diff --git a/.changelog/16789.txt b/.changelog/16789.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ed25e11bbb64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/16789.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:bug
+gateway: **(Enterprise only)** Fix bug where parent refs and service refs for a route in the same namespace as the route would fallback to the default namespace if the namespace was not specified in the configuration rather than falling back to the routes namespace.
+```
diff --git a/agent/structs/config_entry_gateways.go b/agent/structs/config_entry_gateways.go
index 5309af35ad3d..32fd966f6000 100644
--- a/agent/structs/config_entry_gateways.go
+++ b/agent/structs/config_entry_gateways.go
@@ -755,6 +755,7 @@ func (e *APIGatewayConfigEntry) Normalize() error {
 			if cert.Kind == "" {
 				cert.Kind = InlineCertificate
 			}
+			cert.EnterpriseMeta.Merge(e.GetEnterpriseMeta())
 			cert.EnterpriseMeta.Normalize()
 
 			listener.TLS.Certificates[i] = cert
@@ -985,11 +986,13 @@ func (e *BoundAPIGatewayConfigEntry) GetMeta() map[string]string { return e.Meta
 func (e *BoundAPIGatewayConfigEntry) Normalize() error {
 	for i, listener := range e.Listeners {
 		for j, route := range listener.Routes {
+			route.EnterpriseMeta.Merge(&e.EnterpriseMeta)
 			route.EnterpriseMeta.Normalize()
 
 			listener.Routes[j] = route
 		}
 		for j, cert := range listener.Certificates {
+			cert.EnterpriseMeta.Merge(&e.EnterpriseMeta)
 			cert.EnterpriseMeta.Normalize()
 
 			listener.Certificates[j] = cert
diff --git a/agent/structs/config_entry_routes.go b/agent/structs/config_entry_routes.go
index 70a306559880..ca092c07d196 100644
--- a/agent/structs/config_entry_routes.go
+++ b/agent/structs/config_entry_routes.go
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ func (e *HTTPRouteConfigEntry) Normalize() error {
 		if parent.Kind == "" {
 			parent.Kind = APIGateway
 		}
+		parent.EnterpriseMeta.Merge(e.GetEnterpriseMeta())
 		parent.EnterpriseMeta.Normalize()
 		e.Parents[i] = parent
 	}
@@ -91,7 +92,7 @@ func (e *HTTPRouteConfigEntry) Normalize() error {
 		}
 
 		for j, service := range rule.Services {
-			rule.Services[j] = normalizeHTTPService(service)
+			rule.Services[j] = e.normalizeHTTPService(service)
 		}
 		e.Rules[i] = rule
 	}
@@ -99,7 +100,8 @@ func (e *HTTPRouteConfigEntry) Normalize() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func normalizeHTTPService(service HTTPService) HTTPService {
+func (e *HTTPRouteConfigEntry) normalizeHTTPService(service HTTPService) HTTPService {
+	service.EnterpriseMeta.Merge(e.GetEnterpriseMeta())
 	service.EnterpriseMeta.Normalize()
 	if service.Weight <= 0 {
 		service.Weight = 1
@@ -507,11 +509,13 @@ func (e *TCPRouteConfigEntry) Normalize() error {
 		if parent.Kind == "" {
 			parent.Kind = APIGateway
 		}
+		parent.EnterpriseMeta.Merge(e.GetEnterpriseMeta())
 		parent.EnterpriseMeta.Normalize()
 		e.Parents[i] = parent
 	}
 
 	for i, service := range e.Services {
+		service.EnterpriseMeta.Merge(e.GetEnterpriseMeta())
 		service.EnterpriseMeta.Normalize()
 		e.Services[i] = service
 	}