diff --git a/src/builder.rs b/src/builder.rs
index 1158044e4..5179a5899 100644
--- a/src/builder.rs
+++ b/src/builder.rs
@@ -2391,6 +2391,7 @@ fn build_with_store_internal(
 
 	let connection_manager = Arc::new(ConnectionManager::new(
 		Arc::clone(&peer_manager),
+		config.disable_outbound_lightning_connections,
 		config.tor_config.clone(),
 		Arc::clone(&keys_manager),
 		Arc::clone(&logger),
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index cb74b55c8..21aabb2d7 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -203,6 +203,7 @@ impl Default for ForwardedPaymentTrackingMode {
 /// |----------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
 /// | `storage_dir_path`                     | /tmp/ldk_node/                       |
 /// | `network`                              | Bitcoin                              |
+/// |`disable_outbound_lightning_connections`| false                                |
 /// | `listening_addresses`                  | None                                 |
 /// | `announcement_addresses`               | None                                 |
 /// | `node_alias`                           | None                                 |
@@ -227,6 +228,12 @@ pub struct Config {
 	pub storage_dir_path: String,
 	/// The used Bitcoin network.
 	pub network: Network,
+	/// Disables all outbound Lightning peer-to-peer (P2P) connections.
+	///
+	/// Inbound connections are controlled separately by
+	/// [`Config::listening_addresses`]; set it to `None` to prevent inbound connections as well.
+	/// Other networking, including chain synchronization, is unaffected.
+	pub disable_outbound_lightning_connections: bool,
 	/// The addresses on which the node will listen for incoming connections.
 	///
 	/// **Note**: We will only allow opening and accepting public channels if the `node_alias` and the
@@ -304,6 +311,7 @@ impl Default for Config {
 		Self {
 			storage_dir_path: DEFAULT_STORAGE_DIR_PATH.to_string(),
 			network: DEFAULT_NETWORK,
+			disable_outbound_lightning_connections: false,
 			listening_addresses: None,
 			announcement_addresses: None,
 			trusted_peers_0conf: Vec::new(),
diff --git a/src/connection.rs b/src/connection.rs
index ccb6f9846..294e9b110 100644
--- a/src/connection.rs
+++ b/src/connection.rs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ use bitcoin::secp256k1::PublicKey;
 use lightning::ln::msgs::SocketAddress;
 
 use crate::config::TorConfig;
-use crate::logger::{log_debug, log_error, log_info, LdkLogger};
+use crate::logger::{log_debug, log_error, log_info, log_warn, LdkLogger};
 use crate::types::{KeysManager, PeerManager};
 use crate::Error;
 
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ where
 {
 	pending_connections: PendingConnections,
 	peer_manager: Arc<PeerManager>,
+	disable_outbound_lightning_connections: bool,
 	tor_proxy_config: Option<TorConfig>,
 	keys_manager: Arc<KeysManager>,
 	logger: L,
@@ -67,12 +68,19 @@ where
 	L::Target: LdkLogger,
 {
 	pub(crate) fn new(
-		peer_manager: Arc<PeerManager>, tor_proxy_config: Option<TorConfig>,
-		keys_manager: Arc<KeysManager>, logger: L,
+		peer_manager: Arc<PeerManager>, disable_outbound_lightning_connections: bool,
+		tor_proxy_config: Option<TorConfig>, keys_manager: Arc<KeysManager>, logger: L,
 	) -> Self {
 		let pending_connections = Mutex::new(HashMap::new());
 
-		Self { pending_connections, peer_manager, tor_proxy_config, keys_manager, logger }
+		Self {
+			pending_connections,
+			peer_manager,
+			disable_outbound_lightning_connections,
+			tor_proxy_config,
+			keys_manager,
+			logger,
+		}
 	}
 
 	pub(crate) async fn connect_peer_if_necessary(
@@ -115,6 +123,11 @@ where
 	async fn do_connect_peer_internal(
 		&self, node_id: PublicKey, addr: SocketAddress,
 	) -> Result<(), Error> {
+		if self.disable_outbound_lightning_connections {
+			log_warn!(self.logger, "Outbound Lightning peer connections are disabled.");
+			return Err(Error::ConnectionFailed);
+		}
+
 		log_info!(self.logger, "Connecting to peer: {}@{}", node_id, addr);
 
 		match addr {
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index fbb65b000..d67261cd5 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -1294,6 +1294,8 @@ impl Node {
 	/// Connect to a node on the peer-to-peer network.
 	///
 	/// If `persist` is set to `true`, we'll remember the peer and reconnect to it on restart.
+	/// Outbound connection attempts fail with [`Error::ConnectionFailed`] if
+	/// [`Config::disable_outbound_lightning_connections`] is set.
 	pub fn connect(
 		&self, node_id: PublicKey, address: SocketAddress, persist: bool,
 	) -> Result<(), Error> {