diff --git a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/tunnel/pool/TunnelPeerSelector.java b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/tunnel/pool/TunnelPeerSelector.java
index 0be44f41ee3017a65e6a476552277dc6db1877f0..23fdcefb9f6d971ee9b6b90dd5728daa1a4062f6 100644
--- a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/tunnel/pool/TunnelPeerSelector.java
+++ b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/tunnel/pool/TunnelPeerSelector.java
@@ -105,7 +105,8 @@ public abstract class TunnelPeerSelector extends ConnectChecker {
             String peers = opts.getProperty("explicitPeers");
             if (peers == null)
                 peers = ctx.getProperty("explicitPeers");
-            if (peers != null)
+            // only one out of 4 times so we don't break completely if peer doesn't build one
+            if (peers != null && ctx.random().nextInt(4) == 0)
                 return true;
         }
         return false;