diff --git a/internal/infrastructure/manager.go b/internal/infrastructure/manager.go
index 198acef8708..6f61fa14c0a 100644
--- a/internal/infrastructure/manager.go
+++ b/internal/infrastructure/manager.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/envoyproxy/gateway/internal/envoygateway/config"
 	"github.com/envoyproxy/gateway/internal/infrastructure/kubernetes"
 	"github.com/envoyproxy/gateway/internal/ir"
+	kube "github.com/envoyproxy/gateway/internal/kubernetes"
 )
 
 var _ Manager = (*kubernetes.Infra)(nil)
@@ -39,7 +40,7 @@ func NewManager(cfg *config.Server) (Manager, error) {
 
 	switch cfg.EnvoyGateway.Provider.Type {
 	case egv1a1.ProviderTypeKubernetes:
-		cli, err := client.New(clicfg.GetConfigOrDie(), client.Options{Scheme: envoygateway.GetScheme()})
+		cli, err := client.New(kube.ProtobufConfig(clicfg.GetConfigOrDie()), client.Options{Scheme: envoygateway.GetScheme()})
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
diff --git a/internal/kubernetes/client.go b/internal/kubernetes/client.go
index 5c58242bab6..5bc9a4d0356 100644
--- a/internal/kubernetes/client.go
+++ b/internal/kubernetes/client.go
@@ -13,16 +13,12 @@ import (
 
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
-	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
-	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/serializer"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes"
 	kubescheme "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/scheme"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/rest"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/clientcmd"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/remotecommand"
-
-	"github.com/envoyproxy/gateway/internal/envoygateway"
 )
 
 type CLIClient interface {
@@ -84,30 +80,6 @@ func newClientInternal(restCfg *rest.Config) (*client, error) {
 	return &c, err
 }
 
-func setRestDefaults(config *rest.Config) *rest.Config {
-	if config.GroupVersion == nil || config.GroupVersion.Empty() {
-		config.GroupVersion = &corev1.SchemeGroupVersion
-	}
-	if len(config.APIPath) == 0 {
-		if len(config.GroupVersion.Group) == 0 {
-			config.APIPath = "/api"
-		} else {
-			config.APIPath = "/apis"
-		}
-	}
-	if len(config.ContentType) == 0 {
-		config.ContentType = runtime.ContentTypeJSON
-	}
-	if config.NegotiatedSerializer == nil {
-		// This codec factory ensures the resources are not converted. Therefore, resources
-		// will not be round-tripped through internal versions. Defaulting does not happen
-		// on the client.
-		config.NegotiatedSerializer = serializer.NewCodecFactory(envoygateway.GetScheme()).WithoutConversion()
-	}
-
-	return config
-}
-
 func (c *client) RESTConfig() *rest.Config {
 	if c.config == nil {
 		return nil
diff --git a/internal/kubernetes/config.go b/internal/kubernetes/config.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f80cc4dfa7c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/kubernetes/config.go
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+// Copyright Envoy Gateway Authors
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+// The full text of the Apache license is available in the LICENSE file at
+// the root of the repo.
+
+package kubernetes
+
+import (
+	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/serializer"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/metadata"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/rest"
+
+	"github.com/envoyproxy/gateway/internal/envoygateway"
+)
+
+func ProtobufConfig(restCfg *rest.Config) *rest.Config {
+	return setRestDefaults(restCfg)
+}
+
+func setRestDefaults(config *rest.Config) *rest.Config {
+	config = metadata.ConfigFor(config)
+	if config.GroupVersion == nil || config.GroupVersion.Empty() {
+		config.GroupVersion = &corev1.SchemeGroupVersion
+	}
+	if len(config.APIPath) == 0 {
+		if len(config.GroupVersion.Group) == 0 {
+			config.APIPath = "/api"
+		} else {
+			config.APIPath = "/apis"
+		}
+	}
+
+	// This codec factory ensures the resources are not converted. Therefore, resources
+	// will not be round-tripped through internal versions. Defaulting does not happen
+	// on the client.
+	config.NegotiatedSerializer = serializer.NewCodecFactory(envoygateway.GetScheme()).WithoutConversion()
+
+	return config
+}
diff --git a/internal/provider/runner/runner.go b/internal/provider/runner/runner.go
index 94488489376..1057ee034fb 100644
--- a/internal/provider/runner/runner.go
+++ b/internal/provider/runner/runner.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 
 	egv1a1 "github.com/envoyproxy/gateway/api/v1alpha1"
 	"github.com/envoyproxy/gateway/internal/envoygateway/config"
+	kube "github.com/envoyproxy/gateway/internal/kubernetes"
 	"github.com/envoyproxy/gateway/internal/message"
 	"github.com/envoyproxy/gateway/internal/provider"
 	"github.com/envoyproxy/gateway/internal/provider/file"
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ func (r *Runner) createKubernetesProvider() (*kubernetes.Provider, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to get kubeconfig: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	p, err := kubernetes.New(cfg, &r.Config.Server, r.ProviderResources)
+	p, err := kubernetes.New(kube.ProtobufConfig(cfg), &r.Config.Server, r.ProviderResources)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create provider %s: %w", egv1a1.ProviderTypeKubernetes, err)
 	}