diff --git a/cmd/utils/flags.go b/cmd/utils/flags.go
index 37ccd06efb6d5fd5eb14816d78eb51bc8541c0a5..5ab6047e8391e4eab7a860a372a26567a266b7a3 100644
--- a/cmd/utils/flags.go
+++ b/cmd/utils/flags.go
@@ -949,10 +949,6 @@ func SetEthConfig(ctx *cli.Context, stack *node.Node, cfg *eth.Config) {
 		cfg.NetworkId = ctx.GlobalUint64(NetworkIdFlag.Name)
 	}
 
-	// Ethereum needs to know maxPeers to calculate the light server peer ratio.
-	// TODO(fjl): ensure Ethereum can get MaxPeers from node.
-	cfg.MaxPeers = ctx.GlobalInt(MaxPeersFlag.Name)
-
 	if ctx.GlobalIsSet(CacheFlag.Name) {
 		cfg.DatabaseCache = ctx.GlobalInt(CacheFlag.Name)
 	}
diff --git a/eth/backend.go b/eth/backend.go
index 5f4f2097a7fff2f9133b92eb1771f90c31dd3d25..5837c85641d4fae701ce456c00089f9e64242812 100644
--- a/eth/backend.go
+++ b/eth/backend.go
@@ -57,15 +57,19 @@ type LesServer interface {
 
 // Ethereum implements the Ethereum full node service.
 type Ethereum struct {
+	config      *Config
 	chainConfig *params.ChainConfig
+
 	// Channel for shutting down the service
 	shutdownChan  chan bool    // Channel for shutting down the ethereum
 	stopDbUpgrade func() error // stop chain db sequential key upgrade
+
 	// Handlers
 	txPool          *core.TxPool
 	blockchain      *core.BlockChain
 	protocolManager *ProtocolManager
 	lesServer       LesServer
+
 	// DB interfaces
 	chainDb ethdb.Database // Block chain database
 
@@ -98,7 +102,6 @@ func New(ctx *node.ServiceContext, config *Config) (*Ethereum, error) {
 	if !config.SyncMode.IsValid() {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid sync mode %d", config.SyncMode)
 	}
-
 	chainDb, err := CreateDB(ctx, config, "chaindata")
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -111,6 +114,7 @@ func New(ctx *node.ServiceContext, config *Config) (*Ethereum, error) {
 	log.Info("Initialised chain configuration", "config", chainConfig)
 
 	eth := &Ethereum{
+		config:         config,
 		chainDb:        chainDb,
 		chainConfig:    chainConfig,
 		eventMux:       ctx.EventMux,
@@ -153,21 +157,9 @@ func New(ctx *node.ServiceContext, config *Config) (*Ethereum, error) {
 	}
 	eth.txPool = core.NewTxPool(config.TxPool, eth.chainConfig, eth.blockchain)
 
-	maxPeers := config.MaxPeers
-	if config.LightServ > 0 {
-		// if we are running a light server, limit the number of ETH peers so that we reserve some space for incoming LES connections
-		// temporary solution until the new peer connectivity API is finished
-		halfPeers := maxPeers / 2
-		maxPeers -= config.LightPeers
-		if maxPeers < halfPeers {
-			maxPeers = halfPeers
-		}
-	}
-
-	if eth.protocolManager, err = NewProtocolManager(eth.chainConfig, config.SyncMode, config.NetworkId, maxPeers, eth.eventMux, eth.txPool, eth.engine, eth.blockchain, chainDb); err != nil {
+	if eth.protocolManager, err = NewProtocolManager(eth.chainConfig, config.SyncMode, config.NetworkId, eth.eventMux, eth.txPool, eth.engine, eth.blockchain, chainDb); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-
 	eth.miner = miner.New(eth, eth.chainConfig, eth.EventMux(), eth.engine)
 	eth.miner.SetExtra(makeExtraData(config.ExtraData))
 
@@ -376,7 +368,15 @@ func (s *Ethereum) Protocols() []p2p.Protocol {
 func (s *Ethereum) Start(srvr *p2p.Server) error {
 	s.netRPCService = ethapi.NewPublicNetAPI(srvr, s.NetVersion())
 
