diff --git a/clients/client-sts/src/defaultStsRoleAssumers.ts b/clients/client-sts/src/defaultStsRoleAssumers.ts
index f68235ce8eac..9daf5da2e912 100644
--- a/clients/client-sts/src/defaultStsRoleAssumers.ts
+++ b/clients/client-sts/src/defaultStsRoleAssumers.ts
@@ -101,11 +101,13 @@ export const getDefaultRoleAssumer = (
         stsOptions?.parentClientConfig?.region,
         credentialProviderLogger
       );
+      const isCompatibleRequestHandler = !isH2(requestHandler);
+
       stsClient = new stsClientCtor({
         // A hack to make sts client uses the credential in current closure.
         credentialDefaultProvider: () => async () => closureSourceCreds,
         region: resolvedRegion,
-        requestHandler: requestHandler as any,
+        requestHandler: isCompatibleRequestHandler ? (requestHandler as any) : undefined,
         logger: logger as any,
       });
     }
@@ -157,9 +159,11 @@ export const getDefaultRoleAssumerWithWebIdentity = (
         stsOptions?.parentClientConfig?.region,
         credentialProviderLogger
       );
+      const isCompatibleRequestHandler = !isH2(requestHandler);
+
       stsClient = new stsClientCtor({
         region: resolvedRegion,
-        requestHandler: requestHandler as any,
+        requestHandler: isCompatibleRequestHandler ? (requestHandler as any) : undefined,
         logger: logger as any,
       });
     }
@@ -206,3 +210,7 @@ export const decorateDefaultCredentialProvider =
       ),
       ...input,
     });
+
+const isH2 = (requestHandler: any): boolean => {
+  return requestHandler?.metadata?.handlerProtocol === "h2";
+};
diff --git a/clients/client-sts/test/defaultRoleAssumers.spec.ts b/clients/client-sts/test/defaultRoleAssumers.spec.ts
index 7cae7a622b12..f1c369b01260 100644
--- a/clients/client-sts/test/defaultRoleAssumers.spec.ts
+++ b/clients/client-sts/test/defaultRoleAssumers.spec.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // Please do not touch this file. It's generated from template in:
 // https://github.com/aws/aws-sdk-js-v3/blob/main/codegen/smithy-aws-typescript-codegen/src/main/resources/software/amazon/smithy/aws/typescript/codegen/sts-client-defaultRoleAssumers.spec.ts
-import { NodeHttpHandler, streamCollector } from "@smithy/node-http-handler";
+import { NodeHttp2Handler, NodeHttpHandler, streamCollector } from "@smithy/node-http-handler";
 import { HttpResponse } from "@smithy/protocol-http";
 import { Readable } from "stream";
 
@@ -25,8 +25,22 @@ jest.mock("@smithy/node-http-handler", () => {
     destroy() {}
     handle = mockHandle;
   }
+  class MockNodeHttp2Handler {
+    public metadata = {
+      handlerProtocol: "h2",
+    };
+    static create(instanceOrOptions?: any) {
+      if (typeof instanceOrOptions?.handle === "function") {
+        return instanceOrOptions;
+      }
+      return new MockNodeHttp2Handler();
+    }
+    destroy() {}
+    handle = mockHandle;
+  }
   return {
     NodeHttpHandler: MockNodeHttpHandler,
+    NodeHttp2Handler: MockNodeHttp2Handler,
     streamCollector: jest.fn(),
   };
 });
@@ -95,7 +109,7 @@ describe("getDefaultRoleAssumer", () => {
       RoleArn: "arn:aws:foo",
       RoleSessionName: "session",
     };
-    const sourceCred = { accessKeyId: "key", secretAccessKey: "secrete" };
+    const sourceCred = { accessKeyId: "key", secretAccessKey: "secret" };
     const assumedRole = await roleAssumer(sourceCred, params);
     expect(assumedRole.accountId).toEqual("123");
   });
@@ -118,7 +132,7 @@ describe("getDefaultRoleAssumer", () => {
       RoleArn: "arn:aws:foo",
       RoleSessionName: "session",
     };
-    const sourceCred = { accessKeyId: "key", secretAccessKey: "secrete" };
+    const sourceCred = { accessKeyId: "key", secretAccessKey: "secret" };
     await roleAssumer(sourceCred, params);
     expect(mockConstructorInput).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     expect(mockConstructorInput.mock.calls[0][0]).toMatchObject({
@@ -143,7 +157,7 @@ describe("getDefaultRoleAssumer", () => {
       RoleArn: "arn:aws:foo",
       RoleSessionName: "session",
     };
