diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index f3c4c24118..4e7ce41cf6 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -599,6 +599,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "humantime-serde",
  "log",
  "nonexhaustive-delayqueue",
+ "num-rational",
  "nymsphinx",
  "pemstore",
  "rand 0.7.3",
@@ -3056,6 +3057,17 @@ dependencies = [
  "winapi",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "num-bigint"
+version = "0.4.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "f93ab6289c7b344a8a9f60f88d80aa20032336fe78da341afc91c8a2341fc75f"
+dependencies = [
+ "autocfg 1.1.0",
+ "num-integer",
+ "num-traits",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "num-derive"
 version = "0.3.3"
@@ -3077,6 +3089,18 @@ dependencies = [
  "num-traits",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "num-rational"
+version = "0.4.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "0638a1c9d0a3c0914158145bc76cff373a75a627e6ecbfb71cbe6f453a5a19b0"
+dependencies = [
+ "autocfg 1.1.0",
+ "num-bigint",
+ "num-integer",
+ "num-traits",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "num-traits"
 version = "0.2.14"
diff --git a/clients/client-core/Cargo.toml b/clients/client-core/Cargo.toml
index 3d84983358..a7fa7fd58d 100644
--- a/clients/client-core/Cargo.toml
+++ b/clients/client-core/Cargo.toml
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ pemstore = { path = "../../common/pemstore" }
 topology = { path = "../../common/topology" }
 validator-client = { path = "../../common/client-libs/validator-client", default-features = false }
 task = { path = "../../common/task" }
+num-rational = "0.4.1"
 
 [target."cfg(not(target_arch = \"wasm32\"))".dependencies.tokio-stream]
 version = "0.1.9"
diff --git a/clients/client-core/src/client/base_client/mod.rs b/clients/client-core/src/client/base_client/mod.rs
index 9788cb26f8..745eee30e1 100644
--- a/clients/client-core/src/client/base_client/mod.rs
+++ b/clients/client-core/src/client/base_client/mod.rs
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@ impl<'a> BaseClientBuilder<'a> {
             self.debug_config.ack_wait_addition,
             self.debug_config.average_ack_delay,
             self.debug_config.message_sending_average_delay,
+            self.debug_config.scale_sending_rate_with_no_connections,
             self.debug_config.average_packet_delay,
             self.debug_config.disable_main_poisson_packet_distribution,
             self.as_mix_recipient(),
diff --git a/clients/client-core/src/client/real_messages_control/mod.rs b/clients/client-core/src/client/real_messages_control/mod.rs
index e46c02e31e..ac24b2278b 100644
--- a/clients/client-core/src/client/real_messages_control/mod.rs
+++ b/clients/client-core/src/client/real_messages_control/mod.rs
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ pub struct Config {
     /// Average delay between sending subsequent packets from this client.
     average_message_sending_delay: Duration,
 
+    scale_sending_rate_with_no_connections: bool,
+
     /// Average delay a data packet is going to get delayed at a single mixnode.
     average_packet_delay_duration: Duration,
 
@@ -73,6 +75,7 @@ impl Config {
         ack_wait_addition: Duration,
         average_ack_delay_duration: Duration,
         average_message_sending_delay: Duration,
+        scale_sending_rate_with_no_connections: bool,
         average_packet_delay_duration: Duration,
         disable_main_poisson_packet_distribution: bool,
         self_recipient: Recipient,
@@ -83,6 +86,7 @@ impl Config {
             ack_wait_multiplier,
             self_recipient,
             average_message_sending_delay,
+            scale_sending_rate_with_no_connections,
             average_packet_delay_duration,
             average_ack_delay_duration,
             disable_main_poisson_packet_distribution,
@@ -152,6 +156,7 @@ impl RealMessagesController<OsRng> {
             config.average_ack_delay_duration,
             config.average_packet_delay_duration,
             config.average_message_sending_delay,
+            config.scale_sending_rate_with_no_connections,
             config.disable_main_poisson_packet_distribution,
         )
         .with_custom_cover_packet_size(config.packet_size);
diff --git a/clients/client-core/src/client/real_messages_control/real_traffic_stream.rs b/clients/client-core/src/client/real_messages_control/real_traffic_stream.rs
index c6ec08c15e..1706200245 100644
--- a/clients/client-core/src/client/real_messages_control/real_traffic_stream.rs
+++ b/clients/client-core/src/client/real_messages_control/real_traffic_stream.rs
@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@ pub(crate) struct Config {
     /// Average delay between sending subsequent packets.
     average_message_sending_delay: Duration,
 
