diff --git a/docs/sources/shared/configuration.md b/docs/sources/shared/configuration.md
index df40267e9ae8..5cd5ec255e9b 100644
--- a/docs/sources/shared/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/sources/shared/configuration.md
@@ -2237,19 +2237,19 @@ The `frontend_worker` configures the worker - running within the Loki querier -
 [id: <string> | default = ""]
 
 # Configures the querier gRPC client used to communicate with the
-# query-frontend. Shouldn't be used in conjunction with 'grpc_client_config'.
+# query-frontend. This can't be used in conjunction with 'grpc_client_config'.
 # The CLI flags prefix for this block configuration is:
 # querier.frontend-grpc-client
 [query_frontend_grpc_client: <grpc_client>]
 
 # Configures the querier gRPC client used to communicate with the query-frontend
-# and with the query-scheduler if 'query_scheduler_grpc_client' isn't defined.
-# This shouldn't be used if 'query_frontend_grpc_client' is defined.
+# and with the query-scheduler. This can't be used in conjunction with
+# 'query_frontend_grpc_client' or 'query_scheduler_grpc_client'.
 # The CLI flags prefix for this block configuration is: querier.frontend-client
 [grpc_client_config: <grpc_client>]
 
 # Configures the querier gRPC client used to communicate with the
-# query-scheduler. If not defined, 'grpc_client_config' is used instead.
+# query-scheduler. This can't be used in conjunction with 'grpc_client_config'.
 # The CLI flags prefix for this block configuration is:
 # querier.scheduler-grpc-client
 [query_scheduler_grpc_client: <grpc_client>]
diff --git a/pkg/loki/config_wrapper.go b/pkg/loki/config_wrapper.go
index 2a4789fb9e60..4c8da5de23ae 100644
--- a/pkg/loki/config_wrapper.go
+++ b/pkg/loki/config_wrapper.go
@@ -689,21 +689,17 @@ func applyChunkRetain(cfg, defaults *ConfigWrapper) {
 }
 
 func applyCommonQuerierWorkerGRPCConfig(cfg, defaults *ConfigWrapper) error {
-	if !reflect.DeepEqual(cfg.Worker.OldQueryFrontendGRPCClientConfig, defaults.Worker.OldQueryFrontendGRPCClientConfig) {
-		// User is using the old grpc configuration.
-
-		if reflect.DeepEqual(cfg.Worker.NewQueryFrontendGRPCClientConfig, defaults.Worker.NewQueryFrontendGRPCClientConfig) {
-			// User is using the old grpc configuration only, we can just copy it to the new grpc client struct.
-			cfg.Worker.NewQueryFrontendGRPCClientConfig = cfg.Worker.OldQueryFrontendGRPCClientConfig
-		} else {
-			// User is using both, old and new way of configuring the grpc client, so we throw an error.
-			return fmt.Errorf("both `grpc_client_config` and `query_frontend_grpc_client` are set at the same time. Please use only one of them")
-		}
+	usingNewFrontendCfg := !reflect.DeepEqual(cfg.Worker.NewQueryFrontendGRPCClientConfig, defaults.Worker.NewQueryFrontendGRPCClientConfig)
+	usingNewSchedulerCfg := !reflect.DeepEqual(cfg.Worker.QuerySchedulerGRPCClientConfig, defaults.Worker.QuerySchedulerGRPCClientConfig)
+	usingOldFrontendCfg := !reflect.DeepEqual(cfg.Worker.OldQueryFrontendGRPCClientConfig, defaults.Worker.OldQueryFrontendGRPCClientConfig)
 
-		if reflect.DeepEqual(cfg.Worker.QuerySchedulerGRPCClientConfig, defaults.Worker.QuerySchedulerGRPCClientConfig) {
-			// Since the scheduler grpc client is not set, we can just copy the old query frontend grpc client to the scheduler grpc client.
-			cfg.Worker.QuerySchedulerGRPCClientConfig = cfg.Worker.OldQueryFrontendGRPCClientConfig
+	if usingOldFrontendCfg {
+		if usingNewFrontendCfg || usingNewSchedulerCfg {
+			return fmt.Errorf("both `grpc_client_config` and (`query_frontend_grpc_client` or `query_scheduler_grpc_client`) are set at the same time. Please use only `query_frontend_grpc_client` and `query_scheduler_grpc_client`")
 		}
+		cfg.Worker.NewQueryFrontendGRPCClientConfig = cfg.Worker.OldQueryFrontendGRPCClientConfig
+		cfg.Worker.QuerySchedulerGRPCClientConfig = cfg.Worker.OldQueryFrontendGRPCClientConfig
 	}
+
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/querier/worker/worker.go b/pkg/querier/worker/worker.go
index 7d7b46dc814f..0c13bdd6df9d 100644
--- a/pkg/querier/worker/worker.go
+++ b/pkg/querier/worker/worker.go
@@ -30,10 +30,10 @@ type Config struct {
 
 	QuerierID string `yaml:"id"`
 
-	NewQueryFrontendGRPCClientConfig grpcclient.Config `yaml:"query_frontend_grpc_client" doc:"description=Configures the querier gRPC client used to communicate with the query-frontend. Shouldn't be used in conjunction with 'grpc_client_config'."`
-	OldQueryFrontendGRPCClientConfig grpcclient.Config `yaml:"grpc_client_config" doc:"description=Configures the querier gRPC client used to communicate with the query-frontend and with the query-scheduler if 'query_scheduler_grpc_client' isn't defined. This shouldn't be used if 'query_frontend_grpc_client' is defined."`
+	NewQueryFrontendGRPCClientConfig grpcclient.Config `yaml:"query_frontend_grpc_client" doc:"description=Configures the querier gRPC client used to communicate with the query-frontend. This can't be used in conjunction with 'grpc_client_config'."`
+	OldQueryFrontendGRPCClientConfig grpcclient.Config `yaml:"grpc_client_config" doc:"description=Configures the querier gRPC client used to communicate with the query-frontend and with the query-scheduler. This can't be used in conjunction with 'query_frontend_grpc_client' or 'query_scheduler_grpc_client'."`
 
-	QuerySchedulerGRPCClientConfig grpcclient.Config `yaml:"query_scheduler_grpc_client" doc:"description=Configures the querier gRPC client used to communicate with the query-scheduler. If not defined, 'grpc_client_config' is used instead."`
+	QuerySchedulerGRPCClientConfig grpcclient.Config `yaml:"query_scheduler_grpc_client" doc:"description=Configures the querier gRPC client used to communicate with the query-scheduler. This can't be used in conjunction with 'grpc_client_config'."`
 }
 
 func (cfg *Config) RegisterFlags(f *flag.FlagSet) {