-    const sourceCred = { accessKeyId: "key", secretAccessKey: "secrete" };
+    const sourceCred = { accessKeyId: "key", secretAccessKey: "secret" };
     await roleAssumer(sourceCred, params);
     expect(mockConstructorInput).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     expect(mockConstructorInput.mock.calls[0][0]).toMatchObject({
@@ -153,6 +167,31 @@ describe("getDefaultRoleAssumer", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("should not pass through an Http2 requestHandler", async () => {
+    const logger = console;
+    const region = "some-region";
+    const handler = new NodeHttp2Handler();
+    const roleAssumer = getDefaultRoleAssumer({
+      parentClientConfig: {
+        region,
+        logger,
+        requestHandler: handler,
+      },
+    });
+    const params: AssumeRoleCommandInput = {
+      RoleArn: "arn:aws:foo",
+      RoleSessionName: "session",
+    };
+    const sourceCred = { accessKeyId: "key", secretAccessKey: "secret" };
+    await roleAssumer(sourceCred, params);
+    expect(mockConstructorInput).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(mockConstructorInput.mock.calls[0][0]).toMatchObject({
+      logger,
+      requestHandler: undefined,
+      region,
+    });
+  });
+
   it("should use the STS client middleware", async () => {
     const customMiddlewareFunction = jest.fn();
     const roleAssumer = getDefaultRoleAssumer({}, [
@@ -169,7 +208,7 @@ describe("getDefaultRoleAssumer", () => {
       RoleArn: "arn:aws:foo",
       RoleSessionName: "session",
     };
-    const sourceCred = { accessKeyId: "key", secretAccessKey: "secrete" };
+    const sourceCred = { accessKeyId: "key", secretAccessKey: "secret" };
     await Promise.all([roleAssumer(sourceCred, params), roleAssumer(sourceCred, params)]);
     expect(customMiddlewareFunction).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2); // make sure the middleware is not added to stack multiple times.
     expect(customMiddlewareFunction).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(1, expect.objectContaining({ input: params }));
diff --git a/codegen/smithy-aws-typescript-codegen/src/main/resources/software/amazon/smithy/aws/typescript/codegen/sts-client-defaultRoleAssumers.spec.ts b/codegen/smithy-aws-typescript-codegen/src/main/resources/software/amazon/smithy/aws/typescript/codegen/sts-client-defaultRoleAssumers.spec.ts
index d08478e213ad..13eb424242ad 100644
--- a/codegen/smithy-aws-typescript-codegen/src/main/resources/software/amazon/smithy/aws/typescript/codegen/sts-client-defaultRoleAssumers.spec.ts
+++ b/codegen/smithy-aws-typescript-codegen/src/main/resources/software/amazon/smithy/aws/typescript/codegen/sts-client-defaultRoleAssumers.spec.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { NodeHttpHandler, streamCollector } from "@smithy/node-http-handler";
+import { NodeHttp2Handler, NodeHttpHandler, streamCollector } from "@smithy/node-http-handler";
 import { HttpResponse } from "@smithy/protocol-http";
 import { Readable } from "stream";
 
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ describe("getDefaultRoleAssumer", () => {
       RoleArn: "arn:aws:foo",
       RoleSessionName: "session",
     };
-    const sourceCred = { accessKeyId: "key", secretAccessKey: "secrete" };
+    const sourceCred = { accessKeyId: "key", secretAccessKey: "secret" };
     const assumedRole = await roleAssumer(sourceCred, params);
     expect(assumedRole.accountId).toEqual("123");
   });
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ describe("getDefaultRoleAssumer", () => {
       RoleArn: "arn:aws:foo",
       RoleSessionName: "session",
     };
-    const sourceCred = { accessKeyId: "key", secretAccessKey: "secrete" };
+    const sourceCred = { accessKeyId: "key", secretAccessKey: "secret" };
     await roleAssumer(sourceCred, params);
     expect(mockConstructorInput).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     expect(mockConstructorInput.mock.calls[0][0]).toMatchObject({
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ describe("getDefaultRoleAssumer", () => {
       RoleArn: "arn:aws:foo",
