diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c328f6da19..0a060801d2 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ endif
 ## install-standalone: Build and install the celestia-appd binary into the $GOPATH/bin directory. This target does not install the multiplexer.
 install-standalone:
 	@echo "--> Installing celestia-appd"
+	@bash scripts/check_cpu_features.sh
 	@go install $(BUILD_FLAGS_STANDALONE) ./cmd/celestia-appd
 .PHONY: install-standalone
 
@@ -76,6 +77,7 @@ install-standalone:
 # TODO: Improve logic here and in goreleaser to make it future proof and less expensive.
 install: download-v3-binaries download-v4-binaries download-v5-binaries
 	@echo "--> Installing celestia-appd with multiplexer support"
+	@bash scripts/check_cpu_features.sh
 	@go install $(BUILD_FLAGS_MULTIPLEXER) ./cmd/celestia-appd
 .PHONY: install
 
diff --git a/cmd/celestia-appd/cmd/cpu_features.go b/cmd/celestia-appd/cmd/cpu_features.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ba02d49cb7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/celestia-appd/cmd/cpu_features.go
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"runtime"
+	"strings"
+
+	"cosmossdk.io/log"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+)
+
+const FlagCPUFeaturesCheck = "force-no-cpu-features"
+
+// checkCPUFeatures checks if CPU supports GFNI and SHA_NI extensions.
+func checkCPUFeatures(command *cobra.Command, logger log.Logger) error {
+	const (
+		warning = `
+CPU Performance Warning: Missing hardware acceleration features
+
+Your CPU does not support one or more of the following hardware acceleration features:
+- GFNI (Galois Field New Instructions)
+- SHA_NI (Secure Hash Algorithm New Instructions)
+
+These features significantly improve cryptographic performance for blockchain operations.
+
+Note: These features are not required for the 32MB/6s block configuration but will become
+essential when the network transitions to 128MB/6s blocks. Validators should prepare by upgrading
+their hardware to ensure optimal performance during future network upgrades.
+
+To check what features your CPU supports:
+grep -o -E 'sha_ni|gfni' /proc/cpuinfo
+
+Modern Intel CPUs (10th gen+) and AMD CPUs (Zen 4+) typically support these features.
+If you are running this node, consider upgrading to a CPU with these features.
+
+This node will continue to run, but may experience reduced performance for cryptographic operations.
+If you need to bypass this check, use the --force-no-cpu-features flag.
+`
+	)
+
+	isCPUFeaturesCheckDisabled, err := command.Flags().GetBool(FlagCPUFeaturesCheck)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if isCPUFeaturesCheckDisabled {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// Only check on Linux where /proc/cpuinfo is available
+	if runtime.GOOS != "linux" {
+		// Skip check silently for non-Linux OSes (e.g., macOS, Windows, BSD)
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	file, err := os.ReadFile("/proc/cpuinfo")
+	if err != nil {
+		logger.Warn(warning)
+		// TODO: enable when we want to start enforcing the new CPU features.
+		// return fmt.Errorf("failed to read file '/proc/cpuinfo' %w", err)
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	cpuInfo := string(file)
+	hasGFNI := strings.Contains(cpuInfo, "gfni")
+	hasSHANI := strings.Contains(cpuInfo, "sha_ni")
+
+	if !hasGFNI || !hasSHANI {
+		missingFeatures := []string{}
+		if !hasGFNI {
+			missingFeatures = append(missingFeatures, "GFNI")
+		}
+		if !hasSHANI {
+			missingFeatures = append(missingFeatures, "SHA_NI")
+		}
+		logger.Warn(warning, "missing_features", strings.Join(missingFeatures, ", "))
+	}
+
+	if !hasGFNI {
+		// TODO: enable when we want to start enforcing the new CPU features.
+		// return fmt.Errorf("missing GFNI")
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/cmd/celestia-appd/cmd/root.go b/cmd/celestia-appd/cmd/root.go
index 7baea367ba..bb26715b53 100644
--- a/cmd/celestia-appd/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/celestia-appd/cmd/root.go
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ func initRootCommand(rootCommand *cobra.Command, capp *app.App) {
 	modifyRootCommand(rootCommand)
 
