diff --git a/agent/config/runtime_test.go b/agent/config/runtime_test.go
index dffcc4be96..85db6d3be9 100644
--- a/agent/config/runtime_test.go
+++ b/agent/config/runtime_test.go
@@ -4157,7 +4157,6 @@ func TestLoad_IntegrationWithFlags(t *testing.T) {
 					"bootstrap": [
 						{
 							"kind": "mesh",
-							"name": "mesh",
 							"meta" : {
 								"foo": "bar",
 								"gir": "zim"
@@ -4174,7 +4173,6 @@ func TestLoad_IntegrationWithFlags(t *testing.T) {
 				config_entries {
 				  bootstrap {
 					kind = "mesh"
-					name = "mesh"
 					meta {
 						"foo" = "bar"
 						"gir" = "zim"
@@ -4190,8 +4188,6 @@ func TestLoad_IntegrationWithFlags(t *testing.T) {
 			rt.DataDir = dataDir
 			rt.ConfigEntryBootstrap = []structs.ConfigEntry{
 				&structs.MeshConfigEntry{
-					Kind: structs.MeshConfig,
-					Name: structs.MeshConfigMesh,
 					Meta: map[string]string{
 						"foo": "bar",
 						"gir": "zim",
@@ -4212,7 +4208,6 @@ func TestLoad_IntegrationWithFlags(t *testing.T) {
 					"bootstrap": [
 						{
 							"Kind": "mesh",
-							"Name": "mesh",
 							"Meta" : {
 								"foo": "bar",
 								"gir": "zim"
@@ -4229,7 +4224,6 @@ func TestLoad_IntegrationWithFlags(t *testing.T) {
 				config_entries {
 				  bootstrap {
 					Kind = "mesh"
-					Name = "mesh"
 					Meta {
 						"foo" = "bar"
 						"gir" = "zim"
@@ -4245,8 +4239,6 @@ func TestLoad_IntegrationWithFlags(t *testing.T) {
 			rt.DataDir = dataDir
 			rt.ConfigEntryBootstrap = []structs.ConfigEntry{
 				&structs.MeshConfigEntry{
-					Kind: structs.MeshConfig,
-					Name: structs.MeshConfigMesh,
 					Meta: map[string]string{
 						"foo": "bar",
 						"gir": "zim",
diff --git a/agent/consul/fsm/snapshot_oss_test.go b/agent/consul/fsm/snapshot_oss_test.go
index 99de8ebc9a..cb05399870 100644
--- a/agent/consul/fsm/snapshot_oss_test.go
+++ b/agent/consul/fsm/snapshot_oss_test.go
@@ -428,8 +428,6 @@ func TestFSM_SnapshotRestore_OSS(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// mesh config entry
 	meshConfig := &structs.MeshConfigEntry{
-		Kind: structs.MeshConfig,
-		Name: structs.MeshConfigMesh,
 		TransparentProxy: structs.TransparentProxyMeshConfig{
 			CatalogDestinationsOnly: true,
 		},
diff --git a/agent/proxycfg/state_test.go b/agent/proxycfg/state_test.go
index 122a6e5453..e86d1b21e8 100644
--- a/agent/proxycfg/state_test.go
+++ b/agent/proxycfg/state_test.go
@@ -1674,8 +1674,6 @@ func TestState_WatchesAndUpdates(t *testing.T) {
 							CorrelationID: meshConfigEntryID,
 							Result: &structs.ConfigEntryResponse{
 								Entry: &structs.MeshConfigEntry{
-									Kind:             structs.MeshConfig,
-									Name:             structs.MeshConfigMesh,
 									TransparentProxy: structs.TransparentProxyMeshConfig{},
 								},
 							},
diff --git a/agent/structs/config_entry.go b/agent/structs/config_entry.go
index afa5f34fc1..e05e131efa 100644
--- a/agent/structs/config_entry.go
+++ b/agent/structs/config_entry.go
@@ -529,7 +529,7 @@ func MakeConfigEntry(kind, name string) (ConfigEntry, error) {
 	case ServiceIntentions:
 		return &ServiceIntentionsConfigEntry{Name: name}, nil
 	case MeshConfig:
-		return &MeshConfigEntry{Name: name}, nil
+		return &MeshConfigEntry{}, nil
 	default:
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid config entry kind: %s", kind)
 	}
diff --git a/agent/structs/config_entry_mesh.go b/agent/structs/config_entry_mesh.go
index 8e7688a06c..74d70765a4 100644
--- a/agent/structs/config_entry_mesh.go
+++ b/agent/structs/config_entry_mesh.go
@@ -7,9 +7,6 @@ import (
 )
 
 type MeshConfigEntry struct {
-	Kind string
-	Name string
-
 	// TransparentProxy contains cluster-wide options pertaining to TPROXY mode
 	// when enabled.
 	TransparentProxy TransparentProxyMeshConfig `alias:"transparent_proxy"`
@@ -36,7 +33,7 @@ func (e *MeshConfigEntry) GetName() string {
 		return ""
 	}
 
