diff --git a/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/alpha_context.mli b/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/alpha_context.mli
index 443669ba345b0d5d00eae5f91d5a1cf8d92243f0..89e46fd4cef219fd4b9676477fc9c48fe3f819c5 100644
--- a/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/alpha_context.mli
+++ b/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/alpha_context.mli
@@ -2987,6 +2987,14 @@ module Dal_errors : sig
     | Dal_feature_disabled
     | Dal_slot_index_above_hard_limit
     | Dal_endorsement_unexpected_size of {expected : int; got : int}
+    | Dal_publish_slot_header_future_level of {
+        provided : Raw_level.t;
+        expected : Raw_level.t;
+      }
+    | Dal_publish_slot_header_past_level of {
+        provided : Raw_level.t;
+        expected : Raw_level.t;
+      }
     | Dal_publish_slot_header_invalid_index of {
         given : Dal.Slot_index.t;
         maximum : Dal.Slot_index.t;
diff --git a/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/dal_apply.ml b/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/dal_apply.ml
index 0bdd88d46e69cb07193ae61e7dd19512fe395764..b904b827b03f6c506016e82d6e7e42e7e958cbfc 100644
--- a/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/dal_apply.ml
+++ b/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/dal_apply.ml
@@ -81,18 +81,32 @@ let apply_data_availability ctxt op =
   | Some shards ->
       Ok (Dal.Endorsement.record_available_shards ctxt slot_availability shards)
 
-let validate_publish_slot_header ctxt Dal.Slot.Header.{id = {index; _}; _} =
+let validate_publish_slot_header ctxt
+    Dal.Slot.Header.{id = {index; published_level}; _} =
   assert_dal_feature_enabled ctxt >>? fun () ->
   let open Tzresult_syntax in
   let open Constants in
   let Parametric.{dal = {number_of_slots; _}; _} = parametric ctxt in
   let* number_of_slots = slot_of_int_e (number_of_slots - 1) in
-  error_unless
-    Compare.Int.(
-      Dal.Slot_index.compare index number_of_slots <= 0
-      || Dal.Slot_index.compare index Dal.Slot_index.zero >= 0)
-    (Dal_publish_slot_header_invalid_index
-       {given = index; maximum = number_of_slots})
+  let* () =
+    error_unless
+      Compare.Int.(
+        Dal.Slot_index.compare index number_of_slots <= 0
+        && Dal.Slot_index.compare index Dal.Slot_index.zero >= 0)
+      (Dal_publish_slot_header_invalid_index
+         {given = index; maximum = number_of_slots})
+  in
+  let current_level = (Level.current ctxt).level in
+  let* () =
+    error_when
+      Raw_level.(current_level < published_level)
+      (Dal_publish_slot_header_future_level
+         {provided = published_level; expected = current_level})
+  in
+  error_when
+    Raw_level.(current_level > published_level)
+    (Dal_publish_slot_header_past_level
+       {provided = published_level; expected = current_level})
 
