diff --git a/internal/gatewayapi/filters.go b/internal/gatewayapi/filters.go
index 2630ed1cf84..b3d2ddb4074 100644
--- a/internal/gatewayapi/filters.go
+++ b/internal/gatewayapi/filters.go
@@ -825,7 +825,6 @@ func (t *Translator) processUnresolvedHTTPFilter(errMsg string, filterContext *H
 		errMsg,
 	)
 	filterContext.DirectResponse = &ir.DirectResponse{
-		Body:       &errMsg,
 		StatusCode: 500,
 	}
 }
@@ -842,7 +841,6 @@ func (t *Translator) processUnsupportedHTTPFilter(filterType string, filterConte
 		errMsg,
 	)
 	filterContext.DirectResponse = &ir.DirectResponse{
-		Body:       &errMsg,
 		StatusCode: 500,
 	}
 }
@@ -859,7 +857,6 @@ func (t *Translator) processInvalidHTTPFilter(filterType string, filterContext *
 		errMsg,
 	)
 	filterContext.DirectResponse = &ir.DirectResponse{
-		Body:       &errMsg,
 		StatusCode: 500,
 	}
 }
diff --git a/internal/ir/xds.go b/internal/ir/xds.go
index 86b83fb93a7..3d300f1a539 100644
--- a/internal/ir/xds.go
+++ b/internal/ir/xds.go
@@ -1196,9 +1196,6 @@ func (h AddHeader) Validate() error {
 // DirectResponse holds the details for returning a body and status code for a route.
 // +k8s:deepcopy-gen=true
 type DirectResponse struct {
-	// Body configures the body of the direct response. Currently only a string response
-	// is supported, but in the future a config.core.v3.DataSource may replace it.
-	Body *string `json:"body,omitempty" yaml:"body,omitempty"`
 	// StatusCode will be used for the direct response's status code.
 	StatusCode uint32 `json:"statusCode" yaml:"statusCode"`
 }
diff --git a/internal/ir/xds_test.go b/internal/ir/xds_test.go
index aa16a614a8c..9492c378344 100644
--- a/internal/ir/xds_test.go
+++ b/internal/ir/xds_test.go
@@ -254,7 +254,6 @@ var (
 			Exact: ptr.To("filter-error"),
 		},
 		DirectResponse: &DirectResponse{
-			Body:       ptr.To("invalid filter type"),
 			StatusCode: uint32(500),
 		},
 	}
@@ -297,7 +296,6 @@ var (
 			Exact: ptr.To("redirect"),
 		},
 		DirectResponse: &DirectResponse{
-			Body:       ptr.To("invalid filter type"),
 			StatusCode: uint32(799),
 		},
 	}
diff --git a/internal/ir/zz_generated.deepcopy.go b/internal/ir/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
index 0f523fb1e9c..273eeb1c3ca 100644
--- a/internal/ir/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
+++ b/internal/ir/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
@@ -666,11 +666,6 @@ func (in *DestinationSetting) DeepCopy() *DestinationSetting {
 // DeepCopyInto is an autogenerated deepcopy function, copying the receiver, writing into out. in must be non-nil.
 func (in *DirectResponse) DeepCopyInto(out *DirectResponse) {
 	*out = *in
-	if in.Body != nil {
-		in, out := &in.Body, &out.Body
-		*out = new(string)
-		**out = **in
-	}
 }
 
 // DeepCopy is an autogenerated deepcopy function, copying the receiver, creating a new DirectResponse.
