diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ZkController.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ZkController.java
index 80a6d8c7efc..3ac2b45cc0c 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ZkController.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ZkController.java
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
 import static org.apache.solr.common.cloud.ZkStateReader.CORE_NAME_PROP;
 import static org.apache.solr.common.cloud.ZkStateReader.CORE_NODE_NAME_PROP;
 import static org.apache.solr.common.cloud.ZkStateReader.ELECTION_NODE_PROP;
-import static org.apache.solr.common.cloud.ZkStateReader.HTTPS_PORT_PROP;
 import static org.apache.solr.common.cloud.ZkStateReader.NODE_NAME_PROP;
 import static org.apache.solr.common.cloud.ZkStateReader.REJOIN_AT_HEAD_PROP;
 import static org.apache.solr.common.cloud.ZkStateReader.SHARD_ID_PROP;
@@ -408,11 +407,7 @@ public ZkController(
 
       // note: Can't read cluster properties until createClusterState ^ is called
       final String urlSchemeFromClusterProp =
-          zkStateReader.getClusterProperty(
-              ZkStateReader.URL_SCHEME,
-              StrUtils.isNotNullOrEmpty(System.getProperty(HTTPS_PORT_PROP))
-                  ? ZkStateReader.HTTPS
-                  : ZkStateReader.HTTP);
+          zkStateReader.getClusterProperty(ZkStateReader.URL_SCHEME, ZkStateReader.HTTP);
 
       this.nodeName =
           generateNodeName(
diff --git a/solr/solrj-zookeeper/src/java/org/apache/solr/common/cloud/ZkStateReader.java b/solr/solrj-zookeeper/src/java/org/apache/solr/common/cloud/ZkStateReader.java
index a9c71392f20..ead5a8aa8b7 100644
--- a/solr/solrj-zookeeper/src/java/org/apache/solr/common/cloud/ZkStateReader.java
+++ b/solr/solrj-zookeeper/src/java/org/apache/solr/common/cloud/ZkStateReader.java
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@
 import org.apache.solr.common.util.ExecutorUtil;
 import org.apache.solr.common.util.ObjectReleaseTracker;
 import org.apache.solr.common.util.SolrNamedThreadFactory;
+import org.apache.solr.common.util.StrUtils;
 import org.apache.solr.common.util.Utils;
 import org.apache.zookeeper.KeeperException;
 import org.apache.zookeeper.KeeperException.NoNodeException;
@@ -1149,6 +1150,12 @@ private void loadClusterProperties() {
               ClusterProperties.convertCollectionDefaultsToNestedFormat(properties);
           log.debug("Loaded cluster properties: {}", this.clusterProperties);
 
+          if (!this.clusterProperties.containsKey(URL_SCHEME)) {
+            if (StrUtils.isNotNullOrEmpty(System.getProperty(HTTPS_PORT_PROP))) {
+              this.clusterProperties.put(URL_SCHEME, "https");
+            }
+          }
+
           for (ClusterPropertiesListener listener : clusterPropertiesListeners) {
             listener.onChange(getClusterProperties());
           }