diff --git a/satellite/overlay/service.go b/satellite/overlay/service.go
index c84b4c228..6c005c0fd 100644
--- a/satellite/overlay/service.go
+++ b/satellite/overlay/service.go
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ type DB interface {
 	UpdateNodeInfo(ctx context.Context, node storj.NodeID, nodeInfo *InfoResponse) (stats *NodeDossier, err error)
 	// UpdateCheckIn updates a single storagenode's check-in stats.
 	UpdateCheckIn(ctx context.Context, node NodeCheckInInfo, timestamp time.Time, config NodeSelectionConfig) (err error)
+	// SetNodeContained updates the contained field for the node record.
+	SetNodeContained(ctx context.Context, node storj.NodeID, contained bool) (err error)
 
 	// AllPieceCounts returns a map of node IDs to piece counts from the db.
 	AllPieceCounts(ctx context.Context) (pieceCounts map[storj.NodeID]int64, err error)
@@ -603,6 +605,17 @@ func (service *Service) UpdateNodeInfo(ctx context.Context, node storj.NodeID, n
 	return service.db.UpdateNodeInfo(ctx, node, nodeInfo)
 }
 
+// SetNodeContained updates the contained field for the node record. If
+// `contained` is true, the contained field in the record is set to the current
+// database time, if it is not already set. If `contained` is false, the
+// contained field in the record is set to NULL. All other fields are left
+// alone.
+func (service *Service) SetNodeContained(ctx context.Context, node storj.NodeID, contained bool) (err error) {
+	defer mon.Task()(&ctx)(&err)
+
+	return service.db.SetNodeContained(ctx, node, contained)
+}
+
 // UpdateCheckIn updates a single storagenode's check-in info if needed.
 /*
 The check-in info is updated in the database if:
diff --git a/satellite/satellitedb/overlaycache.go b/satellite/satellitedb/overlaycache.go
index 9c510e80a..7cb6cdc1a 100644
--- a/satellite/satellitedb/overlaycache.go
+++ b/satellite/satellitedb/overlaycache.go
@@ -1137,6 +1137,9 @@ func convertDBNode(ctx context.Context, info *dbx.Node) (_ *overlay.NodeDossier,
 	if info.CountryCode != nil {
 		node.CountryCode = location.ToCountryCode(*info.CountryCode)
 	}
+	if info.Contained != nil {
+		node.Contained = true
+	}
 
 	return node, nil
 }
@@ -1426,6 +1429,31 @@ func (cache *overlaycache) UpdateCheckIn(ctx context.Context, node overlay.NodeC
 	return nil
 }
 
+// SetNodeContained updates the contained field for the node record. If
+// `contained` is true, the contained field in the record is set to the current
+// database time, if it is not already set. If `contained` is false, the
+// contained field in the record is set to NULL. All other fields are left
+// alone.
+func (cache *overlaycache) SetNodeContained(ctx context.Context, nodeID storj.NodeID, contained bool) (err error) {
+	defer mon.Task()(&ctx)(&err)
+
+	var query string
+	if contained {
+		// only update the timestamp if it's not already set
+		query = `
+			UPDATE nodes SET contained = current_timestamp
+			WHERE id = $1 AND contained IS NULL
+		`
+	} else {
+		query = `
+			UPDATE nodes SET contained = NULL
+			WHERE id = $1
+		`
+	}
+	_, err = cache.db.DB.ExecContext(ctx, query, nodeID[:])
+	return Error.Wrap(err)
+}
+
 var (
 	// ErrVetting is the error class for the following test methods.
 	ErrVetting = errs.Class("vetting")
diff --git a/satellite/satellitedb/overlaycache_test.go b/satellite/satellitedb/overlaycache_test.go
index 09ac69a80..1417bc668 100644
--- a/satellite/satellitedb/overlaycache_test.go
+++ b/satellite/satellitedb/overlaycache_test.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"storj.io/common/pb"
 	"storj.io/common/storj"
 	"storj.io/common/testcontext"
+	"storj.io/common/testrand"
 	"storj.io/storj/private/teststorj"
 	"storj.io/storj/satellite"
 	"storj.io/storj/satellite/overlay"
@@ -136,3 +137,50 @@ func TestUpdateLastOfflineEmail(t *testing.T) {
 		require.Equal(t, now.Truncate(time.Second), node1.LastOfflineEmail.Truncate(time.Second))
 	})
 }
+
+func TestSetNodeContained(t *testing.T) {
+	satellitedbtest.Run(t, func(ctx *testcontext.Context, t *testing.T, db satellite.DB) {
+		cache := db.OverlayCache()
+
+		nodeID := testrand.NodeID()
+		checkInInfo := overlay.NodeCheckInInfo{
+			IsUp: true,
+			Address: &pb.NodeAddress{
+				Address: "1.2.3.4",
+			},
+			Version: &pb.NodeVersion{
+				Version:    "v0.0.0",
+				CommitHash: "",
+				Timestamp:  time.Time{},
+				Release:    false,
+			},
+			Operator: &pb.NodeOperator{
+				Email: "offline@storj.test",
+			},
+		}
+
+		now := time.Now()
+
+		// offline node should be selected
+		checkInInfo.NodeID = nodeID
+		require.NoError(t, cache.UpdateCheckIn(ctx, checkInInfo, now.Add(-24*time.Hour), overlay.NodeSelectionConfig{}))
+
+		cacheInfo, err := cache.Get(ctx, nodeID)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.False(t, cacheInfo.Contained)
+
+		err = cache.SetNodeContained(ctx, nodeID, true)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		cacheInfo, err = cache.Get(ctx, nodeID)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.True(t, cacheInfo.Contained)
+
+		err = cache.SetNodeContained(ctx, nodeID, false)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		cacheInfo, err = cache.Get(ctx, nodeID)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.False(t, cacheInfo.Contained)
+	})
+}