diff --git a/validator-api/src/cache/mod.rs b/validator-api/src/cache/mod.rs
index e35a84c41b..b13dd53ae2 100644
--- a/validator-api/src/cache/mod.rs
+++ b/validator-api/src/cache/mod.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@
 use crate::nymd_client::Client;
 use anyhow::Result;
 use config::defaults::VALIDATOR_API_VERSION;
-use mixnet_contract::{ContractStateParams, GatewayBond, MixNodeBond, RewardingIntervalResponse};
+use mixnet_contract::{
+    ContractStateParams, GatewayBond, IdentityKey, MixNodeBond, RewardingIntervalResponse,
+};
 use rand::prelude::SliceRandom;
 use rand_chacha::rand_core::SeedableRng;
 use rand_chacha::ChaCha20Rng;
@@ -20,6 +22,15 @@ use validator_client::nymd::CosmWasmClient;
 
 pub(crate) mod routes;
 
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, Serialize)]
+#[serde(rename_all = "snake_case")]
+pub enum MixnodeStatus {
+    Active,   // in both the active set and the rewarded set
+    Standby,  // only in the rewarded set
+    Inactive, // in neither the rewarded set nor the active set, but is bonded
+    NotFound, // doesn't even exist in the bonded set
+}
+
 pub struct ValidatorCacheRefresher<C> {
     nymd_client: Client<C>,
     cache: ValidatorCache,
@@ -157,6 +168,7 @@ impl ValidatorCache {
                     routes::get_gateways,
                     routes::get_active_mixnodes,
                     routes::get_rewarded_mixnodes,
+                    routes::get_mixnode_status,
                 ],
             )
         })
@@ -305,6 +317,47 @@ impl ValidatorCache {
         }
     }
 
+    pub async fn mixnode_status(&self, identity: IdentityKey) -> MixnodeStatus {
+        // it might not be the most optimal to possibly iterate the entire vector to find (or not)
+        // the relevant value. However, the vectors are relatively small (< 10_000 elements) and
+        // the implementation for active/rewarded sets might change soon so there's no point in premature optimisation
+        // with HashSets
+        let rewarded_mixnodes = &self.inner.rewarded_mixnodes.read().await.value;
+        let active_set_size = self
+            .inner
+            .current_mixnode_active_set_size
+            .load(Ordering::SeqCst) as usize;
+
+        // see if node is in the top active_set_size of rewarded nodes, i.e. it's active
+        if rewarded_mixnodes
+            .iter()
+            .take(active_set_size)
+            .any(|mix| mix.mix_node.identity_key == identity)
+        {
+            MixnodeStatus::Active
+            // see if it's in the bottom part of the rewarded set, i.e. it's in standby
+        } else if rewarded_mixnodes
+            .iter()
+            .skip(active_set_size)
+            .any(|mix| mix.mix_node.identity_key == identity)
+        {
+            MixnodeStatus::Standby
+            // if it's not in the rewarded set see if its bonded at all
+        } else if self
+            .inner
+            .mixnodes
+            .read()
+            .await
+            .value
+            .iter()
+            .any(|mix| mix.mix_node.identity_key == identity)
+        {
+            MixnodeStatus::Inactive
+        } else {
+            MixnodeStatus::NotFound
+        }
+    }
+
     pub fn initialised(&self) -> bool {
         self.inner.initialised.load(Ordering::Relaxed)
     }
diff --git a/validator-api/src/cache/routes.rs b/validator-api/src/cache/routes.rs
index cf59be469e..41ebc3c2d9 100644
--- a/validator-api/src/cache/routes.rs
+++ b/validator-api/src/cache/routes.rs
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 // Copyright 2021 - Nym Technologies SA <contact@nymtech.net>
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
-use crate::cache::ValidatorCache;
+use crate::cache::{MixnodeStatus, ValidatorCache};
 use mixnet_contract::{GatewayBond, MixNodeBond};
 use rocket::serde::json::Json;
 use rocket::State;
+use serde::Serialize;
 
 #[get("/mixnodes")]
 pub(crate) async fn get_mixnodes(cache: &State<ValidatorCache>) -> Json<Vec<MixNodeBond>> {
@@ -25,3 +26,18 @@ pub(crate) async fn get_rewarded_mixnodes(cache: &State<ValidatorCache>) -> Json
 pub(crate) async fn get_active_mixnodes(cache: &State<ValidatorCache>) -> Json<Vec<MixNodeBond>> {
     Json(cache.active_mixnodes().await.value)
 }
+
+#[derive(Serialize)]
+pub(crate) struct MixnodeStatusResponse {
+    status: MixnodeStatus,
+}
+
+#[get("/mixnode/<identity>/status")]
+pub(crate) async fn get_mixnode_status(
+    cache: &State<ValidatorCache>,
+    identity: String,
+) -> Json<MixnodeStatusResponse> {
+    Json(MixnodeStatusResponse {
+        status: cache.mixnode_status(identity).await,
+    })
+}
diff --git a/validator-api/src/config/mod.rs b/validator-api/src/config/mod.rs
index c5513710ee..094a0f820e 100644
--- a/validator-api/src/config/mod.rs
+++ b/validator-api/src/config/mod.rs
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ const DEFAULT_MINIMUM_TEST_ROUTES: usize = 1;
 const DEFAULT_ROUTE_TEST_PACKETS: usize = 1000;
 const DEFAULT_PER_NODE_TEST_PACKETS: usize = 3;
 
-const DEFAULT_CACHE_INTERVAL: Duration = Duration::from_secs(5);
+const DEFAULT_CACHE_INTERVAL: Duration = Duration::from_secs(30);
 const DEFAULT_MONITOR_THRESHOLD: u8 = 60;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Default, Deserialize, PartialEq, Serialize)]