diff --git a/agent/structs/config_entry.go b/agent/structs/config_entry.go
index 048ab8425..97e3e9ff8 100644
--- a/agent/structs/config_entry.go
+++ b/agent/structs/config_entry.go
@@ -706,11 +706,7 @@ func (cfg UpstreamConfig) MergeInto(dst map[string]interface{}, legacy bool) {
 }
 
 func (cfg *UpstreamConfig) Normalize() {
-	if cfg.Protocol == "" {
-		cfg.Protocol = "tcp"
-	} else {
-		cfg.Protocol = strings.ToLower(cfg.Protocol)
-	}
+	cfg.Protocol = strings.ToLower(cfg.Protocol)
 
 	if cfg.ConnectTimeoutMs < 1 {
 		cfg.ConnectTimeoutMs = 5000
diff --git a/agent/structs/config_entry_test.go b/agent/structs/config_entry_test.go
index 9e79d8f14..7e5d58f16 100644
--- a/agent/structs/config_entry_test.go
+++ b/agent/structs/config_entry_test.go
@@ -1575,12 +1575,10 @@ func TestServiceConfigEntry_Normalize(t *testing.T) {
 							ConnectTimeoutMs: 5000,
 						},
 						"memcached": {
-							Protocol:         "tcp",
 							ConnectTimeoutMs: 5000,
 						},
 					},
 					UpstreamDefaults: &UpstreamConfig{
-						Protocol:         "tcp",
 						ConnectTimeoutMs: 5000,
 					},
 				},
@@ -1771,7 +1769,6 @@ func TestParseUpstreamConfig(t *testing.T) {
 			input: nil,
 			want: UpstreamConfig{
 				ConnectTimeoutMs: 5000,
-				Protocol:         "tcp",
 			},
 		},
 		{
@@ -1779,7 +1776,6 @@ func TestParseUpstreamConfig(t *testing.T) {
 			input: map[string]interface{}{},
 			want: UpstreamConfig{
 				ConnectTimeoutMs: 5000,
-				Protocol:         "tcp",
 			},
 		},
 		{
@@ -1790,7 +1786,6 @@ func TestParseUpstreamConfig(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			want: UpstreamConfig{
 				ConnectTimeoutMs: 5000,
-				Protocol:         "tcp",
 			},
 		},
 		{
@@ -1810,7 +1805,6 @@ func TestParseUpstreamConfig(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			want: UpstreamConfig{
 				ConnectTimeoutMs: 1000,
-				Protocol:         "tcp",
 			},
 		},
 		{
@@ -1820,7 +1814,6 @@ func TestParseUpstreamConfig(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			want: UpstreamConfig{
 				ConnectTimeoutMs: 1000,
-				Protocol:         "tcp",
 			},
 		},
 		{
@@ -1830,7 +1823,6 @@ func TestParseUpstreamConfig(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			want: UpstreamConfig{
 				ConnectTimeoutMs: 1000,
-				Protocol:         "tcp",
 			},
 		},
 		{
@@ -1844,7 +1836,6 @@ func TestParseUpstreamConfig(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			want: UpstreamConfig{
 				ConnectTimeoutMs: 5000,
-				Protocol:         "tcp",
 				Limits: &UpstreamLimits{
 					MaxConnections:        intPointer(50),
 					MaxPendingRequests:    intPointer(60),
@@ -1863,7 +1854,6 @@ func TestParseUpstreamConfig(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			want: UpstreamConfig{
 				ConnectTimeoutMs: 5000,
-				Protocol:         "tcp",
 				Limits: &UpstreamLimits{
 					MaxConnections:        intPointer(0),
 					MaxPendingRequests:    intPointer(0),
@@ -1881,7 +1871,6 @@ func TestParseUpstreamConfig(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			want: UpstreamConfig{
 				ConnectTimeoutMs: 5000,
-				Protocol:         "tcp",
 				PassiveHealthCheck: &PassiveHealthCheck{
 					Interval:    22 * time.Second,
 					MaxFailures: 7,
@@ -1897,7 +1886,6 @@ func TestParseUpstreamConfig(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			want: UpstreamConfig{
 				ConnectTimeoutMs: 5000,
-				Protocol:         "tcp",
 				MeshGateway: MeshGatewayConfig{
 					Mode: MeshGatewayModeRemote,
 				},