diff --git a/src/net.h b/src/net.h
--- a/src/net.h
+++ b/src/net.h
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
  * Maximum number of automatic outgoing nodes over which we'll relay everything
  * (blocks, tx, addrs, etc)
  */
-static const int MAX_OUTBOUND_FULL_RELAY_CONNECTIONS = 8;
+static const int MAX_OUTBOUND_FULL_RELAY_CONNECTIONS = 16;
 /** Maximum number of addnode outgoing nodes */
 static const int MAX_ADDNODE_CONNECTIONS = 8;
 /** Maximum number of block-relay-only outgoing connections */
diff --git a/test/functional/p2p_add_connections.py b/test/functional/p2p_add_connections.py
--- a/test/functional/p2p_add_connections.py
+++ b/test/functional/p2p_add_connections.py
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@
 from test_framework.test_framework import BitcoinTestFramework
 from test_framework.util import assert_equal, check_node_connections
 
+MAX_OUTBOUND_FULL_RELAY_CONNECTIONS = 16
+MAX_BLOCK_RELAY_ONLY_CONNECTIONS = 2
+MAX_OUTBOUND_CONNECTIONS = MAX_OUTBOUND_FULL_RELAY_CONNECTIONS + \
+    MAX_BLOCK_RELAY_ONLY_CONNECTIONS
+
 
 class P2PFeelerReceiver(P2PInterface):
     def on_version(self, message):
@@ -41,53 +46,102 @@
                 )
                 self.p2p_idx[node.index] += 1
 
-        self.log.info("Add 8 outbounds to node 0")
-        add_outbounds(self.nodes[0], 8, "outbound-full-relay")
-
-        self.log.info("Add 2 block-relay-only connections to node 0")
-        add_outbounds(self.nodes[0], 2, "block-relay-only")
-
-        self.log.info("Add 2 block-relay-only connections to node 1")
-        add_outbounds(self.nodes[1], 2, "block-relay-only")
+        self.log.info(
+            f"Add {MAX_OUTBOUND_FULL_RELAY_CONNECTIONS} outbounds to node 0")
+        add_outbounds(
+            self.nodes[0],
+            MAX_OUTBOUND_FULL_RELAY_CONNECTIONS,
+            "outbound-full-relay")
+
+        self.log.info(
+            f"Add {MAX_BLOCK_RELAY_ONLY_CONNECTIONS} block-relay-only connections to node 0")
+        add_outbounds(
+            self.nodes[0],
+            MAX_BLOCK_RELAY_ONLY_CONNECTIONS,
+            "block-relay-only")
+
+        self.log.info(
+            f"Add {MAX_BLOCK_RELAY_ONLY_CONNECTIONS} block-relay-only connections to node 1")
+        add_outbounds(
+            self.nodes[1],
+            MAX_BLOCK_RELAY_ONLY_CONNECTIONS,
+            "block-relay-only")
 
         self.log.info("Add 5 inbound connections to node 1")
         for i in range(5):
             self.log.info(f"inbound: {i}")
             self.nodes[1].add_p2p_connection(P2PInterface())
 
-        self.log.info("Add 8 outbounds to node 1")
-        add_outbounds(self.nodes[1], 8, "outbound-full-relay")
+        self.log.info("Add 4 outbounds to node 1")
+        add_outbounds(self.nodes[1], 4, "outbound-full-relay")
 
         self.log.info("Check the connections opened as expected")
-        check_node_connections(node=self.nodes[0], num_in=0, num_out=10)
-        check_node_connections(node=self.nodes[1], num_in=5, num_out=10)
+        check_node_connections(
+            node=self.nodes[0],
+            num_in=0,
+            num_out=MAX_OUTBOUND_CONNECTIONS)
+        check_node_connections(
+            node=self.nodes[1],
+            num_in=5,
+            num_out=4 + MAX_BLOCK_RELAY_ONLY_CONNECTIONS)
 
         self.log.info("Disconnect p2p connections & try to re-open")
         self.nodes[0].disconnect_p2ps()
         self.p2p_idx[0] = 0
         check_node_connections(node=self.nodes[0], num_in=0, num_out=0)
 
