diff --git a/agent/config/builder.go b/agent/config/builder.go
index c27cb1866a..ec98130e91 100644
--- a/agent/config/builder.go
+++ b/agent/config/builder.go
@@ -1541,6 +1541,13 @@ func (b *builder) checkVal(v *CheckDefinition) *structs.CheckDefinition {
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	var H2PingUseTLSVal bool
+	if stringVal(v.H2PING) != "" {
+		H2PingUseTLSVal = boolValWithDefault(v.H2PingUseTLS, true)
+	} else {
+		H2PingUseTLSVal = boolVal(v.H2PingUseTLS)
+	}
+
 	id := types.CheckID(stringVal(v.ID))
 
 	return &structs.CheckDefinition{
@@ -1571,7 +1578,7 @@ func (b *builder) checkVal(v *CheckDefinition) *structs.CheckDefinition {
 		FailuresBeforeCritical:         intVal(v.FailuresBeforeCritical),
 		FailuresBeforeWarning:          intValWithDefault(v.FailuresBeforeWarning, intVal(v.FailuresBeforeCritical)),
 		H2PING:                         stringVal(v.H2PING),
-		H2PingUseTLS:                   boolValWithDefault(v.H2PingUseTLS, true),
+		H2PingUseTLS:                   H2PingUseTLSVal,
 		DeregisterCriticalServiceAfter: b.durationVal(fmt.Sprintf("check[%s].deregister_critical_service_after", id), v.DeregisterCriticalServiceAfter),
 		OutputMaxSize:                  intValWithDefault(v.OutputMaxSize, checks.DefaultBufSize),
 		EnterpriseMeta:                 v.EnterpriseMeta.ToStructs(),
diff --git a/agent/config/runtime_test.go b/agent/config/runtime_test.go
index b7a7c5079b..a939e96e89 100644
--- a/agent/config/runtime_test.go
+++ b/agent/config/runtime_test.go
@@ -5638,7 +5638,6 @@ func TestLoad_FullConfig(t *testing.T) {
 						Timeout:                        4868 * time.Second,
 						TTL:                            11222 * time.Second,
 						DeregisterCriticalServiceAfter: 68482 * time.Second,
-						H2PingUseTLS:                   true,
 					},
 				},
 				Connect: &structs.ServiceConnect{},
diff --git a/agent/http_decode_test.go b/agent/http_decode_test.go
index 8560945444..ba8f060410 100644
--- a/agent/http_decode_test.go
+++ b/agent/http_decode_test.go
@@ -729,7 +729,7 @@ var translateH2PingUseTLS = []translateKeyTestCase{
 		desc:       "H2PingUseTLS: neither set",
 		in:         []interface{}{},
 		want:       true, // zero value
-		jsonFmtStr: "{}",
+		jsonFmtStr: "{" + `"h2ping":"testing"` + "}",
 		equalityFn: h2pingUseTLSEqFn,
 	},
 }
diff --git a/agent/structs/check_definition.go b/agent/structs/check_definition.go
index d9d54dcb4d..9c0f007975 100644
--- a/agent/structs/check_definition.go
+++ b/agent/structs/check_definition.go
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ func (t *CheckDefinition) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) (err error) {
 	}{
 		Alias: (*Alias)(t),
 	}
-
+	// Set default values
 	aux.H2PingUseTLS = true
 	aux.H2PingUseTLSSnake = true
 	if err = lib.UnmarshalJSON(data, &aux); err != nil {
@@ -111,6 +111,11 @@ func (t *CheckDefinition) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) (err error) {
 	if !aux.H2PingUseTLSSnake {
 		t.H2PingUseTLS = aux.H2PingUseTLSSnake
 	}
+	// unset default values if it is not an H2Ping check
+	if t.H2PING == "" {
+		aux.H2PingUseTLS = false
+		aux.H2PingUseTLSSnake = false
+	}
 
 	// Parse special values
 	if aux.Interval != nil {
diff --git a/agent/structs/check_type.go b/agent/structs/check_type.go
index 00eff8e23e..13a06e0aab 100644
--- a/agent/structs/check_type.go
+++ b/agent/structs/check_type.go
@@ -93,8 +93,10 @@ func (t *CheckType) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) (err error) {
 	}{
 		Alias: (*Alias)(t),
 	}
+	// set default values
 	aux.H2PingUseTLS = true
 	aux.H2PingUseTLSSnake = true
+
 	if err = lib.UnmarshalJSON(data, aux); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -162,6 +164,11 @@ func (t *CheckType) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) (err error) {
 	if !aux.H2PingUseTLSSnake {
 		t.H2PingUseTLS = aux.H2PingUseTLSSnake
 	}
+	// unset default values if it is not an H2Ping check
+	if t.H2PING == "" {
+		aux.H2PingUseTLS = false
+		aux.H2PingUseTLSSnake = false
+	}
 
 	return nil