diff --git a/reg-tests/http-messaging/protocol_upgrade.vtc b/reg-tests/http-messaging/protocol_upgrade.vtc
index 3cd0f4cb0..2fe65e717 100644
--- a/reg-tests/http-messaging/protocol_upgrade.vtc
+++ b/reg-tests/http-messaging/protocol_upgrade.vtc
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ server srv_h2 {
 		txresp \
 		  -status 200
 	} -run
-} -repeat 4 -start
+} -repeat 2 -start
 
 # http2 server without support for RFC8441
 server srv_h2_no_ws {
@@ -219,8 +219,7 @@ client c1_h1_h2 -connect ${hap_frt_h1_h2_sock} {
 client c2_h2 -connect ${hap_frt_h2_sock} {
 	txpri
 	stream 0 {
-		# manually send RFC8441 SETTINGS_ENABLE_CONNECT_PROTOCOL
-		sendhex "00 00 06 04   00    00 00 00 00    00 08   00 00 00 01"
+		txsettings
 		rxsettings
 		txsettings -ack
 		rxsettings
@@ -242,62 +241,11 @@ client c2_h2 -connect ${hap_frt_h2_sock} {
 	} -run
 } -run
 
-# connect to h2 server frontend without extension: must fail
-client c2_h2_rej1 -connect ${hap_frt_h2_sock} {
-	txpri
-	stream 0 {
-		# no extension sent
-		txsettings
-		rxsettings
-		txsettings -ack
-		rxsettings
-		expect settings.ack == true
-	} -run
-
-	stream 1 {
-		txreq \
-		  -req "CONNECT" \
-		  -scheme "http" \
-		  -url "/" \
-		  -hdr ":authority" "127.0.0.1" \
-		  -hdr ":protocol" "custom_protocol" \
-		  -nostrend
-
-		rxrst
-	} -run
-} -run
-
-# connect to h2 server with ext but :proto with bad method: must fail
-client c2_h2_rej2 -connect ${hap_frt_h2_sock} {
-	txpri
-	stream 0 {
-		# manually send RFC8441 SETTINGS_ENABLE_CONNECT_PROTOCOL
-		sendhex "00 00 06 04   00    00 00 00 00    00 08   00 00 00 01"
-		rxsettings
-		txsettings -ack
-		rxsettings
-		expect settings.ack == true
-	} -run
-
-	stream 1 {
-		txreq \
-		  -req "GET" \
-		  -scheme "http" \
-		  -url "/" \
-		  -hdr ":authority" "127.0.0.1" \
-		  -hdr ":protocol" "custom_protocol" \
-		  -nostrend
-
-		rxrst
-	} -run
-} -run
-
 # connect to h2 translation frontend
 client c3_h2_h1 -connect ${hap_frt_h2_h1_sock} {
 	txpri
 	stream 0 {
-		# manually send RFC8441 SETTINGS_ENABLE_CONNECT_PROTOCOL
-		sendhex "00 00 06 04   00    00 00 00 00    00 08   00 00 00 01"
+		txsettings
 		rxsettings
 		txsettings -ack
 		rxsettings
@@ -391,8 +339,7 @@ client c8_h2c -connect ${hap_frt_h1_h2c_sock} {
 client c9_h2c -connect ${hap_frt_h2_h1_sock} {
 	txpri
 	stream 0 {
-		# manually send RFC8441 SETTINGS_ENABLE_CONNECT_PROTOCOL
-		sendhex "00 00 06 04   00    00 00 00 00    00 08   00 00 00 01"
+		txsettings
 		rxsettings
 		txsettings -ack
 		rxsettings
diff --git a/reg-tests/http-messaging/websocket.vtc b/reg-tests/http-messaging/websocket.vtc
index b82f5a318..9567ea577 100644
--- a/reg-tests/http-messaging/websocket.vtc
+++ b/reg-tests/http-messaging/websocket.vtc
@@ -177,8 +177,7 @@ client c3 -connect ${hap_fe2_sock} {
 client c4 -connect ${hap_fe3_sock} {
 	txpri
 	stream 0 {
-		# manually send RFC8441 SETTINGS_ENABLE_CONNECT_PROTOCOL
-		sendhex "00 00 06 04   00    00 00 00 00    00 08   00 00 00 01"
+		txsettings
 		rxsettings
 		txsettings -ack
 		rxsettings
@@ -206,8 +205,7 @@ client c4 -connect ${hap_fe3_sock} {
 client c5 -connect ${hap_fe4_sock} {
 	txpri
 	stream 0 {
-		# manually send RFC8441 SETTINGS_ENABLE_CONNECT_PROTOCOL
-		sendhex "00 00 06 04   00    00 00 00 00    00 08   00 00 00 01"
+		txsettings
 		rxsettings
 		txsettings -ack
 		rxsettings
diff --git a/src/mux_h2.c b/src/mux_h2.c
index a04fa8f90..9720ae99c 100644
--- a/src/mux_h2.c
+++ b/src/mux_h2.c
@@ -6286,8 +6286,16 @@ next_frame:
 	/* If an Extended CONNECT has been sent on this stream, set message flag
 	 * to convert 200 response to 101 htx response. We only support this if
 	 * the connection supports RFC8441.
+	 * On the backend, that means the origin server advertised the setting.
+	 * On the frontend, RFC 8441 §3 only requires the server (us) to
+	 * advertise it; clients are not required to echo it back. Use whether
+	 * we ourselves advertised it as the gate.
 	 */
-	msgf |= (h2c->flags & H2_CF_RCVD_RFC8441) ? H2_MSGF_EXT_CONN_OK : 0;
+	if (h2c->flags & H2_CF_IS_BACK)
+		msgf |= (h2c->flags & H2_CF_RCVD_RFC8441) ? H2_MSGF_EXT_CONN_OK : 0;
+	else if (!(global.tune.options & GTUNE_DISABLE_H2_WEBSOCKET))
+		msgf |= H2_MSGF_EXT_CONN_OK;
+
 	msgf |= (*flags & H2_SF_EXT_CONNECT_SENT) ? H2_MSGF_EXT_CONNECT: 0;
 
 	/* when dealing with trailers, we need to check the content-length */