diff --git a/moli-curl/src/websocket/tests.rs b/moli-curl/src/websocket/tests.rs
index 9e622bfcc..dc38a0ecb 100644
--- a/moli-curl/src/websocket/tests.rs
+++ b/moli-curl/src/websocket/tests.rs
@@ -109,6 +109,23 @@ async fn native_upgrade_retains_socket_and_same_packet_empty_frame() {
     task.join().unwrap();
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn native_proxy_headers_reject_cr_lf_and_nul_values() {
+    let mut request = CurlWebSocketRequest::new("ws://example.test/socket".to_owned());
+    request.proxy = Some("http://127.0.0.1:8080".to_owned());
+    for name in ["User-Agent", "Proxy-Authorization"] {
+        request.proxy_headers = vec![(name.to_owned(), "valid".to_owned())];
+        assert!(super::request::configure(&request).is_ok());
+        for value in ["good\rbad", "good\nbad", "good\0bad"] {
+            request.proxy_headers[0].1 = value.to_owned();
+            let error = super::request::configure(&request)
+                .err()
+                .expect("native proxy headers must reject control bytes");
+            assert_eq!(error.to_string(), "invalid WebSocket request header");
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn native_decoder_rejects_invalid_framing_before_delivering_payload() {
     let mut cases = Vec::new();
diff --git a/moli-websocket/src/proxy.rs b/moli-websocket/src/proxy.rs
index 60fd1f2c8..cdad371f6 100644
--- a/moli-websocket/src/proxy.rs
+++ b/moli-websocket/src/proxy.rs
@@ -115,20 +115,3 @@ fn split_no_proxy_host_port(token: &str) -> (&str, Option<u16>) {
         _ => (token, None),
     }
 }
-
-pub(crate) fn append_proxy_connect_header(
-    request: &mut String,
-    name: &str,
-    value: &str,
-) -> Result<(), String> {
-    if value.bytes().any(|byte| matches!(byte, b'\r' | b'\n')) {
-        return Err(format!(
-            "invalid WebSocket proxy CONNECT header `{name}` contains a newline"
-        ));
-    }
-    request.push_str(name);
-    request.push_str(": ");
-    request.push_str(value);
-    request.push_str("\r\n");
-    Ok(())
-}
diff --git a/moli-websocket/src/tests.rs b/moli-websocket/src/tests.rs
index 63533f55a..b16a45032 100644
--- a/moli-websocket/src/tests.rs
+++ b/moli-websocket/src/tests.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ use crate::{
         MAX_PENDING_WEBSOCKET_HANDSHAKES, MAX_WEBSOCKET_CONNECTIONS_PER_RUNTIME,
         acquire_limited_websocket_slot,
     },
-    proxy::{append_proxy_connect_header, no_proxy_matches},
+    proxy::no_proxy_matches,
     request::prepare_websocket_request,
     test_support::*,
 };
@@ -314,17 +314,6 @@ fn websocket_proxy_url_explicit_empty_proxy_disables_env_fallback() {
     assert_eq!(proxy, None);
 }
 
-#[test]
-fn websocket_proxy_connect_header_rejects_newline_values() {
-    let mut request = String::new();
-    assert!(append_proxy_connect_header(&mut request, "User-Agent", "Moli").is_ok());
-    assert_eq!(request, "User-Agent: Moli\r\n");
-    assert!(
-        append_proxy_connect_header(&mut request, "Proxy-Authorization", "Bearer good\nbad")
-            .is_err()
-    );
-}
-
 #[test]
 fn websocket_request_preparation_applies_context_protocols_and_cookie() {
     let mut context = test_websocket_context();
@@ -948,6 +937,7 @@ async fn websocket_transport_uses_explicit_http_proxy_connect_without_forwarding
     context.http_proxy = Some(proxy_url);
     context.http_no_proxy = Some(String::new());
     context.proxy_bearer_token = Some("proxy-token".to_owned());
+    let user_agent = context.user_agent.clone();
 
     let command_tx = spawn_connection(2, url.clone(), Vec::new(), context, event_tx);
     let proxy_request = timeout(Duration::from_secs(3), proxy_request_rx)
@@ -978,6 +968,7 @@ async fn websocket_transport_uses_explicit_http_proxy_connect_without_forwarding
         proxy_request.contains("\r\nProxy-Authorization: Bearer proxy-token\r\n"),
         "proxy bearer token should be sent only on CONNECT: {proxy_request:?}"
     );
+    assert!(proxy_request.contains(&format!("\r\nUser-Agent: {user_agent}\r\n")));
     assert_eq!(
         header_value(&headers, "origin").as_deref(),
         Some("https://example.com")
diff --git a/moli-websocket/src/transport.rs b/moli-websocket/src/transport.rs
index df9b07095..6a1d708c1 100644
--- a/moli-websocket/src/transport.rs
+++ b/moli-websocket/src/transport.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use crate::{
     ConnectOptions,
     handshake::{HandshakeResponse, parse_handshake_response, validate_handshake_response},
     headers::header_map_entries,
-    proxy::{append_proxy_connect_header, websocket_proxy_url},
+    proxy::websocket_proxy_url,
     request::PreparedWebSocketRequest,
 };
 use moli_curl::{
@@ -36,17 +36,13 @@ pub(crate) async fn open_websocket_connection(
     // origins: https://websockets.spec.whatwg.org/#opening-handshake
     native.tls = context.tls.clone();
     if native.proxy.is_some() {
-        let mut validated = String::new();
-        append_proxy_connect_header(&mut validated, "User-Agent", &context.user_agent)?;
         native
             .proxy_headers
             .push(("User-Agent".to_owned(), context.user_agent.clone()));
         if let Some(token) = &context.proxy_bearer_token {
-            let value = format!("Bearer {token}");
-            append_proxy_connect_header(&mut validated, "Proxy-Authorization", &value)?;
             native
                 .proxy_headers
-                .push(("Proxy-Authorization".to_owned(), value));
+                .push(("Proxy-Authorization".to_owned(), format!("Bearer {token}")));
         }
     } else {
         let url = &request.url;