diff --git a/.changeset/smart-peas-compare.md b/.changeset/smart-peas-compare.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c9062feb0bb4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/smart-peas-compare.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@sveltejs/kit': patch
+---
+
+Prevent `Connection` header from being incorrectly inherited by requests made from `load`'s `fetch` during SSR
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/runtime/server/page/load_node.js b/packages/kit/src/runtime/server/page/load_node.js
index 5ce5abd4d614..de860017dd9c 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/runtime/server/page/load_node.js
+++ b/packages/kit/src/runtime/server/page/load_node.js
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ export async function load_node({
 				for (const [key, value] of event.request.headers) {
 					if (
 						key !== 'authorization' &&
+						key !== 'connection' &&
 						key !== 'cookie' &&
 						key !== 'host' &&
 						key !== 'if-none-match' &&
diff --git a/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/test/test.js b/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/test/test.js
index 8d1b4baaccd4..74255dfc7ead 100644
--- a/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/test/test.js
+++ b/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/test/test.js
@@ -1441,7 +1441,7 @@ test.describe('Load', () => {
 				browserName === 'webkit' ? undefined : javaScriptEnabled ? 'empty' : 'document',
 			'sec-fetch-mode':
 				browserName === 'webkit' ? undefined : javaScriptEnabled ? 'cors' : 'navigate',
-			connection: 'keep-alive'
+			connection: javaScriptEnabled ? 'keep-alive' : undefined
 		});
 	});