diff --git a/java-spanner/google-cloud-spanner/src/test/java/com/google/cloud/spanner/MockSpannerServiceImpl.java b/java-spanner/google-cloud-spanner/src/test/java/com/google/cloud/spanner/MockSpannerServiceImpl.java
index 3ea19ad2422a..a34cabe1bbcb 100644
--- a/java-spanner/google-cloud-spanner/src/test/java/com/google/cloud/spanner/MockSpannerServiceImpl.java
+++ b/java-spanner/google-cloud-spanner/src/test/java/com/google/cloud/spanner/MockSpannerServiceImpl.java
@@ -608,6 +608,7 @@ private static void checkStreamException(
   private Deque<AbstractMessage> requests = new ConcurrentLinkedDeque<>();
   private volatile CountDownLatch freezeLock = new CountDownLatch(0);
   private final AtomicInteger freezeAfterReturningNumRows = new AtomicInteger();
+  private final AtomicInteger freezeAfterNumRequests = new AtomicInteger(-1);
   private Queue<Exception> exceptions = new ConcurrentLinkedQueue<>();
   private boolean stickyGlobalExceptions = false;
   private ConcurrentMap<Statement, StatementResult> statementResults = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
@@ -813,17 +814,37 @@ public void setIgnoreInlineBeginRequest(boolean ignore) {
   }
 
   public void freeze() {
-    freezeLock = new CountDownLatch(1);
+    synchronized (lock) {
+      freezeLock = new CountDownLatch(1);
+    }
   }
 
   public void unfreeze() {
-    freezeLock.countDown();
+    synchronized (lock) {
+      freezeAfterNumRequests.set(-1);
+      freezeLock.countDown();
+    }
   }
 
   public void freezeAfterReturningNumRows(int numRows) {
     freezeAfterReturningNumRows.set(numRows);
   }
 
+  public void freezeAfter(int numRequests) {
+    freezeAfterNumRequests.set(numRequests);
+  }
+
+  private void maybeFreezeAndRecordRequest(AbstractMessage request) {
+    synchronized (lock) {
+      if (freezeAfterNumRequests.get() >= 0) {
+        if (freezeAfterNumRequests.decrementAndGet() == -1) {
+          freeze();
+        }
+      }
+      requests.add(request);
+    }
+  }
+
   public void setMaxSessionsInOneBatch(int max) {
     this.maxNumSessionsInOneBatch = max;
   }
@@ -836,7 +857,7 @@ public void setMaxTotalSessions(int max) {
   public void batchCreateSessions(
       BatchCreateSessionsRequest request,
       StreamObserver<BatchCreateSessionsResponse> responseObserver) {
-    requests.add(request);
+    maybeFreezeAndRecordRequest(request);
     Preconditions.checkNotNull(request.getDatabase());
     String name = null;
     try {
@@ -898,7 +919,7 @@ public void batchCreateSessions(
   @Override
   public void createSession(
       CreateSessionRequest request, StreamObserver<Session> responseObserver) {
-    requests.add(request);
+    maybeFreezeAndRecordRequest(request);
     Preconditions.checkNotNull(request.getDatabase());
     Preconditions.checkNotNull(request.getSession());
     String name = generateSessionName(request.getDatabase());
@@ -938,7 +959,7 @@ public void createSession(
 
   @Override
   public void getSession(GetSessionRequest request, StreamObserver<Session> responseObserver) {
-    requests.add(request);
+    maybeFreezeAndRecordRequest(request);
     Preconditions.checkNotNull(request.getName());
     try {
       getSessionExecutionTime.simulateExecutionTime(exceptions, stickyGlobalExceptions, freezeLock);
@@ -983,7 +1004,7 @@ private <T> void setSessionNotFound(String name, StreamObserver<T> responseObser
   @Override
   public void listSessions(
       ListSessionsRequest request, StreamObserver<ListSessionsResponse> responseObserver) {
-    requests.add(request);
+    maybeFreezeAndRecordRequest(request);
     try {
       listSessionsExecutionTime.simulateExecutionTime(
           exceptions, stickyGlobalExceptions, freezeLock);
@@ -1006,7 +1027,7 @@ public void listSessions(
 
