diff --git a/util/src/main/java/io/grpc/util/GracefulSwitchLoadBalancer.java b/util/src/main/java/io/grpc/util/GracefulSwitchLoadBalancer.java
index e36eec1ff2..1dc4fb6750 100644
--- a/util/src/main/java/io/grpc/util/GracefulSwitchLoadBalancer.java
+++ b/util/src/main/java/io/grpc/util/GracefulSwitchLoadBalancer.java
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ package io.grpc.util;
 import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkNotNull;
 import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkState;
 
-import com.google.common.annotations.VisibleForTesting;
 import com.google.common.base.MoreObjects;
 import com.google.common.base.Objects;
 import io.grpc.ConnectivityState;
@@ -66,19 +65,6 @@ public final class GracefulSwitchLoadBalancer extends ForwardingLoadBalancer {
     public void shutdown() {}
   };
 
-  @VisibleForTesting
-  static final SubchannelPicker BUFFER_PICKER = new SubchannelPicker() {
-    @Override
-    public PickResult pickSubchannel(PickSubchannelArgs args) {
-      return PickResult.withNoResult();
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    public String toString() {
-      return "BUFFER_PICKER";
-    }
-  };
-
   private final Helper helper;
 
   // While the new policy is not fully switched on, the pendingLb is handling new updates from name
@@ -128,7 +114,7 @@ public final class GracefulSwitchLoadBalancer extends ForwardingLoadBalancer {
     pendingLb = defaultBalancer;
     pendingBalancerFactory = null;
     pendingState = ConnectivityState.CONNECTING;
-    pendingPicker = BUFFER_PICKER;
+    pendingPicker = new FixedResultPicker(PickResult.withNoResult());
 
     if (newBalancerFactory.equals(currentBalancerFactory)) {
       return;
diff --git a/util/src/test/java/io/grpc/util/GracefulSwitchLoadBalancerTest.java b/util/src/test/java/io/grpc/util/GracefulSwitchLoadBalancerTest.java
index 5192d6a2a6..843e16194c 100644
--- a/util/src/test/java/io/grpc/util/GracefulSwitchLoadBalancerTest.java
+++ b/util/src/test/java/io/grpc/util/GracefulSwitchLoadBalancerTest.java
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import static io.grpc.ConnectivityState.CONNECTING;
 import static io.grpc.ConnectivityState.IDLE;
 import static io.grpc.ConnectivityState.READY;
 import static io.grpc.ConnectivityState.TRANSIENT_FAILURE;
-import static io.grpc.util.GracefulSwitchLoadBalancer.BUFFER_PICKER;
 import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.any;
 import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.eq;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.inOrder;
@@ -521,7 +520,11 @@ public class GracefulSwitchLoadBalancerTest {
     helper0.updateBalancingState(CONNECTING, picker);
 
     verify(mockHelper, never()).updateBalancingState(CONNECTING, picker);
-    inOrder.verify(mockHelper).updateBalancingState(CONNECTING, BUFFER_PICKER);
+    ArgumentCaptor<SubchannelPicker> pickerCaptor = ArgumentCaptor.forClass(SubchannelPicker.class);
+    inOrder.verify(mockHelper).updateBalancingState(eq(CONNECTING), pickerCaptor.capture());
+    assertThat(pickerCaptor.getValue().pickSubchannel(mock(PickSubchannelArgs.class)).hasResult())
+        .isFalse();
+
     inOrder.verify(lb0).shutdown(); // shutdown after update
 
     picker = mock(SubchannelPicker.class);
diff --git a/xds/src/test/java/io/grpc/xds/PriorityLoadBalancerTest.java b/xds/src/test/java/io/grpc/xds/PriorityLoadBalancerTest.java
index 9823501dcd..08d4863d19 100644
--- a/xds/src/test/java/io/grpc/xds/PriorityLoadBalancerTest.java
+++ b/xds/src/test/java/io/grpc/xds/PriorityLoadBalancerTest.java
@@ -522,8 +522,7 @@ public class PriorityLoadBalancerTest {
             .setLoadBalancingPolicyConfig(priorityLbConfig)
             .build());
     // Nothing important about this verify, other than to provide a baseline
-    verify(helper, times(2))
-        .updateBalancingState(eq(CONNECTING), pickerReturns(PickResult.withNoResult()));
+    verify(helper).updateBalancingState(eq(CONNECTING), pickerReturns(PickResult.withNoResult()));
     assertThat(fooBalancers).hasSize(1);
     assertThat(fooHelpers).hasSize(1);
     Helper helper0 = Iterables.getOnlyElement(fooHelpers);
@@ -539,7 +538,7 @@ public class PriorityLoadBalancerTest {
     helper0.updateBalancingState(
         CONNECTING,
         EMPTY_PICKER);
-    verify(helper, times(3))
+    verify(helper, times(2))
         .updateBalancingState(eq(CONNECTING), pickerReturns(PickResult.withNoResult()));
 
     // failover happens
@@ -805,7 +804,7 @@ public class PriorityLoadBalancerTest {
             .setAddresses(ImmutableList.<EquivalentAddressGroup>of())
             .setLoadBalancingPolicyConfig(priorityLbConfig)
             .build());
-    verify(helper, times(2)).updateBalancingState(eq(CONNECTING), isA(SubchannelPicker.class));
+    verify(helper).updateBalancingState(eq(CONNECTING), isA(SubchannelPicker.class));
 
     // LB shutdown and subchannel state change can happen simultaneously. If shutdown runs first,
     // any further balancing state update should be ignored.
@@ -843,7 +842,7 @@ public class PriorityLoadBalancerTest {
             .setLoadBalancingPolicyConfig(priorityLbConfig)
             .build());
 
-    verify(helper, times(6)).updateBalancingState(any(), any());
+    verify(helper, times(4)).updateBalancingState(any(), any());
   }
 
   private void assertLatestConnectivityState(ConnectivityState expectedState) {