diff --git a/cl/phase1/stages/stage_history_download.go b/cl/phase1/stages/stage_history_download.go
index ad737973ec6..b2b4039d84f 100644
--- a/cl/phase1/stages/stage_history_download.go
+++ b/cl/phase1/stages/stage_history_download.go
@@ -144,8 +144,8 @@ func SpawnStageHistoryDownload(cfg StageHistoryReconstructionCfg, ctx context.Co
 			}
 		}
 		isInElSnapshots := true
-		frozenBlocksInEL := cfg.engine.FrozenBlocks(ctx)
 		if blk.Version() >= clparams.BellatrixVersion && cfg.engine != nil && cfg.engine.SupportInsertion() {
+			frozenBlocksInEL := cfg.engine.FrozenBlocks(ctx)
 			isInElSnapshots = blk.Block.Body.ExecutionPayload.BlockNumber < frozenBlocksInEL
 			if cfg.engine.HasGapInSnapshots(ctx) && frozenBlocksInEL > 0 {
 				destinationSlotForEL = frozenBlocksInEL - 1
diff --git a/cl/sentinel/discovery.go b/cl/sentinel/discovery.go
index 2fd0e43197e..1f73ff59502 100644
--- a/cl/sentinel/discovery.go
+++ b/cl/sentinel/discovery.go
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon/p2p/enr"
 )
 
+const peerSubnetTarget = 4
+
 // ConnectWithPeer is used to attempt to connect and add the peer to our pool
 // it errors when if fail to connect with the peer, for instance, if it fails the handshake
 // if it does not return an error, the peer is attempted to be added to the pool
@@ -96,16 +98,18 @@ func (s *Sentinel) listenForPeers() {
 			break
 		}
 
-		if s.HasTooManyPeers() {
-			log.Trace("[Sentinel] Not looking for peers, at peer limit")
-			time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
-			continue
-		}
 		exists := iterator.Next()
 		if !exists {
 			continue
 		}
 		node := iterator.Node()
+
+		needsPeersForSubnets := s.isPeerUsefulForAnySubnet(node)
+		if s.HasTooManyPeers() && !needsPeersForSubnets {
+			log.Trace("[Sentinel] Not looking for peers, at peer limit")
+			time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+			continue
+		}
 		peerInfo, _, err := convertToAddrInfo(node)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Error("[Sentinel] Could not convert to peer info", "err", err)
diff --git a/cl/sentinel/sentinel.go b/cl/sentinel/sentinel.go
index 5b77c60b322..5dc4e747757 100644
--- a/cl/sentinel/sentinel.go
+++ b/cl/sentinel/sentinel.go
@@ -22,12 +22,16 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5"
+	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/go-bitfield"
 
 	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon-lib/kv"
+	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon/cl/gossip"
 	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon/cl/persistence/blob_storage"
 	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon/cl/phase1/forkchoice"
 	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon/cl/sentinel/handlers"
@@ -325,6 +329,88 @@ func (s *Sentinel) HasTooManyPeers() bool {
 	return active >= peers.DefaultMaxPeers
 }
 
+func (s *Sentinel) isPeerUsefulForAnySubnet(node *enode.Node) bool {
+	ret := false
+
+	nodeAttnets := bitfield.NewBitvector64()
+	nodeSyncnets := bitfield.NewBitvector4()
+	if err := node.Load(enr.WithEntry(s.cfg.NetworkConfig.AttSubnetKey, &nodeAttnets)); err != nil {
+		log.Trace("Could not load att subnet", "err", err)
+		return false
+	}
+	if err := node.Load(enr.WithEntry(s.cfg.NetworkConfig.SyncCommsSubnetKey, &nodeSyncnets)); err != nil {
+		log.Trace("Could not load sync subnet", "err", err)
+		return false
+	}
+
+	s.subManager.subscriptions.Range(func(key, value any) bool {
+		sub := value.(*GossipSubscription)
+		if sub.sub == nil {
+			return true
+		}
+
+		if !sub.subscribed.Load() {
+			return true
+		}
+
+		if len(sub.topic.ListPeers()) > peerSubnetTarget {
+			return true
+		}
+		if gossip.IsTopicBeaconAttestation(sub.sub.Topic()) {
+			ret = s.isPeerUsefulForAttNet(sub, nodeAttnets)
+			return !ret
+		}
+
+		if gossip.IsTopicSyncCommittee(sub.sub.Topic()) {
+			ret = s.isPeerUsefulForSyncNet(sub, nodeSyncnets)
+			return !ret
+		}
+
+		return true
+	})
+	return ret
+}
+
+func (s *Sentinel) isPeerUsefulForAttNet(sub *GossipSubscription, nodeAttnets bitfield.Bitvector64) bool {
+	splitTopic := strings.Split(sub.sub.Topic(), "/")
+	if len(splitTopic) < 4 {
+		return false
+	}
+	subnetIdStr, found := strings.CutPrefix(splitTopic[3], "beacon_attestation_")
+	if !found {
+		return false
+	}
+	subnetId, err := strconv.Atoi(subnetIdStr)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Warn("Could not parse subnet id", "subnet", subnetIdStr, "err", err)
+		return false
+	}
+	// check if subnetIdth bit is set in nodeAttnets
+	return nodeAttnets.BitAt(uint64(subnetId))
+
+}
+
+func (s *Sentinel) isPeerUsefulForSyncNet(sub *GossipSubscription, nodeSyncnets bitfield.Bitvector4) bool {
+	splitTopic := strings.Split(sub.sub.Topic(), "/")
+	if len(splitTopic) < 4 {
+		return false
+	}
+	syncnetIdStr, found := strings.CutPrefix(splitTopic[3], "sync_committee_")
+	if !found {
+		return false
+	}
+	syncnetId, err := strconv.Atoi(syncnetIdStr)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Warn("Could not parse syncnet id", "syncnet", syncnetIdStr, "err", err)
+		return false
+	}
+	// check if syncnetIdth bit is set in nodeSyncnets
+	if nodeSyncnets.BitAt(uint64(syncnetId)) {
+		return true
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 func (s *Sentinel) GetPeersCount() (active int, connected int, disconnected int) {
 	peers := s.host.Network().Peers()