diff --git a/src/main/java/com/ericsson/gerrit/plugins/highavailability/Configuration.java b/src/main/java/com/ericsson/gerrit/plugins/highavailability/Configuration.java
index 1d85210..ad6a7cc 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/ericsson/gerrit/plugins/highavailability/Configuration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/ericsson/gerrit/plugins/highavailability/Configuration.java
@@ -477,8 +477,6 @@
     static final String MAX_TRIES_KEY = "maxTries";
     static final String RETRY_INTERVAL_KEY = "retryInterval";
     static final String THREAD_POOL_SIZE_KEY = "threadPoolSize";
-    static final String REUSE_CONNECTION_AFTER_503_KEY = "reuseConnectionAfter503";
-    static final boolean DEFAULT_REUSE_CONNECTION_AFTER_503 = true;
 
     private final String user;
     private final String password;
@@ -487,7 +485,6 @@
     private final int maxTries;
     private final Duration retryInterval;
     private final int threadPoolSize;
-    private final boolean reuseConnectionAfter503;
 
     private Http(Config cfg) {
       user = Strings.nullToEmpty(cfg.getString(HTTP_SECTION, null, USER_KEY));
@@ -497,9 +494,6 @@
       maxTries = getMaxTries(cfg, HTTP_SECTION, MAX_TRIES_KEY, DEFAULT_MAX_TRIES);
       retryInterval = getDuration(cfg, HTTP_SECTION, RETRY_INTERVAL_KEY, DEFAULT_RETRY_INTERVAL);
       threadPoolSize = getInt(cfg, HTTP_SECTION, THREAD_POOL_SIZE_KEY, DEFAULT_THREAD_POOL_SIZE);
-      reuseConnectionAfter503 =
-          cfg.getBoolean(
-              HTTP_SECTION, REUSE_CONNECTION_AFTER_503_KEY, DEFAULT_REUSE_CONNECTION_AFTER_503);
     }
 
     public String user() {
@@ -529,10 +523,6 @@
     public int threadPoolSize() {
       return threadPoolSize;
     }
-
-    public boolean reuseConnectionAfter503() {
-      return reuseConnectionAfter503;
-    }
   }
 
   /** Common parameters to cache, event, index and websession */
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/ericsson/gerrit/plugins/highavailability/forwarder/rest/HttpClientProvider.java b/src/main/java/com/ericsson/gerrit/plugins/highavailability/forwarder/rest/HttpClientProvider.java
index fc90a10..93d324c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/ericsson/gerrit/plugins/highavailability/forwarder/rest/HttpClientProvider.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/ericsson/gerrit/plugins/highavailability/forwarder/rest/HttpClientProvider.java
@@ -101,8 +101,7 @@
 
   private ConnectionReuseStrategy customConnectionReuseStrategy() {
     return (response, context) -> {
-      if (response.getStatusLine().getStatusCode() == SC_SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE
-          && !cfg.http().reuseConnectionAfter503()) {
+      if (response.getStatusLine().getStatusCode() == SC_SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE) {
         return false;
       }
       return DefaultConnectionReuseStrategy.INSTANCE.keepAlive(response, context);
diff --git a/src/main/resources/Documentation/config.md b/src/main/resources/Documentation/config.md
index ca5ab18..36d8a09 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/Documentation/config.md
+++ b/src/main/resources/Documentation/config.md
@@ -268,22 +268,6 @@
     Value is expressed in Gerrit time values as in [websession.cleanupInterval](#websessioncleanupInterval).
     When not specified, the default value is set to 10 seconds.
 
