diff --git a/src/multiplexed_socket.cpp b/src/multiplexed_socket.cpp
index b34bf07f17bb9346a4715d7c76ecb2e53a295534..81a777cdf02e7ee564a437b8a6f0ce9fc80dde48 100644
--- a/src/multiplexed_socket.cpp
+++ b/src/multiplexed_socket.cpp
@@ -60,12 +60,13 @@ public:
     Impl(MultiplexedSocket& parent,
          std::shared_ptr<asio::io_context> ctx,
          const DeviceId& deviceId,
-         std::unique_ptr<TlsSocketEndpoint> endpoint,
+         std::unique_ptr<TlsSocketEndpoint> ep,
          std::shared_ptr<dht::log::Logger> logger)
         : parent_(parent)
         , ctx_(std::move(ctx))
         , deviceId(deviceId)
-        , endpoint(std::move(endpoint))
+        , endpoint(std::move(ep))
+        , nextChannel_(endpoint->isInitiator() ? 0x0001u : 0x8000u)
         , eventLoopThread_ {[this] {
             try {
                 eventLoop();
@@ -193,6 +194,7 @@ public:
 
     std::mutex socketsMutex {};
     std::map<uint16_t, std::shared_ptr<ChannelSocket>> sockets {};
+    uint16_t nextChannel_;
 
     // Main loop to parse incoming packets
     std::atomic_bool stop {false};
@@ -551,20 +553,16 @@ MultiplexedSocket::~MultiplexedSocket() {}
 std::shared_ptr<ChannelSocket>
 MultiplexedSocket::addChannel(const std::string& name)
 {
-    // Note: because both sides can request the same channel number at the same time
-    // it's better to use a random channel number instead of just incrementing the request.
-    thread_local dht::crypto::random_device rd;
-    std::uniform_int_distribution<uint16_t> dist;
-    auto offset = dist(rd);
     std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lk(pimpl_->socketsMutex);
-    for (int i = 1; i < UINT16_MAX; ++i) {
-        auto c = (offset + i) % UINT16_MAX;
-        if (c == CONTROL_CHANNEL || c == PROTOCOL_CHANNEL
-            || pimpl_->sockets.find(c) != pimpl_->sockets.end())
-            continue;
-        auto channel = pimpl_->makeSocket(name, c, true);
-        return channel;
-    }
+    if (pimpl_->sockets.size() < UINT16_MAX)
+        for (unsigned i = 0; i < UINT16_MAX; ++i) {
+            auto c = pimpl_->nextChannel_++;
+            if (c == CONTROL_CHANNEL
+             || c == PROTOCOL_CHANNEL
+             || pimpl_->sockets.find(c) != pimpl_->sockets.end())
+                continue;
+            return pimpl_->makeSocket(name, c, true);
+        }
     return {};
 }