diff --git a/p2p/dial.go b/p2p/dial.go
index 225709427c..3b2c84d445 100644
--- a/p2p/dial.go
+++ b/p2p/dial.go
@@ -185,6 +185,10 @@ 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 d9105976dd..6b22c1e45e 100644
--- a/p2p/server.go
+++ b/p2p/server.go
@@ -420,6 +420,13 @@ 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)