diff --git a/api/src/main/java/io/grpc/ForwardingChannelBuilder.java b/api/src/main/java/io/grpc/ForwardingChannelBuilder.java
index ab5c3a505b..db63180f60 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/io/grpc/ForwardingChannelBuilder.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/io/grpc/ForwardingChannelBuilder.java
@@ -95,6 +95,16 @@ public abstract class ForwardingChannelBuilder<T extends ForwardingChannelBuilde
     return thisT();
   }
 
+  /**
+   * @deprecated use {@link #usePlaintext()} instead.
+   */
+  @Override
+  @Deprecated
+  public T usePlaintext(boolean skipNegotiation) {
+    delegate().usePlaintext(skipNegotiation);
+    return thisT();
+  }
+
   @Override
   public T usePlaintext() {
     delegate().usePlaintext();
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/io/grpc/ManagedChannelBuilder.java b/api/src/main/java/io/grpc/ManagedChannelBuilder.java
index 7c00cf5dd8..bd07f045b6 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/io/grpc/ManagedChannelBuilder.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/io/grpc/ManagedChannelBuilder.java
@@ -150,6 +150,27 @@ public abstract class ManagedChannelBuilder<T extends ManagedChannelBuilder<T>>
    */
   public abstract T overrideAuthority(String authority);
 
+  /**
+   * Use of a plaintext connection to the server. By default a secure connection mechanism
+   * such as TLS will be used.
+   *
+   * <p>Should only be used for testing or for APIs where the use of such API or the data
+   * exchanged is not sensitive.
+   *
+   * @param skipNegotiation @{code true} if there is a priori knowledge that the endpoint supports
+   *                        plaintext, {@code false} if plaintext use must be negotiated.
+   * @deprecated Use {@link #usePlaintext()} instead.
+   *
+   * @throws UnsupportedOperationException if plaintext mode is not supported.
+   * @return this
+   * @since 1.0.0
+   */
+  @ExperimentalApi("https://github.com/grpc/grpc-java/issues/1772")
+  @Deprecated
+  public T usePlaintext(boolean skipNegotiation) {
+    throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
+  }
+
   /**
    * Use of a plaintext connection to the server. By default a secure connection mechanism
    * such as TLS will be used.
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/inprocess/InProcessChannelBuilder.java b/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/inprocess/InProcessChannelBuilder.java
index 792257758b..8f8dd42b60 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/inprocess/InProcessChannelBuilder.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/inprocess/InProcessChannelBuilder.java
@@ -94,6 +94,17 @@ public final class InProcessChannelBuilder extends
     return this;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Does nothing.
+   *
+   * @deprecated use {@link #usePlaintext()} instead.
+   */
+  @Override
+  @Deprecated
+  public InProcessChannelBuilder usePlaintext(boolean skipNegotiation) {
+    return this;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Does nothing.
    */
diff --git a/cronet/src/main/java/io/grpc/cronet/CronetChannelBuilder.java b/cronet/src/main/java/io/grpc/cronet/CronetChannelBuilder.java
index 1a87de5850..2fa7122005 100644
--- a/cronet/src/main/java/io/grpc/cronet/CronetChannelBuilder.java
+++ b/cronet/src/main/java/io/grpc/cronet/CronetChannelBuilder.java
@@ -127,6 +127,14 @@ public final class CronetChannelBuilder extends
     return this;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Not supported for building cronet channel.
+   */
+  @Override
+  public final CronetChannelBuilder usePlaintext(boolean skipNegotiation) {
+    throw new IllegalArgumentException("Plaintext not currently supported");
+  }
+
   /**
    * Sets {@link android.net.TrafficStats} tag to use when accounting socket traffic caused by this
    * channel. See {@link android.net.TrafficStats} for more information. If no tag is set (e.g. this
diff --git a/netty/src/main/java/io/grpc/netty/NettyChannelBuilder.java b/netty/src/main/java/io/grpc/netty/NettyChannelBuilder.java
index 3b3da720ea..84d47b8fee 100644
--- a/netty/src/main/java/io/grpc/netty/NettyChannelBuilder.java
+++ b/netty/src/main/java/io/grpc/netty/NettyChannelBuilder.java
@@ -285,6 +285,23 @@ public final class NettyChannelBuilder
     return this;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Equivalent to using {@link #negotiationType(NegotiationType)} with {@code PLAINTEXT} or
+   * {@code PLAINTEXT_UPGRADE}.
+   *
+   * @deprecated use {@link #usePlaintext()} instead.
+   */
+  @Override
+  @Deprecated
+  public NettyChannelBuilder usePlaintext(boolean skipNegotiation) {
+    if (skipNegotiation) {
+      negotiationType(NegotiationType.PLAINTEXT);
+    } else {
+      negotiationType(NegotiationType.PLAINTEXT_UPGRADE);
+    }
+    return this;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Equivalent to using {@link #negotiationType(NegotiationType)} with {@code PLAINTEXT}.
    */
diff --git a/okhttp/src/main/java/io/grpc/okhttp/OkHttpChannelBuilder.java b/okhttp/src/main/java/io/grpc/okhttp/OkHttpChannelBuilder.java
index b5352828f3..b8071d9cf6 100644
--- a/okhttp/src/main/java/io/grpc/okhttp/OkHttpChannelBuilder.java
+++ b/okhttp/src/main/java/io/grpc/okhttp/OkHttpChannelBuilder.java
@@ -305,6 +305,22 @@ public class OkHttpChannelBuilder extends
     return this;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Equivalent to using {@link #negotiationType} with {@code PLAINTEXT}.
+   *
+   * @deprecated use {@link #usePlaintext()} instead.
+   */
+  @Override
+  @Deprecated
+  public final OkHttpChannelBuilder usePlaintext(boolean skipNegotiation) {
+    if (skipNegotiation) {
+      negotiationType(io.grpc.okhttp.NegotiationType.PLAINTEXT);
+    } else {
+      throw new IllegalArgumentException("Plaintext negotiation not currently supported");
+    }
+    return this;
+  }
+
   /** Sets the negotiation type for the HTTP/2 connection to plaintext. */
   @Override
   public final OkHttpChannelBuilder usePlaintext() {