diff --git a/controllers/acls.go b/controllers/acls.go
index 727811fb5..f5bcad851 100644
--- a/controllers/acls.go
+++ b/controllers/acls.go
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ func aclDebug(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		logic.ReturnErrorResponse(w, r, logic.FormatError(err, "badrequest"))
 		return
 	}
-	allowed := logic.IsNodeAllowedToCommunicate(node, peer)
+	allowed := logic.IsNodeAllowedToCommunicate(node, peer, true)
 	logic.ReturnSuccessResponseWithJson(w, r, allowed, "fetched all acls in the network ")
 }
 
diff --git a/logic/acls.go b/logic/acls.go
index b555e83d2..8292792ae 100644
--- a/logic/acls.go
+++ b/logic/acls.go
@@ -517,18 +517,20 @@ func IsUserAllowedToCommunicate(userName string, peer models.Node) bool {
 }
 
 // IsNodeAllowedToCommunicate - check node is allowed to communicate with the peer
-func IsNodeAllowedToCommunicate(node, peer models.Node) bool {
+func IsNodeAllowedToCommunicate(node, peer models.Node, checkDefaultPolicy bool) bool {
 	if node.IsStatic {
 		node = node.StaticNode.ConvertToStaticNode()
 	}
 	if peer.IsStatic {
 		peer = peer.StaticNode.ConvertToStaticNode()
 	}
-	// check default policy if all allowed return true
-	defaultPolicy, err := GetDefaultPolicy(models.NetworkID(node.Network), models.DevicePolicy)
-	if err == nil {
-		if defaultPolicy.Enabled {
-			return true
+	if checkDefaultPolicy {
+		// check default policy if all allowed return true
+		defaultPolicy, err := GetDefaultPolicy(models.NetworkID(node.Network), models.DevicePolicy)
+		if err == nil {
+			if defaultPolicy.Enabled {
+				return true
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/logic/extpeers.go b/logic/extpeers.go
index c03a0efa7..6cb352231 100644
--- a/logic/extpeers.go
+++ b/logic/extpeers.go
@@ -564,7 +564,7 @@ func GetFwRulesOnIngressGateway(node models.Node) (rules []models.FwRule) {
 			if peer.StaticNode.ClientID == nodeI.StaticNode.ClientID || peer.IsUserNode {
 				continue
 			}
-			if IsNodeAllowedToCommunicate(nodeI, peer) {
+			if IsNodeAllowedToCommunicate(nodeI, peer, true) {
 				if peer.IsStatic {
 					if nodeI.StaticNode.Address != "" {
 						rules = append(rules, models.FwRule{
@@ -650,7 +650,7 @@ func GetExtPeers(node, peer *models.Node) ([]wgtypes.PeerConfig, []models.IDandA
 			continue
 		}
 		if extPeer.RemoteAccessClientID == "" {
-			if !IsNodeAllowedToCommunicate(extPeer.ConvertToStaticNode(), *peer) {
+			if !IsNodeAllowedToCommunicate(extPeer.ConvertToStaticNode(), *peer, true) {
 				continue
 			}
 		} else {
@@ -739,7 +739,7 @@ func getExtpeerEgressRanges(node models.Node) (ranges, ranges6 []net.IPNet) {
 		if len(extPeer.ExtraAllowedIPs) == 0 {
 			continue
 		}
-		if !IsNodeAllowedToCommunicate(extPeer.ConvertToStaticNode(), node) {
+		if !IsNodeAllowedToCommunicate(extPeer.ConvertToStaticNode(), node, true) {
 			continue
 		}
 		for _, allowedRange := range extPeer.ExtraAllowedIPs {
@@ -766,7 +766,7 @@ func getExtpeersExtraRoutes(node models.Node) (egressRoutes []models.EgressNetwo
 		if len(extPeer.ExtraAllowedIPs) == 0 {
 			continue
 		}
-		if !IsNodeAllowedToCommunicate(extPeer.ConvertToStaticNode(), node) {
+		if !IsNodeAllowedToCommunicate(extPeer.ConvertToStaticNode(), node, true) {
 			continue
 		}
 		egressRoutes = append(egressRoutes, getExtPeerEgressRoute(node, extPeer)...)
diff --git a/logic/peers.go b/logic/peers.go
index f67162636..1669fa528 100644
--- a/logic/peers.go
+++ b/logic/peers.go
@@ -96,6 +96,8 @@ func GetPeerUpdateForHost(network string, host *models.Host, allNodes []models.N
 		if !node.Connected || node.PendingDelete || node.Action == models.NODE_DELETE {
 			continue
 		}
+		// check default policy if all allowed return true
+		defaultPolicy, _ := GetDefaultPolicy(models.NetworkID(node.Network), models.DevicePolicy)
 		if host.OS == models.OS_Types.IoT {
 			hostPeerUpdate.NodeAddrs = append(hostPeerUpdate.NodeAddrs, node.PrimaryAddressIPNet())
 			if node.IsRelayed {
@@ -259,7 +261,7 @@ func GetPeerUpdateForHost(network string, host *models.Host, allNodes []models.N
 				!peer.PendingDelete &&
 				peer.Connected &&
 				nodeacls.AreNodesAllowed(nodeacls.NetworkID(node.Network), nodeacls.NodeID(node.ID.String()), nodeacls.NodeID(peer.ID.String())) &&
-				IsNodeAllowedToCommunicate(node, peer) &&
+				(defaultPolicy.Enabled || IsNodeAllowedToCommunicate(node, peer, false)) &&
 				(deletedNode == nil || (deletedNode != nil && peer.ID.String() != deletedNode.ID.String())) {
 				peerConfig.AllowedIPs = allowedips // only append allowed IPs if valid connection
 			}