diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c5754da1c96..813cf6804b8 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 ### Breaking Changes
 - Remove deprecated sync modes (X_SNAP and X_CHECKPOINT). Use SNAP and CHECKPOINT instead [#7309](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/7309)
 - Remove PKI-backed QBFT (deprecated in 24.5.1) Other forms of QBFT remain unchanged. [#7293](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/7293)
+- Do not maintain connections to PoA bootnodes [#7358](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/7358). See [#7314](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/7314) for recommended alternative behaviour.
 
 ### Additions and Improvements
 - `--Xsnapsync-bft-enabled` option enables experimental support for snap sync with IBFT/QBFT permissioned Bonsai-DB chains [#7140](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/7140)
diff --git a/besu/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/RunnerBuilder.java b/besu/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/RunnerBuilder.java
index dfd09165b7d..d0c434fc819 100644
--- a/besu/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/RunnerBuilder.java
+++ b/besu/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/RunnerBuilder.java
@@ -807,20 +807,7 @@ public Runner build() {
       LOG.debug("added ethash observer: {}", stratumServer.get());
     }
 
-    final Stream<EnodeURL> maintainedPeers;
-    if (besuController.getGenesisConfigOptions().isPoa()) {
-      // In a permissioned chain Besu should maintain connections to both static nodes and
-      // bootnodes, which includes retries periodically
-      maintainedPeers =
-          sanitizePeers(
-              network,
-              Stream.concat(staticNodes.stream(), bootnodes.stream()).collect(Collectors.toList()));
-      LOG.debug("Added bootnodes to the maintained peer list");
-    } else {
-      // In a public chain only maintain connections to static nodes
-      maintainedPeers = sanitizePeers(network, staticNodes);
-    }
-    maintainedPeers
+    sanitizePeers(network, staticNodes)
         .map(DefaultPeer::fromEnodeURL)
         .forEach(peerNetwork::addMaintainedConnectionPeer);