diff --git a/pkg/topology/kademlia/kademlia.go b/pkg/topology/kademlia/kademlia.go
index 16b414e2025..5a91e4f5edf 100644
--- a/pkg/topology/kademlia/kademlia.go
+++ b/pkg/topology/kademlia/kademlia.go
@@ -1136,8 +1136,8 @@ func (k *Kad) AddPeers(addrs ...swarm.Address) {
 
 func (k *Kad) Pick(peer p2p.Peer) bool {
 	k.metrics.PickCalls.Inc()
-	if k.bootnode {
-		// shortcircuit for bootnode mode - always accept connections,
+	if k.bootnode || !peer.FullNode {
+		// shortcircuit for bootnode mode AND light node peers - always accept connections,
 		// at least until we find a better solution.
 		return true
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/topology/kademlia/kademlia_test.go b/pkg/topology/kademlia/kademlia_test.go
index feb910ac401..67bc0f2e362 100644
--- a/pkg/topology/kademlia/kademlia_test.go
+++ b/pkg/topology/kademlia/kademlia_test.go
@@ -552,9 +552,12 @@ func TestOversaturation(t *testing.T) {
 			// if error is not as specified, connectOne goes fatal
 			connectOne(t, signer, kad, ab, addr, topology.ErrOversaturated)
 			// check that pick works correctly
-			if kad.Pick(p2p.Peer{Address: addr}) {
+			if kad.Pick(p2p.Peer{Address: addr, FullNode: true}) {
 				t.Fatal("should not pick the peer")
 			}
+			if !kad.Pick(p2p.Peer{Address: addr, FullNode: false}) {
+				t.Fatal("should pick the peer")
+			}
 		}
 		// see depth is still as expected
 		kDepth(t, kad, 5)