diff --git a/gossipsub.go b/gossipsub.go
index 75be76e..7eec5d3 100644
--- a/gossipsub.go
+++ b/gossipsub.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ var (
 	GossipSubDlo    = 5
 	GossipSubDhi    = 12
 	GossipSubDscore = 4
+	GossipSubDout   = 2
 
 	// gossip parameters
 	GossipSubHistoryLength = 5
@@ -106,6 +107,7 @@ func NewGossipSub(ctx context.Context, h host.Host, opts ...Option) (*PubSub, er
 		backoff:  make(map[string]map[peer.ID]time.Time),
 		peerhave: make(map[peer.ID]int),
 		iasked:   make(map[peer.ID]int),
+		outbound: make(map[peer.ID]bool),
 		connect:  make(chan connectInfo, GossipSubMaxPendingConnections),
 		mcache:   NewMessageCache(GossipSubHistoryGossip, GossipSubHistoryLength),
 
@@ -114,6 +116,7 @@ func NewGossipSub(ctx context.Context, h host.Host, opts ...Option) (*PubSub, er
 		Dlo:    GossipSubDlo,
 		Dhi:    GossipSubDhi,
 		Dscore: GossipSubDscore,
+		Dout:   GossipSubDout,
 		Dlazy:  GossipSubDlazy,
 
 		// these must be pulled in to resolve races in tests... sigh.
@@ -243,6 +246,7 @@ type GossipSubRouter struct {
 	control  map[peer.ID]*pb.ControlMessage   // pending control messages
 	peerhave map[peer.ID]int                  // number of IHAVEs received from peer in the last heartbeat
 	iasked   map[peer.ID]int                  // number of messages we have asked from peer in the last heartbeat
+	outbound map[peer.ID]bool                 // connection direction cache, marks peers with outbound connections
 	backoff  map[string]map[peer.ID]time.Time // prune backoff
 	connect  chan connectInfo                 // px connection requests
 
@@ -284,7 +288,7 @@ type GossipSubRouter struct {
 	// overly parameter "constants"
 	// these are pulled from their global value or else the race detector is angry on travis
 	// it also allows us to change them per peer in tests, which is a plus
-	D, Dlo, Dhi, Dscore, Dlazy int
+	D, Dlo, Dhi, Dscore, Dout, Dlazy int
 
 	// tick "constants" for triggering direct connect and opportunistic grafting
 	// these are pulled from their global value or else the race detector is angry on travis
@@ -348,6 +352,17 @@ func (gs *GossipSubRouter) AddPeer(p peer.ID, proto protocol.ID) {
 	if direct {
 		gs.p.host.ConnManager().TagPeer(p, "pubsub:direct", 1000)
 	}
+
+	// track the connection direction
+	outbound := false
+	conns := gs.p.host.Network().ConnsToPeer(p)
+	for _, c := range conns {
+		if c.Stat().Direction == network.DirOutbound {
+			outbound = true
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	gs.outbound[p] = outbound
 }
 
 func (gs *GossipSubRouter) RemovePeer(p peer.ID) {
@@ -362,6 +377,7 @@ func (gs *GossipSubRouter) RemovePeer(p peer.ID) {
 	}
 	delete(gs.gossip, p)
 	delete(gs.control, p)
+	delete(gs.outbound, p)
 }
 
 func (gs *GossipSubRouter) EnoughPeers(topic string, suggested int) bool {
@@ -590,7 +606,7 @@ func (gs *GossipSubRouter) handleGraft(p peer.ID, ctl *pb.ControlMessage) []*pb.
 		// check the number of mesh peers; if it is at (or over) Dhi, we only accept grafts
 		// from peers with outbound connections; this is a defensive check to restrict potential
 		// mesh takeover attacks combined with love bombing
-		if len(peers) >= gs.Dhi && !gs.isOutboundConnection(p) {
+		if len(peers) >= gs.Dhi && !gs.outbound[p] {
 			prune = append(prune, topic)
 			gs.addBackoff(p, topic)
 			continue
@@ -649,17 +665,6 @@ func (gs *GossipSubRouter) handlePrune(p peer.ID, ctl *pb.ControlMessage) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (gs *GossipSubRouter) isOutboundConnection(p peer.ID) bool {
-	conns := gs.p.host.Network().ConnsToPeer(p)
-	for _, c := range conns {
-		if c.Stat().Direction == network.DirOutbound {
-			return true
-		}
-	}
-
-	return false
-}
-
 func (gs *GossipSubRouter) addBackoff(p peer.ID, topic string) {
 	gs.doAddBackoff(p, topic, GossipSubPruneBackoff)
 }