diff --git a/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/AbstractManagedChannelImplBuilder.java b/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/AbstractManagedChannelImplBuilder.java
index 3c28004400..39d78b6fe4 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/AbstractManagedChannelImplBuilder.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/AbstractManagedChannelImplBuilder.java
@@ -77,6 +77,12 @@ public abstract class AbstractManagedChannelImplBuilder
   @VisibleForTesting
   static final long IDLE_MODE_MAX_TIMEOUT_DAYS = 30;
 
+  /**
+   * The default idle timeout.
+   */
+  @VisibleForTesting
+  static final long IDLE_MODE_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MILLIS = TimeUnit.MINUTES.toMillis(30);
+
   /**
    * An idle timeout smaller than this would be capped to it.
    */
@@ -110,7 +116,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractManagedChannelImplBuilder
   @Nullable
   private CompressorRegistry compressorRegistry;
 
-  private long idleTimeoutMillis = ManagedChannelImpl.IDLE_TIMEOUT_MILLIS_DISABLE;
+  private long idleTimeoutMillis = IDLE_MODE_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MILLIS;
 
   protected AbstractManagedChannelImplBuilder(String target) {
     this.target = Preconditions.checkNotNull(target, "target");
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/TransportSet.java b/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/TransportSet.java
index 8397b53207..bd8098e66f 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/TransportSet.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/TransportSet.java
@@ -252,42 +252,17 @@ final class TransportSet extends ManagedChannel implements WithLogId {
       public void run() {
         try {
           delayedTransport.endBackoff();
-          boolean shutdownDelayedTransport = false;
           Runnable runnable = null;
-          // TransportSet as a channel layer class should not call into transport methods while
-          // holding the lock, thus we call hasPendingStreams() outside of the lock.  It will cause
-          // a _benign_ race where the TransportSet may transition to CONNECTING when there is not
-          // pending stream.
-          boolean hasPendingStreams = delayedTransport.hasPendingStreams();
           synchronized (lock) {
             reconnectTask = null;
-            if (hasPendingStreams) {
-              if (!shutdown) {
-                stateManager.gotoState(ConnectivityState.CONNECTING);
-              }
-              runnable = startNewTransport(delayedTransport);
-            } else {
-              if (!shutdown) {
-                stateManager.gotoState(ConnectivityState.IDLE);
-              }
-              activeTransport = null;
-              shutdownDelayedTransport = true;
+            if (!shutdown) {
+              stateManager.gotoState(ConnectivityState.CONNECTING);
             }
+            runnable = startNewTransport(delayedTransport);
           }
           if (runnable != null) {
             runnable.run();
           }
-          if (shutdownDelayedTransport) {
-            delayedTransport.setTransportSupplier(new Supplier<ClientTransport>() {
-              @Override
-              public ClientTransport get() {
-                // This will wrap one DelayedStream in another, but it only happens if we win a
-                // race and can happen to a stream at most once.
-                return obtainActiveTransport();
-              }
-            });
-            delayedTransport.shutdown();
-          }
         } catch (Throwable t) {
           log.log(Level.WARNING, "Exception handling end of backoff", t);
         }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/io/grpc/internal/AbstractManagedChannelImplBuilderTest.java b/core/src/test/java/io/grpc/internal/AbstractManagedChannelImplBuilderTest.java
index 4fba28fffc..f6d09db142 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/io/grpc/internal/AbstractManagedChannelImplBuilderTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/io/grpc/internal/AbstractManagedChannelImplBuilderTest.java
@@ -75,7 +75,8 @@ public class AbstractManagedChannelImplBuilderTest {
 
     Builder builder = new Builder();
 
-    assertEquals(ManagedChannelImpl.IDLE_TIMEOUT_MILLIS_DISABLE, builder.getIdleTimeoutMillis());
+    assertEquals(AbstractManagedChannelImplBuilder.IDLE_MODE_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MILLIS,
+        builder.getIdleTimeoutMillis());
 
     builder.idleTimeout(Long.MAX_VALUE, TimeUnit.DAYS);
     assertEquals(ManagedChannelImpl.IDLE_TIMEOUT_MILLIS_DISABLE, builder.getIdleTimeoutMillis());
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/io/grpc/internal/TransportSetTest.java b/core/src/test/java/io/grpc/internal/TransportSetTest.java
index a511ad2424..24f2a9afc0 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/io/grpc/internal/TransportSetTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/io/grpc/internal/TransportSetTest.java
@@ -473,68 +473,27 @@ public class TransportSetTest {
     transports.poll().listener.transportShutdown(Status.UNAVAILABLE);
     assertEquals(ConnectivityState.TRANSIENT_FAILURE, transportSet.getState(false));
 
