diff --git a/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/manager/RequestManager.java b/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/manager/RequestManager.java
index cefcdab1ff..17028726c4 100644
--- a/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/manager/RequestManager.java
+++ b/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/manager/RequestManager.java
@@ -79,12 +79,12 @@ public class RequestManager {
         Optional.ofNullable(responseStreams.get(requestIdAndEthMessage.getKey()))
             .ifPresentOrElse(
                 responseStream -> responseStream.processMessage(requestIdAndEthMessage.getValue()),
-                // disconnect on incorrect requestIds
+                // Consider incorrect requestIds to be a useless response; too
+                // many of these and we will disconnect.
                 () -> {
-                  LOG.debug(
-                      "Request ID incorrect (BREACH_OF_PROTOCOL), disconnecting peer {}", peer);
-                  peer.disconnect(DisconnectMessage.DisconnectReason.BREACH_OF_PROTOCOL);
+                  peer.recordUselessResponse("Request ID incorrect");
                 });
+
       } else {
         // otherwise iterate through all of them
         streams.forEach(stream -> stream.processMessage(ethMessage.getData()));
diff --git a/ethereum/p2p/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/p2p/network/DefaultP2PNetwork.java b/ethereum/p2p/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/p2p/network/DefaultP2PNetwork.java
index 44d783fa39..dee16a5b29 100644
--- a/ethereum/p2p/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/p2p/network/DefaultP2PNetwork.java
+++ b/ethereum/p2p/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/p2p/network/DefaultP2PNetwork.java
@@ -494,7 +494,8 @@ public class DefaultP2PNetwork implements P2PNetwork {
       // Set up permissions
       // Fold peer reputation into permissions
       final PeerPermissionsDenylist misbehavingPeers = PeerPermissionsDenylist.create(500);
-      final PeerDenylistManager reputationManager = new PeerDenylistManager(misbehavingPeers);
+      final PeerDenylistManager reputationManager =
+          new PeerDenylistManager(misbehavingPeers, maintainedPeers);
       peerPermissions = PeerPermissions.combine(peerPermissions, misbehavingPeers);
 
       final MutableLocalNode localNode =
diff --git a/ethereum/p2p/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/p2p/network/PeerDenylistManager.java b/ethereum/p2p/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/p2p/network/PeerDenylistManager.java
index 17d1d11fc6..bf98a0bb3f 100644
--- a/ethereum/p2p/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/p2p/network/PeerDenylistManager.java
+++ b/ethereum/p2p/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/p2p/network/PeerDenylistManager.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
  */
 package org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.p2p.network;
 
+import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.p2p.peers.MaintainedPeers;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.p2p.permissions.PeerPermissionsDenylist;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.p2p.rlpx.DisconnectCallback;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.p2p.rlpx.connections.PeerConnection;
@@ -36,8 +37,12 @@ public class PeerDenylistManager implements DisconnectCallback {
 
   private final PeerPermissionsDenylist denylist;
 
-  public PeerDenylistManager(final PeerPermissionsDenylist denylist) {
+  private final MaintainedPeers maintainedPeers;
+
+  public PeerDenylistManager(
+      final PeerPermissionsDenylist denylist, final MaintainedPeers maintainedPeers) {
     this.denylist = denylist;
+    this.maintainedPeers = maintainedPeers;
   }
 
   @Override
@@ -46,8 +51,15 @@ public class PeerDenylistManager implements DisconnectCallback {
       final DisconnectReason reason,
       final boolean initiatedByPeer) {
     if (shouldBlock(reason, initiatedByPeer)) {
-      LOG.debug("Added peer {} to peer denylist for reason {}", connection, reason.name());
-      denylist.add(connection.getPeer());
+      if (maintainedPeers.contains(connection.getPeer())) {
+        LOG.debug(
+            "Skip adding maintained peer {} to peer denylist for reason {}",
+            connection,
+            reason.name());
+      } else {
+        LOG.debug("Added peer {} to peer denylist for reason {}", connection, reason.name());
+        denylist.add(connection.getPeer());
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/ethereum/p2p/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/p2p/network/PeerDenylistManagerTest.java b/ethereum/p2p/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/p2p/network/PeerDenylistManagerTest.java
index 8ebd40e6a7..38435d9d53 100644
--- a/ethereum/p2p/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/p2p/network/PeerDenylistManagerTest.java
+++ b/ethereum/p2p/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/p2p/network/PeerDenylistManagerTest.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
 
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.p2p.peers.DefaultPeer;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.p2p.peers.EnodeURLImpl;
+import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.p2p.peers.MaintainedPeers;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.p2p.peers.Peer;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.p2p.permissions.PeerPermissions;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.p2p.permissions.PeerPermissionsDenylist;
@@ -34,10 +35,11 @@ public class PeerDenylistManagerTest {
   private final Peer localNode = generatePeer();
   private final PeerDenylistManager peerDenylistManager;
   private final PeerPermissionsDenylist denylist;
+  private final MaintainedPeers maintainedPeers = new MaintainedPeers();
 
   public PeerDenylistManagerTest() {
     denylist = PeerPermissionsDenylist.create();
-    peerDenylistManager = new PeerDenylistManager(denylist);
+    peerDenylistManager = new PeerDenylistManager(denylist, maintainedPeers);
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -69,6 +71,16 @@ public class PeerDenylistManagerTest {
     checkPermissions(denylist, peer.getPeer(), true);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void doesNotDenylistMaintainedPeer() {
+    final PeerConnection peer = generatePeerConnection();
+    maintainedPeers.add(peer.getPeer());
+
+    checkPermissions(denylist, peer.getPeer(), true);
+    peerDenylistManager.onDisconnect(peer, DisconnectReason.BREACH_OF_PROTOCOL, false);
+    checkPermissions(denylist, peer.getPeer(), true);
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void denylistIncompatiblePeer() {
     final PeerConnection peer = generatePeerConnection();