 let apply_publish_slot_header ctxt slot_header =
   assert_dal_feature_enabled ctxt >>? fun () ->
diff --git a/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/dal_errors_repr.ml b/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/dal_errors_repr.ml
index 639a47a51b8205012a6ea46a30fb9b0c5b1d62e0..5d82b2aea0be6fdb29f2cd42435d78cb9c103640 100644
--- a/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/dal_errors_repr.ml
+++ b/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/dal_errors_repr.ml
@@ -27,6 +27,14 @@ type error +=
   | Dal_feature_disabled
   | Dal_slot_index_above_hard_limit
   | Dal_endorsement_unexpected_size of {expected : int; got : int}
+  | Dal_publish_slot_header_future_level of {
+      provided : Raw_level_repr.t;
+      expected : Raw_level_repr.t;
+    }
+  | Dal_publish_slot_header_past_level of {
+      provided : Raw_level_repr.t;
+      expected : Raw_level_repr.t;
+    }
   | Dal_publish_slot_header_invalid_index of {
       given : Dal_slot_repr.Index.t;
       maximum : Dal_slot_repr.Index.t;
@@ -95,6 +103,54 @@ let () =
     Data_encoding.unit
     (function Dal_slot_index_above_hard_limit -> Some () | _ -> None)
     (fun () -> Dal_slot_index_above_hard_limit) ;
+  let description = "Unexpected level in the future in slot header" in
+  register_error_kind
+    `Temporary
+    ~id:"dal_publish_slot_header_future_level"
+    ~title:"DAL slot header future level"
+    ~description
+    ~pp:(fun ppf (provided, expected) ->
+      Format.fprintf
+        ppf
+        "%s: Provided %a. Expected %a."
+        description
+        Raw_level_repr.pp
+        provided
+        Raw_level_repr.pp
+        expected)
+    (obj2
+       (req "provided" Raw_level_repr.encoding)
+       (req "got" Raw_level_repr.encoding))
+    (function
+      | Dal_publish_slot_header_future_level {provided; expected} ->
+          Some (provided, expected)
+      | _ -> None)
+    (fun (provided, expected) ->
+      Dal_publish_slot_header_future_level {provided; expected}) ;
+  let description = "Unexpected level in the past in slot header" in
+  register_error_kind
+    `Branch
+    ~id:"dal_publish_slot_header_past_level"
+    ~title:"DAL slot header past level"
+    ~description
+    ~pp:(fun ppf (provided, expected) ->
+      Format.fprintf
+        ppf
+        "%s: Provided %a. Expected %a."
+        description
+        Raw_level_repr.pp
+        provided
+        Raw_level_repr.pp
+        expected)
+    (obj2
+       (req "provided" Raw_level_repr.encoding)
+       (req "got" Raw_level_repr.encoding))
+    (function
+      | Dal_publish_slot_header_past_level {provided; expected} ->
+          Some (provided, expected)
+      | _ -> None)
+    (fun (provided, expected) ->
+      Dal_publish_slot_header_past_level {provided; expected}) ;
   let description = "Bad index for slot header" in
   register_error_kind
     `Permanent
diff --git a/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/test/integration/validate/manager_operation_helpers.ml b/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/test/integration/validate/manager_operation_helpers.ml
index 4bb617d0b1f5b4624f996d2ade99889e2c5e6595..12e32d4e7cddeb736c06dc63835d0cc4371882bf 100644
--- a/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/test/integration/validate/manager_operation_helpers.ml
+++ b/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/test/integration/validate/manager_operation_helpers.ml
@@ -1121,7 +1121,10 @@ let mk_sc_rollup_return_bond (oinfos : operation_req) (infos : infos) =
     sc_rollup
 
 let mk_dal_publish_slot_header (oinfos : operation_req) (infos : infos) =
-  let published_level = Alpha_context.Raw_level.of_int32_exn Int32.zero in
+  let published_level =
+    Alpha_context.Raw_level.succ
+    @@ Alpha_context.Raw_level.of_int32_exn infos.ctxt.block.header.shell.level
+  in
   let index = Alpha_context.Dal.Slot_index.zero in
   let commitment = Alpha_context.Dal.Slot.Commitment.zero in
   let slot =
diff --git a/tezt/tests/dal.ml b/tezt/tests/dal.ml
index 7a73b1d89f6d96489608e80a4ec2020e556e3e45..95577366dbfaa1866b7ac735ca92653b73106494 100644
--- a/tezt/tests/dal.ml
+++ b/tezt/tests/dal.ml
@@ -280,14 +280,18 @@ let test_feature_flag _protocol _sc_rollup_node _sc_rollup_address node client =
     Test.fail "Unexpected entry dal in the context when DAL is disabled" ;
   unit
 
-let publish_slot ~source ?fee ~index ~commitment node client =
-  let level = Node.get_level node in
+let publish_slot ~source ?level ?fee ?error ~index ~commitment node client =
+  let level =
+    match level with Some level -> level | None -> 1 + Node.get_level node
+  in
   Operation.Manager.(
     inject
+      ?error
       [make ~source ?fee @@ dal_publish_slot_header ~index ~level ~commitment]
       client)
 
-let publish_dummy_slot ~source ?fee ~index ~message parameters cryptobox =
+let publish_dummy_slot ~source ?level ?error ?fee ~index ~message parameters
+    cryptobox =
   let commitment =
     Rollup.Dal.(
       Commitment.dummy_commitment
@@ -295,10 +299,10 @@ let publish_dummy_slot ~source ?fee ~index ~message parameters cryptobox =
         cryptobox
         message)
   in
-  publish_slot ~source ?fee ~index ~commitment
+  publish_slot ~source ?level ?fee ?error ~index ~commitment
 