@@ -1259,7 +1254,7 @@ func (in *HTTPRoute) DeepCopyInto(out *HTTPRoute) {
 	if in.DirectResponse != nil {
 		in, out := &in.DirectResponse, &out.DirectResponse
 		*out = new(DirectResponse)
-		(*in).DeepCopyInto(*out)
+		**out = **in
 	}
 	if in.Redirect != nil {
 		in, out := &in.Redirect, &out.Redirect
diff --git a/internal/xds/translator/route.go b/internal/xds/translator/route.go
index 65d60d251d1..2b9c75a2e91 100644
--- a/internal/xds/translator/route.go
+++ b/internal/xds/translator/route.go
@@ -419,15 +419,6 @@ func buildXdsURLRewriteAction(destName string, urlRewrite *ir.URLRewrite, pathMa
 
 func buildXdsDirectResponseAction(res *ir.DirectResponse) *routev3.DirectResponseAction {
 	routeAction := &routev3.DirectResponseAction{Status: res.StatusCode}
-
-	if res.Body != nil {
-		routeAction.Body = &corev3.DataSource{
-			Specifier: &corev3.DataSource_InlineString{
-				InlineString: *res.Body,
-			},
-		}
-	}
-
 	return routeAction
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/accesslog-cel.routes.yaml b/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/accesslog-cel.routes.yaml
index d4a7fa5ae20..b214e8b05a3 100644
--- a/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/accesslog-cel.routes.yaml
+++ b/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/accesslog-cel.routes.yaml
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@
     name: first-listener/*
     routes:
     - directResponse:
-        body:
-          inlineString: 'Unknown custom filter type: UnsupportedType'
         status: 500
       match:
         prefix: /
diff --git a/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/accesslog-endpoint-stats.routes.yaml b/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/accesslog-endpoint-stats.routes.yaml
index d4a7fa5ae20..b214e8b05a3 100644
--- a/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/accesslog-endpoint-stats.routes.yaml
+++ b/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/accesslog-endpoint-stats.routes.yaml
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@
     name: first-listener/*
     routes:
     - directResponse:
-        body:
-          inlineString: 'Unknown custom filter type: UnsupportedType'
         status: 500
       match:
         prefix: /
diff --git a/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/accesslog-formatters.routes.yaml b/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/accesslog-formatters.routes.yaml
index d4a7fa5ae20..b214e8b05a3 100644
--- a/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/accesslog-formatters.routes.yaml
+++ b/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/accesslog-formatters.routes.yaml
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@
     name: first-listener/*
     routes:
     - directResponse:
-        body:
-          inlineString: 'Unknown custom filter type: UnsupportedType'
         status: 500
       match:
         prefix: /
diff --git a/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/accesslog-multi-cel.routes.yaml b/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/accesslog-multi-cel.routes.yaml
index d4a7fa5ae20..b214e8b05a3 100644
--- a/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/accesslog-multi-cel.routes.yaml
+++ b/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/accesslog-multi-cel.routes.yaml
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@
     name: first-listener/*
     routes:
     - directResponse:
-        body:
-          inlineString: 'Unknown custom filter type: UnsupportedType'
         status: 500
       match:
         prefix: /
diff --git a/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/accesslog-without-format.routes.yaml b/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/accesslog-without-format.routes.yaml
index d4a7fa5ae20..b214e8b05a3 100644
--- a/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/accesslog-without-format.routes.yaml
+++ b/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/accesslog-without-format.routes.yaml
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@
     name: first-listener/*
     routes:
     - directResponse:
-        body:
-          inlineString: 'Unknown custom filter type: UnsupportedType'
         status: 500
       match:
         prefix: /
diff --git a/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/accesslog.routes.yaml b/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/accesslog.routes.yaml
index d4a7fa5ae20..b214e8b05a3 100644
--- a/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/accesslog.routes.yaml
+++ b/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/accesslog.routes.yaml
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@
     name: first-listener/*
     routes:
     - directResponse:
-        body:
-          inlineString: 'Unknown custom filter type: UnsupportedType'
         status: 500
       match:
         prefix: /
diff --git a/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/http-route-direct-response.routes.yaml b/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/http-route-direct-response.routes.yaml
index d4a7fa5ae20..b214e8b05a3 100644
--- a/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/http-route-direct-response.routes.yaml
+++ b/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/http-route-direct-response.routes.yaml
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@
     name: first-listener/*
     routes:
     - directResponse:
-        body:
-          inlineString: 'Unknown custom filter type: UnsupportedType'
         status: 500
       match:
         prefix: /
diff --git a/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/tracing-endpoint-stats.routes.yaml b/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/tracing-endpoint-stats.routes.yaml
index d4a7fa5ae20..b214e8b05a3 100644
--- a/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/tracing-endpoint-stats.routes.yaml
+++ b/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/tracing-endpoint-stats.routes.yaml
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@
     name: first-listener/*
     routes:
     - directResponse:
-        body:
-          inlineString: 'Unknown custom filter type: UnsupportedType'
         status: 500
       match:
         prefix: /
diff --git a/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/tracing-zipkin.routes.yaml b/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/tracing-zipkin.routes.yaml
index d4a7fa5ae20..b214e8b05a3 100644
--- a/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/tracing-zipkin.routes.yaml
+++ b/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/tracing-zipkin.routes.yaml
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@
     name: first-listener/*
     routes:
     - directResponse:
-        body:
-          inlineString: 'Unknown custom filter type: UnsupportedType'
         status: 500
       match:
         prefix: /
diff --git a/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/tracing.routes.yaml b/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/tracing.routes.yaml
index d4a7fa5ae20..b214e8b05a3 100644
--- a/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/tracing.routes.yaml
+++ b/internal/xds/translator/testdata/out/xds-ir/tracing.routes.yaml
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@
     name: first-listener/*
     routes:
     - directResponse:
-        body:
-          inlineString: 'Unknown custom filter type: UnsupportedType'
         status: 500
       match:
         prefix: /