diff --git a/src/config.yaml b/src/config.yaml
index 625eefd..9198d70 100644
--- a/src/config.yaml
+++ b/src/config.yaml
@@ -46,9 +46,13 @@ options:
         auth_cache_refresh_interval else Router won't start.
   max_connections:
     type: int
-    default: 512
+    default: 1024
     description: |
-        Maximum number of connections to allow in direction to each MySQL
+        If mysql router version < 8.0.27, this option will be set as max_connections
+        in the config. Else will be max_total_connections.
+        The max_connections is maximum number of connections to allow in direction to each MySQL
         routing sessions, with one for the RW unit and another one for the RO
-        units of the MySQL innodb cluster. Defaults to 512. A valid range is
-        between 1 and 65535.
+        units of the MySQL innodb cluster. A valid range is between 1 and 65535.
+        The max_total_connections is the maximum number of client connections handled by Router, to help
+        prevent running out of the file descriptors. A valid
+        range is between 1 and 9223372036854775807.
diff --git a/src/lib/charm/openstack/mysql_router.py b/src/lib/charm/openstack/mysql_router.py
index 653e3d6..61afb0b 100644
--- a/src/lib/charm/openstack/mysql_router.py
+++ b/src/lib/charm/openstack/mysql_router.py
@@ -755,7 +755,6 @@ class MySQLRouterCharm(charms_openstack.charm.OpenStackCharm):
             },
             DEFAULT_SECTION: {
                 "pid_file": self.mysqlrouter_pid_file,
-                "max_connections": str(self.options.max_connections),
                 "unknown_config_option": "warning",  # LP: #1971565
             },
             LOGGING_SECTION: {
@@ -770,6 +769,15 @@ class MySQLRouterCharm(charms_openstack.charm.OpenStackCharm):
             ch_core.hookenv.log("TLS mode PREFERRED", "DEBUG")
             _parameters["DEFAULT"]["client_ssl_mode"] = "PREFERRED"
 
+        if ch_core.host.cmp_pkgrevno('mysql-router', '8.0.27') >= 0:
+            _parameters[DEFAULT_SECTION]["max_total_connections"] = str(
+                self.options.max_connections
+            )
+        else:
+            _parameters[DEFAULT_SECTION]["max_connections"] = str(
+                self.options.max_connections
+            )
+
         with ch_core.host.restart_on_change(
                 self.restart_map, restart_functions=self.restart_functions):
             ch_core.hookenv.log("Updating configuration parameters", "DEBUG")
diff --git a/unit_tests/test_lib_charm_openstack_mysql_router.py b/unit_tests/test_lib_charm_openstack_mysql_router.py
index 00a1f6c..a31b351 100644
--- a/unit_tests/test_lib_charm_openstack_mysql_router.py
+++ b/unit_tests/test_lib_charm_openstack_mysql_router.py
@@ -776,7 +776,7 @@ class TestMySQLRouterCharm(test_utils.PatchHelper):
             mysql_router.METADATA_CACHE_SECTION: _metadata_config,
             mysql_router.DEFAULT_SECTION: {
                 'client_ssl_mode': "PASSTHROUGH",
-                'max_connections': _config_data['max_connections'],
+                'max_total_connections': _config_data['max_connections'],
                 'pid_file': '/run/mysql/mysqlrouter-foobar.pid',
                 'unknown_config_option': 'warning',
             },
@@ -784,6 +784,9 @@ class TestMySQLRouterCharm(test_utils.PatchHelper):
                 'level': 'INFO',
             },
         }
+        # Successful > 8.0.27
+        # Should use max_total_connections in config
+        self.cmp_pkgrevno.return_value = 1
 
         # Not bootstrapped yet
         self.exists.return_value = False
@@ -804,6 +807,15 @@ class TestMySQLRouterCharm(test_utils.PatchHelper):
         mrc.config_changed()
         _mock_update_config_parameters.assert_called_once_with(_params)
 
+        # Successful < 8.0.27
+        # Should use max_connections in config
+        self.cmp_pkgrevno.return_value = -1
+        _params["DEFAULT"].pop("max_total_connections")
+        _params["DEFAULT"]["max_connections"] = _config_data['max_connections']
+        _mock_update_config_parameters.reset_mock()
+        mrc.config_changed()
+        _mock_update_config_parameters.assert_called_once_with(_params)
+
     def test_custom_restart_function(self):
         self.patch_object(mysql_router.ch_core.host, "service_stop")
         self.patch_object(mysql_router.ch_core.host, "service_start")