 let publish_slot_header ~source ?(fee = 1200) ~index ~commitment node client =
-  let level = Node.get_level node in
+  let level = 1 + Node.get_level node in
   let commitment =
     Tezos_crypto_dal.Cryptobox.Commitment.of_b58check_opt commitment
   in
@@ -398,6 +402,38 @@ let test_slot_management_logic =
   @@ fun protocol ->
   setup ~dal_enable:true ~protocol
   @@ fun parameters cryptobox node client _bootstrap ->
+  let* (`OpHash _) =
+    let error =
+      rex ~opts:[`Dotall] "Unexpected level in the future in slot header"
+    in
+    publish_dummy_slot
+      ~source:Constant.bootstrap5
+      ~fee:3_000
+      ~level:3
+      ~index:2
+      ~message:"a"
+      ~error
+      parameters
+      cryptobox
+      node
+      client
+  in
+  let* (`OpHash _) =
+    let error =
+      rex ~opts:[`Dotall] "Unexpected level in the past in slot header"
+    in
+    publish_dummy_slot
+      ~source:Constant.bootstrap5
+      ~fee:3_000
+      ~level:1
+      ~index:2
+      ~message:"a"
+      ~error
+      parameters
+      cryptobox
+      node
+      client
+  in
   let* (`OpHash oph1) =
     publish_dummy_slot
       ~source:Constant.bootstrap1
diff --git a/tezt/tests/expected/dal.ml/Alpha- Testing rollup and Data availability layer node (rollup_node_applies_dal_.out b/tezt/tests/expected/dal.ml/Alpha- Testing rollup and Data availability layer node (rollup_node_applies_dal_.out
index 2a92c0d4892eb5981c0c559a76a3e2160e33cb40..860905bc82b59376bcc303fdca90b3c0eca7a2f4 100644
--- a/tezt/tests/expected/dal.ml/Alpha- Testing rollup and Data availability layer node (rollup_node_applies_dal_.out	
+++ b/tezt/tests/expected/dal.ml/Alpha- Testing rollup and Data availability layer node (rollup_node_applies_dal_.out	
@@ -38,13 +38,13 @@ This sequence of operations was run:
   "commitment_hash": "[SC_ROLLUP_COMMITMENT_HASH]" }
 
 ./octez-sc-rollup-client-alpha rpc get /global/block/head/dal/slot_headers
-[ { "level": 2, "index": 0,
+[ { "level": 3, "index": 0,
     "commitment":
       "sh23Xtg7DY2qvSKgM1TiQDLH4cGZ2tHQwiQ5usHYdBUMzkirZUEVkSKoBDvjQePseeKFnQDGc9" },
-  { "level": 2, "index": 1,
+  { "level": 3, "index": 1,
     "commitment":
       "[DAL_SLOT_HEADER]" },
-  { "level": 2, "index": 2,
+  { "level": 3, "index": 2,
     "commitment":
       "sh237VRQLZqf8Uno4hjiiJh8RJxuwhPF4xWnPq2VKuC2ZbwVp3w9nw36iGfLHzpQrbopWx8GFq" } ]
 
diff --git a/tezt/tests/expected/dal.ml/Alpha- Testing rollup and Data availability layer node (rollup_node_downloads_sl.out b/tezt/tests/expected/dal.ml/Alpha- Testing rollup and Data availability layer node (rollup_node_downloads_sl.out
index 971b5b72bea57e3575be74970baa024af2c67881..7394b44895e797670ce8deaa7f7bd71c715e01b0 100644
--- a/tezt/tests/expected/dal.ml/Alpha- Testing rollup and Data availability layer node (rollup_node_downloads_sl.out	
+++ b/tezt/tests/expected/dal.ml/Alpha- Testing rollup and Data availability layer node (rollup_node_downloads_sl.out	
@@ -38,13 +38,13 @@ This sequence of operations was run:
   "commitment_hash": "[SC_ROLLUP_COMMITMENT_HASH]" }
 
 ./octez-sc-rollup-client-alpha rpc get /global/block/head/dal/slot_headers
-[ { "level": 2, "index": 0,
+[ { "level": 3, "index": 0,
     "commitment":
       "sh23Xtg7DY2qvSKgM1TiQDLH4cGZ2tHQwiQ5usHYdBUMzkirZUEVkSKoBDvjQePseeKFnQDGc9" },
-  { "level": 2, "index": 1,
+  { "level": 3, "index": 1,
     "commitment":
       "[DAL_SLOT_HEADER]" },
-  { "level": 2, "index": 2,
+  { "level": 3, "index": 2,
     "commitment":
       "sh237VRQLZqf8Uno4hjiiJh8RJxuwhPF4xWnPq2VKuC2ZbwVp3w9nw36iGfLHzpQrbopWx8GFq" } ]