diff --git a/app/app.go b/app/app.go
index a85334ab45..227885c9c0 100644
--- a/app/app.go
+++ b/app/app.go
@@ -404,7 +404,6 @@ func wireP2P(ctx context.Context, life *lifecycle.Manager, conf Config,
 	life.RegisterStart(lifecycle.AsyncAppCtx, lifecycle.StartP2PPing, p2p.NewPingService(p2pNode, peerIDs, conf.TestConfig.TestPingConfig))
 	life.RegisterStart(lifecycle.AsyncAppCtx, lifecycle.StartP2PEventCollector, p2p.NewEventCollector(p2pNode))
 	life.RegisterStart(lifecycle.AsyncAppCtx, lifecycle.StartP2PRouters, p2p.NewRelayRouter(p2pNode, peerIDs, relays))
-	life.RegisterStart(lifecycle.AsyncAppCtx, lifecycle.StartForceDirectConns, p2p.ForceDirectConnections(p2pNode, peerIDs))
 	life.RegisterStart(lifecycle.AsyncAppCtx, lifecycle.StartForceQUICConns, p2p.UpgradeToQUICConnections(p2pNode, peerIDs))
 
 	return p2pNode, nil
diff --git a/app/lifecycle/order.go b/app/lifecycle/order.go
index 4969432e7a..2cc2fbb53d 100644
--- a/app/lifecycle/order.go
+++ b/app/lifecycle/order.go
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ const (
 	StartValidatorAPI
 	StartP2PPing
 	StartP2PRouters
-	StartForceDirectConns
 	StartForceQUICConns
 	StartP2PConsensus
 	StartSimulator
diff --git a/app/lifecycle/orderstart_string.go b/app/lifecycle/orderstart_string.go
index 8f402f0b10..42031b8a68 100644
--- a/app/lifecycle/orderstart_string.go
+++ b/app/lifecycle/orderstart_string.go
@@ -20,26 +20,24 @@ func _() {
 	_ = x[StartValidatorAPI-7]
 	_ = x[StartP2PPing-8]
 	_ = x[StartP2PRouters-9]
-	_ = x[StartForceDirectConns-10]
-	_ = x[StartForceQUICConns-11]
-	_ = x[StartP2PConsensus-12]
-	_ = x[StartSimulator-13]
-	_ = x[StartScheduler-14]
-	_ = x[StartBuilderRegWatcher-15]
-	_ = x[StartP2PEventCollector-16]
-	_ = x[StartPeerInfo-17]
-	_ = x[StartParSigDB-18]
-	_ = x[StartStackSnipe-19]
+	_ = x[StartForceQUICConns-10]
+	_ = x[StartP2PConsensus-11]
+	_ = x[StartSimulator-12]
+	_ = x[StartScheduler-13]
+	_ = x[StartBuilderRegWatcher-14]
+	_ = x[StartP2PEventCollector-15]
+	_ = x[StartPeerInfo-16]
+	_ = x[StartParSigDB-17]
+	_ = x[StartStackSnipe-18]
 }
 
-const _OrderStart_name = "TrackerPrivkeyLockEth1ClientAggSigDBRelayMonitoringAPIDebugAPIValidatorAPIP2PPingP2PRoutersForceDirectConnsForceQUICConnsP2PConsensusSimulatorSchedulerBuilderRegWatcherP2PEventCollectorPeerInfoParSigDBStackSnipe"
+const _OrderStart_name = "TrackerPrivkeyLockEth1ClientAggSigDBRelayMonitoringAPIDebugAPIValidatorAPIP2PPingP2PRoutersForceQUICConnsP2PConsensusSimulatorSchedulerBuilderRegWatcherP2PEventCollectorPeerInfoParSigDBStackSnipe"
 
-var _OrderStart_index = [...]uint8{0, 7, 18, 28, 36, 41, 54, 62, 74, 81, 91, 107, 121, 133, 142, 151, 168, 185, 193, 201, 211}
+var _OrderStart_index = [...]uint8{0, 7, 18, 28, 36, 41, 54, 62, 74, 81, 91, 105, 117, 126, 135, 152, 169, 177, 185, 195}
 
 func (i OrderStart) String() string {
-	idx := int(i) - 0
-	if i < 0 || idx >= len(_OrderStart_index)-1 {
+	if i < 0 || i >= OrderStart(len(_OrderStart_index)-1) {
 		return "OrderStart(" + strconv.FormatInt(int64(i), 10) + ")"
 	}
-	return _OrderStart_name[_OrderStart_index[idx]:_OrderStart_index[idx+1]]
+	return _OrderStart_name[_OrderStart_index[i]:_OrderStart_index[i+1]]
 }
diff --git a/app/lifecycle/orderstop_string.go b/app/lifecycle/orderstop_string.go
index 97b41a26fa..6cf1f1c103 100644
--- a/app/lifecycle/orderstop_string.go
+++ b/app/lifecycle/orderstop_string.go
@@ -28,9 +28,8 @@ const _OrderStop_name = "SchedulerPrivkeyLockRetryerDutyDBBeaconMockValidatorAPI
 var _OrderStop_index = [...]uint8{0, 9, 20, 27, 33, 43, 55, 62, 71, 78, 86, 99}
 
