diff --git a/eth/backend.go b/eth/backend.go
index af8b04bda6..8df563ca5c 100644
--- a/eth/backend.go
+++ b/eth/backend.go
@@ -465,6 +465,12 @@ func (s *Ethereum) Start() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (s *Ethereum) setMaxPeers(max int) {
+	s.p2pServer.SetMaxPeers(max)
+	s.handler.SetMaxPeers(max)
+	s.dropper.SetMaxPeers(s.p2pServer.MaxDialedConns(), s.p2pServer.MaxInboundConns())
+}
+
 func (s *Ethereum) newChainView(head *types.Header) *filtermaps.ChainView {
 	if head == nil {
 		return nil
diff --git a/eth/dropper.go b/eth/dropper.go
index dada5d07c0..05f25488b4 100644
--- a/eth/dropper.go
+++ b/eth/dropper.go
@@ -88,6 +88,11 @@ func newDropper(maxDialPeers, maxInboundPeers int) *dropper {
 	return cm
 }
 
+func (cm *dropper) SetMaxPeers(maxDialPeers, maxInboundPeers int) {
+	cm.maxDialPeers = maxDialPeers
+	cm.maxInboundPeers = maxInboundPeers
+}
+
 // Start the dropper.
 func (cm *dropper) Start(srv *p2p.Server, syncingFunc getSyncingFunc) {
 	cm.peersFunc = srv.Peers
diff --git a/eth/handler.go b/eth/handler.go
index 76df635fb0..d8cf75898f 100644
--- a/eth/handler.go
+++ b/eth/handler.go
@@ -402,6 +402,10 @@ func (h *handler) unregisterPeer(id string) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (h *handler) SetMaxPeers(maxPeers int) {
+	h.maxPeers = maxPeers
+}
+
 func (h *handler) Start(maxPeers int) {
 	h.maxPeers = maxPeers
 
diff --git a/p2p/dial.go b/p2p/dial.go
index 0ffcd10497..009923aac2 100644
--- a/p2p/dial.go
+++ b/p2p/dial.go
@@ -195,6 +195,10 @@ func newDialScheduler(config dialConfig, it enode.Iterator, setupFunc dialSetupF
 	return d
 }
 
+func (d *dialScheduler) setMaxDialPeers(maxDialPeers int) {
+	d.maxDialPeers = maxDialPeers
+}
+
 // stop shuts down the dialer, canceling all current dial tasks.
 func (d *dialScheduler) stop() {
 	d.cancel()
diff --git a/p2p/server.go b/p2p/server.go
index 6d2323f9ce..a46651db4a 100644
--- a/p2p/server.go
+++ b/p2p/server.go
@@ -415,6 +415,13 @@ func (srv *Server) Start() (err error) {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (srv *Server) SetMaxPeers(max int) {
+	srv.lock.Lock()
+	defer srv.lock.Unlock()
+	srv.MaxPeers = max
+	srv.dialsched.setMaxDialPeers(srv.MaxDialedConns())
+}
+
 func (srv *Server) setupLocalNode() error {
 	// Create the devp2p handshake.
 	pubkey := crypto.FromECDSAPub(&srv.PrivateKey.PublicKey)