diff --git a/eth/utp/utp_router.nim b/eth/utp/utp_router.nim
index 7fcf6c3..317a881 100644
--- a/eth/utp/utp_router.nim
+++ b/eth/utp/utp_router.nim
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ proc getUtpSocket[A](s: UtpRouter[A], k: UtpSocketKey[A]): Option[UtpSocket[A]]
 proc deRegisterUtpSocket[A](s: UtpRouter[A], socket: UtpSocket[A]) =
   s.sockets.del(socket.socketKey)
   utp_established_connections.set(int64(len(s.sockets)))
+  debug "Removed utp socket", dst = socket.socketKey, lenSockets = len(s.sockets)
 
 iterator allSockets[A](s: UtpRouter[A]): UtpSocket[A] =
   for socket in s.sockets.values():
@@ -95,6 +96,7 @@ proc registerUtpSocket[A](p: UtpRouter, s: UtpSocket[A]) =
   ## Register socket, overwriting already existing one
   p.sockets[s.socketKey] = s
   utp_established_connections.set(int64(len(p.sockets)))
+  debug "Registered new utp socket", dst = s.socketKey, lenSockets = len(p.sockets)
   # Install deregister handler, so when socket gets closed, in will be promptly
   # removed from open sockets table
   s.registerCloseCallback(proc () = p.deRegisterUtpSocket(s))
@@ -181,6 +183,14 @@ proc processPacket[A](r: UtpRouter[A], p: Packet, sender: A) {.async.}=
     if (maybeSocket.isSome()):
       debug "Ignoring SYN for already existing connection"
     else:
+      if (len(r.sockets) >= r.socketConfig.maxNumberOfOpenConnections):
+        debug "New incoming connection not allowed due to connection limit",
+          lenConnections = len(r.sockets),
+          limit = r.socketConfig.maxNumberOfOpenConnections
+
+        utp_declined_incoming.inc()
+        return
+
       if (r.shouldAllowConnection(sender, p.header.connectionId)):
         debug "Received SYN for new connection. Initiating incoming connection",
           synSeqNr = p.header.seqNr
@@ -216,13 +226,13 @@ proc processPacket[A](r: UtpRouter[A], p: Packet, sender: A) {.async.}=
 proc processIncomingBytes*[A](
     r: UtpRouter[A], bytes: seq[byte], sender: A) {.async.} =
   if (not r.closed):
-    let dec = decodePacket(bytes)
-    if (dec.isOk()):
+    let decoded = decodePacket(bytes)
+    if (decoded.isOk()):
       utp_received_packets.inc()
-      await processPacket[A](r, dec.get(), sender)
+      await processPacket[A](r, decoded.get(), sender)
     else:
       utp_failed_packets.inc()
-      let err = dec.error()
+      let err = decoded.error()
       warn "Failed to decode packet from address", address = sender, msg = err
 
 proc generateNewUniqueSocket[A](
diff --git a/eth/utp/utp_socket.nim b/eth/utp/utp_socket.nim
index da09e14..5202a81 100644
--- a/eth/utp/utp_socket.nim
+++ b/eth/utp/utp_socket.nim
@@ -87,6 +87,11 @@ type
     # based on traffic
     payloadSize*: uint32
 
+    # Maximal number of open uTP connections. When hit, no more incoming connections
+    # will be allowed, but it will still be possible to open new outgoing uTP
+    # connections
+    maxNumberOfOpenConnections*: int
+
   WriteErrorType* = enum
     SocketNotWriteable,
     FinSent
@@ -366,6 +371,11 @@ const
   # happens
   maxReorderBufferSize = 0.5
 
+  # Default number of of open utp connections
+  # libutp uses 3000
+  # libtorrent uses ~16000
+  defaultMaxOpenConnections = 8000
+
 proc init*[A](T: type UtpSocketKey, remoteAddress: A, rcvId: uint16): T =
   UtpSocketKey[A](remoteAddress: remoteAddress, rcvId: rcvId)
 
@@ -392,7 +402,8 @@ proc init*(
   incomingSocketReceiveTimeout: Option[Duration] = some(defaultRcvRetransmitTimeout),
   remoteWindowResetTimeout: Duration = defaultResetWindowTimeout,
   optSndBuffer: uint32 = defaultOptRcvBuffer,
-  payloadSize: uint32 = defaultPayloadSize
+  payloadSize: uint32 = defaultPayloadSize,
+  maxNumberOfOpenConnections: int = defaultMaxOpenConnections
   ): T =
   # make sure there is always some payload in data packets, and that packets are not to large.
   # with 1480 packet boundary, data packets will have 1500 bytes which seems reasonable
@@ -407,7 +418,8 @@ proc init*(
     incomingSocketReceiveTimeout: incomingSocketReceiveTimeout,
     remoteWindowResetTimeout: remoteWindowResetTimeout,
     maxSizeOfReorderBuffer: reorderBufferSize,
-    payloadSize: payloadSize
+    payloadSize: payloadSize,
+    maxNumberOfOpenConnections: maxNumberOfOpenConnections
   )
 
 # number of bytes which will fit in current send window
diff --git a/tests/utp/test_utp_router.nim b/tests/utp/test_utp_router.nim
index a72a22c..764f2a9 100644
--- a/tests/utp/test_utp_router.nim
+++ b/tests/utp/test_utp_router.nim
@@ -96,6 +96,25 @@ procSuite "Utp router unit tests":
     check:
       router.len() == 1
 
+  asyncTest "Router should not create new incoming connections when hitting connections limit":
+    let q = newAsyncQueue[UtpSocket[int]]()
+    let connectionsLimit = 2
+    let customConfig = SocketConfig.init(maxNumberOfOpenConnections = connectionsLimit)
+    let router = UtpRouter[int].new(registerIncomingSocketCallback(q), customConfig, rng)
+    router.sendCb = testSend
+
+    var synPackets: seq[seq[byte]]
+
+    for i in 1..connectionsLimit+5:
+      let encodedSyn = encodePacket(synPacket(10, uint16(i), 10))
+      synPackets.add(encodedSyn)
+
+    for p in synPackets:
+      await router.processIncomingBytes(p, testSender)
+
+    check:
+      router.len() == connectionsLimit
+
   asyncTest "Incoming connection should be closed when not receving data for period of time when configured":
     let q = newAsyncQueue[UtpSocket[int]]()
     let router =
@@ -193,7 +212,6 @@ procSuite "Utp router unit tests":
     check:
       socket.isConnected()
 
-
   asyncTest "Router should create new incoming socket when receiving same syn packet from diffrent sender":
     let q = newAsyncQueue[UtpSocket[int]]()
     let router = UtpRouter[int].new(registerIncomingSocketCallback(q), SocketConfig.init(), rng)