diff --git a/waku/factory/external_config.nim b/waku/factory/external_config.nim
index b78567095a..b7b790c58d 100644
--- a/waku/factory/external_config.nim
+++ b/waku/factory/external_config.nim
@@ -193,12 +193,6 @@ type WakuNodeConf* = object
       name: "ext-multiaddr-only"
     .}: bool
 
-    maxConnections* {.
-      desc: "Maximum allowed number of libp2p connections.",
-      defaultValue: 50,
-      name: "max-connections"
-    .}: uint16
-
     colocationLimit* {.
       desc:
         "Max num allowed peers from the same IP. Set it to 0 to remove the limitation.",
@@ -207,12 +201,16 @@ type WakuNodeConf* = object
     .}: int
 
     maxRelayPeers* {.
-      desc: "Maximum allowed number of relay peers.", name: "max-relay-peers"
-    .}: Option[int]
+      desc: "Maximum allowed number of relay peers.",
+      name: "max-relay-peers"
+      defaultValue: 50
+    .}: uint64
 
     maxServicePeers* {.
-      desc: "Maximum allowed number of service peers.", name: "max-service-peers"
-    .}: Option[int]
+      desc: "Maximum allowed number of service peers.",
+      name: "max-service-peers"
+      defaultValue: 50
+    .}: uint64
 
     peerStoreCapacity* {.
       desc: "Maximum stored peers in the peerstore.", name: "peer-store-capacity"
diff --git a/waku/node/peer_manager/peer_manager.nim b/waku/node/peer_manager/peer_manager.nim
index b9d549d89b..ec9ec56895 100644
--- a/waku/node/peer_manager/peer_manager.nim
+++ b/waku/node/peer_manager/peer_manager.nim
@@ -973,7 +973,7 @@ proc new*(
     shardedPeerManagement = false,
 ): PeerManager {.gcsafe.} =
   let capacity = switch.peerStore.capacity
-  let maxConnections = switch.connManager.inSema.size
+  let maxConnections = maxRelayPeers.get() + maxServicePeers.get()
   if maxConnections > capacity:
     error "Max number of connections can't be greater than PeerManager capacity",
       capacity = capacity, maxConnections = maxConnections
@@ -981,42 +981,6 @@ proc new*(
       Defect, "Max number of connections can't be greater than PeerManager capacity"
     )
 
-  var maxRelayPeersValue = 0
-  if maxRelayPeers.isSome():
-    if maxRelayPeers.get() > maxConnections:
-      error "Max number of relay peers can't be greater than the max amount of connections",
-        maxConnections = maxConnections, maxRelayPeers = maxRelayPeers.get()
-      raise newException(
-        Defect,
-        "Max number of relay peers can't be greater than the max amount of connections",
-      )
-
-    if maxRelayPeers.get() == maxConnections:
-      warn "Max number of relay peers is equal to max amount of connections, peer won't be contributing to service peers",
-        maxConnections = maxConnections, maxRelayPeers = maxRelayPeers.get()
-    maxRelayPeersValue = maxRelayPeers.get()
-  else:
-    # Leave by default 20% of connections for service peers
-    maxRelayPeersValue = maxConnections - (maxConnections div 5)
-
-  var maxServicePeersValue = 0
-  var d_low = 4
-
-  if maxServicePeers.isSome():
-    if maxServicePeers.get() > maxConnections - d_low:
-      error "Max number of service peers can't be greater than the max amount of connections minus d_low",
-        maxConnections = maxConnections, maxServicePeers = maxServicePeers.get()
-      raise newException(
-        Defect,
-        "Max number of service peers can't be greater than the max amount of connections minus d_low",
-      )
-    maxServicePeersValue =
-      min(maxServicePeers.get(), maxConnections - maxRelayPeersValue)
-      # relay has higher priority then service peers
-  else:
-    maxServicePeersValue =
-      max(maxConnections - maxRelayPeersValue, maxConnections div 5)
-
   # attempt to calculate max backoff to prevent potential overflows or unreasonably high values
   let backoff = calculateBackoff(initialBackoffInSec, backoffFactor, maxFailedAttempts)
   if backoff.weeks() > 1: