diff --git a/lightningd/connect_control.c b/lightningd/connect_control.c
index f13f42862469..d366c6091bf1 100644
--- a/lightningd/connect_control.c
+++ b/lightningd/connect_control.c
@@ -391,6 +391,16 @@ void try_reconnect(const tal_t *ctx,
 {
 	if (!peer->ld->reconnect)
 		return;
+	if (!peer->ld->reconnect_private) {
+		u32 public_channels = 0;
+		struct channel *channel;
+		list_for_each(&peer->channels, channel, list) {
+			if (channel->channel_flags & CHANNEL_FLAGS_ANNOUNCE_CHANNEL)
+				public_channels++;
+		}
+		if (public_channels == 0)
+			return;
+	}
 
 	/* Did we last attempt to connect recently?  Enter backoff mode. */
 	if (time_less(time_between(time_now(), peer->last_connect_attempt),
diff --git a/lightningd/lightningd.c b/lightningd/lightningd.c
index e13750de02f0..11df5d150e1d 100644
--- a/lightningd/lightningd.c
+++ b/lightningd/lightningd.c
@@ -243,6 +243,7 @@ static struct lightningd *new_lightningd(const tal_t *ctx)
 	ld->listen = true;
 	ld->autolisten = true;
 	ld->reconnect = true;
+	ld->reconnect_private = true;
 	ld->try_reexec = false;
 	ld->recover_secret = NULL;
 	ld->db_upgrade_ok = NULL;
diff --git a/lightningd/lightningd.h b/lightningd/lightningd.h
index c344a4a0304c..5d6218ab69f5 100644
--- a/lightningd/lightningd.h
+++ b/lightningd/lightningd.h
@@ -172,6 +172,9 @@ struct lightningd {
 	/* Do we want to reconnect to other peers? */
 	bool reconnect;
 
+	/* Do we want to reconnect to other peers having only unannouced channels with us? */
+	bool reconnect_private;
+
 	/* How many outstanding startup connection attempts? */
 	size_t num_startup_connects;
 
diff --git a/lightningd/options.c b/lightningd/options.c
index 38250b325358..f535eb1d8d54 100644
--- a/lightningd/options.c
+++ b/lightningd/options.c
@@ -804,6 +804,10 @@ static void dev_register_opts(struct lightningd *ld)
 		     opt_set_invbool,
 		     &ld->reconnect,
 		     "Disable automatic reconnect-attempts by this node, but accept incoming");
+	clnopt_noarg("--dev-no-reconnect-private", OPT_DEV,
+		     opt_set_invbool,
+		     &ld->reconnect_private,
+		     "Disable automatic reconnect-attempts to peers with private channel(s) only, but accept incoming");
 	clnopt_noarg("--dev-fast-reconnect", OPT_DEV,
 		     opt_set_bool,
 		     &ld->dev_fast_reconnect,