-	return e.Name
+	return MeshConfigMesh
 }
 
 func (e *MeshConfigEntry) GetMeta() map[string]string {
@@ -51,11 +48,7 @@ func (e *MeshConfigEntry) Normalize() error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("config entry is nil")
 	}
 
-	e.Kind = MeshConfig
-	e.Name = MeshConfigMesh
-
 	e.EnterpriseMeta.Normalize()
-
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -63,11 +56,6 @@ func (e *MeshConfigEntry) Validate() error {
 	if e == nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("config entry is nil")
 	}
-
-	if e.Name != MeshConfigMesh {
-		return fmt.Errorf("invalid name (%q), only %q is supported", e.Name, MeshConfigMesh)
-	}
-
 	if err := validateConfigEntryMeta(e.Meta); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/agent/structs/config_entry_oss.go b/agent/structs/config_entry_oss.go
index a3ca07c1b8..9773643dde 100644
--- a/agent/structs/config_entry_oss.go
+++ b/agent/structs/config_entry_oss.go
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ func validateUnusedKeys(unused []string) error {
 	for _, k := range unused {
 		switch {
 		case k == "CreateIndex" || k == "ModifyIndex":
+		case k == "kind" || k == "Kind":
+			// The kind field is used to determine the target, but doesn't need
+			// to exist on the target.
 		case strings.HasSuffix(strings.ToLower(k), "namespace"):
 			err = multierror.Append(err, fmt.Errorf("invalid config key %q, namespaces are a consul enterprise feature", k))
 		default:
diff --git a/agent/structs/config_entry_test.go b/agent/structs/config_entry_test.go
index 38c10deb0b..cace510bb4 100644
--- a/agent/structs/config_entry_test.go
+++ b/agent/structs/config_entry_test.go
@@ -1310,7 +1310,6 @@ func TestDecodeConfigEntry(t *testing.T) {
 			name: "mesh",
 			snake: `
 				kind = "mesh"
-				name = "mesh"
 				meta {
 					"foo" = "bar"
 					"gir" = "zim"
@@ -1321,7 +1320,6 @@ func TestDecodeConfigEntry(t *testing.T) {
 			`,
 			camel: `
 				Kind = "mesh"
-				Name = "mesh"
 				Meta {
 					"foo" = "bar"
 					"gir" = "zim"
@@ -1331,8 +1329,6 @@ func TestDecodeConfigEntry(t *testing.T) {
 				}
 			`,
 			expect: &MeshConfigEntry{
-				Kind: MeshConfig,
-				Name: MeshConfigMesh,
 				Meta: map[string]string{
 					"foo": "bar",
 					"gir": "zim",
diff --git a/agent/xds/listeners_test.go b/agent/xds/listeners_test.go
index 2f9102f42a..bab7057798 100644
--- a/agent/xds/listeners_test.go
+++ b/agent/xds/listeners_test.go
@@ -519,8 +519,6 @@ func TestListenersFromSnapshot(t *testing.T) {
 
 				snap.ConnectProxy.MeshConfigSet = true
 				snap.ConnectProxy.MeshConfig = &structs.MeshConfigEntry{
-					Kind: structs.MeshConfig,
-					Name: structs.MeshConfigMesh,
 					TransparentProxy: structs.TransparentProxyMeshConfig{
 						CatalogDestinationsOnly: true,
 					},
diff --git a/api/config_entry.go b/api/config_entry.go
index 6ae23be898..5047d07a5b 100644
--- a/api/config_entry.go
+++ b/api/config_entry.go
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ func makeConfigEntry(kind, name string) (ConfigEntry, error) {
 	case ServiceIntentions:
 		return &ServiceIntentionsConfigEntry{Kind: kind, Name: name}, nil
 	case MeshConfig:
-		return &MeshConfigEntry{Kind: kind, Name: name}, nil
+		return &MeshConfigEntry{}, nil
 	default:
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid config entry kind: %s", kind)
 	}
diff --git a/api/config_entry_cluster.go b/api/config_entry_cluster.go
index 057059f8aa..915fab5d3d 100644
--- a/api/config_entry_cluster.go
+++ b/api/config_entry_cluster.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package api
 
