diff --git a/src/php/ext/grpc/channel.c b/src/php/ext/grpc/channel.c
index 5e0de2959aa..447cfc15bee 100644
--- a/src/php/ext/grpc/channel.c
+++ b/src/php/ext/grpc/channel.c
@@ -256,10 +256,7 @@ PHP_METHOD(Channel, watchConnectivityState) {
   grpc_event event = grpc_completion_queue_pluck(
       completion_queue, NULL,
       gpr_inf_future(GPR_CLOCK_REALTIME));
-  if (!event.success) {
-    RETURN_BOOL(0);
-  }
-  RETURN_BOOL(1);
+  RETURN_BOOL(event.success);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/php/lib/Grpc/BaseStub.php b/src/php/lib/Grpc/BaseStub.php
index dc507df92cf..9d6a77b8553 100755
--- a/src/php/lib/Grpc/BaseStub.php
+++ b/src/php/lib/Grpc/BaseStub.php
@@ -85,8 +85,9 @@ class BaseStub {
   /**
    * @param $timeout in microseconds
    * @return bool true if channel is ready
+   * @throw Exception if channel is in FATAL_ERROR state
    */
-  public function watchForReady($timeout) {
+  public function waitForReady($timeout) {
     $new_state = $this->getConnectivityState(true);
     if ($this->_checkConnectivityState($new_state)) {
       return true;
@@ -96,14 +97,16 @@ class BaseStub {
     $delta = new Timeval($timeout);
     $deadline = $now->add($delta);
 
-    if (!$this->channel->watchConnectivityState($new_state, $deadline)) {
-      return false;
+    while ($this->channel->watchConnectivityState($new_state, $deadline)) {
+      // state has changed before deadline
+      $new_state = $this->getConnectivityState();
+      if ($this->_checkConnectivityState($new_state)) {
+        return true;
+      }
     }
+    // deadline has passed
     $new_state = $this->getConnectivityState();
-    if ($this->_checkConnectivityState($new_state)) {
-      return true;
-    }
-    return false;
+    return $this->_checkConnectivityState($new_state);
   }
 
   private function _checkConnectivityState($new_state) {