diff --git a/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/ServerCallImpl.java b/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/ServerCallImpl.java
index 7555c4d78a..08aff5f038 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/ServerCallImpl.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/ServerCallImpl.java
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ import io.grpc.MethodDescriptor;
 import io.grpc.SecurityLevel;
 import io.grpc.ServerCall;
 import io.grpc.Status;
+import io.grpc.StatusRuntimeException;
 import io.perfmark.PerfMark;
 import io.perfmark.Tag;
 import io.perfmark.TaskCloseable;
@@ -157,7 +158,7 @@ final class ServerCallImpl<ReqT, RespT> extends ServerCall<ReqT, RespT> {
     checkState(!closeCalled, "call is closed");
 
     if (method.getType().serverSendsOneMessage() && messageSent) {
-      internalClose(Status.INTERNAL.withDescription(TOO_MANY_RESPONSES));
+      handleInternalError(Status.INTERNAL.withDescription(TOO_MANY_RESPONSES).asRuntimeException());
       return;
     }
 
@@ -169,7 +170,7 @@ final class ServerCallImpl<ReqT, RespT> extends ServerCall<ReqT, RespT> {
         stream.flush();
       }
     } catch (RuntimeException e) {
-      close(Status.fromThrowable(e), new Metadata());
+      handleInternalError(e);
     } catch (Error e) {
       close(
           Status.CANCELLED.withDescription("Server sendMessage() failed with Error"),
@@ -214,7 +215,7 @@ final class ServerCallImpl<ReqT, RespT> extends ServerCall<ReqT, RespT> {
       closeCalled = true;
 
       if (status.isOk() && method.getType().serverSendsOneMessage() && !messageSent) {
-        internalClose(Status.INTERNAL.withDescription(MISSING_RESPONSE));
+        handleInternalError(Status.INTERNAL.withDescription(MISSING_RESPONSE).asRuntimeException());
         return;
       }
 
@@ -263,10 +264,14 @@ final class ServerCallImpl<ReqT, RespT> extends ServerCall<ReqT, RespT> {
    * run until completion, but silently ignore interactions with the {@link ServerStream} from now
    * on.
    */
-  private void internalClose(Status internalError) {
-    log.log(Level.WARNING, "Cancelling the stream with status {0}", new Object[] {internalError});
-    stream.cancel(internalError);
-    serverCallTracer.reportCallEnded(internalError.isOk()); // error so always false
+  private void handleInternalError(Throwable internalError) {
+    log.log(Level.WARNING, "Cancelling the stream because of internal error", internalError);
+    Status status = (internalError instanceof StatusRuntimeException)
+        ? ((StatusRuntimeException) internalError).getStatus()
+        : Status.INTERNAL.withCause(internalError)
+            .withDescription("Internal error so cancelling stream.");
+    stream.cancel(status);
+    serverCallTracer.reportCallEnded(false); // error so always false
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/io/grpc/internal/ServerCallImplTest.java b/core/src/test/java/io/grpc/internal/ServerCallImplTest.java
index 10eb7f1504..cef21f6b7f 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/io/grpc/internal/ServerCallImplTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/io/grpc/internal/ServerCallImplTest.java
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ import io.grpc.SecurityLevel;
 import io.grpc.ServerCall;
 import io.grpc.Status;
 import io.grpc.internal.ServerCallImpl.ServerStreamListenerImpl;
-import io.grpc.internal.SingleMessageProducer;
 import io.perfmark.PerfMark;
 import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
 import java.io.InputStream;
@@ -220,7 +219,7 @@ public class ServerCallImplTest {
 
     call.sendMessage(1234L);
 
-    verify(stream).close(isA(Status.class), isA(Metadata.class));
+    verify(stream).cancel(isA(Status.class));
   }
 
   @Test