diff --git a/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/AbstractStream.java b/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/AbstractStream.java
index 19bdbbc788..e066018249 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/AbstractStream.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/AbstractStream.java
@@ -157,7 +157,8 @@ public abstract class AbstractStream implements Stream {
           maxMessageSize,
           statsTraceCtx,
           transportTracer);
-      deframer = new MigratingThreadDeframer(this, this, rawDeframer);
+      // TODO(#7168): use MigratingThreadDeframer when enabling retry doesn't break.
+      deframer = rawDeframer;
     }
 
     final void optimizeForDirectExecutor() {
diff --git a/okhttp/src/main/java/io/grpc/okhttp/OkHttpClientStream.java b/okhttp/src/main/java/io/grpc/okhttp/OkHttpClientStream.java
index d4f6ec281a..baf659a627 100644
--- a/okhttp/src/main/java/io/grpc/okhttp/OkHttpClientStream.java
+++ b/okhttp/src/main/java/io/grpc/okhttp/OkHttpClientStream.java
@@ -101,10 +101,6 @@ class OkHttpClientStream extends AbstractClientStream {
             transport,
             initialWindowSize,
             method.getFullMethodName());
-
-    // TODO(#7168): fix a potential data race using MigratingThreadDeframer in OkHttp.
-    // disabling MigratingThreadDeframer in OkHttp due to the race
-    optimizeForDirectExecutor();
   }
 
   @Override