diff --git a/internal/p2p/peermanager.go b/internal/p2p/peermanager.go
index 9ecb104a7..ffe5f9970 100644
--- a/internal/p2p/peermanager.go
+++ b/internal/p2p/peermanager.go
@@ -38,6 +38,13 @@ const (
 	PeerStatusBad  PeerStatus = "bad"  // peer observed as bad
 )
 
+type peerConnectionDirection int
+
+const (
+	peerConnectionIncoming peerConnectionDirection = iota
+	peerConnectionOutgoing
+)
+
 // PeerScore is a numeric score assigned to a peer (higher is better).
 type PeerScore int16
 
@@ -119,6 +126,11 @@ type PeerManagerOptions struct {
 	// outbound). 0 means no limit.
 	MaxConnected uint16
 
+	// MaxOutgoingConnections specifies how many outgoing
+	// connections. It must be lower than MaxConnected. If it is
+	// 0, then all connections can be outgoing.
+	MaxOutgoingConnections uint16
+
 	// MaxConnectedUpgrade is the maximum number of additional connections to
 	// use for probing any better-scored peers to upgrade to when all connection
 	// slots are full. 0 disables peer upgrading.
@@ -220,6 +232,10 @@ func (o *PeerManagerOptions) Validate() error {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if o.MaxOutgoingConnections > 0 && o.MaxConnected < o.MaxOutgoingConnections {
+		return errors.New("cannot set MaxOutgoingConnections to a value larger than MaxConnected")
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -297,13 +313,13 @@ type PeerManager struct {
 
 	mtx           sync.Mutex
 	store         *peerStore
-	subscriptions map[*PeerUpdates]*PeerUpdates // keyed by struct identity (address)
-	dialing       map[types.NodeID]bool         // peers being dialed (DialNext → Dialed/DialFail)
-	upgrading     map[types.NodeID]types.NodeID // peers claimed for upgrade (DialNext → Dialed/DialFail)
-	connected     map[types.NodeID]bool         // connected peers (Dialed/Accepted → Disconnected)
-	ready         map[types.NodeID]bool         // ready peers (Ready → Disconnected)
-	evict         map[types.NodeID]bool         // peers scheduled for eviction (Connected → EvictNext)
-	evicting      map[types.NodeID]bool         // peers being evicted (EvictNext → Disconnected)
+	subscriptions map[*PeerUpdates]*PeerUpdates            // keyed by struct identity (address)
+	dialing       map[types.NodeID]bool                    // peers being dialed (DialNext → Dialed/DialFail)
+	upgrading     map[types.NodeID]types.NodeID            // peers claimed for upgrade (DialNext → Dialed/DialFail)
+	connected     map[types.NodeID]peerConnectionDirection // connected peers (Dialed/Accepted → Disconnected)
+	ready         map[types.NodeID]bool                    // ready peers (Ready → Disconnected)
+	evict         map[types.NodeID]bool                    // peers scheduled for eviction (Connected → EvictNext)
+	evicting      map[types.NodeID]bool                    // peers being evicted (EvictNext → Disconnected)
 }
 
 // NewPeerManager creates a new peer manager.
@@ -333,7 +349,7 @@ func NewPeerManager(selfID types.NodeID, peerDB dbm.DB, options PeerManagerOptio
 		store:         store,
 		dialing:       map[types.NodeID]bool{},
 		upgrading:     map[types.NodeID]types.NodeID{},
-		connected:     map[types.NodeID]bool{},
+		connected:     map[types.NodeID]peerConnectionDirection{},
 		ready:         map[types.NodeID]bool{},
 		evict:         map[types.NodeID]bool{},
 		evicting:      map[types.NodeID]bool{},
@@ -404,11 +420,12 @@ func (m *PeerManager) prunePeers() error {
 	ranked := m.store.Ranked()
 	for i := len(ranked) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
 		peerID := ranked[i].ID
+
 		switch {
 		case m.store.Size() <= int(m.options.MaxPeers):
 			return nil
 		case m.dialing[peerID]:
-		case m.connected[peerID]:
+		case m.isConnected(peerID):
 		default:
 			if err := m.store.Delete(peerID); err != nil {
 				return err
@@ -419,6 +436,29 @@ func (m *PeerManager) prunePeers() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (m *PeerManager) isConnected(peerID types.NodeID) bool {
+	_, ok := m.connected[peerID]
+	return ok
+}
+
+type connectedInfo struct {
+	incoming uint16
+	outgoing uint16
+}
+
+func (m *PeerManager) getConnectedInfo() connectedInfo {
+	out := connectedInfo{}
+	for _, direction := range m.connected {
+		switch direction {
+		case peerConnectionIncoming:
+			out.incoming++
+		case peerConnectionOutgoing:
+			out.outgoing++
+		}
+	}
+	return out
+}
+
 // Add adds a peer to the manager, given as an address. If the peer already
 // exists, the address is added to it if it isn't already present. This will push
 // low scoring peers out of the address book if it exceeds the maximum size.
@@ -511,8 +551,13 @@ func (m *PeerManager) TryDialNext() (NodeAddress, error) {
 		return NodeAddress{}, nil
 	}
 
