diff --git a/node/node.go b/node/node.go
index 12da410534..473a1d5b6a 100644
--- a/node/node.go
+++ b/node/node.go
@@ -90,6 +90,10 @@ func New(conf *Config) (*Node, error) {
 		conf.Logger = log.New()
 	}
 
+	if conf.HTTPProto == "" {
+		conf.HTTPProto = "tcp4"
+	}
+
 	// Ensure that the instance name doesn't cause weird conflicts with
 	// other files in the data directory.
 	if strings.ContainsAny(conf.Name, `/\`) {
diff --git a/node/node_test.go b/node/node_test.go
index 560d487fa8..dae11f9973 100644
--- a/node/node_test.go
+++ b/node/node_test.go
@@ -531,6 +531,7 @@ func TestNodeRPCPrefix(t *testing.T) {
 		name := fmt.Sprintf("http=%s ws=%s", test.httpPrefix, test.wsPrefix)
 		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			cfg := &Config{
+				HTTPProto:      "tcp",
 				HTTPHost:       "127.0.0.1",
 				HTTPPathPrefix: test.httpPrefix,
 				WSHost:         "127.0.0.1",