diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
index 66f7005eb..8dedcb099 100644
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ std::string HelpMessage(HelpMessageMode mode)
     strUsage += HelpMessageOpt("-externalip=<ip>", _("Specify your own public address"));
     strUsage += HelpMessageOpt("-forcednsseed", strprintf(_("Always query for peer addresses via DNS lookup (default: %u)"), 0));
     strUsage += HelpMessageOpt("-listen", _("Accept connections from outside (default: 1 if no -proxy or -connect)"));
-    strUsage += HelpMessageOpt("-maxconnections=<n>", strprintf(_("Maintain at most <n> connections to peers (default: %u)"), 125));
+    strUsage += HelpMessageOpt("-maxconnections=<n>", strprintf(_("Maintain at most <n> connections to peers (default: %u)"), DEFAULT_MAX_PEER_CONNECTIONS));
     strUsage += HelpMessageOpt("-maxreceivebuffer=<n>", strprintf(_("Maximum per-connection receive buffer, <n>*1000 bytes (default: %u)"), 5000));
     strUsage += HelpMessageOpt("-maxsendbuffer=<n>", strprintf(_("Maximum per-connection send buffer, <n>*1000 bytes (default: %u)"), 1000));
     strUsage += HelpMessageOpt("-onion=<ip:port>", strprintf(_("Use separate SOCKS5 proxy to reach peers via Tor hidden services (default: %s)"), "-proxy"));
@@ -832,7 +832,7 @@ bool AppInit2(boost::thread_group& threadGroup, CScheduler& scheduler)
 
     // Make sure enough file descriptors are available
     int nBind = std::max((int)mapArgs.count("-bind") + (int)mapArgs.count("-whitebind"), 1);
-    nMaxConnections = GetArg("-maxconnections", 125);
+    nMaxConnections = GetArg("-maxconnections", DEFAULT_MAX_PEER_CONNECTIONS);
     nMaxConnections = std::max(std::min(nMaxConnections, (int)(FD_SETSIZE - nBind - MIN_CORE_FILEDESCRIPTORS)), 0);
     int nFD = RaiseFileDescriptorLimit(nMaxConnections + MIN_CORE_FILEDESCRIPTORS);
     if (nFD < MIN_CORE_FILEDESCRIPTORS)
diff --git a/src/net.cpp b/src/net.cpp
index ed22cf324..36ecce248 100644
--- a/src/net.cpp
+++ b/src/net.cpp
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ static CNode* pnodeLocalHost = NULL;
 uint64_t nLocalHostNonce = 0;
 static std::vector<ListenSocket> vhListenSocket;
 CAddrMan addrman;
-int nMaxConnections = 125;
+int nMaxConnections = DEFAULT_MAX_PEER_CONNECTIONS;
 bool fAddressesInitialized = false;
 
 vector<CNode*> vNodes;
diff --git a/src/net.h b/src/net.h
index 720763506..81b1c2e73 100644
--- a/src/net.h
+++ b/src/net.h
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ static const bool DEFAULT_UPNP = false;
 static const size_t MAPASKFOR_MAX_SZ = MAX_INV_SZ;
 /** The maximum number of entries in setAskFor (larger due to getdata latency)*/
 static const size_t SETASKFOR_MAX_SZ = 2 * MAX_INV_SZ;
+/** The maximum number of peer connections to maintain. */
+static const unsigned int DEFAULT_MAX_PEER_CONNECTIONS = 125;
 
 unsigned int ReceiveFloodSize();
 unsigned int SendBufferSize();