diff --git a/reg-tests/http-messaging/protocol_upgrade.vtc b/reg-tests/http-messaging/protocol_upgrade.vtc
index 2fe65e717..b4b7da3ad 100644
--- a/reg-tests/http-messaging/protocol_upgrade.vtc
+++ b/reg-tests/http-messaging/protocol_upgrade.vtc
@@ -219,7 +219,8 @@ client c1_h1_h2 -connect ${hap_frt_h1_h2_sock} {
 client c2_h2 -connect ${hap_frt_h2_sock} {
 	txpri
 	stream 0 {
-		txsettings
+		# manually send RFC8441 SETTINGS_ENABLE_CONNECT_PROTOCOL
+		sendhex "00 00 06 04   00    00 00 00 00    00 08   00 00 00 01"
 		rxsettings
 		txsettings -ack
 		rxsettings
@@ -245,7 +246,8 @@ client c2_h2 -connect ${hap_frt_h2_sock} {
 client c3_h2_h1 -connect ${hap_frt_h2_h1_sock} {
 	txpri
 	stream 0 {
-		txsettings
+		# manually send RFC8441 SETTINGS_ENABLE_CONNECT_PROTOCOL
+		sendhex "00 00 06 04   00    00 00 00 00    00 08   00 00 00 01"
 		rxsettings
 		txsettings -ack
 		rxsettings
@@ -339,7 +341,8 @@ client c8_h2c -connect ${hap_frt_h1_h2c_sock} {
 client c9_h2c -connect ${hap_frt_h2_h1_sock} {
 	txpri
 	stream 0 {
-		txsettings
+		# manually send RFC8441 SETTINGS_ENABLE_CONNECT_PROTOCOL
+		sendhex "00 00 06 04   00    00 00 00 00    00 08   00 00 00 01"
 		rxsettings
 		txsettings -ack
 		rxsettings
diff --git a/reg-tests/http-messaging/websocket.vtc b/reg-tests/http-messaging/websocket.vtc
index 9567ea577..b82f5a318 100644
--- a/reg-tests/http-messaging/websocket.vtc
+++ b/reg-tests/http-messaging/websocket.vtc
@@ -177,7 +177,8 @@ client c3 -connect ${hap_fe2_sock} {
 client c4 -connect ${hap_fe3_sock} {
 	txpri
 	stream 0 {
-		txsettings
+		# manually send RFC8441 SETTINGS_ENABLE_CONNECT_PROTOCOL
+		sendhex "00 00 06 04   00    00 00 00 00    00 08   00 00 00 01"
 		rxsettings
 		txsettings -ack
 		rxsettings
@@ -205,7 +206,8 @@ client c4 -connect ${hap_fe3_sock} {
 client c5 -connect ${hap_fe4_sock} {
 	txpri
 	stream 0 {
-		txsettings
+		# manually send RFC8441 SETTINGS_ENABLE_CONNECT_PROTOCOL
+		sendhex "00 00 06 04   00    00 00 00 00    00 08   00 00 00 01"
 		rxsettings
 		txsettings -ack
 		rxsettings