diff --git a/rust/src/http2/http2.rs b/rust/src/http2/http2.rs
index de51ff4aab..6490fb576e 100644
--- a/rust/src/http2/http2.rs
+++ b/rust/src/http2/http2.rs
@@ -883,10 +883,6 @@ impl HTTP2State {
         let mut tx = HTTP2Transaction::new();
         tx.tx_data = AppLayerTxData::for_direction(dir);
         tx.tx_data.0.tx_type = HTTP2TxType::HTTP2TxTypeGlobal as u8;
-        // a parser with tx types must fill both eop fields: the end state
-        // helper asserts on 0
-        tx.tx_data.0.tx_type_eop_ts = HTTP2TxGlobalProgress::HTTP2ProgGlobalComplete as u8;
-        tx.tx_data.0.tx_type_eop_tc = HTTP2TxGlobalProgress::HTTP2ProgGlobalComplete as u8;
         self.tx_id += 1;
         tx.tx_id = self.tx_id;
         tx.progress = HTTP2Progress::GLOBAL(HTTP2GlobalProgress::complete());
@@ -973,10 +969,6 @@ impl HTTP2State {
             tx.update_file_flags(tx.tx_data.0.file_flags);
             tx.tx_data.0.file_tx = STREAM_TOSERVER | STREAM_TOCLIENT; // might hold files in both directions
             tx.tx_data.0.tx_type = HTTP2TxType::HTTP2TxTypeStream as u8;
-            // a parser with tx types must fill both eop fields: the end state
-            // helper asserts on 0
-            tx.tx_data.0.tx_type_eop_ts = HTTP2TxProgress::HTTP2ProgComplete as u8;
-            tx.tx_data.0.tx_type_eop_tc = HTTP2TxProgress::HTTP2ProgComplete as u8;
             self.transactions.push_back(tx);
             return Some(self.transactions.back_mut().unwrap());
         }
@@ -1871,12 +1863,14 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn SCRegisterHttp2Parser() {
             HTTP2TxType::HTTP2TxTypeStream as u8,
             Some(HTTP2TxProgress::ffi_id_from_name),
             Some(HTTP2TxProgress::ffi_name_from_id),
+            HTTP2TxProgress::HTTP2ProgComplete as u8,
         );
         SCAppLayerParserRegisterGetTxSubStateFuncs(
             ALPROTO_HTTP2,
             HTTP2TxType::HTTP2TxTypeGlobal as u8,
             Some(HTTP2TxGlobalProgress::ffi_id_from_name),
             Some(HTTP2TxGlobalProgress::ffi_name_from_id),
+            HTTP2TxGlobalProgress::HTTP2ProgGlobalComplete as u8,
         );
 
