diff --git a/llarp/CMakeLists.txt b/llarp/CMakeLists.txt
index 6653a5f08c..a34a69123b 100644
--- a/llarp/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/llarp/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ add_library(lokinet-config
 # lokinet-consensus is for deriving and tracking network consensus state for both service nodes and clients
 add_library(lokinet-consensus
   STATIC
+  consensus/edge_selector.cpp
   consensus/reachability_testing.cpp
 )
 
diff --git a/llarp/consensus/edge_selector.cpp b/llarp/consensus/edge_selector.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..20386e0e4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/llarp/consensus/edge_selector.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+#include "edge_selector.hpp"
+
+#include <llarp/router/abstractrouter.hpp>
+#include <llarp/crypto/crypto.hpp>
+#include <llarp/nodedb.hpp>
+#include <llarp/profiling.hpp>
+
+namespace llarp::consensus
+{
+
+  EdgeSelector::EdgeSelector(AbstractRouter& r) : _router{r}
+  {}
+
+  std::optional<RouterContact>
+  EdgeSelector::select_path_edge(const std::unordered_set<RouterID>& connected_now) const
+  {
+    auto conf = _router.GetConfig();
+    auto nodedb = _router.nodedb();
+
+    const auto& _keys = conf->network.m_strictConnect;
+    // no strict hops. select a random good snode.
+    if (_keys.empty())
+    {
+      return nodedb->GetRandom([&connected_now, this](const auto& rc) {
+        return connected_now.count(rc.pubkey) == 0
+            and not _router.routerProfiling().IsBadForConnect(rc.pubkey)
+            and not _router.IsBootstrapNode(rc.pubkey);
+      });
+    }
+
+    // select random from strict connections.
+    std::vector<RouterID> keys{_keys.begin(), _keys.end()};
+
+    std::shuffle(keys.begin(), keys.end(), llarp::CSRNG{});
+
+    for (const auto& pk : keys)
+    {
+      if (_router.routerProfiling().IsBadForConnect(pk))
+        continue;
+      if (connected_now.count(pk))
+        continue;
+      if (auto maybe = nodedb->Get(pk))
+        return maybe;
+    }
+    return std::nullopt;
+  }
+
+  std::optional<RouterContact>
+  EdgeSelector::select_bootstrap(const std::unordered_set<RouterID>& connected_now) const
+  {
+    auto conf = _router.GetConfig();
+    auto nodedb = _router.nodedb();
+    if (const auto& _keys = conf->network.m_strictConnect; not _keys.empty())
+    {
+      // try bootstrapping off strict connections first if we have any.
+      std::vector<RouterID> keys{_keys.begin(), _keys.end()};
+      std::shuffle(keys.begin(), keys.end(), llarp::CSRNG{});
+      for (const auto& pk : keys)
+      {
+        if (connected_now.count(pk))
+          continue;
+        if (auto maybe = nodedb->Get(pk))
+          return maybe;
+      }
+    }
+    // if we cant use a strict connection we'll just use one of our bootstrap nodes.
+    return nodedb->GetRandom([&connected_now, this](const auto& rc) {
+      return connected_now.count(rc.pubkey) == 0 and _router.IsBootstrapNode(rc.pubkey);
+    });
+  }
+}  // namespace llarp::consensus
diff --git a/llarp/consensus/edge_selector.hpp b/llarp/consensus/edge_selector.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..499e72aa51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/llarp/consensus/edge_selector.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <optional>
+#include <unordered_set>
+#include <llarp/router_id.hpp>
+
+namespace llarp
+{
+  struct AbstractRouter;
+  struct RouterContact;
+}  // namespace llarp
+
+namespace llarp::consensus
+{
+  /// when we want to connect to and edge when we are a client, an instance of EdgeSelector acts as
+  /// a stateless selection algorith for router contacts for each attempt at connecting out we make.
+  class EdgeSelector
+  {
+    AbstractRouter& _router;
+
+   public:
+    explicit EdgeSelector(AbstractRouter& router);
+
+    /// select a candidate for connecting out to the network when we need more connections to do a
+    /// path build. pass in an unordered set of the snode pubkeys we are currently connected to.
+    std::optional<RouterContact>
+    select_path_edge(const std::unordered_set<RouterID>& connected_now = {}) const;
+
+    /// get a router contact of a bootstrap snode to bootstrap with if we are in need of
+    /// bootstrapping more peers. pass in an unodereed set of bootstrap router pubkeys we are
+    /// currently connected to.
+    std::optional<RouterContact>
+    select_bootstrap(const std::unordered_set<RouterID>& connected_now = {}) const;
+  };
+}  // namespace llarp::consensus
diff --git a/llarp/router/abstractrouter.hpp b/llarp/router/abstractrouter.hpp
index 162b506167..9ef886d46d 100644
--- a/llarp/router/abstractrouter.hpp
+++ b/llarp/router/abstractrouter.hpp
@@ -45,6 +45,11 @@ namespace llarp
   struct I_RCLookupHandler;
   struct RoutePoker;
 
+  namespace consensus
+  {
+    class EdgeSelector;
+  }
+
   namespace dns
   {
     class I_SystemSettings;
@@ -130,6 +135,9 @@ namespace llarp
     virtual const RouterContact&
     rc() const = 0;
 