+    scale_sending_rate_with_no_connections: bool,
+
     /// Controls whether the stream constantly produces packets according to the predefined
     /// poisson distribution.
     disable_poisson_packet_distribution: bool,
@@ -69,12 +71,14 @@ impl Config {
         average_ack_delay: Duration,
         average_packet_delay: Duration,
         average_message_sending_delay: Duration,
+        scale_sending_rate_with_no_connections: bool,
         disable_poisson_packet_distribution: bool,
     ) -> Self {
         Config {
             average_ack_delay,
             average_packet_delay,
             average_message_sending_delay,
+            scale_sending_rate_with_no_connections,
             disable_poisson_packet_distribution,
             cover_packet_size: Default::default(),
         }
@@ -285,8 +289,14 @@ where
     }
 
     fn current_average_message_sending_delay(&self) -> Duration {
-        self.config.average_message_sending_delay
-            * self.sending_delay_controller.current_multiplier()
+        let current_numer = *self.sending_delay_controller.current_multiplier().numer() as f64;
+        let current_denom = *self.sending_delay_controller.current_multiplier().denom() as f64;
+        self.config
+            .average_message_sending_delay
+            .mul_f64(current_numer / current_denom)
+
+        //self.config.average_message_sending_delay
+        //* self.sending_delay_controller.current_multiplier()
     }
 
     fn adjust_current_average_message_sending_delay(&mut self) {
@@ -306,13 +316,24 @@ where
         if self.mix_tx.capacity() == 0
             && self.sending_delay_controller.not_increased_delay_recently()
         {
-            self.sending_delay_controller.increase_delay_multiplier();
+            if self.config.scale_sending_rate_with_no_connections {
+                self.sending_delay_controller
+                    .increase_delay_multiplier_with_connections();
+            } else {
+                self.sending_delay_controller.increase_delay_multiplier();
+            }
         }
 
         // Very carefully step up the sending rate in case it seems like we can solidly handle the
         // current rate.
         if self.sending_delay_controller.is_sending_reliable() {
-            self.sending_delay_controller.decrease_delay_multiplier();
+            if self.config.scale_sending_rate_with_no_connections {
+                let no_connections = self.transmission_buffer.connections().len();
+                self.sending_delay_controller
+                    .decrease_delay_multiplier_with_connections(no_connections);
+            } else {
+                self.sending_delay_controller.decrease_delay_multiplier();
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -487,7 +508,9 @@ where
 
     #[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
     fn log_status_infrequent(&self) {
-        if self.sending_delay_controller.current_multiplier() > 1 {
+        use num_rational::Rational64;
+
+        if self.sending_delay_controller.current_multiplier() > Rational64::from_integer(1) {
             log::warn!(
                 "Unable to send packets fast enough - sending delay multiplier set to: {}",
                 self.sending_delay_controller.current_multiplier()
diff --git a/clients/client-core/src/client/real_messages_control/real_traffic_stream/sending_delay_controller.rs b/clients/client-core/src/client/real_messages_control/real_traffic_stream/sending_delay_controller.rs
index b22ffae7ff..184ecc0a9e 100644
--- a/clients/client-core/src/client/real_messages_control/real_traffic_stream/sending_delay_controller.rs
+++ b/clients/client-core/src/client/real_messages_control/real_traffic_stream/sending_delay_controller.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 use super::get_time_now;
 use std::time::Duration;
 
+use num_rational::Rational64;
 #[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
 use tokio::time;
 #[cfg(target_arch = "wasm32")]
@@ -30,13 +31,13 @@ pub(crate) struct SendingDelayController {
     /// Multiply the average sending delay.
     /// This is normally set to unity, but if we detect backpressure we increase this
     /// multiplier. We use discrete steps.
-    current_multiplier: u32,
+    current_multiplier: Rational64,
 
     /// Maximum delay multiplier
-    upper_bound: u32,
+    upper_bound: Rational64,
 
