diff --git a/src/tls13.c b/src/tls13.c
index 5e377f40ef..0bbb59119c 100644
--- a/src/tls13.c
+++ b/src/tls13.c
@@ -12414,12 +12414,9 @@ static int DoTls13KeyUpdate(WOLFSSL* ssl, const byte* input, word32* inOutIdx,
         w64wrapper newEpoch = ssl->dtls13PeerEpoch;
         w64Increment(&newEpoch);
 
-        /* RFC 9147 Section 4.2.1: the epoch must not exceed 2^48-1. Reject a
-         * peer KeyUpdate that would advance the receiving epoch past the
-         * limit. Validate on a local copy so ssl->dtls13PeerEpoch is left
-         * untouched when the check fails. */
-        if (w64GT(newEpoch,
-                  w64From32(DTLS13_EPOCH_MAX_HI32, DTLS13_EPOCH_MAX_LO32)))
+        /* RFC 9147 Section 8: the 2^48-1 cap is sender-only; receivers MUST
+         * NOT enforce it. Guard only the wrap-to-zero (Section 4.2.1). */
+        if (w64IsZero(newEpoch))
             return BAD_STATE_E;
 
         ssl->dtls13PeerEpoch = newEpoch;
diff --git a/wolfssl/internal.h b/wolfssl/internal.h
index 8b3231227b..326e7c8c51 100644
--- a/wolfssl/internal.h
+++ b/wolfssl/internal.h
@@ -5950,8 +5950,10 @@ enum  {
     DTLS13_EPOCH_TRAFFIC0 = 3
 };
 
-/* RFC 9147 Section 4.2.1: the DTLS 1.3 epoch is a 48-bit value and must not
- * exceed 2^48-1. Expressed as the high/low 32-bit halves of a w64wrapper. */
+/* Sender-side DTLS 1.3 epoch ceiling: we MUST NOT advance our own epoch past
+ * 2^48-1 (RFC 9147 Section 4.2.1). This gates only the sending epoch; receivers
+ * MUST NOT enforce it on the peer epoch (RFC 9147 Section 8). Expressed as the
+ * high/low 32-bit halves of a w64wrapper. */
 #define DTLS13_EPOCH_MAX_HI32 0x0000FFFFU
 #define DTLS13_EPOCH_MAX_LO32 0xFFFFFFFFU