diff --git a/doc/release-notes.md b/doc/release-notes.md
--- a/doc/release-notes.md
+++ b/doc/release-notes.md
@@ -9,3 +9,7 @@
 - `getpeerinfo` no longer returns the `banscore` field unless the configuration
   option `-deprecatedrpc=banscore` is used. The `banscore` field will be fully
   removed in the next major release.
+
+- The `-banscore` configuration option, which modified the default threshold for
+  disconnecting and discouraging misbehaving peers, has been removed as part of
+  changes in this release to the handling of misbehaving peers.
diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -617,11 +617,6 @@
                              "prefixed by the net-specific datadir location.",
                              DEFAULT_ASMAP_FILENAME),
                    ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY, OptionsCategory::CONNECTION);
-    argsman.AddArg("-banscore=<n>",
-                   strprintf("Threshold for disconnecting and discouraging "
-                             "misbehaving peers (default: %u)",
-                             DEFAULT_BANSCORE_THRESHOLD),
-                   ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY, OptionsCategory::CONNECTION);
     argsman.AddArg("-bantime=<n>",
                    strprintf("Default duration (in seconds) of manually "
                              "configured bans (default: %u)",
diff --git a/src/net_processing.h b/src/net_processing.h
--- a/src/net_processing.h
+++ b/src/net_processing.h
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@
  */
 static const unsigned int DEFAULT_BLOCK_RECONSTRUCTION_EXTRA_TXN = 100;
 static const bool DEFAULT_PEERBLOCKFILTERS = false;
+/** Threshold for marking a node to be discouraged, e.g. disconnected and added
+ * to the discouragement filter. */
+static const int DISCOURAGEMENT_THRESHOLD{100};
 
 class PeerLogicValidation final : public CValidationInterface,
                                   public NetEventsInterface {
@@ -131,7 +134,11 @@
 
 /** Get statistics from node state */
 bool GetNodeStateStats(NodeId nodeid, CNodeStateStats &stats);
-/** Increase a node's misbehavior score. */
+/**
+ * Increment peer's misbehavior score. If the new value >=
+ * DISCOURAGEMENT_THRESHOLD, mark the node to be discouraged, meaning the peer
+ * might be disconnected and added to the discouragement filter.
+ */
 void Misbehaving(NodeId nodeid, int howmuch, const std::string &message = "")
     EXCLUSIVE_LOCKS_REQUIRED(cs_main);
 
diff --git a/src/net_processing.cpp b/src/net_processing.cpp
--- a/src/net_processing.cpp
+++ b/src/net_processing.cpp
@@ -1167,7 +1167,9 @@
 }
 
 /**
- * Mark a misbehaving peer to be banned depending upon the value of `-banscore`.
+ * Increment peer's misbehavior score. If the new value >=
+ * DISCOURAGEMENT_THRESHOLD, mark the node to be discouraged, meaning the peer
+ * might be disconnected and added to the discouragement filter.
  */
 void Misbehaving(NodeId pnode, int howmuch, const std::string &message) {
     AssertLockHeld(cs_main);
@@ -1181,10 +1183,9 @@
     }
 
     state->nMisbehavior += howmuch;
-    int banscore = gArgs.GetArg("-banscore", DEFAULT_BANSCORE_THRESHOLD);
     std::string message_prefixed = message.empty() ? "" : (": " + message);
-    if (state->nMisbehavior >= banscore &&
-        state->nMisbehavior - howmuch < banscore) {
+    if (state->nMisbehavior >= DISCOURAGEMENT_THRESHOLD &&
+        state->nMisbehavior - howmuch < DISCOURAGEMENT_THRESHOLD) {
         LogPrint(BCLog::NET,
                  "%s: %s peer=%d (%d -> %d) BAN THRESHOLD EXCEEDED%s\n",
                  __func__, state->name, pnode, state->nMisbehavior - howmuch,
diff --git a/src/test/denialofservice_tests.cpp b/src/test/denialofservice_tests.cpp
--- a/src/test/denialofservice_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/test/denialofservice_tests.cpp
@@ -256,8 +256,8 @@
     dummyNode1.fSuccessfullyConnected = true;
     {
         LOCK(cs_main);
-        // Should get banned.
-        Misbehaving(dummyNode1.GetId(), 100, "");
+        // Should be discouraged
+        Misbehaving(dummyNode1.GetId(), DISCOURAGEMENT_THRESHOLD);
     }
     {
         LOCK2(cs_main, dummyNode1.cs_sendProcessing);
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@
             peerLogic->SendMessages(config, &dummyNode1, interruptDummy));
     }
     BOOST_CHECK(banman->IsDiscouraged(addr1));
-    // Different IP, not banned
+    // Different IP, not discouraged
     BOOST_CHECK(!banman->IsDiscouraged(ip(0xa0b0c001 | 0x0000ff00)));
 