 type MeshConfigEntry struct {
-	Kind             string
 	Name             string
 	Namespace        string                     `json:",omitempty"`
 	TransparentProxy TransparentProxyMeshConfig `alias:"transparent_proxy"`
@@ -15,11 +14,11 @@ type TransparentProxyMeshConfig struct {
 }
 
 func (e *MeshConfigEntry) GetKind() string {
-	return e.Kind
+	return MeshConfig
 }
 
 func (e *MeshConfigEntry) GetName() string {
-	return e.Name
+	return MeshConfigMesh
 }
 
 func (e *MeshConfigEntry) GetNamespace() string {
diff --git a/api/config_entry_test.go b/api/config_entry_test.go
index 4bf5e23681..74f92afe88 100644
--- a/api/config_entry_test.go
+++ b/api/config_entry_test.go
@@ -1141,7 +1141,6 @@ func TestDecodeConfigEntry(t *testing.T) {
 			body: `
 			{
 				"Kind": "mesh",
-				"Name": "mesh",
 				"Meta" : {
 					"foo": "bar",
 					"gir": "zim"
@@ -1152,8 +1151,6 @@ func TestDecodeConfigEntry(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 			`,
 			expect: &MeshConfigEntry{
-				Kind: "mesh",
-				Name: "mesh",
 				Meta: map[string]string{
 					"foo": "bar",
 					"gir": "zim",
diff --git a/command/config/write/config_write.go b/command/config/write/config_write.go
index e150b40af9..c7b3a72fd4 100644
--- a/command/config/write/config_write.go
+++ b/command/config/write/config_write.go
@@ -6,13 +6,14 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/hashicorp/go-multierror"
+	"github.com/mitchellh/cli"
+	"github.com/mitchellh/mapstructure"
+
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/api"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/command/flags"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/command/helpers"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/lib/decode"
-	"github.com/hashicorp/go-multierror"
-	"github.com/mitchellh/cli"
-	"github.com/mitchellh/mapstructure"
 )
 
 func New(ui cli.Ui) *cmd {
@@ -155,6 +156,12 @@ func newDecodeConfigEntry(raw map[string]interface{}) (api.ConfigEntry, error) {
 	}
 
 	for _, k := range md.Unused {
+		switch k {
+		case "kind", "Kind":
+			// The kind field is used to determine the target, but doesn't need
+			// to exist on the target.
+			continue
+		}
 		err = multierror.Append(err, fmt.Errorf("invalid config key %q", k))
 	}
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/command/config/write/config_write_test.go b/command/config/write/config_write_test.go
index ee122f2b38..8b3fe120b9 100644
--- a/command/config/write/config_write_test.go
+++ b/command/config/write/config_write_test.go
@@ -2627,7 +2627,6 @@ func TestParseConfigEntry(t *testing.T) {
 			name: "mesh",
 			snake: `
 				kind = "mesh"
-				name = "mesh"
 				meta {
 					"foo" = "bar"
 					"gir" = "zim"
@@ -2638,7 +2637,6 @@ func TestParseConfigEntry(t *testing.T) {
 			`,
 			camel: `
 				Kind = "mesh"
-				Name = "mesh"
 				Meta {
 					"foo" = "bar"
 					"gir" = "zim"
@@ -2650,7 +2648,6 @@ func TestParseConfigEntry(t *testing.T) {
 			snakeJSON: `
 			{
 				"kind": "mesh",
-				"name": "mesh",
 				"meta" : {
 					"foo": "bar",
 					"gir": "zim"
@@ -2663,7 +2660,6 @@ func TestParseConfigEntry(t *testing.T) {
 			camelJSON: `
 			{
 				"Kind": "mesh",
-				"Name": "mesh",
 				"Meta" : {
 					"foo": "bar",
 					"gir": "zim"
@@ -2674,8 +2670,6 @@ func TestParseConfigEntry(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 			`,
 			expect: &api.MeshConfigEntry{
-				Kind: api.MeshConfig,
-				Name: api.MeshConfigMesh,
 				Meta: map[string]string{
 					"foo": "bar",
 					"gir": "zim",