diff --git a/src/connection-manager/index.ts b/src/connection-manager/index.ts
index 9dca352369..fc7887d659 100644
--- a/src/connection-manager/index.ts
+++ b/src/connection-manager/index.ts
@@ -648,7 +648,15 @@ export class DefaultConnectionManager extends EventEmitter<ConnectionManagerEven
 
     for (const connection of sortedConnections) {
       log('too many connections open - closing a connection to %p', connection.remotePeer)
-      toClose.push(connection)
+      // check allow list
+      const connectionInAllowList = this.allow.some((ma) => {
+        return connection.remoteAddr.toString().startsWith(ma.toString())
+      })
+
+      // Connections in the allow list should be excluded from pruning
+      if (!connectionInAllowList) {
+        toClose.push(connection)
+      }
 
       if (toClose.length === toPrune) {
         break
diff --git a/test/connection-manager/index.spec.ts b/test/connection-manager/index.spec.ts
index 7953db9466..7077df1b7b 100644
--- a/test/connection-manager/index.spec.ts
+++ b/test/connection-manager/index.spec.ts
@@ -169,7 +169,80 @@ describe('Connection Manager', () => {
     expect(shortestLivedWithLowestTagSpy).to.have.property('callCount', 1)
   })
 
-  it('should close connection when the maximum has been reached even without tags', async () => {
+  it('should not close connection that is on the allowlist when pruning', async () => {
+    const max = 2
+    const remoteAddr = multiaddr('/ip4/83.13.55.32/tcp/59283')
+
+    libp2p = await createNode({
+      config: createBaseOptions({
+        connectionManager: {
+          maxConnections: max,
+          minConnections: 0,
+          allow: [
+            '/ip4/83.13.55.32'
+          ]
+        }
+      }),
+      started: false
+    })
+
+    await libp2p.start()
+
+    const connectionManager = libp2p.connectionManager as DefaultConnectionManager
+    const connectionManagerMaybeDisconnectOneSpy = sinon.spy(connectionManager, '_pruneConnections')
+    const spies = new Map<number, sinon.SinonSpy<[], Promise<void>>>()
+
+    // Max out connections
+    for (let i = 0; i < max; i++) {
+      const connection = mockConnection(mockMultiaddrConnection(mockDuplex(), await createEd25519PeerId()))
+      const spy = sinon.spy(connection, 'close')
+      const value = (i + 1) * 10
+      spies.set(value, spy)
+      await libp2p.peerStore.tagPeer(connection.remotePeer, 'test-tag', {
+        value
+      })
+      await connectionManager._onConnect(new CustomEvent('connection', { detail: connection }))
+    }
+
+    // an outbound connection is opened from an address in the allow list
+    const remotePeer = await createEd25519PeerId()
+    const connection = mockConnection(mockMultiaddrConnection({
+      remoteAddr,
+      source: [],
+      sink: async () => {}
+    }, remotePeer))
+
+    const value = 0
+    const spy = sinon.spy(connection, 'close')
+    spies.set(value, spy)
+
+    // Tag that allowed peer with lowest value
+    await libp2p.peerStore.tagPeer(remotePeer, 'test-tag', {
+      value
+    })
+
+    await connectionManager._onConnect(new CustomEvent('connection', { detail: connection }))
+
+    // get the lowest value
+    const lowest = Array.from(spies.keys()).sort((a, b) => {
+      if (a > b) {
+        return 1
+      }
+
+      if (a < b) {
+        return -1
+      }
+
+      return 0
+    })[0]
+    const lowestSpy = spies.get(lowest)
+
+    expect(connectionManagerMaybeDisconnectOneSpy.callCount).to.equal(1)
+    // expect lowest value spy NOT to be called since the peer is in the allow list
+    expect(lowestSpy).to.have.property('callCount', 0)
+  })
+
+  it('should close connection when the maximum connections has been reached even without tags', async () => {
     const max = 5
     libp2p = await createNode({
       config: createBaseOptions({