diff --git a/com.unity.netcode.gameobjects/CHANGELOG.md b/com.unity.netcode.gameobjects/CHANGELOG.md
index 9d1075d0b3..0d8fb3a2fb 100644
--- a/com.unity.netcode.gameobjects/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/com.unity.netcode.gameobjects/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -10,9 +10,11 @@ Additional documentation and release notes are available at [Multiplayer Documen
 
 ### Added
 
+- Added a new variant of `UnityTransport.GetDefaultPipelineConfigurations` that takes a reference to the created `NetworkDriver`. This will register all pipeline stages that `UnityTransport` requires, removing the need to manually register them in your own custom driver constructor. (#3980)
 
 ### Changed
 
+- `NetworkMetricsPipelineStage` is now defined even when the multiplayer tools package is not installed, removing the need to guard its registration behind a version define when using a custom driver in `UnityTransport`. (#3980)
 
 ### Deprecated
 
diff --git a/com.unity.netcode.gameobjects/Runtime/Transports/UTP/INetworkStreamDriverConstructor.cs b/com.unity.netcode.gameobjects/Runtime/Transports/UTP/INetworkStreamDriverConstructor.cs
index 8e07c0d3e4..c07c8c1484 100644
--- a/com.unity.netcode.gameobjects/Runtime/Transports/UTP/INetworkStreamDriverConstructor.cs
+++ b/com.unity.netcode.gameobjects/Runtime/Transports/UTP/INetworkStreamDriverConstructor.cs
@@ -36,9 +36,8 @@ namespace Unity.Netcode.Transports.UTP
     ///             var settings = transport.GetDefaultNetworkSettings();
     ///             driver = NetworkDriver.Create(new IPCNetworkInterface(), settings);
     ///
-    ///             driver.RegisterPipelineStage(new NetworkMetricsPipelineStage());
-    ///
     ///             transport.GetDefaultPipelineConfigurations(
+    ///                 ref driver,
     ///                 out var unreliableFragmentedPipelineStages,
     ///                 out var unreliableSequencedFragmentedPipelineStages,
     ///                 out var reliableSequencedPipelineStages);
diff --git a/com.unity.netcode.gameobjects/Runtime/Transports/UTP/NetworkMetricsPipelineStage.cs b/com.unity.netcode.gameobjects/Runtime/Transports/UTP/NetworkMetricsPipelineStage.cs
index c602aef739..de1e7899b9 100644
--- a/com.unity.netcode.gameobjects/Runtime/Transports/UTP/NetworkMetricsPipelineStage.cs
+++ b/com.unity.netcode.gameobjects/Runtime/Transports/UTP/NetworkMetricsPipelineStage.cs
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-#if MULTIPLAYER_TOOLS
-#if MULTIPLAYER_TOOLS_1_0_0_PRE_7
 using AOT;
 using Unity.Burst;
 using Unity.Collections.LowLevel.Unsafe;
@@ -70,5 +68,3 @@ private static void InitializeConnection(byte* staticInstanceBuffer, int staticI
         }
     }
 }
-#endif
-#endif
diff --git a/com.unity.netcode.gameobjects/Runtime/Transports/UTP/UnityTransport.cs b/com.unity.netcode.gameobjects/Runtime/Transports/UTP/UnityTransport.cs
index b39fe2bc94..e392af403c 100644
--- a/com.unity.netcode.gameobjects/Runtime/Transports/UTP/UnityTransport.cs
+++ b/com.unity.netcode.gameobjects/Runtime/Transports/UTP/UnityTransport.cs
@@ -657,6 +657,23 @@ public void GetDefaultPipelineConfigurations(
             reliableSequencedPipelineStages = new(reliableSequenced, Allocator.Temp);
         }
 
+        /// <inheritdoc cref="GetDefaultPipelineConfigurations(out NativeArray{NetworkPipelineStageId}, out NativeArray{NetworkPipelineStageId}, out NativeArray{NetworkPipelineStageId})"/>
+        /// <param name="driver">Driver for which the pipeline configurations are being retrieved.</param>
+        public void GetDefaultPipelineConfigurations(
+            ref NetworkDriver driver,
+            out NativeArray<NetworkPipelineStageId> unreliableFragmentedPipelineStages,
+            out NativeArray<NetworkPipelineStageId> unreliableSequencedFragmentedPipelineStages,
+            out NativeArray<NetworkPipelineStageId> reliableSequencedPipelineStages)
+        {
+#if MULTIPLAYER_TOOLS_1_0_0_PRE_7
+            driver.RegisterPipelineStage(new NetworkMetricsPipelineStage());
+#endif
+            GetDefaultPipelineConfigurations(
+                out unreliableFragmentedPipelineStages,
+                out unreliableSequencedFragmentedPipelineStages,
+                out reliableSequencedPipelineStages);
+        }
+
         private NetworkPipeline SelectSendPipeline(NetworkDelivery delivery)
         {
             switch (delivery)
@@ -1860,11 +1877,8 @@ public void CreateDriver(
 #endif
             }
 
-#if MULTIPLAYER_TOOLS_1_0_0_PRE_7
-            driver.RegisterPipelineStage(new NetworkMetricsPipelineStage());
-#endif
-
             GetDefaultPipelineConfigurations(
+                ref driver,
                 out var unreliableFragmentedPipelineStages,
                 out var unreliableSequencedFragmentedPipelineStages,
                 out var reliableSequencedPipelineStages);
diff --git a/com.unity.netcode.gameobjects/package.json b/com.unity.netcode.gameobjects/package.json
index 04492deaa0..bd77e48697 100644
--- a/com.unity.netcode.gameobjects/package.json
+++ b/com.unity.netcode.gameobjects/package.json
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
     "name": "com.unity.netcode.gameobjects",
     "displayName": "Netcode for GameObjects",
     "description": "Netcode for GameObjects is a high-level netcode SDK that provides networking capabilities to GameObject/MonoBehaviour workflows within Unity and sits on top of underlying transport layer.",
-    "version": "2.11.3",
+    "version": "2.12.0",
     "unity": "6000.0",
     "dependencies": {
         "com.unity.nuget.mono-cecil": "1.11.4",
@@ -15,4 +15,4 @@
             "path": "Samples~/Bootstrap"
         }
     ]
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}