diff --git a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/dns/PublishDnsUpdatesAction.java b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/dns/PublishDnsUpdatesAction.java
index d71cc5c88..dd33985c8 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/dns/PublishDnsUpdatesAction.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/dns/PublishDnsUpdatesAction.java
@@ -81,9 +81,6 @@ public final class PublishDnsUpdatesAction implements Runnable, Callable<Void> {
 
   public static final String PATH = "/_dr/task/publishDnsUpdates";
   public static final String LOCK_NAME = "DNS updates";
-  // TODO(b/236726584): Remove App Engine header once CloudTasksUtils is refactored to create HTTP
-  // tasks.
-  public static final String APP_ENGINE_RETRY_HEADER = "X-AppEngine-TaskRetryCount";
   public static final String CLOUD_TASKS_RETRY_HEADER = "X-CloudTasks-TaskRetryCount";
   public static final int RETRIES_BEFORE_PERMANENT_FAILURE = 20;
 
@@ -140,8 +137,7 @@ public final class PublishDnsUpdatesAction implements Runnable, Callable<Void> {
       @Config("registrySupportEmail") Lazy<InternetAddress> registrySupportEmail,
       @Config("registryCcEmail") Lazy<InternetAddress> registryCcEmail,
       @Config("gSuiteOutgoingEmailAddress") InternetAddress gSuiteOutgoingEmailAddress,
-      @Header(APP_ENGINE_RETRY_HEADER) Optional<Integer> appEngineRetryCount,
-      @Header(CLOUD_TASKS_RETRY_HEADER) Optional<Integer> cloudTasksRetryCount,
+      @Header(CLOUD_TASKS_RETRY_HEADER) int retryCount,
       DnsWriterProxy dnsWriterProxy,
       DnsMetrics dnsMetrics,
       LockHandler lockHandler,
@@ -153,11 +149,7 @@ public final class PublishDnsUpdatesAction implements Runnable, Callable<Void> {
     this.dnsMetrics = dnsMetrics;
     this.timeout = timeout;
     this.sendEmailService = sendEmailService;
-    retryCount =
-        cloudTasksRetryCount.orElseGet(
-            () ->
-                appEngineRetryCount.orElseThrow(
-                    () -> new IllegalStateException("Missing a valid retry count header")));
+    this.retryCount = retryCount;
     this.dnsWriter = dnsWriter;
     this.enqueuedTime = enqueuedTime;
     this.itemsCreateTime = itemsCreateTime;
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/request/RequestModule.java b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/request/RequestModule.java
index 30c7bf4d2..a66f0f8a2 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/request/RequestModule.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/request/RequestModule.java
@@ -15,11 +15,10 @@
 package google.registry.request;
 
 import static com.google.common.net.MediaType.JSON_UTF_8;
-import static google.registry.dns.PublishDnsUpdatesAction.APP_ENGINE_RETRY_HEADER;
 import static google.registry.dns.PublishDnsUpdatesAction.CLOUD_TASKS_RETRY_HEADER;
 import static google.registry.model.tld.Tlds.assertTldExists;
 import static google.registry.model.tld.Tlds.assertTldsExist;
-import static google.registry.request.RequestParameters.extractOptionalHeader;
+import static google.registry.request.RequestParameters.extractRequiredHeader;
 import static google.registry.request.RequestParameters.extractRequiredParameter;
 import static google.registry.request.RequestParameters.extractSetOfParameters;
 import static java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets.UTF_8;
@@ -131,8 +130,8 @@ public final class RequestModule {
   @FullServletPath
   static String provideFullServletPath(HttpServletRequest req) {
     // Include the port only if it differs from the default for the scheme.
-    if ((req.getScheme().equals("http") && (req.getServerPort() == 80))
-        || (req.getScheme().equals("https") && (req.getServerPort() == 443))) {
+    if (("http".equals(req.getScheme()) && (req.getServerPort() == 80))
+        || ("https".equals(req.getScheme()) && (req.getServerPort() == 443))) {
       return String.format("%s://%s%s", req.getScheme(), req.getServerName(), req.getServletPath());
     } else {
       return String.format(
@@ -237,16 +236,10 @@ public final class RequestModule {
     return params.build();
   }
 
-  @Provides
-  @Header(APP_ENGINE_RETRY_HEADER)
-  static Optional<Integer> provideAppEngineRetryCount(HttpServletRequest req) {
-    return extractOptionalHeader(req, APP_ENGINE_RETRY_HEADER).map(Integer::parseInt);
-  }
-
   @Provides
   @Header(CLOUD_TASKS_RETRY_HEADER)
-  static Optional<Integer> provideCloudTasksRetryCount(HttpServletRequest req) {
-    return extractOptionalHeader(req, CLOUD_TASKS_RETRY_HEADER).map(Integer::parseInt);
+  static int provideCloudTasksRetryCount(HttpServletRequest req) {
+    return Integer.parseInt(extractRequiredHeader(req, CLOUD_TASKS_RETRY_HEADER));
   }
 
   @Provides
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/dns/PublishDnsUpdatesActionTest.java b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/dns/PublishDnsUpdatesActionTest.java
index ac7865e70..324a4400d 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/dns/PublishDnsUpdatesActionTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/dns/PublishDnsUpdatesActionTest.java
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ import google.registry.testing.FakeResponse;
 import google.registry.testing.Lazies;
 import google.registry.util.EmailMessage;
 import google.registry.util.SendEmailService;
-import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.Set;
 import javax.mail.internet.InternetAddress;
 import org.joda.time.DateTime;
@@ -161,8 +160,7 @@ public class PublishDnsUpdatesActionTest {
         registrySupportEmail,
         registryCcEmail,
         outgoingRegistry,
-        Optional.ofNullable(retryCount),
-        Optional.empty(),
+        retryCount,
         new DnsWriterProxy(ImmutableMap.of("correctWriter", dnsWriter)),
         dnsMetrics,
         lockHandler,
@@ -449,20 +447,6 @@ public class PublishDnsUpdatesActionTest {
         .isEqualTo("registry-cc@test.com");
   }
 
-  @Test
-  void testTaskMissingRetryHeaders_throwsException() {
-    IllegalStateException thrown =
-        assertThrows(
-            IllegalStateException.class,
-            () ->
-                createAction(
-                    "xn--q9jyb4c",
-                    ImmutableSet.of(),
-                    ImmutableSet.of("ns1.example.xn--q9jyb4c"),
-                    null));
-    assertThat(thrown).hasMessageThat().contains("Missing a valid retry count header");
-  }
-
   @Test
   void testHostAndDomain_published() {
     ImmutableSet<String> hosts =