diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm
index a42582f0f..e2bd02534 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm
@@ -4018,9 +4018,7 @@ sub validate_helper( $;$ ) {
 	if ( supplied $proto ) {
 	    my $protonum = -1;
 
-	    unless ( $proto eq '-' ) {
-		fatal_error "Unknown PROTO ($protonum)" unless defined ( $protonum = resolve_proto( $proto ) );	
-	    }
+	    fatal_error "Unknown PROTO ($protonum)" unless defined ( $protonum = resolve_proto( $proto ) );	
 
 	    unless ( $protonum == $helper_proto ) {
 		fatal_error "The $helper_base helper requires PROTO=" . (proto_name $helper_proto );
diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Raw.pm b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Raw.pm
index af70825f1..35932c756 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Raw.pm
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Raw.pm
@@ -76,7 +76,6 @@ sub process_notrack_rule( $$$$$$$ ) {
 
 	    if ( $option eq 'helper' ) {
 		fatal_error "Invalid helper' ($args)" if $args =~ /,/;
-		fatal_error "A protocol protocol is required in CT:helper rules" if $proto eq '-'; 
 		validate_helper( $args, $proto );
 		$action = "CT --helper $args";
 		$exception_rule = do_proto( $proto, '-', '-' );