diff --git a/nym-api/src/node_status_api/cache/refresher.rs b/nym-api/src/node_status_api/cache/refresher.rs
index 5740aacfe4..d63ce1edc5 100644
--- a/nym-api/src/node_status_api/cache/refresher.rs
+++ b/nym-api/src/node_status_api/cache/refresher.rs
@@ -75,8 +75,10 @@ struct CachedChainCapabilities {
 /// Only successful lookups are stored. Nodes that don't advertise a usable on-chain address, and
 /// nodes whose query failed, are intentionally absent: they're cheaply re-derived from the
 /// described data on every refresh and retried as needed, rather than being pinned to a stale
-/// `false` for a whole TTL window. This map is purely in-memory and never persisted, so a restart
-/// simply triggers a one-off full re-query on the first refresh.
+/// `false` for a whole TTL window. Entries for nodes that unbond or later drop their address are
+/// evicted on the next refresh, so a stale value can't outlive the address it was derived from.
+/// This map is purely in-memory and never persisted, so a restart simply triggers a one-off full
+/// re-query on the first refresh.
 #[derive(Default)]
 struct ChainCapabilitiesCache {
     entries: HashMap<NodeId, CachedChainCapabilities>,
@@ -115,9 +117,10 @@ impl ChainCapabilitiesCache {
         );
     }
 
-    /// Drops entries for nodes not in `live`, keeping the map bounded as nodes unbond.
-    fn retain_live(&mut self, live: &HashSet<NodeId>) {
-        self.entries.retain(|node_id, _| live.contains(node_id));
+    /// Drops every entry whose node id is not in `keep`. Used to evict nodes that have unbonded or
+    /// no longer advertise a usable on-chain address, so their stale capabilities stop being served.
+    fn retain_only(&mut self, keep: &HashSet<NodeId>) {
+        self.entries.retain(|node_id, _| keep.contains(node_id));
     }
 }
 
@@ -296,35 +299,31 @@ impl NodeStatusCacheRefresher {
     /// Refreshes cached chain capabilities (balance + feegrant) for described nodes that need it:
     /// those with no cached value or whose value is older than the configured TTL. Nodes that
     /// don't advertise a usable on-chain address are skipped entirely - there's nothing to query,
-    /// so we neither store nor retry them. Only successful lookups are recorded; a failed query
-    /// leaves any previous value untouched and is retried on the next refresh.
+    /// so we neither store nor retry them, and any value cached from a previously-advertised address
+    /// is evicted. Only successful lookups are recorded; a failed query leaves any previous value
+    /// untouched and is retried on the next refresh.
     // SAFETY: unwrap is fine as if the mutex got poisoned we'd be experiencing some UB anyway
     #[allow(clippy::unwrap_used)]
     async fn refresh_chain_capabilities(&mut self, nodes: &DescribedNodes) {
-        // the describe cache only ever contains bonded nym-nodes, so pruning to its current
-        // membership drops entries for nodes that have since unbonded and keeps the map bounded.
-        let live_ids = nodes.nodes.keys().copied().collect::<HashSet<_>>();
-        self.chain_capabilities.retain_live(&live_ids);
+        // resolve the current usable on-chain account for every described node (parsing once so the
+        // result is shared by both the eviction and the query paths below).
+        let addressed = usable_chain_accounts(nodes);
+
+        // evict cached entries for any node not in this set: those that have unbonded (the describe
+        // cache only ever holds bonded nym-nodes) and those that no longer advertise a usable
+        // address, so a stale value can't keep flowing into scoring after its address is gone.
+        let usable_ids = addressed.iter().map(|(id, _)| *id).collect::<HashSet<_>>();
+        self.chain_capabilities.retain_only(&usable_ids);
 
         let ttl = self.config.chain_capabilities_refresh_interval;
         let denom = self.config.minimum_on_chain_balance.denom.clone();
 