-	s.protocolManager.Start()
+	// Figure out a max peers count based on the server limits
+	maxPeers := srvr.MaxPeers
+	if s.config.LightServ > 0 {
+		maxPeers -= s.config.LightPeers
+		if maxPeers < srvr.MaxPeers/2 {
+			maxPeers = srvr.MaxPeers / 2
+		}
+	}
+	s.protocolManager.Start(maxPeers)
 	if s.lesServer != nil {
 		s.lesServer.Start(srvr)
 	}
diff --git a/eth/config.go b/eth/config.go
index 4109cff8b746081cdb012568b8e282622a5547d6..7bcfd403ea1e2737f1523db26891f5a0ebb675d8 100644
--- a/eth/config.go
+++ b/eth/config.go
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ type Config struct {
 	// Light client options
 	LightServ  int `toml:",omitempty"` // Maximum percentage of time allowed for serving LES requests
 	LightPeers int `toml:",omitempty"` // Maximum number of LES client peers
-	MaxPeers   int `toml:"-"`          // Maximum number of global peers
 
 	// Database options
 	SkipBcVersionCheck bool `toml:"-"`
diff --git a/eth/gen_config.go b/eth/gen_config.go
index 47747941974f7365010766fbf0b597ba6bf239d0..4a4cd7b9c506ed8715d58ab95eb53cad1cc35724 100644
--- a/eth/gen_config.go
+++ b/eth/gen_config.go
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ func (c Config) MarshalTOML() (interface{}, error) {
 	enc.SyncMode = c.SyncMode
 	enc.LightServ = c.LightServ
 	enc.LightPeers = c.LightPeers
-	enc.MaxPeers = c.MaxPeers
 	enc.SkipBcVersionCheck = c.SkipBcVersionCheck
 	enc.DatabaseHandles = c.DatabaseHandles
 	enc.DatabaseCache = c.DatabaseCache
@@ -119,9 +118,6 @@ func (c *Config) UnmarshalTOML(unmarshal func(interface{}) error) error {
 	if dec.LightPeers != nil {
 		c.LightPeers = *dec.LightPeers
 	}
-	if dec.MaxPeers != nil {
-		c.MaxPeers = *dec.MaxPeers
-	}
 	if dec.SkipBcVersionCheck != nil {
 		c.SkipBcVersionCheck = *dec.SkipBcVersionCheck
 	}
diff --git a/eth/handler.go b/eth/handler.go
index 9d230a4ad65a3ba68fb479ea22d74a1818203c60..28ae208c06cce87ac08aba0d56a69505f85543fe 100644
--- a/eth/handler.go
+++ b/eth/handler.go
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ type ProtocolManager struct {
 
