diff --git a/core/src/upgrade.rs b/core/src/upgrade.rs
index 2cb3c060..34a27cdf 100644
--- a/core/src/upgrade.rs
+++ b/core/src/upgrade.rs
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ mod error;
 mod from_fn;
 mod map;
 mod optional;
+mod pending;
 mod select;
 mod transfer;
 
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ pub use self::{
     from_fn::{from_fn, FromFnUpgrade},
     map::{MapInboundUpgrade, MapInboundUpgradeErr, MapOutboundUpgrade, MapOutboundUpgradeErr},
     optional::OptionalUpgrade,
+    pending::PendingUpgrade,
     select::SelectUpgrade,
     transfer::{read_length_prefixed, read_varint, write_length_prefixed, write_varint},
 };
diff --git a/core/src/upgrade/pending.rs b/core/src/upgrade/pending.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..15d3c31d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/upgrade/pending.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+// Copyright 2022 Protocol Labs.
+// Copyright 2017-2018 Parity Technologies (UK) Ltd.
+//
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
+// copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"),
+// to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation
+// the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense,
+// and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the
+// Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+//
+// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+// all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+//
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS
+// OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+// FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+// AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+// LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
+// FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER
+// DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
+
+use crate::upgrade::{InboundUpgrade, OutboundUpgrade, ProtocolName, UpgradeInfo};
+use futures::future;
+use std::iter;
+use void::Void;
+
+/// Implementation of [`UpgradeInfo`], [`InboundUpgrade`] and [`OutboundUpgrade`] that always
+/// returns a pending upgrade.
+#[derive(Debug, Copy, Clone)]
+pub struct PendingUpgrade<P> {
+    protocol_name: P,
+}
+
+impl<P> PendingUpgrade<P> {
+    pub fn new(protocol_name: P) -> Self {
+        Self { protocol_name }
+    }
+}
+
+impl<P> UpgradeInfo for PendingUpgrade<P>
+where
+    P: ProtocolName + Clone,
+{
+    type Info = P;
+    type InfoIter = iter::Once<P>;
+
+    fn protocol_info(&self) -> Self::InfoIter {
+        iter::once(self.protocol_name.clone())
+    }
+}
+
+impl<C, P> InboundUpgrade<C> for PendingUpgrade<P>
+where
+    P: ProtocolName + Clone,
+{
+    type Output = Void;
+    type Error = Void;
+    type Future = future::Pending<Result<Self::Output, Self::Error>>;
+
+    fn upgrade_inbound(self, _: C, _: Self::Info) -> Self::Future {
+        future::pending()
+    }
+}
+
+impl<C, P> OutboundUpgrade<C> for PendingUpgrade<P>
+where
+    P: ProtocolName + Clone,
+{
+    type Output = Void;
+    type Error = Void;
+    type Future = future::Pending<Result<Self::Output, Self::Error>>;
+
+    fn upgrade_outbound(self, _: C, _: Self::Info) -> Self::Future {
+        future::pending()
+    }
+}
diff --git a/swarm/src/connection/handler_wrapper.rs b/swarm/src/connection/handler_wrapper.rs
index 77eb1d79..03d09b3f 100644
--- a/swarm/src/connection/handler_wrapper.rs
+++ b/swarm/src/connection/handler_wrapper.rs
@@ -440,3 +440,82 @@ pub enum Event<TOutboundOpenInfo, TCustom> {
     /// Other event.
     Custom(TCustom),
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use crate::handler::PendingConnectionHandler;
+    use quickcheck::*;
+    use std::sync::Arc;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn max_negotiating_inbound_streams() {
+        fn prop(max_negotiating_inbound_streams: u8) {
+            let max_negotiating_inbound_streams: usize = max_negotiating_inbound_streams.into();
+            let mut wrapper = HandlerWrapper::new(
+                PeerId::random(),
+                ConnectedPoint::Listener {
+                    local_addr: Multiaddr::empty(),
+                    send_back_addr: Multiaddr::empty(),
+                },
+                PendingConnectionHandler::new("test".to_string()),
+                None,
+                max_negotiating_inbound_streams,
+            );
+            let alive_substreams_counter = Arc::new(());
+
+            for _ in 0..max_negotiating_inbound_streams {
+                let substream =
+                    SubstreamBox::new(PendingSubstream(alive_substreams_counter.clone()));
+                wrapper.inject_substream(substream, SubstreamEndpoint::Listener);
+            }
+
+            assert_eq!(
+                Arc::strong_count(&alive_substreams_counter),
+                max_negotiating_inbound_streams + 1,
+                "Expect none of the substreams up to the limit to be dropped."
+            );
+
+            let substream = SubstreamBox::new(PendingSubstream(alive_substreams_counter.clone()));
+            wrapper.inject_substream(substream, SubstreamEndpoint::Listener);
+
+            assert_eq!(
+                Arc::strong_count(&alive_substreams_counter),
+                max_negotiating_inbound_streams + 1,
+                "Expect substream exceeding the limit to be dropped."
+            );
+        }
+
+        QuickCheck::new().quickcheck(prop as fn(_));
+    }
+
+    struct PendingSubstream(Arc<()>);
+
+    impl AsyncRead for PendingSubstream {
+        fn poll_read(
+            self: Pin<&mut Self>,
+            _cx: &mut Context<'_>,
+            _buf: &mut [u8],
+        ) -> Poll<std::io::Result<usize>> {
+            Poll::Pending
+        }
+    }
+
+    impl AsyncWrite for PendingSubstream {
+        fn poll_write(
+            self: Pin<&mut Self>,
+            _cx: &mut Context<'_>,
+            _buf: &[u8],
+        ) -> Poll<std::io::Result<usize>> {
+            Poll::Pending
+        }
+
+        fn poll_flush(self: Pin<&mut Self>, _cx: &mut Context<'_>) -> Poll<std::io::Result<()>> {
+            Poll::Pending
+        }
+
+        fn poll_close(self: Pin<&mut Self>, _cx: &mut Context<'_>) -> Poll<std::io::Result<()>> {
+            Poll::Pending
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/swarm/src/handler.rs b/swarm/src/handler.rs
index 7060d33b..c6125f27 100644
--- a/swarm/src/handler.rs
+++ b/swarm/src/handler.rs
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ mod map_in;
 mod map_out;
 pub mod multi;
 mod one_shot;
+mod pending;
 mod select;
 