     /// Minimum delay multiplier
-    lower_bound: u32,
+    lower_bound: Rational64,
 
     /// To make sure we don't change the multiplier to fast, we limit a change to some duration
     #[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
@@ -65,15 +66,15 @@ impl SendingDelayController {
         assert!(lower_bound <= upper_bound);
         let now = get_time_now();
         SendingDelayController {
-            current_multiplier: MIN_DELAY_MULTIPLIER,
-            upper_bound,
-            lower_bound,
+            current_multiplier: Rational64::from_integer(MIN_DELAY_MULTIPLIER.into()),
+            upper_bound: Rational64::from_integer(upper_bound.into()),
+            lower_bound: Rational64::from_integer(lower_bound.into()),
             time_when_changed: now,
             time_when_backpressure_detected: now,
         }
     }
 
-    pub(crate) fn current_multiplier(&self) -> u32 {
+    pub(crate) fn current_multiplier(&self) -> Rational64 {
         self.current_multiplier
     }
 
@@ -91,6 +92,24 @@ impl SendingDelayController {
         }
     }
 
+    pub(crate) fn increase_delay_multiplier_with_connections(&mut self) {
+        if self.current_multiplier < self.upper_bound {
+            if self.current_multiplier < Rational64::from_integer(1) {
+                self.current_multiplier *= 2;
+            } else {
+                self.current_multiplier =
+                    (self.current_multiplier + 1).clamp(self.lower_bound, self.upper_bound);
+            }
+            self.time_when_changed = get_time_now();
+            log::warn!(
+                "Increasing sending delay multiplier to: {}",
+                self.current_multiplier
+            );
+        } else {
+            log::warn!("Trying to increase delay multipler higher than allowed");
+        }
+    }
+
     pub(crate) fn decrease_delay_multiplier(&mut self) {
         if self.current_multiplier > self.lower_bound {
             self.current_multiplier =
@@ -103,6 +122,27 @@ impl SendingDelayController {
         }
     }
 
+    pub(crate) fn decrease_delay_multiplier_with_connections(
+        &mut self,
+        number_of_connections: usize,
+    ) {
+        let lower_bound = Rational64::new(1, number_of_connections.try_into().unwrap());
+        log::info!("lower_bound: {}", lower_bound);
+
+        if self.current_multiplier > lower_bound {
+            if self.current_multiplier > Rational64::from_integer(1) {
+                self.current_multiplier =
+                    (self.current_multiplier - 1).clamp(self.lower_bound, self.upper_bound);
+            } else {
+                self.current_multiplier /= 2;
+            }
+        }
+        log::debug!(
+            "Decreasing sending delay multiplier to: {}",
+            self.current_multiplier
+        );
+    }
+
     pub(crate) fn record_backpressure_detected(&mut self) {
         self.time_when_backpressure_detected = get_time_now();
     }
diff --git a/clients/client-core/src/config/mod.rs b/clients/client-core/src/config/mod.rs
index 82317a6431..fb62c132c7 100644
--- a/clients/client-core/src/config/mod.rs
+++ b/clients/client-core/src/config/mod.rs
@@ -474,6 +474,9 @@ pub struct DebugConfig {
     #[serde(with = "humantime_serde")]
     pub message_sending_average_delay: Duration,
 
+    /// Controls if we should increase the sending rate with the number of connections
+    pub scale_sending_rate_with_no_connections: bool,
+
     /// How long we're willing to wait for a response to a message sent to the gateway,
     /// before giving up on it.
     #[serde(with = "humantime_serde")]
@@ -519,6 +522,7 @@ impl Default for DebugConfig {
             ack_wait_addition: DEFAULT_ACK_WAIT_ADDITION,
             loop_cover_traffic_average_delay: DEFAULT_LOOP_COVER_STREAM_AVERAGE_DELAY,
             message_sending_average_delay: DEFAULT_MESSAGE_STREAM_AVERAGE_DELAY,
+            scale_sending_rate_with_no_connections: false,
             gateway_response_timeout: DEFAULT_GATEWAY_RESPONSE_TIMEOUT,
             topology_refresh_rate: DEFAULT_TOPOLOGY_REFRESH_RATE,
             topology_resolution_timeout: DEFAULT_TOPOLOGY_RESOLUTION_TIMEOUT,