diff --git a/.changelog/11292.txt b/.changelog/11292.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9eddacf8b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/11292.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:bug
+datastream: removed a breaking change in `google_datastream_stream` that made one of `destination_config.0.bigquery_destination_config.0.merge` or `destination_config.0.bigquery_destination_config.0.append_only` required
+```
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/google-beta/services/datastream/resource_datastream_stream.go b/google-beta/services/datastream/resource_datastream_stream.go
index 4ed954f515..8f4497a594 100644
--- a/google-beta/services/datastream/resource_datastream_stream.go
+++ b/google-beta/services/datastream/resource_datastream_stream.go
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ historical state of the data.`,
 										Elem: &schema.Resource{
 											Schema: map[string]*schema.Schema{},
 										},
-										ExactlyOneOf: []string{"destination_config.0.bigquery_destination_config.0.merge", "destination_config.0.bigquery_destination_config.0.append_only"},
+										ConflictsWith: []string{"destination_config.0.bigquery_destination_config.0.merge"},
 									},
 									"data_freshness": {
 										Type:     schema.TypeString,
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ in the source database. With Merge mode, no historical record of the change even
 										Elem: &schema.Resource{
 											Schema: map[string]*schema.Schema{},
 										},
-										ExactlyOneOf: []string{"destination_config.0.bigquery_destination_config.0.merge", "destination_config.0.bigquery_destination_config.0.append_only"},
+										ConflictsWith: []string{"destination_config.0.bigquery_destination_config.0.append_only"},
 									},
 									"single_target_dataset": {
 										Type:        schema.TypeList,
diff --git a/google-beta/services/datastream/resource_datastream_stream_generated_test.go b/google-beta/services/datastream/resource_datastream_stream_generated_test.go
index d09d8ad030..3589808f94 100644
--- a/google-beta/services/datastream/resource_datastream_stream_generated_test.go
+++ b/google-beta/services/datastream/resource_datastream_stream_generated_test.go
@@ -710,7 +710,6 @@ resource "google_datastream_stream" "default" {
                     kms_key_name = "%{bigquery_destination_table_kms_key_name}"
                 }
             }
-            merge {}
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/website/docs/r/datastream_stream.html.markdown b/website/docs/r/datastream_stream.html.markdown
index 24a2cdade8..ee6300d65e 100644
--- a/website/docs/r/datastream_stream.html.markdown
+++ b/website/docs/r/datastream_stream.html.markdown
@@ -756,7 +756,6 @@ resource "google_datastream_stream" "default" {
                     kms_key_name = "bigquery-kms-name"
                 }
             }
-            merge {}
         }
     }