diff --git a/stub/src/main/java/io/grpc/stub/ClientCalls.java b/stub/src/main/java/io/grpc/stub/ClientCalls.java
index 6c957ba165..be484d18c5 100644
--- a/stub/src/main/java/io/grpc/stub/ClientCalls.java
+++ b/stub/src/main/java/io/grpc/stub/ClientCalls.java
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ public class ClientCalls {
   public static <ReqT, RespT> Iterator<RespT> blockingServerStreamingCall(
       ClientCall<ReqT, RespT> call, ReqT param) {
     BlockingResponseStream<RespT> result = new BlockingResponseStream<RespT>(call);
-    asyncUnaryRequestCall(call, param, result.listener());
+    asyncUnaryRequestCall(call, param, result.listener(), true);
     return result;
   }
 
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ public class ClientCalls {
       ClientCall<ReqT, RespT> call,
       ReqT param) {
     GrpcFuture<RespT> responseFuture = new GrpcFuture<RespT>(call);
-    asyncUnaryRequestCall(call, param, new UnaryStreamToFuture<RespT>(responseFuture));
+    asyncUnaryRequestCall(call, param, new UnaryStreamToFuture<RespT>(responseFuture), false);
     return responseFuture;
   }
 
@@ -159,17 +159,16 @@ public class ClientCalls {
       ClientCall<ReqT, RespT> call, ReqT param, StreamObserver<RespT> responseObserver,
       boolean streamingResponse) {
     asyncUnaryRequestCall(call, param,
-        new StreamObserverToCallListenerAdapter<RespT>(call, responseObserver, streamingResponse));
+        new StreamObserverToCallListenerAdapter<RespT>(call, responseObserver, streamingResponse),
+        streamingResponse);
   }
 
   private static <ReqT, RespT> void asyncUnaryRequestCall(
       ClientCall<ReqT, RespT> call,
       ReqT param,
-      ClientCall.Listener<RespT> responseListener) {
-    call.start(responseListener, new Metadata.Headers());
-    // Initially ask for two responses from flow-control so that if a misbehaving server sends more
-    // than one responses, we can catch it.
-    call.request(2);
+      ClientCall.Listener<RespT> responseListener,
+      boolean streamingResponse) {
+    startCall(call, responseListener, streamingResponse);
     try {
       call.sendPayload(param);
       call.halfClose();
@@ -182,14 +181,23 @@ public class ClientCalls {
   private static <ReqT, RespT> StreamObserver<ReqT> asyncStreamingRequestCall(
       ClientCall<ReqT, RespT> call, StreamObserver<RespT> responseObserver,
       boolean streamingResponse) {
-    call.start(new StreamObserverToCallListenerAdapter<RespT>(
-        call, responseObserver, streamingResponse), new Metadata.Headers());
-    // Initially ask for two responses from flow-control so that if a misbehaving server sends more
-    // than one responses, we can catch it.
-    call.request(2);
+    startCall(call, new StreamObserverToCallListenerAdapter<RespT>(
+        call, responseObserver, streamingResponse), streamingResponse);
     return new CallToStreamObserverAdapter<ReqT>(call);
   }
 
+  private static <ReqT, RespT> void startCall(ClientCall<ReqT, RespT> call,
+      ClientCall.Listener<RespT> responseListener, boolean streamingResponse) {
+    call.start(responseListener, new Metadata.Headers());
+    if (streamingResponse) {
+      call.request(1);
+    } else {
+      // Initially ask for two responses from flow-control so that if a misbehaving server sends
+      // more than one responses, we can catch it and fail it in the listener.
+      call.request(2);
+    }
+  }
+
   private static class CallToStreamObserverAdapter<T> implements StreamObserver<T> {
     private final ClientCall<T, ?> call;