   @Override
   public void deleteSession(DeleteSessionRequest request, StreamObserver<Empty> responseObserver) {
-    requests.add(request);
+    maybeFreezeAndRecordRequest(request);
     Preconditions.checkNotNull(request.getName());
     try {
       deleteSessionExecutionTime.simulateExecutionTime(
@@ -1035,7 +1056,7 @@ void doDeleteSession(Session session) {
 
   @Override
   public void executeSql(ExecuteSqlRequest request, StreamObserver<ResultSet> responseObserver) {
-    requests.add(request);
+    maybeFreezeAndRecordRequest(request);
     Preconditions.checkNotNull(request.getSession());
     Session session = getSession(request.getSession());
     if (session == null) {
@@ -1133,7 +1154,7 @@ private void returnResultSet(
   @Override
   public void executeBatchDml(
       ExecuteBatchDmlRequest request, StreamObserver<ExecuteBatchDmlResponse> responseObserver) {
-    requests.add(request);
+    maybeFreezeAndRecordRequest(request);
     Preconditions.checkNotNull(request.getSession());
     Session session = getSession(request.getSession());
     if (session == null) {
@@ -1241,7 +1262,7 @@ public void executeStreamingSql(
         || !request
             .getSql()
             .equals(MultiplexedSessionDatabaseClient.DETERMINE_DIALECT_STATEMENT.getSql())) {
-      requests.add(request);
+      maybeFreezeAndRecordRequest(request);
     }
     Preconditions.checkNotNull(request.getSession());
     Session session = getSession(request.getSession());
@@ -1687,7 +1708,7 @@ private <T> void throwTransactionAborted(ByteString transactionId) {
 
   @Override
   public void read(final ReadRequest request, StreamObserver<ResultSet> responseObserver) {
-    requests.add(request);
+    maybeFreezeAndRecordRequest(request);
     Preconditions.checkNotNull(request.getSession());
     Session session = getSession(request.getSession());
     if (session == null) {
@@ -1720,7 +1741,7 @@ public void read(final ReadRequest request, StreamObserver<ResultSet> responseOb
   @Override
   public void streamingRead(
       final ReadRequest request, StreamObserver<PartialResultSet> responseObserver) {
-    requests.add(request);
+    maybeFreezeAndRecordRequest(request);
     Preconditions.checkNotNull(request.getSession());
     Session session = getSession(request.getSession());
     if (session == null) {
@@ -1945,7 +1966,7 @@ public void beginTransaction(
         .getRequestOptions()
         .getTransactionTag()
         .equals("multiplexed-rw-background-begin-txn")) {
-      requests.add(request);
+      maybeFreezeAndRecordRequest(request);
     }
     Preconditions.checkNotNull(request.getSession());
     Session session = getSession(request.getSession());
@@ -2080,7 +2101,7 @@ private void ensureMostRecentTransaction(Session session, ByteString transaction
 
   @Override
   public void commit(CommitRequest request, StreamObserver<CommitResponse> responseObserver) {
-    requests.add(request);
+    maybeFreezeAndRecordRequest(request);
     Preconditions.checkNotNull(request.getSession());
     Session session = getSession(request.getSession());
     if (session == null) {
@@ -2152,7 +2173,7 @@ public void commit(CommitRequest request, StreamObserver<CommitResponse> respons
   @Override
   public void batchWrite(
       BatchWriteRequest request, StreamObserver<BatchWriteResponse> responseObserver) {
-    requests.add(request);
+    maybeFreezeAndRecordRequest(request);
     Preconditions.checkNotNull(request.getSession());
     Session session = getSession(request.getSession());
     if (session == null) {
@@ -2181,7 +2202,7 @@ private void commitTransaction(ByteString transactionId) {
 