         SCLogDebug!("Rust http2 parser registered.");
diff --git a/rust/sys/src/sys.rs b/rust/sys/src/sys.rs
index 67097e5edb..5945d001c4 100644
--- a/rust/sys/src/sys.rs
+++ b/rust/sys/src/sys.rs
@@ -1517,12 +1517,8 @@ pub struct AppLayerTxData {
     #[doc = " detection engine progress tracking for use by detection engine\n Reflects the \"progress\" of prefilter engines into this TX, where\n the value is offset by 1. So if for progress state 0 the engines\n are done, the value here will be 1. So a value of 0 means, no\n progress tracked yet.\n"]
     pub detect_progress_ts: u8,
     pub detect_progress_tc: u8,
-    #[doc = " Type of transaction. Meaning is defined by the parser. Used to\n select a state machine. 0 means it is not used."]
+    #[doc = " Type of transaction. Meaning is defined by the parser. Used to\n select a state machine. 0 means it is not used. A non-zero value is\n also the sub-state id registered by the parser, whose completion is\n the tx's end state."]
     pub tx_type: u8,
-    #[doc = " End of TX progress values\n\n toserver end of tx progress value"]
-    pub tx_type_eop_ts: u8,
-    #[doc = " toclient end of tx progress value"]
-    pub tx_type_eop_tc: u8,
     pub de_state: *mut DetectEngineState,
     pub events: *mut AppLayerDecoderEvents,
     pub txbits: *mut GenericVar,
@@ -1570,7 +1566,7 @@ extern "C" {
     #[doc = " \\brief register state<>name funcs for a substate"]
     pub fn SCAppLayerParserRegisterGetTxSubStateFuncs(
         alproto: AppProto, sub_state: u8, GetIdByNameFunc: AppLayerParserGetStateIdByNameFn,
-        GetNameByIdFunc: AppLayerParserGetStateNameByIdFn,
+        GetNameByIdFunc: AppLayerParserGetStateNameByIdFn, completion: u8,
     );
 }
 extern "C" {
diff --git a/src/app-layer-parser.c b/src/app-layer-parser.c
index dab0b17f53..014e85c872 100644
--- a/src/app-layer-parser.c
+++ b/src/app-layer-parser.c
@@ -150,6 +150,10 @@ typedef struct AppLayerParserProtoCtx_
     /* max value of a sub state
      * only set for FLOW_PROTO_DEFAULT */
     uint8_t max_sub_state;
+    /* progress value at which the sub-state's buffers are final, indexed by
+     * the sub state id
+     * only set for FLOW_PROTO_DEFAULT */
+    uint8_t sub_state_completion[APP_LAYER_MAX_SUB_STATES];
 } AppLayerParserProtoCtx;
 
 typedef struct AppLayerParserCtx_ {
@@ -618,13 +622,19 @@ void AppLayerParserRegisterGetEventInfoById(uint8_t ipproto, AppProto alproto,
 
 void SCAppLayerParserRegisterGetTxSubStateFuncs(AppProto alproto, const uint8_t sub_state,
         AppLayerParserGetStateIdByNameFn GetIdByNameFunc,
-        AppLayerParserGetStateNameByIdFn GetNameByIdFunc)
+        AppLayerParserGetStateNameByIdFn GetNameByIdFunc, const uint8_t completion)
 {
     SCEnter();
     /* validate input */
     BUG_ON(sub_state == 0);
     BUG_ON(GetIdByNameFunc == NULL);
     BUG_ON(GetNameByIdFunc == NULL);
+    if (completion == 0 || sub_state >= APP_LAYER_MAX_SUB_STATES) {
+        /* 0 would make the first state look final, so it must not reach the
+         * end state helper */
+        FatalError("invalid sub state %u (completion %u) for %s", sub_state, completion,
+                AppProtoToString(alproto));
+    }
 
     AppLayerParserProtoCtx *p = &alp_ctx.ctxs[alproto][FLOW_PROTO_DEFAULT];
     /* double registration not allowed */
@@ -640,6 +650,7 @@ void SCAppLayerParserRegisterGetTxSubStateFuncs(AppProto alproto, const uint8_t
     m->GetStateNameById = GetNameByIdFunc;
     m->next = p->sub_state_mappings;
     p->sub_state_mappings = m;
+    p->sub_state_completion[sub_state] = completion;
 
     p->max_sub_state = MAX(p->max_sub_state, sub_state);
     SCLogDebug("alproto %u:%s, sub_state:%u max:%u %p:%p", alproto, AppProtoToString(alproto),
@@ -1180,15 +1191,16 @@ uint8_t AppLayerParserGetTxEndState(uint8_t ipproto, AppProto alproto, void *tx,
     if (txd == NULL || txd->tx_type == 0) {
         return (uint8_t)AppLayerParserGetStateProgressCompletionStatus(alproto, flags);
     }
-    const uint8_t eop = (flags & STREAM_TOSERVER) ? txd->tx_type_eop_ts : txd->tx_type_eop_tc;
-    if (unlikely(eop == 0)) {
-        /* a parser with tx types must fill both end-of-phase fields; without
-         * the fallback 0 would make the first state look final in release
-         * builds */
+    /* the tx type is the sub-state the parser registered; its completion is
+     * the tx's end state */
+    const uint8_t completion = AppLayerParserGetSubStateCompletion(alproto, txd->tx_type);
+    if (unlikely(completion == 0)) {
+        /* a parser with tx types must register the sub-state's completion:
+         * without the fallback 0 would make the first state look final */
         DEBUG_VALIDATE_BUG_ON(1);
         return (uint8_t)AppLayerParserGetStateProgressCompletionStatus(alproto, flags);
     }
-    return eop;
+    return completion;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1308,18 +1320,16 @@ uint8_t AppLayerParserGetSubStateCompletion(const AppProto alproto, const uint8_
     if (alproto == ALPROTO_DOH2)
         return AppLayerParserGetSubStateCompletion(ALPROTO_HTTP2, sub_state);
 
