diff --git a/modal/functions.py b/modal/functions.py
index 08db1c19c..93146fd1f 100644
--- a/modal/functions.py
+++ b/modal/functions.py
@@ -785,7 +785,8 @@ async def _load(self: _Function, resolver: Resolver, existing_object_id: Optiona
                     task_idle_timeout_secs=container_idle_timeout or 0,
                     concurrency_limit=concurrency_limit or 0,
                     pty_info=pty_info,
-                    cloud_provider=cloud_provider,
+                    cloud_provider=cloud_provider,  # Deprecated at some point
+                    cloud_provider_str=cloud.upper() if cloud else None,  # Supersedes cloud_provider
                     warm_pool_size=keep_warm or 0,
                     runtime=config.get("function_runtime"),
                     runtime_debug=config.get("function_runtime_debug"),
diff --git a/modal/sandbox.py b/modal/sandbox.py
index aae30b8db..ea460a4e7 100644
--- a/modal/sandbox.py
+++ b/modal/sandbox.py
@@ -165,7 +165,8 @@ async def _load(self: _Sandbox, resolver: Resolver, _existing_object_id: Optiona
                 resources=convert_fn_config_to_resources_config(
                     cpu=cpu, memory=memory, gpu=gpu, ephemeral_disk=ephemeral_disk
                 ),
-                cloud_provider=parse_cloud_provider(cloud) if cloud else None,
+                cloud_provider=parse_cloud_provider(cloud) if cloud else None,  # Deprecated at some point
+                cloud_provider_str=cloud.upper() if cloud else None,  # Supersedes cloud_provider
                 nfs_mounts=network_file_system_mount_protos(validated_network_file_systems, False),
                 runtime_debug=config.get("function_runtime_debug"),
                 cloud_bucket_mounts=cloud_bucket_mounts_to_proto(cloud_bucket_mounts),
diff --git a/modal_proto/api.proto b/modal_proto/api.proto
index 8579b04b9..94876b80b 100644
--- a/modal_proto/api.proto
+++ b/modal_proto/api.proto
@@ -1163,7 +1163,7 @@ message Function {
 
   uint32 task_idle_timeout_secs = 25;
 
-  optional CloudProvider cloud_provider = 26;
+  optional CloudProvider cloud_provider = 26;  // Deprecated at some point
 
   uint32 warm_pool_size = 27;
 
@@ -1257,6 +1257,8 @@ message Function {
   bool method_definitions_set = 75;
 
   bool _experimental_custom_scaling = 76;
+
+  string cloud_provider_str = 77;  // Supersedes cloud_provider
 }
 
 message FunctionAsyncInvokeRequest {
@@ -2192,7 +2194,7 @@ message Sandbox {
   repeated string secret_ids = 4;
 
   Resources resources = 5;
-  CloudProvider cloud_provider = 6;
+  CloudProvider cloud_provider = 6;  // Deprecated at some point
 
   uint32 timeout_secs = 7;
 
@@ -2236,6 +2238,8 @@ message Sandbox {
   // Used to pin gVisor version for memory-snapshottable sandboxes.
   // This field is set by the server, not the client.
   optional uint32 snapshot_version = 25;
+
+  string cloud_provider_str = 26;  // Supersedes cloud_provider
 }
 
 message SandboxCreateRequest {
diff --git a/test/function_test.py b/test/function_test.py
index b200404dc..285c596af 100644
--- a/test/function_test.py
+++ b/test/function_test.py
@@ -778,6 +778,7 @@ def test_default_cloud_provider(client, servicer, monkeypatch):
         f = servicer.app_functions[object_id]
 
     assert f.cloud_provider == api_pb2.CLOUD_PROVIDER_OCI
+    assert f.cloud_provider_str == "OCI"
 
 
 def test_not_hydrated():
diff --git a/test/gpu_test.py b/test/gpu_test.py
index 869e7cd7e..b9427285f 100644
--- a/test/gpu_test.py
+++ b/test/gpu_test.py
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ def test_cloud_provider_selection(client, servicer):
     assert len(servicer.app_functions) == 1
     func_def = next(iter(servicer.app_functions.values()))
     assert func_def.cloud_provider == api_pb2.CLOUD_PROVIDER_GCP
+    assert func_def.cloud_provider_str == "GCP"
 
     assert func_def.resources.gpu_config.count == 1
     assert func_def.resources.gpu_config.type == api_pb2.GPU_TYPE_A100
diff --git a/test/image_test.py b/test/image_test.py
index ddf0c0022..cd4f91c4e 100644
--- a/test/image_test.py
+++ b/test/image_test.py
@@ -645,6 +645,7 @@ def test_image_run_function_with_cloud_selection(servicer, client):
     assert len(servicer.app_functions) == 2
     func_def = next(iter(servicer.app_functions.values()))
     assert func_def.cloud_provider == api_pb2.CLOUD_PROVIDER_OCI
+    assert func_def.cloud_provider_str == "OCI"
 
 
 def test_poetry(builder_version, servicer, client):