diff --git a/transport/grpc/dial.go b/transport/grpc/dial.go
index 5ec81f85018..2e66d02b378 100644
--- a/transport/grpc/dial.go
+++ b/transport/grpc/dial.go
@@ -213,8 +213,8 @@ func dialPoolNewAuth(ctx context.Context, secure bool, poolSize int, ds *interna
 	}
 
 	// Defaults for older clients that don't set this value yet
-	var defaultEndpointTemplate string
-	if ds.DefaultEndpointTemplate == "" {
+	defaultEndpointTemplate := ds.DefaultEndpointTemplate
+	if defaultEndpointTemplate == "" {
 		defaultEndpointTemplate = ds.DefaultEndpoint
 	}
 
diff --git a/transport/http/dial.go b/transport/http/dial.go
index 64c881025a1..2043118b528 100644
--- a/transport/http/dial.go
+++ b/transport/http/dial.go
@@ -91,8 +91,8 @@ func newClientNewAuth(ctx context.Context, ds *internal.DialSettings) (*http.Cli
 	}
 
 	// Defaults for older clients that don't set this value yet
-	var defaultEndpointTemplate string
-	if ds.DefaultEndpointTemplate == "" {
+	defaultEndpointTemplate := ds.DefaultEndpointTemplate
+	if defaultEndpointTemplate == "" {
 		defaultEndpointTemplate = ds.DefaultEndpoint
 	}