diff --git a/cmd/bucket-replication.go b/cmd/bucket-replication.go
index dc75459ee..171d7e90d 100644
--- a/cmd/bucket-replication.go
+++ b/cmd/bucket-replication.go
@@ -2226,7 +2226,7 @@ func getProxyTargets(ctx context.Context, bucket, object string, opts ObjectOpti
 	if opts.VersionSuspended {
 		return &madmin.BucketTargets{}
 	}
-	if opts.ProxyRequest {
+	if opts.ProxyRequest || (opts.ProxyHeaderSet && !opts.ProxyRequest) {
 		return &madmin.BucketTargets{}
 	}
 	cfg, err := getReplicationConfig(ctx, bucket)
@@ -2247,7 +2247,7 @@ func getProxyTargets(ctx context.Context, bucket, object string, opts ObjectOpti
 func proxyHeadToRepTarget(ctx context.Context, bucket, object string, rs *HTTPRangeSpec, opts ObjectOptions, proxyTargets *madmin.BucketTargets) (tgt *TargetClient, oi ObjectInfo, proxy proxyResult) {
 	// this option is set when active-active replication is in place between site A -> B,
 	// and site B does not have the object yet.
-	if opts.ProxyRequest { // true only when site B sets MinIOSourceProxyRequest header
+	if opts.ProxyRequest || (opts.ProxyHeaderSet && !opts.ProxyRequest) { // true only when site B sets MinIOSourceProxyRequest header
 		return nil, oi, proxy
 	}
 	var perr error
@@ -2372,7 +2372,7 @@ func scheduleReplication(ctx context.Context, oi ObjectInfo, o ObjectLayer, dsc
 func proxyTaggingToRepTarget(ctx context.Context, bucket, object string, tags *tags.Tags, opts ObjectOptions, proxyTargets *madmin.BucketTargets) (proxy proxyResult) {
 	// this option is set when active-active replication is in place between site A -> B,
 	// and request hits site B that does not have the object yet.
-	if opts.ProxyRequest { // true only when site B sets MinIOSourceProxyRequest header
+	if opts.ProxyRequest || (opts.ProxyHeaderSet && !opts.ProxyRequest) { // true only when site B sets MinIOSourceProxyRequest header
 		return proxy
 	}
 	var wg sync.WaitGroup
@@ -2440,7 +2440,7 @@ func proxyTaggingToRepTarget(ctx context.Context, bucket, object string, tags *t
 func proxyGetTaggingToRepTarget(ctx context.Context, bucket, object string, opts ObjectOptions, proxyTargets *madmin.BucketTargets) (tgs *tags.Tags, proxy proxyResult) {
 	// this option is set when active-active replication is in place between site A -> B,
 	// and request hits site B that does not have the object yet.
-	if opts.ProxyRequest { // true only when site B sets MinIOSourceProxyRequest header
+	if opts.ProxyRequest || (opts.ProxyHeaderSet && !opts.ProxyRequest) { // true only when site B sets MinIOSourceProxyRequest header
 		return nil, proxy
 	}
 	var wg sync.WaitGroup
diff --git a/cmd/object-api-interface.go b/cmd/object-api-interface.go
index c9ab70f40..0f24c9833 100644
--- a/cmd/object-api-interface.go
+++ b/cmd/object-api-interface.go
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ type ObjectOptions struct {
 	PreserveETag                        string    // preserves this etag during a PUT call.
 	NoLock                              bool      // indicates to lower layers if the caller is expecting to hold locks.
 	ProxyRequest                        bool      // only set for GET/HEAD in active-active replication scenario
+	ProxyHeaderSet                      bool      // only set for GET/HEAD in active-active replication scenario
 	ReplicationRequest                  bool      // true only if replication request
 	ReplicationSourceTaggingTimestamp   time.Time // set if MinIOSourceTaggingTimestamp received
 	ReplicationSourceLegalholdTimestamp time.Time // set if MinIOSourceObjectLegalholdTimestamp received
diff --git a/cmd/object-api-options.go b/cmd/object-api-options.go
index 7c32fec18..08c64bb81 100644
--- a/cmd/object-api-options.go
+++ b/cmd/object-api-options.go
@@ -66,8 +66,13 @@ func getDefaultOpts(header http.Header, copySource bool, metadata map[string]str
 	if crypto.S3.IsRequested(header) || (metadata != nil && crypto.S3.IsEncrypted(metadata)) {
 		opts.ServerSideEncryption = encrypt.NewSSE()
 	}
-	_, opts.ProxyRequest = header[xhttp.MinIOSourceProxyRequest]
-	_, opts.ReplicationRequest = header[xhttp.MinIOSourceReplicationRequest]
+	if v, ok := header[xhttp.MinIOSourceProxyRequest]; ok {
+		opts.ProxyHeaderSet = true
+		opts.ProxyRequest = strings.Join(v, "") == "true"
+	}
+	if _, ok := header[xhttp.MinIOSourceReplicationRequest]; ok {
+		opts.ReplicationRequest = true
+	}
 	opts.Speedtest = header.Get(globalObjectPerfUserMetadata) != ""
 	return
 }