 func (i OrderStop) String() string {
-	idx := int(i) - 0
-	if i < 0 || idx >= len(_OrderStop_index)-1 {
+	if i < 0 || i >= OrderStop(len(_OrderStop_index)-1) {
 		return "OrderStop(" + strconv.FormatInt(int64(i), 10) + ")"
 	}
-	return _OrderStop_name[_OrderStop_index[idx]:_OrderStop_index[idx+1]]
+	return _OrderStop_name[_OrderStop_index[i]:_OrderStop_index[i+1]]
 }
diff --git a/p2p/p2p.go b/p2p/p2p.go
index 999ff7685b..ce6f5ed8d7 100644
--- a/p2p/p2p.go
+++ b/p2p/p2p.go
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ func NewNode(ctx context.Context, cfg Config, key *k1.PrivateKey, connGater Conn
 		libp2p.ConnectionGater(connGater),
 		// Enable Autonat (required for hole punching)
 		libp2p.EnableNATService(),
+		libp2p.EnableHolePunching(),
 		libp2p.AddrsFactory(func(internalAddrs []ma.Multiaddr) []ma.Multiaddr {
 			return filterAdvertisedAddrs(externalAddrs, internalAddrs, filterPrivateAddrs)
 		}),
@@ -292,49 +293,6 @@ func (f peerRoutingFunc) FindPeer(ctx context.Context, p peer.ID) (peer.AddrInfo
 	return f(ctx, p)
 }
 
-// ForceDirectConnections attempts to establish a direct connection if there is an existing relay connection to the peer.
-// The idea is to enable switching to a direct connection as soon as the host has a connection to the peer.
-func ForceDirectConnections(p2pNode host.Host, peerIDs []peer.ID) lifecycle.HookFuncCtx {
-	forceDirectConn := func(ctx context.Context) {
-		for _, p := range peerIDs {
-			if p2pNode.ID() == p {
-				continue // Skip self
-			}
-
-			conns := p2pNode.Network().ConnsToPeer(p)
-			if len(conns) == 0 {
-				// Skip if there isn't any existing connection to peer. Note that we only force direct connection
-				// if there is already an existing relay connection between the host and peer.
-				continue
-			}
-
-			if isDirectConnAvailable(conns) {
-				continue
-			}
-
-			// All existing connections are through relays, so we can try force dialing a direct connection.
-			err := p2pNode.Connect(network.WithForceDirectDial(ctx, "relay_to_direct"), peer.AddrInfo{ID: p})
-			if err == nil {
-				log.Debug(ctx, "Forced direct connection to peer successful", z.Str("peer", PeerName(p)))
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
-	return func(ctx context.Context) {
-		ticker := time.NewTicker(1 * time.Minute)
-		defer ticker.Stop()
-
-		for {
-			select {
-			case <-ctx.Done():
-				return
-			case <-ticker.C:
-				forceDirectConn(ctx)
-			}
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 // isQUICEnabled returns true if the host has an address or listening address on QUIC.
 func isQUICEnabled(h host.Host) bool {
 	if slices.ContainsFunc(h.Network().ListenAddresses(), isQUICAddr) {
@@ -350,19 +308,6 @@ func isQUICEnabled(h host.Host) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-// isDirectConnAvailable returns true if direct connection is available in the given set of connections.
-func isDirectConnAvailable(conns []network.Conn) bool {
-	for _, conn := range conns {
-		if IsRelayAddr(conn.RemoteMultiaddr()) {
-			continue
-		}
-
-		return true
-	}
-
-	return false
-}
-
 // UpgradeToQUICConnections tries to upgrade a direct TCP connection to a direct QUIC connection
 // if there is known QUIC addresses from the peerstore.
 func UpgradeToQUICConnections(p2pNode host.Host, peerIDs []peer.ID) lifecycle.HookFuncCtx {
@@ -457,7 +402,7 @@ func UpgradeToQUICConnections(p2pNode host.Host, peerIDs []peer.ID) lifecycle.Ho
 
 			if !hasDirectTCPConn(conns) {
 				log.Debug(ctx, "No direct connection via TCP to peer", z.Str("peer", PeerName(p)), z.Any("conns", conns))
-				continue // no direct TPC connection to upgrade to QUIC, ForceDirectConnections shall upgrade to direct
+				continue // no direct TCP connection to upgrade to QUIC, hole punching shall upgrade to direct
 			}
 
 			// Get known QUIC addrs from peerstore