficulty, current;
     async.waterfall([
+      function (next) {
+        Identity.isMember(PeeringService.pubkey, function (err, isMember) {
+          if (err || !isMember)
+            next('Skipping', null, 'Local node is not a member. Waiting to be a member before computing a block.');
+          else
+            next();
+        });
+      },
       function (next) {
         Block.current(function (err, current) {
           if (err)