diff --git a/apis/v1alpha2/httproute_types.go b/apis/v1alpha2/httproute_types.go
index 518b926430..7c3a4cc9fa 100644
--- a/apis/v1alpha2/httproute_types.go
+++ b/apis/v1alpha2/httproute_types.go
@@ -722,9 +722,7 @@ type HTTPRequestMirrorFilter struct {
 	//
 	// Support: Extended for Kubernetes Service
 	// Support: Custom for any other resource
-	//
-	// +optional
-	BackendRef *BackendObjectReference `json:"backendRef,omitempty"`
+	BackendRef BackendObjectReference `json:"backendRef"`
 }
 
 // HTTPBackendRef defines how a HTTPRoute should forward an HTTP request.
diff --git a/apis/v1alpha2/zz_generated.deepcopy.go b/apis/v1alpha2/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
index d0c786d5cf..383c680db2 100644
--- a/apis/v1alpha2/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
+++ b/apis/v1alpha2/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
@@ -549,11 +549,7 @@ func (in *HTTPRequestHeaderFilter) DeepCopy() *HTTPRequestHeaderFilter {
 // DeepCopyInto is an autogenerated deepcopy function, copying the receiver, writing into out. in must be non-nil.
 func (in *HTTPRequestMirrorFilter) DeepCopyInto(out *HTTPRequestMirrorFilter) {
 	*out = *in
-	if in.BackendRef != nil {
-		in, out := &in.BackendRef, &out.BackendRef
-		*out = new(BackendObjectReference)
-		(*in).DeepCopyInto(*out)
-	}
+	in.BackendRef.DeepCopyInto(&out.BackendRef)
 }
 
 // DeepCopy is an autogenerated deepcopy function, copying the receiver, creating a new HTTPRequestMirrorFilter.
diff --git a/config/crd/v1alpha2/gateway.networking.k8s.io_httproutes.yaml b/config/crd/v1alpha2/gateway.networking.k8s.io_httproutes.yaml
index af01b2aca7..9ddb0d584d 100644
--- a/config/crd/v1alpha2/gateway.networking.k8s.io_httproutes.yaml
+++ b/config/crd/v1alpha2/gateway.networking.k8s.io_httproutes.yaml
@@ -440,6 +440,8 @@ spec:
                                       required:
                                       - name
                                       type: object
+                                  required:
+                                  - backendRef
                                   type: object
                                 requestRedirect:
                                   description: "RequestRedirect defines a schema for
@@ -807,6 +809,8 @@ spec:
                                 required:
                                 - name
                                 type: object
+                            required:
+                            - backendRef
                             type: object
                           requestRedirect:
                             description: "RequestRedirect defines a schema for a filter