The techniques describe adaptive load-balancing based on traffic feedback from packet processors. In one example, a source virtual network node of the network device may determine whether a particular destination packet processor is or may become oversubscribed. For example, source packet processors of the source virtual network node may exchange feedback messages including traffic flow rate information. The source virtual network node may compute a total traffic flow rate and compare the total traffic flow rate with a bandwidth of the particular destination packet processor. In response to determining that the bandwidth of the destination packet processor is oversubscribed, the source virtual network node may update a forwarding plane data structure to reduce a likelihood of selecting the destination packet processor to which to forward packet flows.