 pub use crate::upgrade::{InboundUpgradeSend, OutboundUpgradeSend, SendWrapper, UpgradeInfoSend};
@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@ pub use dummy::DummyConnectionHandler;
 pub use map_in::MapInEvent;
 pub use map_out::MapOutEvent;
 pub use one_shot::{OneShotHandler, OneShotHandlerConfig};
+pub use pending::PendingConnectionHandler;
 pub use select::{ConnectionHandlerSelect, IntoConnectionHandlerSelect};
 
 /// A handler for a set of protocols used on a connection with a remote.
diff --git a/swarm/src/handler/pending.rs b/swarm/src/handler/pending.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..04c16965
--- /dev/null
+++ b/swarm/src/handler/pending.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+// Copyright 2022 Protocol Labs.
+// Copyright 2018 Parity Technologies (UK) Ltd.
+//
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
+// copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"),
+// to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation
+// the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense,
+// and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the
+// Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+//
+// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+// all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+//
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS
+// OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+// FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+// AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+// LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
+// FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER
+// DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
+
+use crate::handler::{
+    ConnectionHandler, ConnectionHandlerEvent, ConnectionHandlerUpgrErr, KeepAlive,
+    SubstreamProtocol,
+};
+use crate::NegotiatedSubstream;
+use libp2p_core::{
+    upgrade::{InboundUpgrade, OutboundUpgrade, PendingUpgrade},
+    Multiaddr,
+};
+use std::task::{Context, Poll};
+use void::Void;
+
+/// Implementation of [`ConnectionHandler`] that returns a pending upgrade.
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+pub struct PendingConnectionHandler {
+    protocol_name: String,
+}
+
+impl PendingConnectionHandler {
+    pub fn new(protocol_name: String) -> Self {
+        PendingConnectionHandler { protocol_name }
+    }
+}
+
+impl ConnectionHandler for PendingConnectionHandler {
+    type InEvent = Void;
+    type OutEvent = Void;
+    type Error = Void;
+    type InboundProtocol = PendingUpgrade<String>;
+    type OutboundProtocol = PendingUpgrade<String>;
+    type OutboundOpenInfo = Void;
+    type InboundOpenInfo = ();
+
+    fn listen_protocol(&self) -> SubstreamProtocol<Self::InboundProtocol, Self::InboundOpenInfo> {
+        SubstreamProtocol::new(PendingUpgrade::new(self.protocol_name.clone()), ())
+    }
+
+    fn inject_fully_negotiated_inbound(
+        &mut self,
+        protocol: <Self::InboundProtocol as InboundUpgrade<NegotiatedSubstream>>::Output,
+        _: Self::InboundOpenInfo,
+    ) {
+        void::unreachable(protocol)
+    }
+
+    fn inject_fully_negotiated_outbound(
+        &mut self,
+        protocol: <Self::OutboundProtocol as OutboundUpgrade<NegotiatedSubstream>>::Output,
+        _info: Self::OutboundOpenInfo,
+    ) {
+        void::unreachable(protocol);
+        #[allow(unreachable_code)]
+        {
+            void::unreachable(_info);
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn inject_event(&mut self, v: Self::InEvent) {
+        void::unreachable(v)
+    }
+
+    fn inject_address_change(&mut self, _: &Multiaddr) {}
+
+    fn inject_dial_upgrade_error(
+        &mut self,
+        _: Self::OutboundOpenInfo,
+        _: ConnectionHandlerUpgrErr<
+            <Self::OutboundProtocol as OutboundUpgrade<NegotiatedSubstream>>::Error,
+        >,
+    ) {
+    }
+
+    fn inject_listen_upgrade_error(
+        &mut self,
+        _: Self::InboundOpenInfo,
+        _: ConnectionHandlerUpgrErr<
+            <Self::InboundProtocol as InboundUpgrade<NegotiatedSubstream>>::Error,
+        >,
+    ) {
+    }
+
+    fn connection_keep_alive(&self) -> KeepAlive {
+        KeepAlive::No
+    }
+
+    fn poll(
+        &mut self,
+        _: &mut Context<'_>,
+    ) -> Poll<
+        ConnectionHandlerEvent<
+            Self::OutboundProtocol,
+            Self::OutboundOpenInfo,
+            Self::OutEvent,
+            Self::Error,
+        >,
+    > {
+        Poll::Pending
+    }
+}