diff --git a/plugins/experimental/slice/Data.h b/plugins/experimental/slice/Data.h
index f8cdd641ee3..496ebdc3964 100644
--- a/plugins/experimental/slice/Data.h
+++ b/plugins/experimental/slice/Data.h
@@ -82,6 +82,10 @@ struct Data {
   int64_t m_bytestosend{0}; // header + content bytes to send
   int64_t m_bytessent{0};   // number of bytes written to the client
 
+  // default buffer size and water mark
+  TSIOBufferSizeIndex m_buffer_index{TS_IOBUFFER_SIZE_INDEX_32K};
+  TSIOBufferWaterMark m_buffer_water_mark{TS_IOBUFFER_WATER_MARK_PLUGIN_VC_DEFAULT};
+
   bool m_server_block_header_parsed{false};
   bool m_server_first_header_parsed{false};
 
diff --git a/plugins/experimental/slice/slice.cc b/plugins/experimental/slice/slice.cc
index f25e6bb5740..4b71363c1c3 100644
--- a/plugins/experimental/slice/slice.cc
+++ b/plugins/experimental/slice/slice.cc
@@ -161,6 +161,9 @@ read_request(TSHttpTxn txnp, Config *const config)
         }
       }
 
+      data->m_buffer_index      = TSPluginVCIOBufferIndexGet(data->m_txnp);     // default of m_buffer_index = 32KB
+      data->m_buffer_water_mark = TSPluginVCIOBufferWaterMarkGet(data->m_txnp); // default of m_buffer_water_mark = 0
+
       if (TSIsDebugTagSet(PLUGIN_NAME)) {
         int len            = 0;
         char *const urlstr = TSUrlStringGet(data->m_urlbuf, data->m_urlloc, &len);
diff --git a/plugins/experimental/slice/util.cc b/plugins/experimental/slice/util.cc
index 15c68b4f95f..4ca86c3d1a4 100644
--- a/plugins/experimental/slice/util.cc
+++ b/plugins/experimental/slice/util.cc
@@ -86,7 +86,14 @@ request_block(TSCont contp, Data *const data)
   }
 
   // create virtual connection back into ATS
-  TSVConn const upvc = TSHttpConnectWithPluginId(reinterpret_cast<sockaddr *>(&data->m_client_ip), PLUGIN_NAME, 0);
+  TSHttpConnectOptions options = TSHttpConnectOptionsGet(TS_CONNECT_PLUGIN);
+  options.addr                 = reinterpret_cast<sockaddr *>(&data->m_client_ip);
+  options.tag                  = PLUGIN_NAME;
+  options.id                   = 0;
+  options.buffer_index         = data->m_buffer_index;
+  options.buffer_water_mark    = data->m_buffer_water_mark;
+
+  TSVConn const upvc = TSHttpConnectPlugin(&options);
 
   int const hlen = TSHttpHdrLengthGet(header.m_buffer, header.m_lochdr);