diff --git a/providers/flagd/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/contrib/providers/flagd/resolver/grpc/GrpcConnector.java b/providers/flagd/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/contrib/providers/flagd/resolver/grpc/GrpcConnector.java
index 5cf10a94a..579060b82 100644
--- a/providers/flagd/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/contrib/providers/flagd/resolver/grpc/GrpcConnector.java
+++ b/providers/flagd/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/contrib/providers/flagd/resolver/grpc/GrpcConnector.java
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 import dev.openfeature.contrib.providers.flagd.resolver.common.Util;
 import dev.openfeature.contrib.providers.flagd.resolver.common.backoff.GrpcStreamConnectorBackoffService;
 import dev.openfeature.contrib.providers.flagd.resolver.grpc.cache.Cache;
-import dev.openfeature.flagd.grpc.evaluation.Evaluation.EventStreamRequest;
 import dev.openfeature.flagd.grpc.evaluation.Evaluation.EventStreamResponse;
 import dev.openfeature.flagd.grpc.evaluation.ServiceGrpc;
 import edu.umd.cs.findbugs.annotations.SuppressFBWarnings;
@@ -133,7 +132,7 @@ private void observeEventStream() {
                 localServiceStub = localServiceStub.withDeadlineAfter(this.streamDeadlineMs, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
             }
 
-            localServiceStub.eventStream(EventStreamRequest.getDefaultInstance(), responseObserver);
+            localServiceStub.eventStream(null, responseObserver);
 
             try {
                 synchronized (sync) {
diff --git a/providers/flagd/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/contrib/providers/flagd/resolver/process/storage/connector/QueuePayload.java b/providers/flagd/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/contrib/providers/flagd/resolver/process/storage/connector/QueuePayload.java
index e9983a42d..c4abb3135 100644
--- a/providers/flagd/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/contrib/providers/flagd/resolver/process/storage/connector/QueuePayload.java
+++ b/providers/flagd/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/contrib/providers/flagd/resolver/process/storage/connector/QueuePayload.java
@@ -15,6 +15,6 @@ public class QueuePayload {
     private final GetMetadataResponse metadataResponse;
 
     public QueuePayload(QueuePayloadType type, String flagData) {
-        this(type, flagData, GetMetadataResponse.getDefaultInstance());
+        this(type, flagData, null);
     }
 }
diff --git a/providers/flagd/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/contrib/providers/flagd/resolver/process/storage/connector/grpc/GrpcStreamConnector.java b/providers/flagd/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/contrib/providers/flagd/resolver/process/storage/connector/grpc/GrpcStreamConnector.java
index 39e39397d..fd0351aae 100644
--- a/providers/flagd/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/contrib/providers/flagd/resolver/process/storage/connector/grpc/GrpcStreamConnector.java
+++ b/providers/flagd/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/contrib/providers/flagd/resolver/process/storage/connector/grpc/GrpcStreamConnector.java
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ static void observeEventStream(final BlockingQueue<QueuePayload> writeTo,
             log.debug("Initializing sync stream request");
             final SyncFlagsRequest.Builder syncRequest = SyncFlagsRequest.newBuilder();
             final GetMetadataRequest.Builder metadataRequest = GetMetadataRequest.newBuilder();
-            GetMetadataResponse metadataResponse = GetMetadataResponse.getDefaultInstance();
+            GetMetadataResponse metadataResponse = null;
 
             if (selector != null) {
                 syncRequest.setSelector(selector);