diff --git a/src/net.h b/src/net.h
--- a/src/net.h
+++ b/src/net.h
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
  * Maximum number of avalanche enabled outgoing connections by default.
  * Can be overridden with the -maxavalancheoutbound option.
  */
-static const int DEFAULT_MAX_AVALANCHE_OUTBOUND_CONNECTIONS = 16;
+static const int DEFAULT_MAX_AVALANCHE_OUTBOUND_CONNECTIONS = 300;
 /** Maximum number of feeler connections */
 static const int MAX_FEELER_CONNECTIONS = 1;
 /** -listen default */
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
@@ -58,12 +58,14 @@
         self.setup_clean_chain = True
         self.num_nodes = 1
         # The choice of maxconnections=188 results in a maximum of 153 inbound
-        # connections (188 - 34 outbound - 1 feeler). 152 inbound peers are
-        # protected from eviction:
+        # connections (188 - 34 outbound - 1 feeler). The 34 outbounds count is
+        # from 16 full-relay + 16 avalanche + 2 block-only-relay.
+        # 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=188', "-enableavalanche=1"]]
+        self.extra_args = [['-maxconnections=188',
+                            "-enableavalanche=1", "-maxavalancheoutbound=16"]]
 
     def run_test(self):
         # peers that we expect to be protected from eviction