   @Override
   public void rollback(RollbackRequest request, StreamObserver<Empty> responseObserver) {
-    requests.add(request);
+    maybeFreezeAndRecordRequest(request);
     Preconditions.checkNotNull(request.getTransactionId());
     Session session = getSession(request.getSession());
     if (session == null) {
@@ -2230,7 +2251,7 @@ public void markCommitRetryOnTransaction(ByteString transactionId) {
   @Override
   public void partitionQuery(
       PartitionQueryRequest request, StreamObserver<PartitionResponse> responseObserver) {
-    requests.add(request);
+    maybeFreezeAndRecordRequest(request);
     try {
       partitionQueryExecutionTime.simulateExecutionTime(
           exceptions, stickyGlobalExceptions, freezeLock);
@@ -2249,7 +2270,7 @@ public void partitionQuery(
   @Override
   public void partitionRead(
       PartitionReadRequest request, StreamObserver<PartitionResponse> responseObserver) {
-    requests.add(request);
+    maybeFreezeAndRecordRequest(request);
     try {
       partitionReadExecutionTime.simulateExecutionTime(
           exceptions, stickyGlobalExceptions, freezeLock);
@@ -2418,23 +2439,27 @@ public ServerServiceDefinition getServiceDefinition() {
   /** Removes all sessions and transactions. Mocked results are not removed. */
   @Override
   public void reset() {
-    requests = new ConcurrentLinkedDeque<>();
-    exceptions = new ConcurrentLinkedQueue<>();
-    statementGetCounts = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
-    sessions = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
-    sessionLastUsed = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
-    transactions = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
-    transactionsStarted.clear();
-    isPartitionedDmlTransaction = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
-    abortedTransactions = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
-    transactionCounters = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
-    partitionTokens = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
-    transactionLastUsed = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
-    transactionSequenceNo = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
-
-    numSessionsCreated.set(0);
-    stickyGlobalExceptions = false;
-    freezeLock.countDown();
+    synchronized (lock) {
+      requests = new ConcurrentLinkedDeque<>();
+      exceptions = new ConcurrentLinkedQueue<>();
+      statementGetCounts = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
+      sessions = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
+      sessionLastUsed = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
+      transactions = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
+      transactionsStarted.clear();
+      isPartitionedDmlTransaction = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
+      abortedTransactions = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
+      transactionCounters = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
+      partitionTokens = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
+      transactionLastUsed = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
+      transactionSequenceNo = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
+
+      numSessionsCreated.set(0);
+      freezeAfterNumRequests.set(-1);
+      freezeAfterReturningNumRows.set(0);
+      stickyGlobalExceptions = false;
+      freezeLock.countDown();
+    }
   }
 
   public void removeAllExecutionTimes() {
diff --git a/java-spanner/google-cloud-spanner/src/test/java/com/google/cloud/spanner/MultiplexedSessionDatabaseClientMockServerTest.java b/java-spanner/google-cloud-spanner/src/test/java/com/google/cloud/spanner/MultiplexedSessionDatabaseClientMockServerTest.java
index 61d06da821c0..3915efcf6095 100644
--- a/java-spanner/google-cloud-spanner/src/test/java/com/google/cloud/spanner/MultiplexedSessionDatabaseClientMockServerTest.java
+++ b/java-spanner/google-cloud-spanner/src/test/java/com/google/cloud/spanner/MultiplexedSessionDatabaseClientMockServerTest.java
@@ -102,10 +102,11 @@ public void createSpannerInstance() {
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void testCreateSessionDeadlineExceeded() {
+  public void testCreateSessionDeadlineExceeded() throws Exception {
     // Simulate a problem with the CreateSession RPC making it slow.
     mockSpanner.setCreateSessionExecutionTime(
-        SimulatedExecutionTime.ofStickyException(Status.DEADLINE_EXCEEDED.asRuntimeException()));
+        SimulatedExecutionTime.ofException(Status.DEADLINE_EXCEEDED.asRuntimeException()));
+    mockSpanner.freezeAfter(1);
 
     Spanner testSpanner =
         SpannerOptions.newBuilder()
@@ -123,13 +124,16 @@ public void testCreateSessionDeadlineExceeded() {
       assertEquals(ErrorCode.DEADLINE_EXCEEDED, exception.getErrorCode());
     }
 
-    // Remove the simulated problem on the mock server.
     // The next attempt should then succeed.
-    mockSpanner.removeAllExecutionTimes();
+    mockSpanner.unfreeze();
+    DatabaseClientImpl clientImpl = (DatabaseClientImpl) client;
+    assertNotNull(clientImpl.multiplexedSessionDatabaseClient.getCurrentSessionReference());
+
     try (ResultSet resultSet = client.singleUse().executeQuery(STATEMENT)) {
       //noinspection StatementWithEmptyBody
       while (resultSet.next()) {}
     }
+    testSpanner.close();
   }
 
   @Test