     CAddress addr2(ip(0xa0b0c002), NODE_NONE);
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@
         BOOST_CHECK(
             peerLogic->SendMessages(config, &dummyNode2, interruptDummy));
     }
-    // 2 not banned yet...
+    // 2 not discouraged yet...
     BOOST_CHECK(!banman->IsDiscouraged(addr2));
     // ... but 1 still should be
     BOOST_CHECK(banman->IsDiscouraged(addr1));
@@ -317,8 +317,6 @@
         *m_node.mempool);
 
     banman->ClearBanned();
-    // because 11 is my favorite number.
-    gArgs.ForceSetArg("-banscore", "111");
     CAddress addr1(ip(0xa0b0c001), NODE_NONE);
     CNode dummyNode1(id++, NODE_NETWORK, 0, INVALID_SOCKET, addr1, 3, 1,
                      CAddress(), "", ConnectionType::INBOUND);
@@ -328,7 +326,7 @@
     dummyNode1.fSuccessfullyConnected = true;
     {
         LOCK(cs_main);
-        Misbehaving(dummyNode1.GetId(), 100, "");
+        Misbehaving(dummyNode1.GetId(), DISCOURAGEMENT_THRESHOLD - 11);
     }
     {
         LOCK2(cs_main, dummyNode1.cs_sendProcessing);
@@ -356,7 +354,6 @@
             peerLogic->SendMessages(config, &dummyNode1, interruptDummy));
     }
     BOOST_CHECK(banman->IsDiscouraged(addr1));
-    gArgs.ForceSetArg("-banscore", std::to_string(DEFAULT_BANSCORE_THRESHOLD));
 
     bool dummy;
     peerLogic->FinalizeNode(config, dummyNode1.GetId(), dummy);
@@ -389,7 +386,7 @@
 
     {
         LOCK(cs_main);
-        Misbehaving(dummyNode.GetId(), 100, "");
+        Misbehaving(dummyNode.GetId(), DISCOURAGEMENT_THRESHOLD);
     }
     {
         LOCK2(cs_main, dummyNode.cs_sendProcessing);
diff --git a/src/validation.h b/src/validation.h
--- a/src/validation.h
+++ b/src/validation.h
@@ -134,7 +134,6 @@
 static const bool DEFAULT_CHECKPOINTS_ENABLED = true;
 static const bool DEFAULT_TXINDEX = false;
 static const char *const DEFAULT_BLOCKFILTERINDEX = "0";
-static const unsigned int DEFAULT_BANSCORE_THRESHOLD = 100;
 
 /** Default for -persistmempool */
 static const bool DEFAULT_PERSIST_MEMPOOL = true;
diff --git a/test/functional/p2p_leak.py b/test/functional/p2p_leak.py
--- a/test/functional/p2p_leak.py
+++ b/test/functional/p2p_leak.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 from test_framework.test_framework import BitcoinTestFramework
 from test_framework.util import wait_until
 
-banscore = 10
+DISCOURAGEMENT_THRESHOLD = 100
 
 
 class CLazyNode(P2PInterface):
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@
     # behavior changes
     def on_open(self):
         super().on_open()
-        for i in range(banscore):
+        for _ in range(DISCOURAGEMENT_THRESHOLD):
             self.send_message(msg_verack())
 
     def on_reject(self, message): pass
@@ -131,7 +131,6 @@
 class P2PLeakTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
     def set_test_params(self):
         self.num_nodes = 1
-        self.extra_args = [['-banscore=' + str(banscore)]]
 
     def run_test(self):
         no_version_bannode = self.nodes[0].add_p2p_connection(