diff --git a/router-tests/header_propagation_test.go b/router-tests/header_propagation_test.go
index 1a4510159d..ffb7b1765a 100644
--- a/router-tests/header_propagation_test.go
+++ b/router-tests/header_propagation_test.go
@@ -556,8 +556,9 @@ func TestHeaderPropagation(t *testing.T) {
 					res := xEnv.MakeGraphQLRequestOK(testenv.GraphQLRequest{
 						Query: queryEmployeeWithNoHobby,
 					})
-					cc := res.Response.Header.Get("Cache-Control")
-					require.Equal(t, "", cc)
+					val, present := res.Response.Header["Cache-Control"]
+					require.False(t, present)
+					require.Equal(t, []string(nil), val)
 					require.Equal(t, `{"data":{"employee":{"id":1}}}`, res.Body)
 				})
 			})
@@ -582,6 +583,26 @@ func TestHeaderPropagation(t *testing.T) {
 			})
 		})
 
+		t.Run("doesn't set cache control on unrelated requests", func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+			testenv.Run(t, &testenv.Config{
+				CacheControlPolicy: config.CacheControlPolicy{
+					Subgraphs: []config.SubgraphCacheControlRule{
+						{Name: "employees"},
+						{Name: "hobbies"},
+					},
+				},
+				Subgraphs: cacheOptions("", ""),
+			}, func(t *testing.T, xEnv *testenv.Environment) {
+				res := xEnv.MakeGraphQLRequestOK(testenv.GraphQLRequest{
+					Query: queryEmployeeWithHobby,
+				})
+				val, present := res.Response.Header["Cache-Control"]
+				require.False(t, present)
+				require.Equal(t, []string(nil), val)
+				require.Equal(t, `{"data":{"employee":{"id":1,"hobbies":[{},{"name":"Counter Strike"},{},{},{}]}}}`, res.Body)
+			})
+		})
 		t.Run("set operation can override cache control policies", func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Run("global set operation", func(t *testing.T) {
 				t.Parallel()
diff --git a/router/core/header_rule_engine.go b/router/core/header_rule_engine.go
index 8ab43ed030..ca7f5b839b 100644
--- a/router/core/header_rule_engine.go
+++ b/router/core/header_rule_engine.go
@@ -452,9 +452,12 @@ func (h *HeaderPropagation) applyResponseRuleMostRestrictiveCacheControl(res *ht
 		return
 	}
 
-	reqDir, _ := cachedirective.ParseRequestCacheControl(res.Request.Header.Get(cacheControlKey))
-	resDir, _ := cachedirective.ParseResponseCacheControl(res.Header.Get(cacheControlKey))
-	expiresHeader, _ := http.ParseTime(res.Header.Get("Expires"))
+	reqCacheHeader := res.Request.Header.Get(cacheControlKey)
+	reqDir, _ := cachedirective.ParseRequestCacheControl(reqCacheHeader)
+	resCacheHeader := res.Header.Get(cacheControlKey)
+	resDir, _ := cachedirective.ParseResponseCacheControl(resCacheHeader)
+	expiresHeaderVal := res.Header.Get("Expires")
+	expiresHeader, _ := http.ParseTime(expiresHeaderVal)
 	dateHeader, _ := http.ParseTime(res.Header.Get("Date"))
 	lastModifiedHeader, _ := http.ParseTime(res.Header.Get("Last-Modified"))
 
@@ -495,6 +498,9 @@ func (h *HeaderPropagation) applyResponseRuleMostRestrictiveCacheControl(res *ht
 		if rule.Default != "" {
 			propagation.previousCacheControl = defaultCacheControlObj
 			propagation.header.Set(cacheControlKey, rule.Default)
+		} else if reqCacheHeader == "" && resCacheHeader == "" && expiresHeaderVal == "" {
+			// There is no default/previous value to set, and since no cache control headers have been set, exit early
+			return
 		} else {
 			propagation.previousCacheControl = obj
 			propagation.header.Set(cacheControlKey, res.Header.Get(cacheControlKey))