diff --git a/rust/main/agents/relayer/src/merkle_tree/processor.rs b/rust/main/agents/relayer/src/merkle_tree/processor.rs
index e12a7fc343..0977c2cbe6 100644
--- a/rust/main/agents/relayer/src/merkle_tree/processor.rs
+++ b/rust/main/agents/relayer/src/merkle_tree/processor.rs
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ impl MerkleTreeProcessor {
             // Update the metrics
             // we assume that leaves are inserted in order so this will be monotonically increasing
             self.metrics
-                .latest_leaf_index_gauge
+                .latest_tree_insertion_gauge
                 .set(insertion.index() as i64);
             Some(insertion)
         } else {
@@ -89,14 +89,14 @@ impl MerkleTreeProcessor {
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct MerkleTreeProcessorMetrics {
-    latest_leaf_index_gauge: IntGauge,
+    latest_tree_insertion_gauge: IntGauge,
 }
 
 impl MerkleTreeProcessorMetrics {
     pub fn new(metrics: &CoreMetrics, origin: &HyperlaneDomain) -> Self {
         Self {
-            latest_leaf_index_gauge: metrics
-                .latest_leaf_index()
+            latest_tree_insertion_gauge: metrics
+                .latest_tree_insertion()
                 .with_label_values(&[origin.name()]),
         }
     }
diff --git a/rust/main/hyperlane-base/src/metrics/core.rs b/rust/main/hyperlane-base/src/metrics/core.rs
index 5bed85b60d..24cca269f2 100644
--- a/rust/main/hyperlane-base/src/metrics/core.rs
+++ b/rust/main/hyperlane-base/src/metrics/core.rs
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ pub struct CoreMetrics {
     span_counts: IntCounterVec,
     span_events: IntCounterVec,
     last_known_message_nonce: IntGaugeVec,
-    latest_leaf_index: IntGaugeVec,
+    latest_tree_insertion: IntGaugeVec,
     highest_seen_tree_index: IntGaugeVec,
     submitter_queue_length: IntGaugeVec,
 
@@ -114,10 +114,10 @@ impl CoreMetrics {
             registry
         )?;
 
-        let latest_leaf_index = register_int_gauge_vec_with_registry!(
+        let latest_tree_insertion = register_int_gauge_vec_with_registry!(
             opts!(
-                namespaced!("latest_leaf_index"),
-                "Latest leaf index inserted into the merkle tree",
+                namespaced!("latest_tree_insertion"),
+                "Latest leaf inserted into the merkle tree",
                 const_labels_ref
             ),
             &["origin"],
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ impl CoreMetrics {
             span_counts,
             span_events,
             last_known_message_nonce,
-            latest_leaf_index,
+            latest_tree_insertion,
             highest_seen_tree_index,
 
             submitter_queue_length,
@@ -336,8 +336,8 @@ impl CoreMetrics {
     ///
     /// Labels:
     /// - `origin`: Origin chain the leaf index is being tracked at.
-    pub fn latest_leaf_index(&self) -> IntGaugeVec {
-        self.latest_leaf_index.clone()
+    pub fn latest_tree_insertion(&self) -> IntGaugeVec {
+        self.latest_tree_insertion.clone()
     }
 
     /// Reports the current highest tree index seen by the relayer.
diff --git a/rust/main/utils/run-locally/src/invariants/termination_invariants.rs b/rust/main/utils/run-locally/src/invariants/termination_invariants.rs
index cb851af8d2..246adad513 100644
--- a/rust/main/utils/run-locally/src/invariants/termination_invariants.rs
+++ b/rust/main/utils/run-locally/src/invariants/termination_invariants.rs
@@ -137,6 +137,21 @@ pub fn termination_invariants_met(
         return Ok(false);
     }
 
+    // check for each origin that the highest tree index seen by the syncer == the latest tree index inserted into the local tree
+    let latest_tree_insertion: Vec<u32> = fetch_metric(
+        RELAYER_METRICS_PORT,
+        "hyperlane_latest_tree_insertion",
+        &hashmap! {},
+    )?;
+    let highest_seen_tree_index: Vec<u32> = fetch_metric(
+        RELAYER_METRICS_PORT,
+        "hyperlane_highest_seen_tree_index",
+        &hashmap! {},
+    )?;
+    for (i, item) in latest_tree_insertion.iter().enumerate() {
+        assert_eq!(*item, highest_seen_tree_index[i]);
+    }
+
     if let Some((solana_cli_tools_path, solana_config_path)) =
         solana_cli_tools_path.zip(solana_config_path)
     {