diff --git a/.changelog/10647.txt b/.changelog/10647.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..80ceef3a57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/10647.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:bug
+connect: fix crash that would result from multiple instances of a service resolving service config on a single agent.
+```
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/agent/service_manager.go b/agent/service_manager.go
index d112fc2d06..7223e98ac3 100644
--- a/agent/service_manager.go
+++ b/agent/service_manager.go
@@ -396,12 +396,6 @@ func mergeServiceConfig(defaults *structs.ServiceConfigResponse, service *struct
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse upstream config map for %s: %v", us.Upstream.String(), err)
 		}
 
-		// Delete the mesh gateway key since this is the only place it is read from an opaque map.
-		// Later reads use Proxy.MeshGateway.
-		// Note that we use the "mesh_gateway" key and not other variants like "MeshGateway" because
-		// UpstreamConfig.MergeInto and ResolveServiceConfig only use "mesh_gateway".
-		delete(us.Config, "mesh_gateway")
-
 		remoteUpstreams[us.Upstream] = structs.Upstream{
 			DestinationNamespace: us.Upstream.NamespaceOrDefault(),
 			DestinationName:      us.Upstream.ID,
@@ -425,7 +419,7 @@ func mergeServiceConfig(defaults *structs.ServiceConfigResponse, service *struct
 		}
 		localUpstreams[us.DestinationID()] = struct{}{}
 
-		usCfg, ok := remoteUpstreams[us.DestinationID()]
+		remoteCfg, ok := remoteUpstreams[us.DestinationID()]
 		if !ok {
 			// No config defaults to merge
 			continue
@@ -433,13 +427,19 @@ func mergeServiceConfig(defaults *structs.ServiceConfigResponse, service *struct
 
 		// The local upstream config mode has the highest precedence, so only overwrite when it's set to the default
 		if us.MeshGateway.Mode == structs.MeshGatewayModeDefault {
-			us.MeshGateway.Mode = usCfg.MeshGateway.Mode
+			us.MeshGateway.Mode = remoteCfg.MeshGateway.Mode
 		}
 
 		// Merge in everything else that is read from the map
-		if err := mergo.Merge(&us.Config, usCfg.Config); err != nil {
+		if err := mergo.Merge(&us.Config, remoteCfg.Config); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
+
+		// Delete the mesh gateway key from opaque config since this is the value that was resolved from
+		// the servers and NOT the final merged value for this upstream.
+		// Note that we use the "mesh_gateway" key and not other variants like "MeshGateway" because
+		// UpstreamConfig.MergeInto and ResolveServiceConfig only use "mesh_gateway".
+		delete(us.Config, "mesh_gateway")
 	}
 
 	// Ensure upstreams present in central config are represented in the local configuration.
diff --git a/agent/service_manager_test.go b/agent/service_manager_test.go
index 41aabd2281..29823595b9 100644
--- a/agent/service_manager_test.go
+++ b/agent/service_manager_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package agent
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"github.com/mitchellh/copystructure"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -1178,9 +1179,16 @@ func Test_mergeServiceConfig_UpstreamOverrides(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			defaultsCopy, err := copystructure.Copy(tt.args.defaults)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+
 			got, err := mergeServiceConfig(tt.args.defaults, tt.args.service)
 			require.NoError(t, err)
 			assert.Equal(t, tt.want, got)
+
+			// The input defaults must not be modified by the merge.
+			// See PR #10647
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.args.defaults, defaultsCopy)
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -1271,9 +1279,16 @@ func Test_mergeServiceConfig_TransparentProxy(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			defaultsCopy, err := copystructure.Copy(tt.args.defaults)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+
 			got, err := mergeServiceConfig(tt.args.defaults, tt.args.service)
 			require.NoError(t, err)
 			assert.Equal(t, tt.want, got)
+
+			// The input defaults must not be modified by the merge.
+			// See PR #10647
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.args.defaults, defaultsCopy)
 		})
 	}
 }