 	// Add hooks run prior to the start command
-	if err := addPreStartHooks(rootCommand, checkBBR); err != nil {
+	if err := addPreStartHooks(rootCommand, checkBBR, checkCPUFeatures); err != nil {
 		panic(fmt.Errorf("failed to add pre-start hooks: %w", err))
 	}
 }
@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@ func addStartFlags(startCmd *cobra.Command) {
 
 	startCmd.Flags().Duration(DelayedPrecommitTimeoutFlag, 0, "Override the DelayedPrecommitTimeout to control block time. Note: only for testing purposes.")
 	startCmd.Flags().Bool(FlagForceNoBBR, false, "bypass the requirement to use bbr locally")
+	startCmd.Flags().Bool(FlagCPUFeaturesCheck, false, "bypass CPU feature checks")
 }
 
 // replaceLogger optionally replaces the logger with a file logger if the flag
diff --git a/scripts/check_cpu_features.sh b/scripts/check_cpu_features.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..72f49fb06e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/check_cpu_features.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Script to check CPU features for celestia-app
+# Checks for GFNI and SHA_NI CPU features that improve cryptographic performance
+
+check_cpu_features() {
+    local warning="
+CPU Performance Warning: Missing hardware acceleration features
+
+Your CPU does not support one or more of the following hardware acceleration features:
+- GFNI (Galois Field New Instructions)
+- SHA_NI (Secure Hash Algorithm New Instructions)
+
+These features significantly improve cryptographic performance for blockchain operations.
+
+Note: These features are not required for the 32MB/6s block configuration but will become
+essential when the network transitions to 128MB/6s blocks. Validators should prepare by upgrading
+their hardware to ensure optimal performance during future network upgrades.
+
+To check what features your CPU supports:
+grep -o -E 'sha_ni|gfni' /proc/cpuinfo
+
+Modern Intel CPUs (10th gen+) and AMD CPUs (Zen 3+) typically support these features.
+If you are running this node in production, consider upgrading to a CPU with these features.
+
+This node will continue to run, but may experience reduced performance for cryptographic operations.
+"
+
+    # Only check on Linux where /proc/cpuinfo is available
+    if [[ "$OSTYPE" != "linux-gnu"* ]]; then
+        # Skip check silently for non-Linux OSes (e.g., macOS, Windows, BSD)
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    # Check if /proc/cpuinfo exists and is readable
+    if [[ ! -f /proc/cpuinfo ]] || [[ ! -r /proc/cpuinfo ]]; then
+        echo "Warning: Could not read /proc/cpuinfo to check CPU features"
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    # Check for CPU features
+    local cpu_features
+    cpu_features=$(grep -o -E 'sha_ni|gfni' /proc/cpuinfo 2>/dev/null | sort -u)
+    
+    local has_gfni=false
+    local has_sha_ni=false
+    local missing_features=()
+
+    if echo "$cpu_features" | grep -q "gfni"; then
+        has_gfni=true
+    else
+        missing_features+=("GFNI")
+    fi
+
+    if echo "$cpu_features" | grep -q "sha_ni"; then
+        has_sha_ni=true
+    else
+        missing_features+=("SHA_NI")
+    fi
+
+    # If any features are missing, show warning
+    if [[ ${#missing_features[@]} -gt 0 ]]; then
+        echo "$warning"
+        printf "Missing features: %s\n\n" "$(IFS=', '; echo "${missing_features[*]}")"
+    fi
+
+    return 0
+}
+
+# Run the check if script is executed directly
+if [[ "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" == "${0}" ]]; then
+    check_cpu_features
+fi