diff --git a/control-plane/api-gateway/common/translation.go b/control-plane/api-gateway/common/translation.go
index 248d841270..8fbf1b92b7 100644
--- a/control-plane/api-gateway/common/translation.go
+++ b/control-plane/api-gateway/common/translation.go
@@ -279,46 +279,64 @@ func (t ResourceTranslator) translateHTTPQueryMatch(match gwv1beta1.HTTPQueryPar
 }
 
 func (t ResourceTranslator) translateHTTPFilters(filters []gwv1beta1.HTTPRouteFilter, resourceMap *ResourceMap, namespace string) (api.HTTPFilters, api.HTTPResponseFilters) {
-	var urlRewrite *api.URLRewrite
-	// TODO Consider only setting a filter on the resulting Consul config entry
-	//   if we encounter a gwb1beta1.HTTPRouteFilter that requires it
-	consulFilter := api.HTTPHeaderFilter{
-		Add: make(map[string]string),
-		Set: make(map[string]string),
-	}
-	consulResponseFilter := api.HTTPHeaderFilter{
-		Add: make(map[string]string),
-		Set: make(map[string]string),
-	}
-	var retryFilter *api.RetryFilter
-	var timeoutFilter *api.TimeoutFilter
+	var (
+		urlRewrite            *api.URLRewrite
+		retryFilter           *api.RetryFilter
+		timeoutFilter         *api.TimeoutFilter
+		requestHeaderFilters  = []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{}
+		responseHeaderFilters = []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{}
+	)
 
 	// Convert Gateway API filters to portions of the Consul request and response filters.
 	// Multiple filters applying the same or conflicting operations are allowed but may
 	// result in unexpected behavior.
 	for _, filter := range filters {
 		if filter.RequestHeaderModifier != nil {
-			consulFilter.Remove = append(consulFilter.Remove, filter.RequestHeaderModifier.Remove...)
+			newFilter := api.HTTPHeaderFilter{}
+
+			if len(filter.RequestHeaderModifier.Remove) > 0 {
+				newFilter.Remove = append(newFilter.Remove, filter.RequestHeaderModifier.Remove...)
+			}
 
-			for _, toAdd := range filter.RequestHeaderModifier.Add {
-				consulFilter.Add[string(toAdd.Name)] = toAdd.Value
+			if len(filter.RequestHeaderModifier.Add) > 0 {
+				newFilter.Add = map[string]string{}
+				for _, toAdd := range filter.RequestHeaderModifier.Add {
+					newFilter.Add[string(toAdd.Name)] = toAdd.Value
+				}
 			}
 
-			for _, toSet := range filter.RequestHeaderModifier.Set {
-				consulFilter.Set[string(toSet.Name)] = toSet.Value
+			if len(filter.RequestHeaderModifier.Set) > 0 {
+				newFilter.Set = map[string]string{}
+				for _, toSet := range filter.RequestHeaderModifier.Set {
+					newFilter.Set[string(toSet.Name)] = toSet.Value
+				}
 			}
+
+			requestHeaderFilters = append(requestHeaderFilters, newFilter)
 		}
 
 		if filter.ResponseHeaderModifier != nil {
-			consulResponseFilter.Remove = append(consulResponseFilter.Remove, filter.ResponseHeaderModifier.Remove...)
+			newFilter := api.HTTPHeaderFilter{}
+
+			if len(filter.ResponseHeaderModifier.Remove) > 0 {
+				newFilter.Remove = append(newFilter.Remove, filter.ResponseHeaderModifier.Remove...)
+			}
 
-			for _, toAdd := range filter.ResponseHeaderModifier.Add {
-				consulResponseFilter.Add[string(toAdd.Name)] = toAdd.Value
+			if len(filter.ResponseHeaderModifier.Add) > 0 {
+				newFilter.Add = map[string]string{}
+				for _, toAdd := range filter.ResponseHeaderModifier.Add {
+					newFilter.Add[string(toAdd.Name)] = toAdd.Value
+				}
 			}
 
-			for _, toSet := range filter.ResponseHeaderModifier.Set {
-				consulResponseFilter.Set[string(toSet.Name)] = toSet.Value
+			if len(filter.ResponseHeaderModifier.Set) > 0 {
+				newFilter.Set = map[string]string{}
+				for _, toSet := range filter.ResponseHeaderModifier.Set {
+					newFilter.Set[string(toSet.Name)] = toSet.Value
+				}
 			}
+
+			responseHeaderFilters = append(responseHeaderFilters, newFilter)
 		}
 
 		// we drop any path rewrites that are not prefix matches as we don't support those
@@ -364,14 +382,14 @@ func (t ResourceTranslator) translateHTTPFilters(filters []gwv1beta1.HTTPRouteFi
 	}
 
 	requestFilter := api.HTTPFilters{
-		Headers:       []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{consulFilter},
+		Headers:       requestHeaderFilters,
 		URLRewrite:    urlRewrite,
 		RetryFilter:   retryFilter,
 		TimeoutFilter: timeoutFilter,
 	}
 
 	responseFilter := api.HTTPResponseFilters{
-		Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{consulResponseFilter},
+		Headers: responseHeaderFilters,
 	}
 