 // NewProtocolManager returns a new ethereum sub protocol manager. The Ethereum sub protocol manages peers capable
 // with the ethereum network.
-func NewProtocolManager(config *params.ChainConfig, mode downloader.SyncMode, networkId uint64, maxPeers int, mux *event.TypeMux, txpool txPool, engine consensus.Engine, blockchain *core.BlockChain, chaindb ethdb.Database) (*ProtocolManager, error) {
+func NewProtocolManager(config *params.ChainConfig, mode downloader.SyncMode, networkId uint64, mux *event.TypeMux, txpool txPool, engine consensus.Engine, blockchain *core.BlockChain, chaindb ethdb.Database) (*ProtocolManager, error) {
 	// Create the protocol manager with the base fields
 	manager := &ProtocolManager{
 		networkId:   networkId,
@@ -108,7 +108,6 @@ func NewProtocolManager(config *params.ChainConfig, mode downloader.SyncMode, ne
 		blockchain:  blockchain,
 		chaindb:     chaindb,
 		chainconfig: config,
-		maxPeers:    maxPeers,
 		peers:       newPeerSet(),
 		newPeerCh:   make(chan *peer),
 		noMorePeers: make(chan struct{}),
@@ -203,11 +202,14 @@ func (pm *ProtocolManager) removePeer(id string) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (pm *ProtocolManager) Start() {
+func (pm *ProtocolManager) Start(maxPeers int) {
+	pm.maxPeers = maxPeers
+
 	// broadcast transactions
 	pm.txCh = make(chan core.TxPreEvent, txChanSize)
 	pm.txSub = pm.txpool.SubscribeTxPreEvent(pm.txCh)
 	go pm.txBroadcastLoop()
+
 	// broadcast mined blocks
 	pm.minedBlockSub = pm.eventMux.Subscribe(core.NewMinedBlockEvent{})
 	go pm.minedBroadcastLoop()
diff --git a/eth/handler_test.go b/eth/handler_test.go
index aba2774444017a2bb7a4d52dbca995c9fc488e0d..6752cd2a84e5ec1c689e71442458d837a08ce245 100644
--- a/eth/handler_test.go
+++ b/eth/handler_test.go
@@ -476,11 +476,11 @@ func testDAOChallenge(t *testing.T, localForked, remoteForked bool, timeout bool
 		genesis       = gspec.MustCommit(db)
 		blockchain, _ = core.NewBlockChain(db, config, pow, vm.Config{})
 	)
-	pm, err := NewProtocolManager(config, downloader.FullSync, DefaultConfig.NetworkId, 1000, evmux, new(testTxPool), pow, blockchain, db)
+	pm, err := NewProtocolManager(config, downloader.FullSync, DefaultConfig.NetworkId, evmux, new(testTxPool), pow, blockchain, db)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("failed to start test protocol manager: %v", err)
 	}
-	pm.Start()
+	pm.Start(1000)
 	defer pm.Stop()
 
 	// Connect a new peer and check that we receive the DAO challenge
diff --git a/eth/helper_test.go b/eth/helper_test.go
index f1dab95283ee048b4b76196145bb1428596f015b..b66553135224672d2c86248403a560646a42dd03 100644
--- a/eth/helper_test.go
+++ b/eth/helper_test.go
@@ -66,11 +66,11 @@ func newTestProtocolManager(mode downloader.SyncMode, blocks int, generator func
 		panic(err)
 	}
 
-	pm, err := NewProtocolManager(gspec.Config, mode, DefaultConfig.NetworkId, 1000, evmux, &testTxPool{added: newtx}, engine, blockchain, db)
+	pm, err := NewProtocolManager(gspec.Config, mode, DefaultConfig.NetworkId, evmux, &testTxPool{added: newtx}, engine, blockchain, db)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	pm.Start()
+	pm.Start(1000)
 	return pm, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/params/bootnodes.go b/params/bootnodes.go
index 6a145a7a8f0a060c55928ea885723f74431fabf3..6c6c02f8cf1edd69511f867e386ae9bbe3c6152c 100644
--- a/params/bootnodes.go
+++ b/params/bootnodes.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ package params
 // MainnetBootnodes are the enode URLs of the P2P bootstrap nodes running on
 // the main Ethereum network.
 var MainnetBootnodes = []string{
-
 	// Ethereum Foundation Go Bootnodes
 	"enode://a979fb575495b8d6db44f750317d0f4622bf4c2aa3365d6af7c284339968eef29b69ad0dce72a4d8db5ebb4968de0e3bec910127f134779fbcb0cb6d3331163c@52.16.188.185:30303", // IE
 	"enode://3f1d12044546b76342d59d4a05532c14b85aa669704bfe1f864fe079415aa2c02d743e03218e57a33fb94523adb54032871a6c51b2cc5514cb7c7e35b3ed0a99@13.93.211.84:30303",  // US-WEST
@@ -29,7 +28,6 @@ var MainnetBootnodes = []string{
 
 	// Ethereum Foundation Cpp Bootnodes
 	"enode://979b7fa28feeb35a4741660a16076f1943202cb72b6af70d327f053e248bab9ba81760f39d0701ef1d8f89cc1fbd2cacba0710a12cd5314d5e0c9021aa3637f9@5.1.83.226:30303", // DE
-
 }
 
 // TestnetBootnodes are the enode URLs of the P2P bootstrap nodes running on the