       RoleSessionName: "session",
     };
-    const sourceCred = { accessKeyId: "key", secretAccessKey: "secrete" };
+    const sourceCred = { accessKeyId: "key", secretAccessKey: "secret" };
     await roleAssumer(sourceCred, params);
     expect(mockConstructorInput).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     expect(mockConstructorInput.mock.calls[0][0]).toMatchObject({
@@ -151,6 +151,31 @@ describe("getDefaultRoleAssumer", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("should not pass through an Http2 requestHandler", async () => {
+    const logger = console;
+    const region = "some-region";
+    const handler = new NodeHttp2Handler();
+    const roleAssumer = getDefaultRoleAssumer({
+      parentClientConfig: {
+        region,
+        logger,
+        requestHandler: handler,
+      },
+    });
+    const params: AssumeRoleCommandInput = {
+      RoleArn: "arn:aws:foo",
+      RoleSessionName: "session",
+    };
+    const sourceCred = { accessKeyId: "key", secretAccessKey: "secret" };
+    await roleAssumer(sourceCred, params);
+    expect(mockConstructorInput).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(mockConstructorInput.mock.calls[0][0]).toMatchObject({
+      logger,
+      requestHandler: undefined,
+      region,
+    });
+  });
+
   it("should use the STS client middleware", async () => {
     const customMiddlewareFunction = jest.fn();
     const roleAssumer = getDefaultRoleAssumer({}, [
@@ -167,7 +192,7 @@ describe("getDefaultRoleAssumer", () => {
       RoleArn: "arn:aws:foo",
       RoleSessionName: "session",
     };
-    const sourceCred = { accessKeyId: "key", secretAccessKey: "secrete" };
+    const sourceCred = { accessKeyId: "key", secretAccessKey: "secret" };
     await Promise.all([roleAssumer(sourceCred, params), roleAssumer(sourceCred, params)]);
     expect(customMiddlewareFunction).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2); // make sure the middleware is not added to stack multiple times.
     expect(customMiddlewareFunction).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(1, expect.objectContaining({ input: params }));
diff --git a/codegen/smithy-aws-typescript-codegen/src/main/resources/software/amazon/smithy/aws/typescript/codegen/sts-client-defaultStsRoleAssumers.ts b/codegen/smithy-aws-typescript-codegen/src/main/resources/software/amazon/smithy/aws/typescript/codegen/sts-client-defaultStsRoleAssumers.ts
index 1f1d66f01dc3..f1183d03e993 100644
--- a/codegen/smithy-aws-typescript-codegen/src/main/resources/software/amazon/smithy/aws/typescript/codegen/sts-client-defaultStsRoleAssumers.ts
+++ b/codegen/smithy-aws-typescript-codegen/src/main/resources/software/amazon/smithy/aws/typescript/codegen/sts-client-defaultStsRoleAssumers.ts
@@ -98,11 +98,13 @@ export const getDefaultRoleAssumer = (
         stsOptions?.parentClientConfig?.region,
         credentialProviderLogger
       );
+      const isCompatibleRequestHandler = !isH2(requestHandler);
+
       stsClient = new stsClientCtor({
         // A hack to make sts client uses the credential in current closure.
         credentialDefaultProvider: () => async () => closureSourceCreds,
         region: resolvedRegion,
-        requestHandler: requestHandler as any,
+        requestHandler: isCompatibleRequestHandler ? (requestHandler as any) : undefined,
         logger: logger as any,
       });
     }
@@ -154,9 +156,11 @@ export const getDefaultRoleAssumerWithWebIdentity = (
         stsOptions?.parentClientConfig?.region,
         credentialProviderLogger
       );
+      const isCompatibleRequestHandler = !isH2(requestHandler);
+
       stsClient = new stsClientCtor({
         region: resolvedRegion,
-        requestHandler: requestHandler as any,
+        requestHandler: isCompatibleRequestHandler ? (requestHandler as any) : undefined,
         logger: logger as any,
       });
     }
@@ -203,3 +207,7 @@ export const decorateDefaultCredentialProvider =
       ),
       ...input,
     });
+
+const isH2 = (requestHandler: any): boolean => {
+  return requestHandler?.metadata?.handlerProtocol === "h2";
+};