diff --git a/conformance/conformance_test.go b/conformance/conformance_test.go
index 43ef05895b..32072b89c6 100644
--- a/conformance/conformance_test.go
+++ b/conformance/conformance_test.go
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ import (
 
 	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes"
 	_ "k8s.io/client-go/plugin/pkg/client/auth"
-	"k8s.io/client-go/rest"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client/config"
 )
@@ -60,7 +59,6 @@ func TestConformance(t *testing.T) {
 
 	cSuite := suite.New(suite.Options{
 		Client:     client,
-		RESTClient: clientset.CoreV1().RESTClient().(*rest.RESTClient),
 		RestConfig: cfg,
 		// This clientset is needed in addition to the client only because
 		// controller-runtime client doesn't support non CRUD sub-resources yet (https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/controller-runtime/issues/452).
diff --git a/conformance/utils/echo/pod.go b/conformance/utils/echo/pod.go
index 5b57680771..c57642e76d 100644
--- a/conformance/utils/echo/pod.go
+++ b/conformance/utils/echo/pod.go
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ type MeshPod struct {
 	Name      string
 	Namespace string
 	Address   string
-	rc        *rest.RESTClient
+	rc        rest.Interface
 	rcfg      *rest.Config
 }
 
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ func ConnectToAppInNamespace(t *testing.T, s *suite.ConformanceTestSuite, app Me
 		Name:      podName,
 		Namespace: podNamespace,
 		Address:   pod.Status.PodIP,
-		rc:        s.RESTClient,
+		rc:        s.Clientset.CoreV1().RESTClient(),
 		rcfg:      s.RestConfig,
 	}
 }
diff --git a/conformance/utils/suite/experimental_suite.go b/conformance/utils/suite/experimental_suite.go
index 684169c080..18ce0262f7 100644
--- a/conformance/utils/suite/experimental_suite.go
+++ b/conformance/utils/suite/experimental_suite.go
@@ -151,7 +151,6 @@ func NewExperimentalConformanceTestSuite(s ExperimentalConformanceOptions) (*Exp
 	suite.ConformanceTestSuite = ConformanceTestSuite{
 		Client:           s.Client,
 		Clientset:        s.Clientset,
-		RESTClient:       s.RESTClient,
 		RestConfig:       s.RestConfig,
 		RoundTripper:     roundTripper,
 		GatewayClassName: s.GatewayClassName,
diff --git a/conformance/utils/suite/suite.go b/conformance/utils/suite/suite.go
index 94faba37f9..e95f69c37e 100644
--- a/conformance/utils/suite/suite.go
+++ b/conformance/utils/suite/suite.go
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ type ConformanceTestSuite struct {
 type Options struct {
 	Client           client.Client
 	Clientset        clientset.Interface
-	RESTClient       *rest.RESTClient
 	RestConfig       *rest.Config
 	GatewayClassName string
 	Debug            bool
@@ -111,7 +110,6 @@ func New(s Options) *ConformanceTestSuite {
 	suite := &ConformanceTestSuite{
 		Client:           s.Client,
 		Clientset:        s.Clientset,
-		RESTClient:       s.RESTClient,
 		RestConfig:       s.RestConfig,
 		RoundTripper:     roundTripper,
 		GatewayClassName: s.GatewayClassName,