diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 10c6ef35..2191d0c3 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -14,6 +14,16 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
   in the ambiguous format could not be parsed anymore. Partially undo this change
   to stay backward compatible, but log a warning in case ambiguous addresses are
   encountered.
+- In commit `d3bc868e84c334f113806df1737f52cc57c5453d` which was released in
+  version 1.7.0, the criteria for verification of Signed References was changed
+  to be more strict. In particular, to require the reference `refs/rad/root`
+  pointing at the root commit in the history of the repository identity.
+  This was done under the assumption that the overwhelming majority of
+  repositories on the network would have this reference, thus not many users
+  would be negatively affected, in a trade for improved security.
+  It turned out that this assumption was wrong, and that a larger-than-expected
+  portion of the network is affected by verification errors. The change is
+  reverted, relaxing the verification criteria again.
 
 ## 1.7.0
 
diff --git a/crates/radicle/src/storage/refs/sigrefs/read.rs b/crates/radicle/src/storage/refs/sigrefs/read.rs
index 083932e3..d6acfc08 100644
--- a/crates/radicle/src/storage/refs/sigrefs/read.rs
+++ b/crates/radicle/src/storage/refs/sigrefs/read.rs
@@ -258,10 +258,17 @@ impl Commit {
                 // Identity verification succeeds.
             }
         } else {
-            return Err(error::Verify::MissingIdentity(error::MissingIdentity {
+            let err = error::Verify::MissingIdentity(error::MissingIdentity {
                 sigrefs_commit: self.oid,
                 expected,
-            }));
+            });
+
+            log::debug!("Reading sigrefs will error in the future: {err}");
+
+            // TODO: Make this return the error
+            // and enable test `test::commit_reader::missing_identity`.
+
+            // Identity verification succeeds.
         }
 
         self.refs.remove_sigrefs();
diff --git a/crates/radicle/src/storage/refs/sigrefs/read/test/commit_reader.rs b/crates/radicle/src/storage/refs/sigrefs/read/test/commit_reader.rs
index 623f16ae..44ef80c9 100644
--- a/crates/radicle/src/storage/refs/sigrefs/read/test/commit_reader.rs
+++ b/crates/radicle/src/storage/refs/sigrefs/read/test/commit_reader.rs
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ fn missing_commit() {
 }
 
 #[test]
+#[ignore = "strict verification of `refs/rad/root` reverted due to compatibility issues"]
 fn missing_identity() {
     let head = mock::oid(1);
     let refs = [(mock::refs_heads_main(), mock::oid(10))];