diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
index 2eee2471b92a9..4d6127807fc43 100644
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -1960,7 +1960,14 @@ bool AppInitMain()
     if (gArgs.IsArgSet("-seednode")) {
         connOptions.vSeedNodes = gArgs.GetArgs("-seednode");
     }
-
+    // Initiate outbound connections unless connect=0
+    connOptions.m_use_addrman_outgoing = !gArgs.IsArgSet("-connect");
+    if (!connOptions.m_use_addrman_outgoing) {
+        const auto connect = gArgs.GetArgs("-connect");
+        if (connect.size() != 1 || connect[0] != "0") {
+            connOptions.m_specified_outgoing = connect;
+        }
+    }
     if (!connman.Start(scheduler, connOptions)) {
         return false;
     }
diff --git a/src/net.cpp b/src/net.cpp
index eb78f36af9e71..2807d9e32b928 100644
--- a/src/net.cpp
+++ b/src/net.cpp
@@ -1483,13 +1483,13 @@ void CConnman::ProcessOneShot()
     }
 }
 
-void CConnman::ThreadOpenConnections()
+void CConnman::ThreadOpenConnections(const std::vector<std::string> connect)
 {
     // Connect to specific addresses
-    if (gArgs.IsArgSet("-connect")) {
+    if (!connect.empty()) {
         for (int64_t nLoop = 0;; nLoop++) {
             ProcessOneShot();
-            for (const std::string& strAddr : gArgs.GetArgs("-connect")) {
+            for (const std::string& strAddr : connect) {
                 CAddress addr(CService(), NODE_NONE);
                 OpenNetworkConnection(addr, false, nullptr, strAddr.c_str());
                 for (int i = 0; i < 10 && i < nLoop; i++) {
@@ -2076,9 +2076,18 @@ bool CConnman::Start(CScheduler& scheduler, Options connOptions)
     // Initiate outbound connections from -addnode
     threadOpenAddedConnections = std::thread(&TraceThread<std::function<void()> >, "addcon", std::function<void()>(std::bind(&CConnman::ThreadOpenAddedConnections, this)));
 
-    // Initiate outbound connections unless connect=0
-    if (!gArgs.IsArgSet("-connect") || gArgs.GetArgs("-connect").size() != 1 || gArgs.GetArgs("-connect")[0] != "0")
-        threadOpenConnections = std::thread(&TraceThread<std::function<void()> >, "opencon", std::function<void()>(std::bind(&CConnman::ThreadOpenConnections, this)));
+    if (connOptions.m_use_addrman_outgoing && !connOptions.m_specified_outgoing.empty()) {
+        if (clientInterface) {
+            clientInterface->ThreadSafeMessageBox(
+                    _("Cannot provide specific connections and have addrman find outgoing connections at the same."),
+                    "", CClientUIInterface::MSG_ERROR);
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
+    if (connOptions.m_use_addrman_outgoing || !connOptions.m_specified_outgoing.empty()) {
+        threadOpenConnections = std::thread(&TraceThread<std::function<void()> >, "opencon", std::function<void()>(
+                std::bind(&CConnman::ThreadOpenConnections, this, connOptions.m_specified_outgoing)));
+    }
 
     // Process messages
     threadMessageHandler = std::thread(&TraceThread<std::function<void()> >, "msghand", std::function<void()>(std::bind(&CConnman::ThreadMessageHandler, this)));
diff --git a/src/net.h b/src/net.h
index 85253af02b80e..8f6a4ed97324b 100644
--- a/src/net.h
+++ b/src/net.h
@@ -145,6 +145,8 @@ class CConnman
         std::vector<std::string> vSeedNodes;
         std::vector<CSubNet> vWhitelistedRange;
         std::vector<CService> vBinds, vWhiteBinds;
+        bool m_use_addrman_outgoing = true;
+        std::vector<std::string> m_specified_outgoing;
     };
     CConnman(uint64_t seed0, uint64_t seed1);
     ~CConnman();
@@ -312,7 +314,7 @@ class CConnman
     void ThreadOpenAddedConnections();
     void AddOneShot(const std::string& strDest);
     void ProcessOneShot();
-    void ThreadOpenConnections();
+    void ThreadOpenConnections(const std::vector<std::string> connect);
     void ThreadMessageHandler();
     void AcceptConnection(const ListenSocket& hListenSocket);
     void ThreadSocketHandler();