diff --git a/src/core/ext/client_config/subchannel.c b/src/core/ext/client_config/subchannel.c
index 4d74eb9811d..125a291f211 100644
--- a/src/core/ext/client_config/subchannel.c
+++ b/src/core/ext/client_config/subchannel.c
@@ -546,9 +546,20 @@ static void publish_transport_locked(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
   state_watcher *sw_subchannel;
 
   /* construct channel stack */
-  con = grpc_channel_init_create_stack(
-      exec_ctx, GRPC_CLIENT_SUBCHANNEL, 0, c->connecting_result.channel_args, 1,
-      connection_destroy, NULL, c->connecting_result.transport, NULL);
+  grpc_channel_stack_builder *builder = grpc_channel_stack_builder_create();
+  grpc_channel_stack_builder_set_channel_arguments(
+      builder, c->connecting_result.channel_args);
+  grpc_channel_stack_builder_set_transport(builder,
+                                           c->connecting_result.transport);
+
+  if (grpc_channel_init_create_stack(exec_ctx, builder,
+                                     GRPC_CLIENT_SUBCHANNEL)) {
+    con = grpc_channel_stack_builder_finish(exec_ctx, builder, 0, 1,
+                                            connection_destroy, NULL);
+  } else {
+    grpc_channel_stack_builder_destroy(builder);
+    abort(); /* TODO(ctiller): what to do here (previously we just crashed) */
+  }
   stk = CHANNEL_STACK_FROM_CONNECTION(con);
   memset(&c->connecting_result, 0, sizeof(c->connecting_result));
 
@@ -576,7 +587,8 @@ static void publish_transport_locked(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
   GPR_ASSERT(gpr_atm_rel_cas(&c->connected_subchannel, 0, (gpr_atm)con));
   c->connecting = 0;
 
-  /* setup subchannel watching connected subchannel for changes; subchannel ref
+  /* setup subchannel watching connected subchannel for changes; subchannel
+     ref
      for connecting is donated
      to the state watcher */
   GRPC_SUBCHANNEL_WEAK_REF(c, "state_watcher");
diff --git a/src/core/lib/surface/channel.c b/src/core/lib/surface/channel.c
index b805091b476..b6b760b5d8d 100644
--- a/src/core/lib/surface/channel.c
+++ b/src/core/lib/surface/channel.c
@@ -83,14 +83,26 @@ struct grpc_channel {
 static void destroy_channel(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *arg, bool success);
 
 grpc_channel *grpc_channel_create(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, const char *target,
-                                  const grpc_channel_args *args,
+                                  const grpc_channel_args *input_args,
                                   grpc_channel_stack_type channel_stack_type,
                                   grpc_transport *optional_transport) {
   bool is_client = grpc_channel_stack_type_is_client(channel_stack_type);
 
-  grpc_channel *channel = grpc_channel_init_create_stack(
-      exec_ctx, channel_stack_type, sizeof(grpc_channel), args, 1,
-      destroy_channel, NULL, optional_transport, target);
+  grpc_channel_stack_builder *builder = grpc_channel_stack_builder_create();
+  grpc_channel_stack_builder_set_channel_arguments(builder, input_args);
+  grpc_channel_stack_builder_set_target(builder, target);
+  grpc_channel_stack_builder_set_transport(builder, optional_transport);
+  grpc_channel *channel;
+  grpc_channel_args *args;
+  if (!grpc_channel_init_create_stack(exec_ctx, builder, channel_stack_type)) {
+    grpc_channel_stack_builder_destroy(builder);
+    return NULL;
+  } else {
+    args = grpc_channel_args_copy(
+        grpc_channel_stack_builder_get_channel_arguments(builder));
+    channel = grpc_channel_stack_builder_finish(
+        exec_ctx, builder, sizeof(grpc_channel), 1, destroy_channel, NULL);
+  }
 
   memset(channel, 0, sizeof(*channel));
   channel->target = gpr_strdup(target);
@@ -141,6 +153,7 @@ grpc_channel *grpc_channel_create(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, const char *target,
         }
       }
     }
+    grpc_channel_args_destroy(args);
   }
 
   return channel;
diff --git a/src/core/lib/surface/channel_init.c b/src/core/lib/surface/channel_init.c
index d0dd722ae0e..0627b344791 100644
--- a/src/core/lib/surface/channel_init.c
+++ b/src/core/lib/surface/channel_init.c
@@ -122,26 +122,19 @@ static const char *name_for_type(grpc_channel_stack_type type) {
   GPR_UNREACHABLE_CODE(return "UNKNOWN");
 }
 
-void *grpc_channel_init_create_stack(
-    grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, grpc_channel_stack_type type, size_t prefix_bytes,
-    const grpc_channel_args *args, int initial_refs, grpc_iomgr_cb_func destroy,
-    void *destroy_arg, grpc_transport *transport, const char *target) {
+bool grpc_channel_init_create_stack(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
+                                    grpc_channel_stack_builder *builder,
+                                    grpc_channel_stack_type type) {
   GPR_ASSERT(g_finalized);
 
-  grpc_channel_stack_builder *builder = grpc_channel_stack_builder_create();
   grpc_channel_stack_builder_set_name(builder, name_for_type(type));
-  grpc_channel_stack_builder_set_channel_arguments(builder, args);
-  grpc_channel_stack_builder_set_transport(builder, transport);
-  grpc_channel_stack_builder_set_target(builder, target);
 
   for (size_t i = 0; i < g_slots[type].num_slots; i++) {
     const stage_slot *slot = &g_slots[type].slots[i];
     if (!slot->fn(builder, slot->arg)) {
-      grpc_channel_stack_builder_destroy(builder);
-      return NULL;
+      return false;
     }
   }
 
-  return grpc_channel_stack_builder_finish(exec_ctx, builder, prefix_bytes,
-                                           initial_refs, destroy, destroy_arg);
+  return true;
 }
diff --git a/src/core/lib/surface/channel_init.h b/src/core/lib/surface/channel_init.h
index cb71ae3b7ca..3a18a61ddb8 100644
--- a/src/core/lib/surface/channel_init.h
+++ b/src/core/lib/surface/channel_init.h
@@ -80,10 +80,8 @@ void grpc_channel_init_shutdown(void);
 /// \a optional_transport is either NULL or a constructed transport object
 /// Returns a pointer to the base of the memory allocated (the actual channel
 /// stack object will be prefix_bytes past that pointer)
-void *grpc_channel_init_create_stack(
-    grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, grpc_channel_stack_type type, size_t prefix_bytes,
-    const grpc_channel_args *args, int initial_refs, grpc_iomgr_cb_func destroy,
-    void *destroy_arg, grpc_transport *optional_transport,
-    const char *optional_target);
+bool grpc_channel_init_create_stack(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
+                                    grpc_channel_stack_builder *builder,
+                                    grpc_channel_stack_type type);
 
 #endif /* GRPC_CORE_LIB_SURFACE_CHANNEL_INIT_H */