diff --git a/gax-java/gax-grpc/src/main/java/com/google/api/gax/grpc/InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.java b/gax-java/gax-grpc/src/main/java/com/google/api/gax/grpc/InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.java
index a91f829551..10ead5cb23 100644
--- a/gax-java/gax-grpc/src/main/java/com/google/api/gax/grpc/InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.java
+++ b/gax-java/gax-grpc/src/main/java/com/google/api/gax/grpc/InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.java
@@ -496,10 +496,6 @@ ChannelCredentials createS2ASecuredChannelCredentials() {
               + ignore.getMessage());
       return createPlaintextToS2AChannelCredentials(plaintextAddress);
     }
-    if (mtlsToS2AChannelCredentials == null) {
-      // Fallback to plaintext-to-S2A connection.
-      return createPlaintextToS2AChannelCredentials(plaintextAddress);
-    }
     return S2AChannelCredentials.newBuilder(mtlsAddress, mtlsToS2AChannelCredentials).build();
   }