+    virtual const consensus::EdgeSelector&
+    edge_selector() const = 0;
+
     /// modify our rc
     /// modify returns nullopt if unmodified otherwise it returns the new rc to be sigend and
     /// published out
diff --git a/llarp/router/outbound_session_maker.cpp b/llarp/router/outbound_session_maker.cpp
index 4eb264487f..80e99d680f 100644
--- a/llarp/router/outbound_session_maker.cpp
+++ b/llarp/router/outbound_session_maker.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include <llarp/util/thread/threading.hpp>
 #include <llarp/util/status.hpp>
 #include <llarp/crypto/crypto.hpp>
+#include <llarp/consensus/edge_selector.hpp>
 #include <utility>
 
 #include <llarp/rpc/lokid_rpc_client.hpp>
@@ -139,30 +140,23 @@ namespace llarp
   OutboundSessionMaker::ConnectToRandomRouters(int numDesired)
   {
     int remainingDesired = numDesired;
-    std::set<RouterID> exclude;
+    std::unordered_set<RouterID> exclude;
+    for (const auto& item : pendingSessions)
+      exclude.emplace(item.first);
+    _linkManager->ForEachPeer([&exclude](auto* session) {
+      if (session and session->IsEstablished())
+        exclude.emplace(session->GetPubKey());
+    });
     do
     {
-      auto filter = [exclude](const auto& rc) -> bool { return exclude.count(rc.pubkey) == 0; };
-
-      RouterContact other;
-      if (const auto maybe = _nodedb->GetRandom(filter))
-      {
-        other = *maybe;
-      }
-      else
+      auto maybe_rc = _router->edge_selector().select_path_edge(exclude);
+      if (not maybe_rc)
         break;
 
-      exclude.insert(other.pubkey);
-      if (not _rcLookup->SessionIsAllowed(other.pubkey))
-      {
-        continue;
-      }
-      if (not(_linkManager->HasSessionTo(other.pubkey) || HavePendingSessionTo(other.pubkey)))
-      {
-        CreateSessionTo(other, nullptr);
-        --remainingDesired;
-      }
-
+      const auto& rc = *maybe_rc;
+      exclude.insert(rc.pubkey);
+      CreateSessionTo(rc, nullptr);
+      --remainingDesired;
     } while (remainingDesired > 0);
     LogDebug(
         "connecting to ", numDesired - remainingDesired, " out of ", numDesired, " random routers");
diff --git a/llarp/router/router.cpp b/llarp/router/router.cpp
index 6a4db8c5ae..cfaa581185 100644
--- a/llarp/router/router.cpp
+++ b/llarp/router/router.cpp
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ namespace llarp
   Router::Router(EventLoop_ptr loop, std::shared_ptr<vpn::Platform> vpnPlatform)
       : ready{false}
       , m_lmq{std::make_shared<oxenmq::OxenMQ>()}
+      , _edge_selector{*this}
       , _loop{std::move(loop)}
       , _vpnPlatform{std::move(vpnPlatform)}
       , paths{this}
@@ -869,6 +870,12 @@ namespace llarp
     m_LastStatsReport = now;
   }
 
+  const consensus::EdgeSelector&
+  Router::edge_selector() const
+  {
+    return _edge_selector;
+  }
+
   std::string
   Router::status_line()
   {
@@ -1059,12 +1066,8 @@ namespace llarp
       _rcLookupHandler.ExploreNetwork();
       m_NextExploreAt = timepoint_now + std::chrono::seconds(interval);
     }
-    size_t connectToNum = _outboundSessionMaker.minConnectedRouters;
-    const auto strictConnect = _rcLookupHandler.NumberOfStrictConnectRouters();
-    if (strictConnect > 0 && connectToNum > strictConnect)
-    {
-      connectToNum = strictConnect;
-    }
+
+    size_t connectToNum = _outboundSessionMaker.maxConnectedRouters;
 
     if (isSvcNode and now >= m_NextDecommissionWarn)
     {
diff --git a/llarp/router/router.hpp b/llarp/router/router.hpp
index 16efb1fccc..1423cff304 100644
--- a/llarp/router/router.hpp
+++ b/llarp/router/router.hpp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include "abstractrouter.hpp"
 
 #include <llarp/bootstrap.hpp>
+#include <llarp/consensus/edge_selector.hpp>
 #include <llarp/config/config.hpp>
 #include <llarp/config/key_manager.hpp>
 #include <llarp/constants/link_layer.hpp>
@@ -79,6 +80,8 @@ namespace llarp
 
     std::shared_ptr<EventLoopWakeup> m_Pump;
 
+    consensus::EdgeSelector _edge_selector;
+
     path::BuildLimiter&
     pathBuildLimiter() override
     {
@@ -148,6 +151,9 @@ namespace llarp
         const std::vector<RouterID>& greylist,
         const std::vector<RouterID>& unfunded) override;
 
+    const consensus::EdgeSelector&
+    edge_selector() const override;
+
     std::unordered_set<RouterID>
     GetRouterWhitelist() const override
     {