diff --git a/changes/bug3196 b/changes/bug3196
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9321022675
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/bug3196
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+  o Minor features:
+    - Raise the threshold of server descriptors needed (75%) and exit
+      server descriptors needed (50%) before we will declare ourselves
+      bootstrapped. This will make clients declare completion a little
+      later, but makes the initially constructed circuits less weird
+      and less in conflict with directory connections. Fixes ticket
+      #3196.
diff --git a/src/or/routerlist.c b/src/or/routerlist.c
index 0abc2e9bcf..36a282a30f 100644
--- a/src/or/routerlist.c
+++ b/src/or/routerlist.c
@@ -5004,7 +5004,14 @@ update_router_have_minimum_dir_info(void)
   count_usable_descriptors(&num_exit_present, &num_exit_usable,
                            consensus, options, now, options->ExitNodes, 1);
 
-  if (num_present < num_usable/4) {
+/* What fraction of desired server descriptors do we need before we will
+ * build circuits? */
+#define FRACTION_USABLE_NEEDED .75
+/* What fraction of desired _exit_ server descriptors do we need before we
+ * will build circuits? */
+#define FRACTION_EXIT_USABLE_NEEDED .5
+
+  if (num_present < num_usable * FRACTION_USABLE_NEEDED) {
     tor_snprintf(dir_info_status, sizeof(dir_info_status),
                  "We have only %d/%d usable %sdescriptors.",
                  num_present, num_usable, using_md ? "micro" : "");
@@ -5017,7 +5024,7 @@ update_router_have_minimum_dir_info(void)
                  num_present, using_md ? "micro" : "", num_present ? "" : "s");
     res = 0;
     goto done;
-  } else if (num_exit_present < num_exit_usable / 3) {
+  } else if (num_exit_present < num_exit_usable * FRACTION_EXIT_USABLE_NEEDED) {
     tor_snprintf(dir_info_status, sizeof(dir_info_status),
                  "We have only %d/%d usable exit node descriptors.",
                  num_exit_present, num_exit_usable);