diff --git a/manifests/kustomize/base/model-registry-deployment.yaml b/manifests/kustomize/base/model-registry-deployment.yaml
index 206cae4d0..8a5bbfbf2 100644
--- a/manifests/kustomize/base/model-registry-deployment.yaml
+++ b/manifests/kustomize/base/model-registry-deployment.yaml
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ spec:
       component: model-registry-server
   template:
     metadata:
+      annotations:
+        sidecar.istio.io/inject: "true"
       labels:
         component: model-registry-server
     spec:
diff --git a/manifests/kustomize/base/model-registry-service.yaml b/manifests/kustomize/base/model-registry-service.yaml
index d7d362c3f..33a4215d6 100644
--- a/manifests/kustomize/base/model-registry-service.yaml
+++ b/manifests/kustomize/base/model-registry-service.yaml
@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@ spec:
   ports:
   - port: 8080
     protocol: TCP
+    appProtocol: http
     name: http-api
   - port: 9090
     protocol: TCP
+    appProtocol: grpc
     name: grpc-api
diff --git a/manifests/kustomize/options/istio/virtual-service.yaml b/manifests/kustomize/options/istio/virtual-service.yaml
index e410e6c94..576c02086 100644
--- a/manifests/kustomize/options/istio/virtual-service.yaml
+++ b/manifests/kustomize/options/istio/virtual-service.yaml
@@ -7,18 +7,23 @@ spec:
   - kubeflow-gateway
   hosts:
   - '*'
-  tcp:
+  http:
   - match:
-    - port: 8080
+    - uri:
+        prefix: /api/model_registry/
     route:
     - destination:
         host: model-registry-service.kubeflow.svc.cluster.local
         port:
           number: 8080
   - match:
-      - port: 9090
+    - port: 9090
+    - authority:
+        regex: model-registry-service(\..+)?(:9090)?
+    - uri:
+        prefix: /ml_metadata.MetadataStoreService/
     route:
-      - destination:
-          host: model-registry-service.kubeflow.svc.cluster.local
-          port:
-            number: 9090
+    - destination:
+        host: model-registry-service.kubeflow.svc.cluster.local
+        port:
+          number: 9090
diff --git a/manifests/kustomize/overlays/db/kustomization.yaml b/manifests/kustomize/overlays/db/kustomization.yaml
index 42fea9f09..947c7a985 100644
--- a/manifests/kustomize/overlays/db/kustomization.yaml
+++ b/manifests/kustomize/overlays/db/kustomization.yaml
@@ -36,3 +36,10 @@ vars:
     apiVersion: v1
     kind: Service
     name: model-registry-db
+- name: MYSQL_PORT
+  objref:
+    kind: ConfigMap
+    name: model-registry-db-parameters
+    apiVersion: v1
+  fieldref:
+    fieldpath: data.MYSQL_PORT
diff --git a/manifests/kustomize/overlays/db/patches/model-registry-deployment.yaml b/manifests/kustomize/overlays/db/patches/model-registry-deployment.yaml
index 5d788ed76..e9a8e0c32 100644
--- a/manifests/kustomize/overlays/db/patches/model-registry-deployment.yaml
+++ b/manifests/kustomize/overlays/db/patches/model-registry-deployment.yaml
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ metadata:
   name: model-registry-deployment
 spec:
   template:
+    metadata:
+      annotations:
+        # db doesn't use istio
+        traffic.sidecar.istio.io/excludeOutboundPorts: $(MYSQL_PORT)
     spec:
       containers:
         - name: rest-container
diff --git a/manifests/kustomize/overlays/postgres/kustomization.yaml b/manifests/kustomize/overlays/postgres/kustomization.yaml
index facbb163f..e52acd8e9 100644
--- a/manifests/kustomize/overlays/postgres/kustomization.yaml
+++ b/manifests/kustomize/overlays/postgres/kustomization.yaml
@@ -36,3 +36,10 @@ vars:
     apiVersion: v1
   fieldref:
     fieldpath: metadata.name
+- name: POSTGRES_PORT
+  objref:
+    kind: ConfigMap
+    name: model-registry-db-parameters
+    apiVersion: v1
+  fieldref:
+    fieldpath: data.POSTGRES_PORT
diff --git a/manifests/kustomize/overlays/postgres/patches/model-registry-deployment.yaml b/manifests/kustomize/overlays/postgres/patches/model-registry-deployment.yaml
index a97fc2a99..0f8fdbd09 100644
--- a/manifests/kustomize/overlays/postgres/patches/model-registry-deployment.yaml
+++ b/manifests/kustomize/overlays/postgres/patches/model-registry-deployment.yaml
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ metadata:
   name: model-registry-deployment
 spec:
   template:
+    metadata:
+      annotations:
+        # db doesn't use istio
+        traffic.sidecar.istio.io/excludeOutboundPorts: $(POSTGRES_PORT)
     spec:
       containers:
         - name: grpc-container