diff --git a/node/node.go b/node/node.go
index e2d59cf75e..9ebbd60254 100644
--- a/node/node.go
+++ b/node/node.go
@@ -192,13 +192,14 @@ func (n *Node) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("NewClient: cannot parse private key: %w", err)
 		}
 		operator := &Operator{
-			Address:    crypto.PubkeyToAddress(privateKey.PublicKey).Hex(),
-			Socket:     socket,
-			Timeout:    10 * time.Second,
-			PrivKey:    privateKey,
-			KeyPair:    n.KeyPair,
-			OperatorId: n.Config.ID,
-			QuorumIDs:  n.Config.QuorumIDList,
+			Address:             crypto.PubkeyToAddress(privateKey.PublicKey).Hex(),
+			Socket:              socket,
+			Timeout:             10 * time.Second,
+			PrivKey:             privateKey,
+			KeyPair:             n.KeyPair,
+			OperatorId:          n.Config.ID,
+			QuorumIDs:           n.Config.QuorumIDList,
+			RegisterNodeAtStart: n.Config.RegisterNodeAtStart,
 		}
 		churnerClient := NewChurnerClient(n.Config.ChurnerUrl, n.Config.UseSecureGrpc, n.Config.Timeout, n.Logger)
 		err = RegisterOperator(ctx, operator, n.Transactor, churnerClient, n.Logger)
@@ -212,7 +213,6 @@ func (n *Node) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
 		} else {
 			n.Logger.Infof("The node has started but the network with chainID %s is not supported yet", n.ChainID.String())
 		}
-
 	}
 
 	n.CurrentSocket = socket
diff --git a/node/operator.go b/node/operator.go
index a6cd282a8a..49888317cb 100644
--- a/node/operator.go
+++ b/node/operator.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package node
 import (
 	"context"
 	"crypto/ecdsa"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"math/big"
 	"slices"
@@ -14,13 +15,14 @@ import (
 )
 
 type Operator struct {
-	Address    string
-	Socket     string
-	Timeout    time.Duration
-	PrivKey    *ecdsa.PrivateKey
-	KeyPair    *core.KeyPair
-	OperatorId core.OperatorID
-	QuorumIDs  []core.QuorumID
+	Address             string
+	Socket              string
+	Timeout             time.Duration
+	PrivKey             *ecdsa.PrivateKey
+	KeyPair             *core.KeyPair
+	OperatorId          core.OperatorID
+	QuorumIDs           []core.QuorumID
+	RegisterNodeAtStart bool
 }
 
 // RegisterOperator operator registers the operator with the given public key for the given quorum IDs.
@@ -32,6 +34,12 @@ func RegisterOperator(ctx context.Context, operator *Operator, transactor core.T
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get quorum ids to register: %w", err)
 	}
+	if !operator.RegisterNodeAtStart {
+		// For operator-initiated registration, the supplied quorums must be not registered yet.
+		if len(quorumsToRegister) != len(operator.QuorumIDs) {
+			return errors.New("quorums to register must be not registered yet")
+		}
+	}
 	if len(quorumsToRegister) == 0 {
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -117,8 +125,6 @@ func (c *Operator) getQuorumIdsToRegister(ctx context.Context, transactor core.T
 	for _, quorumID := range c.QuorumIDs {
 		if !slices.Contains(registeredQuorumIds, quorumID) {
 			quorumIdsToRegister = append(quorumIdsToRegister, quorumID)
-		} else {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("the operator already registered for quorum %d", quorumID)
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/node/operator_test.go b/node/operator_test.go
index 93c785014b..257004d6ec 100644
--- a/node/operator_test.go
+++ b/node/operator_test.go
@@ -23,13 +23,14 @@ func TestRegisterOperator(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	// Create a new operator
 	operator := &node.Operator{
-		Address:    "0xB7Ad27737D88B07De48CDc2f379917109E993Be4",
-		Socket:     "localhost:50051",
-		Timeout:    10 * time.Second,
-		PrivKey:    nil,
-		KeyPair:    keyPair,
-		OperatorId: operatorID,
-		QuorumIDs:  []core.QuorumID{0, 1},
+		Address:             "0xB7Ad27737D88B07De48CDc2f379917109E993Be4",
+		Socket:              "localhost:50051",
+		Timeout:             10 * time.Second,
+		PrivKey:             nil,
+		KeyPair:             keyPair,
+		OperatorId:          operatorID,
+		QuorumIDs:           []core.QuorumID{0, 1},
+		RegisterNodeAtStart: false,
 	}
 	createMockTx := func(quorumIDs []uint8) *coremock.MockTransactor {
 		tx := &coremock.MockTransactor{}
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ func TestRegisterOperator(t *testing.T) {
 	tx2 := createMockTx([]uint8{0})
 	err = node.RegisterOperator(context.Background(), operator, tx2, churnerClient, logger)
 	assert.Error(t, err)
-	assert.True(t, strings.Contains(err.Error(), "the operator already registered for quorum 0"))
+	assert.True(t, strings.Contains(err.Error(), "quorums to register must be not registered yet"))
 }
 
 func TestRegisterOperatorWithChurn(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/node/plugin/cmd/main.go b/node/plugin/cmd/main.go
index 020fd4ca7c..8627038f9b 100644
--- a/node/plugin/cmd/main.go
+++ b/node/plugin/cmd/main.go
@@ -118,13 +118,14 @@ func pluginOps(ctx *cli.Context) {
 	}
 
 	operator := &node.Operator{
-		Address:    sk.Address.Hex(),
-		Socket:     socket,
-		Timeout:    10 * time.Second,
-		PrivKey:    sk.PrivateKey,
-		KeyPair:    keyPair,
-		OperatorId: keyPair.GetPubKeyG1().GetOperatorID(),
-		QuorumIDs:  config.QuorumIDList,
+		Address:             sk.Address.Hex(),
+		Socket:              socket,
+		Timeout:             10 * time.Second,
+		PrivKey:             sk.PrivateKey,
+		KeyPair:             keyPair,
+		OperatorId:          keyPair.GetPubKeyG1().GetOperatorID(),
+		QuorumIDs:           config.QuorumIDList,
+		RegisterNodeAtStart: false,
 	}
 	churnerClient := node.NewChurnerClient(config.ChurnerUrl, true, operator.Timeout, logger)
 	if config.Operation == "opt-in" {