diff --git a/src/server.ts b/src/server.ts
index 9be5d7f..1cc71de 100644
--- a/src/server.ts
+++ b/src/server.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { confirmSubscriptionAction, unsubscribeAction, registerSubscription, Act
 import { getSubscriptionById, insertEvent, getSubscriptionByKey, getSubscriptionByPubkey } from './database.js'
 import { load } from '@welshman/net'
 import { getIdFilters } from '@welshman/util'
+import { verifyEvent } from 'nostr-tools/pure'
 
 // Endpoints
 
@@ -147,7 +148,7 @@ addRoute('delete', '/subscription/:key', async (req: Request, res: Response) =>
 
 // NIP-9a relay push callback
 addRoute('post', '/notify/:id', async (req: Request, res: Response) => {
-  const { id, relay } = req.body
+  const { id, relay, event } = req.body
 
   if (!id || !relay) {
     return res.status(400).json({ error: 'id and relay are required' })
@@ -164,19 +165,30 @@ addRoute('post', '/notify/:id', async (req: Request, res: Response) => {
     return res.status(404).json({ error: 'Subscription not active' })
   }
 
-  // Fetch the full event from the relay
   try {
-    const [event] = await load({
-      relays: [relay],
-      filters: getIdFilters([id]),
-    })
+    let storedEvent = event
 
-    if (!event) {
-      // Event not found at relay — don't 404, just skip
-      return res.json({ ok: true, skipped: true })
+    if (storedEvent) {
+      // If the subscription requested include_event, verify and use it directly
+      if (storedEvent.id !== id || !validEvent(storedEvent)) {
+        return res.status(400).json({ error: 'Invalid event' })
+      }
+    } else {
+      // Otherwise fetch the full event from the relay
+      const [fetched] = await load({
+        relays: [relay],
+        filters: getIdFilters([id]),
+      })
+
+      storedEvent = fetched
+
+      if (!storedEvent) {
+        // Event not found at relay — don't 404, just skip
+        return res.json({ ok: true, skipped: true })
+      }
     }
 
-    const stored = await insertEvent(id, sub.id, event, relay)
+    const stored = await insertEvent(id, sub.id, storedEvent, relay)
 
     return res.json({ ok: true, stored })
   } catch (error) {
@@ -238,4 +250,11 @@ server.use((err: Error, req: Request, res: Response, next: NextFunction) => {
   } else {
     next()
   }
-})
\ No newline at end of file
+})
+
+// Validate an event's signature and that its id hash matches (defense against
+// a malicious relay forwarding tampered content via include_event).
+const validEvent = (event: any) => {
+  if (!event || typeof event !== 'object') return false
+  return verifyEvent(event)
+}
\ No newline at end of file