-        self.log.info("Add 8 outbounds to node 0")
-        add_outbounds(self.nodes[0], 8, "outbound-full-relay")
-        check_node_connections(node=self.nodes[0], num_in=0, num_out=8)
-
-        self.log.info("Add 2 block-relay-only connections to node 0")
-        add_outbounds(self.nodes[0], 2, "block-relay-only")
-        check_node_connections(node=self.nodes[0], num_in=0, num_out=10)
+        self.log.info(
+            f"Add {MAX_OUTBOUND_FULL_RELAY_CONNECTIONS} outbounds to node 0")
+        add_outbounds(
+            self.nodes[0],
+            MAX_OUTBOUND_FULL_RELAY_CONNECTIONS,
+            "outbound-full-relay")
+        check_node_connections(
+            node=self.nodes[0],
+            num_in=0,
+            num_out=MAX_OUTBOUND_FULL_RELAY_CONNECTIONS)
+
+        self.log.info(
+            f"Add {MAX_BLOCK_RELAY_ONLY_CONNECTIONS} block-relay-only connections to node 0")
+        add_outbounds(
+            self.nodes[0],
+            MAX_BLOCK_RELAY_ONLY_CONNECTIONS,
+            "block-relay-only")
+        check_node_connections(
+            node=self.nodes[0],
+            num_in=0,
+            num_out=MAX_OUTBOUND_CONNECTIONS)
 
         self.log.info("Restart node 0 and try to reconnect to p2ps")
         self.restart_node(0)
         self.p2p_idx[0] = 0
 
-        self.log.info("Add 4 outbounds to node 0")
-        add_outbounds(self.nodes[0], 4, "outbound-full-relay")
-        check_node_connections(node=self.nodes[0], num_in=0, num_out=4)
-
-        self.log.info("Add 2 block-relay-only connections to node 0")
-        add_outbounds(self.nodes[0], 2, "block-relay-only")
-        check_node_connections(node=self.nodes[0], num_in=0, num_out=6)
-
-        check_node_connections(node=self.nodes[1], num_in=5, num_out=10)
+        self.log.info(
+            f"Add {MAX_OUTBOUND_FULL_RELAY_CONNECTIONS} outbounds to node 0")
+        add_outbounds(
+            self.nodes[0],
+            MAX_OUTBOUND_FULL_RELAY_CONNECTIONS,
+            "outbound-full-relay")
+        check_node_connections(
+            node=self.nodes[0],
+            num_in=0,
+            num_out=MAX_OUTBOUND_FULL_RELAY_CONNECTIONS)
+
+        self.log.info(
+            f"Add {MAX_BLOCK_RELAY_ONLY_CONNECTIONS} block-relay-only connections to node 0")
+        add_outbounds(
+            self.nodes[0],
+            MAX_BLOCK_RELAY_ONLY_CONNECTIONS,
+            "block-relay-only")
+        check_node_connections(
+            node=self.nodes[0],
+            num_in=0,
+            num_out=MAX_OUTBOUND_CONNECTIONS)
+
+        check_node_connections(
+            node=self.nodes[1],
+            num_in=5,
+            num_out=4 + MAX_BLOCK_RELAY_ONLY_CONNECTIONS)
 
         self.log.info("Add 1 feeler connection to node 0")
         feeler_conn = self.nodes[0].add_outbound_p2p_connection(
diff --git a/test/functional/p2p_eviction.py b/test/functional/p2p_eviction.py
--- a/test/functional/p2p_eviction.py
+++ b/test/functional/p2p_eviction.py
@@ -54,13 +54,13 @@
     def set_test_params(self):
         self.setup_clean_chain = True
         self.num_nodes = 1
-        # The choice of maxconnections=164 results in a maximum of 153 inbound
-        # connections (164 - 10 outbound - 1 feeler). 152 inbound peers are
+        # The choice of maxconnections=172 results in a maximum of 153 inbound
+        # connections (172 - 18 outbound - 1 feeler). 152 inbound peers are
         # protected from eviction:
         # 4 by netgroup, 4 that sent us blocks, 4 that sent us proofs, 4 that
         # sent us transactions, 8 via lowest ping time, 128 with the best
         # avalanche availability score
-        self.extra_args = [['-maxconnections=164', "-enableavalanche=1"]]
+        self.extra_args = [['-maxconnections=172', "-enableavalanche=1"]]
 
     def run_test(self):
         # peers that we expect to be protected from eviction
diff --git a/test/functional/test_framework/util.py b/test/functional/test_framework/util.py
--- a/test/functional/test_framework/util.py
+++ b/test/functional/test_framework/util.py
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@
 
 
 # The maximum number of nodes a single test can spawn
-MAX_NODES = 12
+MAX_NODES = 64
 # Don't assign rpc or p2p ports lower than this (for example: 18333 is the
 # default testnet port)
 PORT_MIN = int(os.getenv('TEST_RUNNER_PORT_MIN', default=20000))