-```http.reuseConnectionAfter503```
-:   Whether to reuse the HTTP connection to the peer instance after receiving a
-    503 (Service Unavailable) response over it. When set to `false`, the plugin
-    will close the connection immediately on a 503 response and open a fresh one
-    for the next retry, which can help recover from situations where a peer has
-    transiently become unavailable without properly closing existing connections.
-    When not specified, the default value is `true`.
-
-```http.reuseConnectionAfter503```
-:   Whether to reuse the HTTP connection to the peer instance after receiving a
-    503 (Service Unavailable) response over it. When set to `false`, the plugin
-    will close the connection immediately on a 503 response and open a fresh one
-    for the next retry, which can help recover from situations where a peer has
-    transiently become unavailable without properly closing existing connections.
-    When not specified, the default value is `true`.
-
 ```http.threadPoolSize```
 :   Maximum number of threads used to execute REST calls towards target instances.
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/ericsson/gerrit/plugins/highavailability/forwarder/rest/HttpClientProviderConnectionReuseTest.java b/src/test/java/com/ericsson/gerrit/plugins/highavailability/forwarder/rest/HttpClientProviderConnectionReuseTest.java
index 3bd3b14..5954629 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/ericsson/gerrit/plugins/highavailability/forwarder/rest/HttpClientProviderConnectionReuseTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/ericsson/gerrit/plugins/highavailability/forwarder/rest/HttpClientProviderConnectionReuseTest.java
@@ -24,11 +24,11 @@
 import com.ericsson.gerrit.plugins.highavailability.Configuration;
 import com.github.tomakehurst.wiremock.junit.WireMockRule;
 import java.time.Duration;
-import java.util.List;
 import org.apache.http.client.methods.CloseableHttpResponse;
 import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpGet;
 import org.apache.http.impl.client.CloseableHttpClient;
 import org.apache.http.impl.conn.PoolingHttpClientConnectionManager;
+import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Rule;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.mockito.Answers;
@@ -39,52 +39,39 @@
   private static final Duration TIMEOUT = Duration.ofMillis(1000);
 
   @Rule public WireMockRule wireMock = new WireMockRule(0);
+  private Configuration cfg;
+  private TestableHttpClientProvider provider;
 
-  private Configuration mockConfig(boolean reuseConnectionAfter503) {
-    Configuration cfg = mock(Configuration.class, Answers.RETURNS_DEEP_STUBS);
+  @Before
+  public void setUp() {
+    cfg = mock(Configuration.class, Answers.RETURNS_DEEP_STUBS);
     when(cfg.http().user()).thenReturn("");
     when(cfg.http().password()).thenReturn("");
     when(cfg.http().connectionTimeout()).thenReturn(TIMEOUT);
     when(cfg.http().socketTimeout()).thenReturn(TIMEOUT);
-    when(cfg.http().reuseConnectionAfter503()).thenReturn(reuseConnectionAfter503);
-    return cfg;
+
+    provider = new TestableHttpClientProvider(cfg);
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void connectionIsReturnedToPoolAfter503WhenReuseIsEnabled() throws Exception {
+  public void connectionIsDiscardedAfter503() throws Exception {
     wireMock.givenThat(get(urlEqualTo(ENDPOINT)).willReturn(aResponse().withStatus(503)));
 
-    TestableHttpClientProvider provider = new TestableHttpClientProvider(mockConfig(true));
     try (CloseableHttpClient client = provider.get()) {
       executeConsuming(client);
-      // Connection must be back in the pool (available == 1) because reuseConnectionAfter503=true
-      assertThat(provider.connectionManager().getTotalStats().getAvailable()).isEqualTo(1);
-    }
-  }
-
-  @Test
-  public void connectionIsDiscardedAfter503WhenReuseIsDisabled() throws Exception {
-    wireMock.givenThat(get(urlEqualTo(ENDPOINT)).willReturn(aResponse().withStatus(503)));
-
-    TestableHttpClientProvider provider = new TestableHttpClientProvider(mockConfig(false));
-    try (CloseableHttpClient client = provider.get()) {
-      executeConsuming(client);
-      // Connection must have been discarded (available == 0) because reuseConnectionAfter503=false
+      // Connection must have been discarded (available == 0)
       assertThat(provider.connectionManager().getTotalStats().getAvailable()).isEqualTo(0);
     }
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void connectionIsReturnedToPoolAfter500RegardlessOfReuseOption() throws Exception {
+  public void connectionIsReturnedToPoolAfter500() throws Exception {
     wireMock.givenThat(get(urlEqualTo(ENDPOINT)).willReturn(aResponse().withStatus(500)));
 
-    for (boolean reuseFlag : List.of(true, false)) {
-      TestableHttpClientProvider provider = new TestableHttpClientProvider(mockConfig(reuseFlag));
-      try (CloseableHttpClient client = provider.get()) {
-        executeConsuming(client);
-        // 500 is not 503 — the reuseConnectionAfter503 option must have no effect
-        assertThat(provider.connectionManager().getTotalStats().getAvailable()).isEqualTo(1);
-      }
+    try (CloseableHttpClient client = provider.get()) {
+      executeConsuming(client);
+      // 500 is not 503 — connection returned to the pool
+      assertThat(provider.connectionManager().getTotalStats().getAvailable()).isEqualTo(1);
     }
   }