diff --git a/src/handler/mod.rs b/src/handler/mod.rs
index 1b58f1935..2c539392f 100644
--- a/src/handler/mod.rs
+++ b/src/handler/mod.rs
@@ -682,12 +682,10 @@ impl Handler {
                 // outgoing session is that we originally sent a RANDOM packet (signifying we did
                 // not have a session for a request) and the packet is not a PING (we are not
                 // trying to update an old session that may have expired.
-                let connection_direction = {
-                    match (request_call.initiating_session(), &request_call.body()) {
-                        (true, RequestBody::Ping { .. }) => ConnectionDirection::Incoming,
-                        (true, _) => ConnectionDirection::Outgoing,
-                        (false, _) => ConnectionDirection::Incoming,
-                    }
+                let connection_direction = if request_call.initiating_session() {
+                    ConnectionDirection::Outgoing
+                } else {
+                    ConnectionDirection::Incoming
                 };
 
                 // We already know the ENR. Send the handshake response packet
diff --git a/src/service.rs b/src/service.rs
index 5e0c0512e..a85c87d44 100644
--- a/src/service.rs
+++ b/src/service.rs
@@ -1369,13 +1369,27 @@ impl Service {
 
     /// The equivalent of libp2p `inject_connected()` for a udp session. We have no stream, but a
     /// session key-pair has been negotiated.
-    fn inject_session_established(&mut self, enr: Enr, direction: ConnectionDirection) {
+    fn inject_session_established(&mut self, enr: Enr, connection_direction: ConnectionDirection) {
         // Ignore sessions with non-contactable ENRs
         if self.ip_mode.get_contactable_addr(&enr).is_none() {
             return;
         }
 
         let node_id = enr.node_id();
+
+        // We never update connection direction if a node already exists in the routing table as we
+        // don't want to promote the direction from incoming to outgoing.
+        let key = kbucket::Key::from(node_id);
+        let direction = match self
+            .kbuckets
+            .read()
+            .get_bucket(&key)
+            .map(|bucket| bucket.get(&key))
+        {
+            Some(Some(node)) => node.status.direction,
+            _ => connection_direction,
+        };
+
         debug!(
             "Session established with Node: {}, direction: {}",
             node_id, direction
diff --git a/src/service/test.rs b/src/service/test.rs
index d4d113f32..b2860700e 100644
--- a/src/service/test.rs
+++ b/src/service/test.rs
@@ -164,3 +164,57 @@ async fn test_updating_connection_on_ping() {
     let node = buckets.iter_ref().next().unwrap();
     assert!(node.status.is_connected())
 }
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn test_connection_direction_on_inject_session_established() {
+    init();
+
+    let enr_key1 = CombinedKey::generate_secp256k1();
+    let ip = std::net::Ipv4Addr::LOCALHOST;
+    let enr = EnrBuilder::new("v4")
+        .ip4(ip)
+        .udp4(10001)
+        .build(&enr_key1)
+        .unwrap();
+
+    let enr_key2 = CombinedKey::generate_secp256k1();
+    let ip2 = std::net::Ipv4Addr::LOCALHOST;
+    let enr2 = EnrBuilder::new("v4")
+        .ip4(ip2)
+        .udp4(10002)
+        .build(&enr_key2)
+        .unwrap();
+
+    let mut service = build_service::<DefaultProtocolId>(
+        Arc::new(RwLock::new(enr)),
+        Arc::new(RwLock::new(enr_key1)),
+        false,
+    )
+    .await;
+
+    let key = &kbucket::Key::from(enr2.node_id());
+
+    // Test that the existing connection direction is not updated.
+    // Incoming
+    service.inject_session_established(enr2.clone(), ConnectionDirection::Incoming);
+    let status = service.kbuckets.read().iter_ref().next().unwrap().status;
+    assert!(status.is_connected());
+    assert_eq!(ConnectionDirection::Incoming, status.direction);
+
+    service.inject_session_established(enr2.clone(), ConnectionDirection::Outgoing);
+    let status = service.kbuckets.read().iter_ref().next().unwrap().status;
+    assert!(status.is_connected());
+    assert_eq!(ConnectionDirection::Incoming, status.direction);
+
+    // (disconnected) Outgoing
+    let result = service.kbuckets.write().update_node_status(
+        key,
+        ConnectionState::Disconnected,
+        Some(ConnectionDirection::Outgoing),
+    );
+    assert!(matches!(result, UpdateResult::Updated));
+    service.inject_session_established(enr2.clone(), ConnectionDirection::Incoming);
+    let status = service.kbuckets.read().iter_ref().next().unwrap().status;
+    assert!(status.is_connected());
+    assert_eq!(ConnectionDirection::Outgoing, status.direction);
+}