diff --git a/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/chttp2_transport.c b/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/chttp2_transport.c
index d05aa00a3ea..f7902679441 100644
--- a/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/chttp2_transport.c
+++ b/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/chttp2_transport.c
@@ -1487,6 +1487,21 @@ static void perform_stream_op(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, grpc_transport *gt,
   grpc_chttp2_transport *t = (grpc_chttp2_transport *)gt;
   grpc_chttp2_stream *s = (grpc_chttp2_stream *)gs;
 
+  if (!t->is_client) {
+    if (op->send_initial_metadata) {
+      gpr_timespec deadline =
+          op->payload->send_initial_metadata.send_initial_metadata->deadline;
+      GPR_ASSERT(0 ==
+                 gpr_time_cmp(gpr_inf_future(deadline.clock_type), deadline));
+    }
+    if (op->send_trailing_metadata) {
+      gpr_timespec deadline =
+          op->payload->send_trailing_metadata.send_trailing_metadata->deadline;
+      GPR_ASSERT(0 ==
+                 gpr_time_cmp(gpr_inf_future(deadline.clock_type), deadline));
+    }
+  }
+
   if (GRPC_TRACER_ON(grpc_http_trace)) {
     char *str = grpc_transport_stream_op_batch_string(op);
     gpr_log(GPR_DEBUG, "perform_stream_op[s=%p]: %s", s, str);
diff --git a/src/core/lib/surface/call.c b/src/core/lib/surface/call.c
index c769866ceb4..aac443ed06b 100644
--- a/src/core/lib/surface/call.c
+++ b/src/core/lib/surface/call.c
@@ -1504,7 +1504,9 @@ static grpc_call_error call_start_batch(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
           goto done_with_error;
         }
         /* TODO(ctiller): just make these the same variable? */
-        call->metadata_batch[0][0].deadline = call->send_deadline;
+        if (call->is_client) {
+          call->metadata_batch[0][0].deadline = call->send_deadline;
+        }
         stream_op_payload->send_initial_metadata.send_initial_metadata =
             &call->metadata_batch[0 /* is_receiving */][0 /* is_trailing */];
         stream_op_payload->send_initial_metadata.send_initial_metadata_flags =