+	cinfo := m.getConnectedInfo()
+	if m.options.MaxOutgoingConnections > 0 && cinfo.outgoing >= m.options.MaxOutgoingConnections {
+		return NodeAddress{}, nil
+	}
+
 	for _, peer := range m.store.Ranked() {
-		if m.dialing[peer.ID] || m.connected[peer.ID] {
+		if m.dialing[peer.ID] || m.isConnected(peer.ID) {
 			continue
 		}
 
@@ -627,7 +672,7 @@ func (m *PeerManager) Dialed(address NodeAddress) error {
 	if address.NodeID == m.selfID {
 		return fmt.Errorf("rejecting connection to self (%v)", address.NodeID)
 	}
-	if m.connected[address.NodeID] {
+	if m.isConnected(address.NodeID) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("peer %v is already connected", address.NodeID)
 	}
 	if m.options.MaxConnected > 0 && len(m.connected) >= int(m.options.MaxConnected) {
@@ -668,7 +713,7 @@ func (m *PeerManager) Dialed(address NodeAddress) error {
 		}
 		m.evict[upgradeFromPeer] = true
 	}
-	m.connected[peer.ID] = true
+	m.connected[peer.ID] = peerConnectionOutgoing
 	m.evictWaker.Wake()
 
 	return nil
@@ -698,7 +743,7 @@ func (m *PeerManager) Accepted(peerID types.NodeID) error {
 	if peerID == m.selfID {
 		return fmt.Errorf("rejecting connection from self (%v)", peerID)
 	}
-	if m.connected[peerID] {
+	if m.isConnected(peerID) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("peer %q is already connected", peerID)
 	}
 	if m.options.MaxConnected > 0 && len(m.connected) >= int(m.options.MaxConnected)+int(m.options.MaxConnectedUpgrade) {
@@ -735,7 +780,7 @@ func (m *PeerManager) Accepted(peerID types.NodeID) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	m.connected[peerID] = true
+	m.connected[peerID] = peerConnectionIncoming
 	if upgradeFromPeer != "" {
 		m.evict[upgradeFromPeer] = true
 	}
@@ -754,7 +799,7 @@ func (m *PeerManager) Ready(peerID types.NodeID, channels ChannelIDSet) {
 	m.mtx.Lock()
 	defer m.mtx.Unlock()
 
-	if m.connected[peerID] {
+	if m.isConnected(peerID) {
 		m.ready[peerID] = true
 		m.broadcast(PeerUpdate{
 			NodeID:   peerID,
@@ -790,7 +835,7 @@ func (m *PeerManager) TryEvictNext() (types.NodeID, error) {
 	// random one.
 	for peerID := range m.evict {
 		delete(m.evict, peerID)
-		if m.connected[peerID] && !m.evicting[peerID] {
+		if m.isConnected(peerID) && !m.evicting[peerID] {
 			m.evicting[peerID] = true
 			return peerID, nil
 		}
@@ -807,7 +852,7 @@ func (m *PeerManager) TryEvictNext() (types.NodeID, error) {
 	ranked := m.store.Ranked()
 	for i := len(ranked) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
 		peer := ranked[i]
-		if m.connected[peer.ID] && !m.evicting[peer.ID] {
+		if m.isConnected(peer.ID) && !m.evicting[peer.ID] {
 			m.evicting[peer.ID] = true
 			return peer.ID, nil
 		}
@@ -852,7 +897,7 @@ func (m *PeerManager) Errored(peerID types.NodeID, err error) {
 	m.mtx.Lock()
 	defer m.mtx.Unlock()
 
-	if m.connected[peerID] {
+	if m.isConnected(peerID) {
 		m.evict[peerID] = true
 	}
 
@@ -1099,7 +1144,7 @@ func (m *PeerManager) findUpgradeCandidate(id types.NodeID, score PeerScore) typ
 			continue
 		case candidate.Score() >= score:
 			return "" // no further peers can be scored lower, due to sorting
-		case !m.connected[candidate.ID]:
+		case !m.isConnected(candidate.ID):
 		case m.evict[candidate.ID]:
 		case m.evicting[candidate.ID]:
 		case m.upgrading[candidate.ID] != "":
diff --git a/node/setup.go b/node/setup.go
index 4b6065605..aef0da0c0 100644
--- a/node/setup.go
+++ b/node/setup.go
@@ -498,6 +498,7 @@ func createPeerManager(
 	options := p2p.PeerManagerOptions{
 		SelfAddress:            selfAddr,
 		MaxConnected:           maxConns,
+		MaxOutgoingConnections: maxConns / 2,
 		MaxConnectedUpgrade:    maxUpgradeConns,
 		MaxFailedDialAttempts:  1024,
 		MaxPeers:               maxUpgradeConns + 2*maxConns,