-    BUG_ON(alp_ctx.ctxs[alproto][FLOW_PROTO_DEFAULT].max_sub_state == 0);
+    const AppLayerParserProtoCtx *p = &alp_ctx.ctxs[alproto][FLOW_PROTO_DEFAULT];
 
-    /* TODO hard coded for now */
-    BUG_ON(alproto != ALPROTO_HTTP2);
-
-    if (sub_state == 1) {
-        return 4;
-    } else if (sub_state == 2) {
-        return 1;
-    } else {
-        BUG_ON(1);
+    /* no max_sub_state guard here on purpose: an unregistered protocol lands on
+     * the fallback below, which is what a recovery path wants */
+    if (likely(sub_state < APP_LAYER_MAX_SUB_STATES && p->sub_state_completion[sub_state] != 0)) {
+        return p->sub_state_completion[sub_state];
     }
+    /* a tx type without a registered sub-state is a parser bug: the caller
+     * falls back to the protocol's completion status */
+    DEBUG_VALIDATE_BUG_ON(1);
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/app-layer-parser.h b/src/app-layer-parser.h
index 5e348e1eb0..42eb5d9ce7 100644
--- a/src/app-layer-parser.h
+++ b/src/app-layer-parser.h
@@ -80,6 +80,9 @@ uint8_t AppLayerParserGetTxEndState(uint8_t ipproto, AppProto alproto, void *tx,
 /** progress values need to stay under this. */
 #define APP_LAYER_MAX_PROGRESS 48
 
+/** maximum number of sub-states a parser can register (ids 1 to N-1) */
+#define APP_LAYER_MAX_SUB_STATES 8
+
 /***** transaction handling *****/
 
 int AppLayerParserSetup(void);
@@ -211,14 +214,10 @@ typedef struct AppLayerTxData {
     uint8_t detect_progress_tc;
 
     /// Type of transaction. Meaning is defined by the parser. Used to
-    /// select a state machine. 0 means it is not used.
+    /// select a state machine. 0 means it is not used. A non-zero value is
+    /// also the sub-state id registered by the parser, whose completion is
+    /// the tx's end state.
     uint8_t tx_type;
-    /// End of TX progress values
-    ///
-    /// toserver end of tx progress value
-    uint8_t tx_type_eop_ts;
-    /// toclient end of tx progress value
-    uint8_t tx_type_eop_tc;
 
     DetectEngineState *de_state;
     AppLayerDecoderEvents *events;
@@ -304,7 +303,7 @@ void AppLayerParserRegisterGetStateFuncs(uint8_t ipproto, AppProto alproto,
 /** \brief register state<>name funcs for a substate */
 void SCAppLayerParserRegisterGetTxSubStateFuncs(AppProto alproto, const uint8_t sub_state,
         AppLayerParserGetStateIdByNameFn GetIdByNameFunc,
-        AppLayerParserGetStateNameByIdFn GetNameByIdFunc);
+        AppLayerParserGetStateNameByIdFn GetNameByIdFunc, uint8_t completion);
 
 void AppLayerParserRegisterTxDataFunc(uint8_t ipproto, AppProto alproto,
         AppLayerTxData *(*GetTxData)(void *tx));