diff --git a/internal/gatewayapi/helpers.go b/internal/gatewayapi/helpers.go
index 6503d4f2f41..252056f2d7d 100644
--- a/internal/gatewayapi/helpers.go
+++ b/internal/gatewayapi/helpers.go
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ func irTLSCACertName(namespace, name string) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/%s", namespace, name, caCertKey)
 }
 
-func isMergeGatewaysEnabled(resources *Resources) bool {
+func IsMergeGatewaysEnabled(resources *Resources) bool {
 	return resources.EnvoyProxy != nil && resources.EnvoyProxy.Spec.MergeGateways != nil && *resources.EnvoyProxy.Spec.MergeGateways
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/gatewayapi/runner/runner.go b/internal/gatewayapi/runner/runner.go
index 4cb3d69d15f..abc1016aa83 100644
--- a/internal/gatewayapi/runner/runner.go
+++ b/internal/gatewayapi/runner/runner.go
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ func (r *Runner) subscribeAndTranslate(ctx context.Context) {
 					GlobalRateLimitEnabled:  r.EnvoyGateway.RateLimit != nil,
 					EnvoyPatchPolicyEnabled: r.EnvoyGateway.ExtensionAPIs != nil && r.EnvoyGateway.ExtensionAPIs.EnableEnvoyPatchPolicy,
 					Namespace:               r.Namespace,
+					MergeGateways:           gatewayapi.IsMergeGatewaysEnabled(resources),
 				}
 
 				// If an extension is loaded, pass its supported groups/kinds to the translator
diff --git a/internal/gatewayapi/translator.go b/internal/gatewayapi/translator.go
index 83a819fbd23..12a5cf81743 100644
--- a/internal/gatewayapi/translator.go
+++ b/internal/gatewayapi/translator.go
@@ -252,8 +252,7 @@ func (t *Translator) InitIRs(gateways []*GatewayContext, resources *Resources) (
 		annotations := infrastructureAnnotations(gateway.Gateway)
 		gwInfraIR.Proxy.GetProxyMetadata().Annotations = annotations
 
-		if isMergeGatewaysEnabled(resources) {
-			t.MergeGateways = true
+		if t.MergeGateways {
 			irKey = string(t.GatewayClassName)
 
 			maps.Copy(labels, GatewayClassOwnerLabel(string(t.GatewayClassName)))
diff --git a/internal/gatewayapi/translator_test.go b/internal/gatewayapi/translator_test.go
index ffadaf8bcbf..a22b69b534f 100644
--- a/internal/gatewayapi/translator_test.go
+++ b/internal/gatewayapi/translator_test.go
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ func TestTranslate(t *testing.T) {
 				GlobalRateLimitEnabled:  true,
 				EnvoyPatchPolicyEnabled: envoyPatchPolicyEnabled,
 				Namespace:               "envoy-gateway-system",
+				MergeGateways:           IsMergeGatewaysEnabled(resources),
 			}
 
 			// Add common test fixtures
@@ -270,6 +271,7 @@ func TestTranslateWithExtensionKinds(t *testing.T) {
 				GatewayClassName:       "envoy-gateway-class",
 				GlobalRateLimitEnabled: true,
 				ExtensionGroupKinds:    []schema.GroupKind{{Group: "foo.example.io", Kind: "Foo"}},
+				MergeGateways:          IsMergeGatewaysEnabled(resources),
 			}
 
 			// Add common test fixtures