diff --git a/config/components/konnect/manager.yaml b/config/components/konnect/manager.yaml
index a9e4bf260b..eb6a4af5af 100644
--- a/config/components/konnect/manager.yaml
+++ b/config/components/konnect/manager.yaml
@@ -27,3 +27,18 @@ spec:
               secretKeyRef:
                 name: konnect-client-tls
                 key: tls.key
+---
+apiVersion: apps/v1
+kind: Deployment
+metadata:
+  name: proxy-kong
+  namespace: kong
+spec:
+  template:
+    spec:
+      containers:
+        - name: proxy
+          env:
+            - name: KONG_ROUTER_FLAVOR
+              value: traditional_compatible
+
diff --git a/config/variants/konnect/base/manager.yaml b/config/variants/konnect/base/manager.yaml
index a9e4bf260b..eb6a4af5af 100644
--- a/config/variants/konnect/base/manager.yaml
+++ b/config/variants/konnect/base/manager.yaml
@@ -27,3 +27,18 @@ spec:
               secretKeyRef:
                 name: konnect-client-tls
                 key: tls.key
+---
+apiVersion: apps/v1
+kind: Deployment
+metadata:
+  name: proxy-kong
+  namespace: kong
+spec:
+  template:
+    spec:
+      containers:
+        - name: proxy
+          env:
+            - name: KONG_ROUTER_FLAVOR
+              value: traditional_compatible
+
diff --git a/config/variants/konnect/debug/manager_debug.yaml b/config/variants/konnect/debug/manager_debug.yaml
index 59a6c00701..b2a3281ada 100644
--- a/config/variants/konnect/debug/manager_debug.yaml
+++ b/config/variants/konnect/debug/manager_debug.yaml
@@ -30,3 +30,17 @@ spec:
             - name: CONTROLLER_KONNECT_ADDRESS
               value: https://us.kic.api.konghq.tech
           image: kic-placeholder:placeholder
+---
+apiVersion: apps/v1
+kind: Deployment
+metadata:
+  name: proxy-kong
+  namespace: kong
+spec:
+  template:
+    spec:
+      containers:
+        - name: proxy
+          env:
+            - name: KONG_ROUTER_FLAVOR
+              value: traditional_compatible
diff --git a/test/e2e/manifests/all-in-one-dbless-konnect-enterprise.yaml b/test/e2e/manifests/all-in-one-dbless-konnect-enterprise.yaml
index 7229486e7e..7c14b50f42 100644
--- a/test/e2e/manifests/all-in-one-dbless-konnect-enterprise.yaml
+++ b/test/e2e/manifests/all-in-one-dbless-konnect-enterprise.yaml
@@ -2572,6 +2572,8 @@ spec:
       automountServiceAccountToken: false
       containers:
       - env:
+        - name: KONG_ROUTER_FLAVOR
+          value: traditional_compatible
         - name: KONG_PROXY_LISTEN
           value: 0.0.0.0:8000 reuseport backlog=16384, 0.0.0.0:8443 http2 ssl reuseport
             backlog=16384
@@ -2593,8 +2595,6 @@ spec:
           value: /dev/stderr
         - name: KONG_PROXY_ERROR_LOG
           value: /dev/stderr
-        - name: KONG_ROUTER_FLAVOR
-          value: expressions
         image: kong/kong-gateway:3.4
         lifecycle:
           preStop:
diff --git a/test/e2e/manifests/all-in-one-dbless-konnect.yaml b/test/e2e/manifests/all-in-one-dbless-konnect.yaml
index 703f5ba88e..05cd374a32 100644
--- a/test/e2e/manifests/all-in-one-dbless-konnect.yaml
+++ b/test/e2e/manifests/all-in-one-dbless-konnect.yaml
@@ -2574,6 +2574,8 @@ spec:
       automountServiceAccountToken: false
       containers:
       - env:
+        - name: KONG_ROUTER_FLAVOR
+          value: traditional_compatible
         - name: KONG_PROXY_LISTEN
           value: 0.0.0.0:8000 reuseport backlog=16384, 0.0.0.0:8443 http2 ssl reuseport
             backlog=16384
@@ -2595,8 +2597,6 @@ spec:
           value: /dev/stderr
         - name: KONG_PROXY_ERROR_LOG
           value: /dev/stderr
-        - name: KONG_ROUTER_FLAVOR
-          value: expressions
         image: kong:3.4
         lifecycle:
           preStop: