diff --git a/internal/xds/xdsclient/xdsresource/unmarshal_eds.go b/internal/xds/xdsclient/xdsresource/unmarshal_eds.go
index a202c9e02274..9d6ea64e34f8 100644
--- a/internal/xds/xdsclient/xdsresource/unmarshal_eds.go
+++ b/internal/xds/xdsclient/xdsresource/unmarshal_eds.go
@@ -261,24 +261,29 @@ func validateAndConstructMetadata(metadataProto *v3corepb.Metadata) (map[string]
 		return nil, nil
 	}
 	metadata := make(map[string]any)
-	// First go through TypedFilterMetadata.
-	for key, anyProto := range metadataProto.GetTypedFilterMetadata() {
-		converter := metadataConverterForType(anyProto.GetTypeUrl())
-		// Ignore types we don't have a converter for.
-		if converter == nil {
-			continue
-		}
-		val, err := converter.convert(anyProto)
-		if err != nil {
-			// If the converter fails, nack the whole resource.
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("metadata conversion for key %q and type %q failed: %v", key, anyProto.GetTypeUrl(), err)
+	// First go through TypedFilterMetadata. Only process this when HTTP Connect
+	// is enabled, as the converters (e.g., for envoy.config.core.v3.Address)
+	// are specific to A86 and can fail validation. A76 only needs
+	// FilterMetadata for envoy.lb hash_key.
+	if envconfig.XDSHTTPConnectEnabled {
+		for key, anyProto := range metadataProto.GetTypedFilterMetadata() {
+			converter := metadataConverterForType(anyProto.GetTypeUrl())
+			// Ignore types we don't have a converter for.
+			if converter == nil {
+				continue
+			}
+			val, err := converter.convert(anyProto)
+			if err != nil {
+				// If the converter fails, nack the whole resource.
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("metadata conversion for key %q and type %q failed: %v", key, anyProto.GetTypeUrl(), err)
+			}
+			metadata[key] = val
 		}
-		metadata[key] = val
 	}
 
 	// Process FilterMetadata for any keys not already handled.
 	for key, structProto := range metadataProto.GetFilterMetadata() {
-		// Skip keys already added from TyperFilterMetadata.
+		// Skip keys already added from TypedFilterMetadata.
 		if metadata[key] != nil {
 			continue
 		}
diff --git a/internal/xds/xdsclient/xdsresource/unmarshal_eds_test.go b/internal/xds/xdsclient/xdsresource/unmarshal_eds_test.go
index 3c95fc2f6939..a9e19bbea70d 100644
--- a/internal/xds/xdsclient/xdsresource/unmarshal_eds_test.go
+++ b/internal/xds/xdsclient/xdsresource/unmarshal_eds_test.go
@@ -1025,9 +1025,11 @@ func (s) TestEDSParseRespProto_HTTP_Connect_CustomMetadata_EnvVarOn(t *testing.T
 }
 
 // Tests custom metadata parsing for success cases when the
-// GRPC_EXPERIMENTAL_XDS_HTTP_CONNECT environment variable is not set.
+// GRPC_EXPERIMENTAL_XDS_HTTP_CONNECT environment variable is not set and
+// GRPC_XDS_ENDPOINT_HASH_KEY_BACKWARD_COMPAT is set to true (disabling A76).
 func (s) TestEDSParseRespProto_HTTP_Connect_CustomMetadata_EnvVarOff(t *testing.T) {
 	testutils.SetEnvConfig(t, &envconfig.XDSHTTPConnectEnabled, false)
+	testutils.SetEnvConfig(t, &envconfig.XDSEndpointHashKeyBackwardCompat, true)
 	tests := []struct {
 		name          string
 		endpointProto *v3endpointpb.ClusterLoadAssignment
@@ -1404,6 +1406,83 @@ func (s) TestEDSParseRespProto_HTTP_Connect_CustomMetadata_ConverterFailure(t *t
 	}
 }
 
+// Tests metadata parsing when HTTP Connect is enabled but A76 hash key is
+// disabled (backward compat mode). This verifies that:
+// - Full metadata parsing happens (TypedFilterMetadata + FilterMetadata)
+// - Hash key is NOT extracted from envoy.lb
+func (s) TestEDSParseRespProto_HTTP_Connect_On_HashKeyBackwardCompat_On(t *testing.T) {
+	testutils.SetEnvConfig(t, &envconfig.XDSHTTPConnectEnabled, true)
+	testutils.SetEnvConfig(t, &envconfig.XDSEndpointHashKeyBackwardCompat, true)
+
+	clab0 := newClaBuilder("test", nil)
+	endpoints := []endpointOpts{{
+		addrWithPort: "addr1:314",
+		metadata: &v3corepb.Metadata{
+			TypedFilterMetadata: map[string]*anypb.Any{
+				"envoy.http11_proxy_transport_socket.proxy_address": testutils.MarshalAny(t, &v3corepb.Address{
+					Address: &v3corepb.Address_SocketAddress{
+						SocketAddress: &v3corepb.SocketAddress{
+							Address: "1.2.3.4",
+							PortSpecifier: &v3corepb.SocketAddress_PortValue{
+								PortValue: 1111,
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				}),
+			},
+			FilterMetadata: map[string]*structpb.Struct{
+				"envoy.lb": {
+					Fields: map[string]*structpb.Value{
+						"hash_key": {
+							Kind: &structpb.Value_StringValue{StringValue: "test-hash-key"},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		hostname: "addr1",
+	}}
+	clab0.addLocality("locality-1", 1, 0, endpoints, nil)
+
+	got, err := parseEDSRespProto(clab0.Build())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("parseEDSRespProto() failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	wantEndpoint := EndpointsUpdate{
+		Localities: []Locality{
+			{
+				Endpoints: []Endpoint{{
+					ResolverEndpoint: buildResolverEndpoint([]string{"addr1:314"}, "addr1"),
+					HealthStatus:     EndpointHealthStatusUnknown,
+					Weight:           1,
+					Metadata: map[string]any{
+						"envoy.http11_proxy_transport_socket.proxy_address": ProxyAddressMetadataValue{
+							Address: "1.2.3.4:1111",
+						},
+						"envoy.lb": StructMetadataValue{Data: map[string]any{
+							"hash_key": "test-hash-key",
+						}},
+					},
+				}},
+				ID:       clients.Locality{SubZone: "locality-1"},
+				Priority: 0,
+				Weight:   1,
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	if diff := cmp.Diff(wantEndpoint, got, cmpopts.EquateEmpty()); diff != "" {
+		t.Errorf("parseEDSRespProto() returned unexpected diff (-want +got):\n%s", diff)
+	}
+
+	// Verify hash key is NOT extracted when backward compat is on.
+	hashKey := ringhash.HashKey(got.Localities[0].Endpoints[0].ResolverEndpoint)
+	if hashKey != "" {
+		t.Errorf("Expected empty hash key with backward compat on, got %q", hashKey)
+	}
+}
+
 // claBuilder builds a ClusterLoadAssignment, aka EDS
 // response.
 type claBuilder struct {