 	return requestFilter, responseFilter
diff --git a/control-plane/api-gateway/common/translation_test.go b/control-plane/api-gateway/common/translation_test.go
index 7e929917b3..94c78d1ee7 100644
--- a/control-plane/api-gateway/common/translation_test.go
+++ b/control-plane/api-gateway/common/translation_test.go
@@ -511,9 +511,7 @@ func TestTranslator_ToHTTPRoute(t *testing.T) {
 							},
 							URLRewrite: &api.URLRewrite{Path: "v1"},
 						},
-						ResponseFilters: api.HTTPResponseFilters{
-							Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{{Add: map[string]string{}, Set: map[string]string{}}},
-						},
+						ResponseFilters: api.HTTPResponseFilters{Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{}},
 						Matches: []api.HTTPMatch{
 							{
 								Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderMatch{
@@ -558,10 +556,8 @@ func TestTranslator_ToHTTPRoute(t *testing.T) {
 										Path: "path",
 									},
 								},
-								ResponseFilters: api.HTTPResponseFilters{
-									Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{{Add: map[string]string{}, Set: map[string]string{}}},
-								},
-								Weight: 45,
+								ResponseFilters: api.HTTPResponseFilters{Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{}},
+								Weight:          45,
 							},
 						},
 					},
@@ -722,7 +718,7 @@ func TestTranslator_ToHTTPRoute(t *testing.T) {
 							},
 						},
 						ResponseFilters: api.HTTPResponseFilters{
-							Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{{Add: map[string]string{}, Set: map[string]string{}}},
+							Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{},
 						},
 						Matches: []api.HTTPMatch{
 							{
@@ -769,7 +765,7 @@ func TestTranslator_ToHTTPRoute(t *testing.T) {
 									},
 								},
 								ResponseFilters: api.HTTPResponseFilters{
-									Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{{Add: map[string]string{}, Set: map[string]string{}}},
+									Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{},
 								},
 								Weight: 45,
 							},
@@ -940,7 +936,7 @@ func TestTranslator_ToHTTPRoute(t *testing.T) {
 							URLRewrite: &api.URLRewrite{Path: "v1"},
 						},
 						ResponseFilters: api.HTTPResponseFilters{
-							Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{{Add: map[string]string{}, Set: map[string]string{}}},
+							Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{},
 						},
 						Matches: []api.HTTPMatch{
 							{
@@ -987,7 +983,7 @@ func TestTranslator_ToHTTPRoute(t *testing.T) {
 									},
 								},
 								ResponseFilters: api.HTTPResponseFilters{
-									Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{{Add: map[string]string{}, Set: map[string]string{}}},
+									Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{},
 								},
 								Weight: 45,
 							},
@@ -1172,7 +1168,7 @@ func TestTranslator_ToHTTPRoute(t *testing.T) {
 							URLRewrite: &api.URLRewrite{Path: "v1"},
 						},
 						ResponseFilters: api.HTTPResponseFilters{
-							Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{{Add: map[string]string{}, Set: map[string]string{}}},
+							Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{},
 						},
 						Matches: []api.HTTPMatch{
 							{
@@ -1202,9 +1198,9 @@ func TestTranslator_ToHTTPRoute(t *testing.T) {
 								Name:      "some-override",
 								Namespace: "svc-ns",
 								Weight:    1,
-								Filters:   api.HTTPFilters{Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{{Add: make(map[string]string), Set: make(map[string]string)}}},
+								Filters:   api.HTTPFilters{Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{}},
 								ResponseFilters: api.HTTPResponseFilters{
-									Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{{Add: map[string]string{}, Set: map[string]string{}}},
+									Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{},
 								}},
 							{
 								Name:      "service one",
@@ -1227,7 +1223,7 @@ func TestTranslator_ToHTTPRoute(t *testing.T) {
 									},
 								},
 								ResponseFilters: api.HTTPResponseFilters{
-									Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{{Add: map[string]string{}, Set: map[string]string{}}},
+									Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{},
 								},
 								Weight: 45,
 							},
@@ -1371,7 +1367,7 @@ func TestTranslator_ToHTTPRoute(t *testing.T) {
 				Rules: []api.HTTPRouteRule{
 					{
 						Filters: api.HTTPFilters{
-							Headers:    []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{{Add: map[string]string{}, Set: map[string]string{}}},
+							Headers:    []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{},
 							URLRewrite: nil,
 							RetryFilter: &api.RetryFilter{
 								NumRetries:            pointer.Uint32(3),
@@ -1381,7 +1377,7 @@ func TestTranslator_ToHTTPRoute(t *testing.T) {
 							},
 						},
 						ResponseFilters: api.HTTPResponseFilters{
-							Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{{Add: map[string]string{}, Set: map[string]string{}}},
+							Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{},
 						},
 						Matches: []api.HTTPMatch{
 							{
@@ -1411,7 +1407,7 @@ func TestTranslator_ToHTTPRoute(t *testing.T) {
 								Name:   "service one",
 								Weight: 45,
 								Filters: api.HTTPFilters{
-									Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{{Add: map[string]string{}, Set: map[string]string{}}},
+									Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{},
 									RetryFilter: &api.RetryFilter{
 										NumRetries:            pointer.Uint32(3),
 										RetryOn:               []string{"cancelled"},
@@ -1420,7 +1416,7 @@ func TestTranslator_ToHTTPRoute(t *testing.T) {
 									},
 								},
 								ResponseFilters: api.HTTPResponseFilters{
-									Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{{Add: map[string]string{}, Set: map[string]string{}}},
+									Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{},
 								},
 								Namespace: "other",
 							},
@@ -1657,21 +1653,11 @@ func TestResourceTranslator_translateHTTPFilters(t1 *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 			want: api.HTTPFilters{
-				Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{
-					{
-						Add: map[string]string{},
-						Set: map[string]string{},
-					},
-				},
+				Headers:    []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{},
 				URLRewrite: nil,
 			},
 			wantResponseFilters: api.HTTPResponseFilters{
-				Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{
-					{
-						Add: map[string]string{},
-						Set: map[string]string{},
-					},
-				},
+				Headers: []api.HTTPHeaderFilter{},
 			},
 		},
 	}