diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 19864d7..e612769 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -308,6 +308,13 @@ cargo test -p ethlambda-blockchain --features skip-signature-verification --test
 
 ## Common Gotchas
 
+### Aggregator Flag Required for Finalization
+- At least one node **must** be started with `--is-aggregator` to finalize blocks in production (without `skip-signature-verification`)
+- Without this flag, attestations pass signature verification and are logged as "Attestation processed", but the signature is never stored for aggregation (`store.rs:368`), so blocks are always built with `attestation_count=0`
+- The attestation pipeline: gossip → verify signature → store gossip signature (only if `is_aggregator`) → aggregate at interval 2 → promote to known → pack into blocks
+- With `skip-signature-verification` (tests only), attestations bypass aggregation and go directly to `new_aggregated_payloads`, so the flag is not needed
+- **Symptom**: `justified_slot=0` and `finalized_slot=0` indefinitely despite healthy block production and attestation gossip
+
 ### Signature Verification
 - Tests require `skip-signature-verification` feature for performance
 - Crypto tests marked `#[ignore]` (slow leanVM operations)
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0fa249d..8f870a9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ make run-devnet
 This generates fresh genesis files and starts all configured clients with metrics enabled.
 Press `Ctrl+C` to stop all nodes.
 
+> **Important:** When running nodes manually (outside `make run-devnet`), at least one node must be started with `--is-aggregator` for attestations to be aggregated and included in blocks. Without this flag, the network will produce blocks but never finalize.
+
 For custom devnet configurations, go to `lean-quickstart/local-devnet/genesis/validator-config.yaml` and edit the file before running the command above. See `lean-quickstart`'s documentation for more details on how to configure the devnet.
 
 ## Philosophy