-    // Won't reconnect until requested, even if back-off time has expired
+    // Will always reconnect after back-off
     fakeClock.forwardMillis(10);
-    assertEquals(ConnectivityState.IDLE, transportSet.getState(false));
-    verify(mockTransportFactory, times(transportsCreated))
-        .newClientTransport(addr, authority, userAgent);
-
-    // Once requested, will reconnect
-    transportSet.obtainActiveTransport().newStream(method, new Metadata());
     assertEquals(ConnectivityState.CONNECTING, transportSet.getState(false));
     verify(mockTransportFactory, times(++transportsCreated))
         .newClientTransport(addr, authority, userAgent);
 
-    // Fail this one, too
+    // Make this one proceed
+    transports.peek().listener.transportReady();
+    assertEquals(ConnectivityState.READY, transportSet.getState(false));
+    // Then go-away
     transports.poll().listener.transportShutdown(Status.UNAVAILABLE);
-    assertEquals(ConnectivityState.TRANSIENT_FAILURE, transportSet.getState(false));
+    assertEquals(ConnectivityState.IDLE, transportSet.getState(false));
 
-    // Request immediately, but will wait for back-off before reconnecting
+    // Request immediately
     transportSet.obtainActiveTransport().newStream(method, new Metadata(), waitForReadyCallOptions);
-    assertEquals(ConnectivityState.TRANSIENT_FAILURE, transportSet.getState(false));
-    verify(mockTransportFactory, times(transportsCreated))
-        .newClientTransport(addr, authority, userAgent);
-    fakeClock.forwardMillis(100);
     assertEquals(ConnectivityState.CONNECTING, transportSet.getState(false));
     verify(mockTransportFactory, times(++transportsCreated))
         .newClientTransport(addr, authority, userAgent);
     fakeExecutor.runDueTasks(); // Drain new 'real' stream creation; not important to this test.
   }
 
-  @Test
-  public void raceTransientFailureAndNewStream() {
-    SocketAddress addr = mock(SocketAddress.class);
-    createTransportSet(addr);
-
-    // Invocation counters
-    int transportsCreated = 0;
-
-    // Trigger TRANSIENT_FAILURE
-    transportSet.obtainActiveTransport().newStream(method, new Metadata());
-    verify(mockTransportFactory, times(++transportsCreated))
-        .newClientTransport(addr, authority, userAgent);
-    transports.poll().listener.transportShutdown(Status.UNAVAILABLE);
-    assertEquals(ConnectivityState.TRANSIENT_FAILURE, transportSet.getState(false));
-
-    // Won't reconnect without any active streams
-    ClientTransport transientFailureTransport = transportSet.obtainActiveTransport();
-    assertTrue(transientFailureTransport instanceof DelayedClientTransport);
-    transientFailureTransport.newStream(method, new Metadata()).cancel(Status.CANCELLED);
-    assertEquals(ConnectivityState.TRANSIENT_FAILURE, transportSet.getState(false));
-    fakeClock.forwardMillis(10);
-    assertEquals(ConnectivityState.IDLE, transportSet.getState(false));
-    verify(mockTransportFactory, times(transportsCreated))
-        .newClientTransport(addr, authority, userAgent);
-
-    // Lose race (long delay between obtainActiveTransport and newStream); will now reconnect
-    transientFailureTransport.newStream(method, new Metadata());
-    assertEquals(ConnectivityState.CONNECTING, transportSet.getState(false));
-    verify(mockTransportFactory, times(++transportsCreated))
-        .newClientTransport(addr, authority, userAgent);
-
-    fakeExecutor.runDueTasks(); // Drain new 'real' stream creation; not important to this test.
-  }
-
   @Test
   public void shutdownBeforeTransportCreatedWithPendingStream() throws Exception {
     SocketAddress addr = mock(SocketAddress.class);