-        // collect (node_id, account_id) for nodes with a valid address that are due a refresh.
+        // of the addressed nodes, query only those due a refresh (no cached value or past TTL).
         // materialised into a Vec so the immutable borrow on `self.chain_capabilities` ends before
         // the async queries (and before we record the results back into it).
-        let to_query = nodes
-            .nodes
-            .values()
-            .filter(|n| self.chain_capabilities.needs_refresh(n.node_id, ttl))
-            .filter_map(|n| {
-                let addr = n.description.auxiliary_details.address.as_ref()?;
-                AccountId::from_str(addr)
-                    .inspect_err(|_| {
-                        warn!("node {} has provided an invalid account address", n.node_id)
-                    })
-                    .ok()
-                    .map(|account_id| (n.node_id, account_id))
-            })
+        let to_query = addressed
+            .into_iter()
+            .filter(|(node_id, _)| self.chain_capabilities.needs_refresh(*node_id, ttl))
             .collect::<Vec<_>>();
 
         if to_query.is_empty() {
@@ -513,6 +512,25 @@ impl NodeStatusCacheRefresher {
     }
 }
 
+/// Resolves the current usable on-chain account for each described node, returning `(node_id,
+/// account_id)` pairs. Nodes that advertise no address (e.g. running an old version) or an
+/// unparseable one are excluded - there's nothing to query for them.
+fn usable_chain_accounts(nodes: &DescribedNodes) -> Vec<(NodeId, AccountId)> {
+    nodes
+        .nodes
+        .values()
+        .filter_map(|n| {
+            let addr = n.description.auxiliary_details.address.as_ref()?;
+            AccountId::from_str(addr)
+                .inspect_err(|_| {
+                    warn!("node {} has provided an invalid account address", n.node_id)
+                })
+                .ok()
+                .map(|account_id| (n.node_id, account_id))
+        })
+        .collect()
+}
+
 async fn retrieve_chain_capabilities(
     query_client: &QueryHttpRpcNyxdClient,
     node_id: NodeId,
@@ -646,4 +664,47 @@ mod tests {
         // a node with no self-described data is out of scope (the orchestrator can't classify it)
         assert!(!stress_test_eligible(None));
     }
+
+    fn described_nodes(nodes: impl IntoIterator<Item = NymNodeDescriptionV3>) -> DescribedNodes {
+        DescribedNodes {
+            nodes: nodes.into_iter().map(|n| (n.node_id, n)).collect(),
+            addresses_cache: HashMap::new(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn cached_capabilities_are_evicted_when_a_node_loses_its_usable_address() {
+        let (with_addr, without_addr, unbonded) = (1, 2, 3);
+
+        let mut keeps_address = mock_nym_node_description(0);
+        keeps_address.node_id = with_addr;
+
+        // still bonded/described, but its self-described address is gone (e.g. downgraded to a
+        // version that only exposes v1 auxiliary details)
+        let mut drops_address = mock_nym_node_description(1);
+        drops_address.node_id = without_addr;
+        drops_address.description.auxiliary_details.address = None;
+
+        let described = described_nodes([keeps_address, drops_address]);
+
+        let mut cache = ChainCapabilitiesCache::default();
+        let caps = ChainInteractionCapabilitiesDetailed {
+            on_chain_balance: coin(1_000000, "unym"),
+            is_feegrant_grantee: true,
+        };
+        let now = Instant::now();
+        cache.record(with_addr, caps.clone(), now);
+        cache.record(without_addr, caps.clone(), now);
+        cache.record(unbonded, caps, now); // no longer in the describe cache at all
+
+        let usable_ids = usable_chain_accounts(&described)
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(|(id, _)| id)
+            .collect::<HashSet<_>>();
+        cache.retain_only(&usable_ids);
+
+        assert!(cache.get(with_addr).is_some()); // still advertises a usable address -> kept
+        assert!(cache.get(without_addr).is_none()); // address dropped -> evicted
+        assert!(cache.get(unbonded).is_none()); // no longer described -> evicted
+    }
 }