System and method for balancing a number of incoming connections of nodes connected to a peer-to-peer network. The method includes receiving at a selecting node information about out-finger candidates. The information includes at least a quantifiable parameter for the out-finger candidates and the out-finger candidates are possible nodes to be connected to the selecting node. The method includes calculating in the selecting node, for each node of the out-finger candidates, a probability value by using a predetermined probability function that uses as input the corresponding quantifiable parameter; and selecting one node from the out-finger candidates to be an out-finger node for the selection node based on the probability value. The probability value is associated with a number of in-finger connections to the selected out-finger node.