diff --git a/src/core/ext/client_channel/client_channel.c b/src/core/ext/client_channel/client_channel.c
index 6cbc333b832..651e62b96df 100644
--- a/src/core/ext/client_channel/client_channel.c
+++ b/src/core/ext/client_channel/client_channel.c
@@ -76,24 +76,82 @@ typedef enum {
   WAIT_FOR_READY_TRUE
 } wait_for_ready_value;
 
-typedef struct method_parameters {
+typedef struct {
+  gpr_refcount refs;
   gpr_timespec timeout;
   wait_for_ready_value wait_for_ready;
 } method_parameters;
 
+static method_parameters* method_parameters_ref(
+    method_parameters *method_params) {
+  gpr_ref(&method_params->refs);
+  return method_params;
+}
+
+static void method_parameters_unref(method_parameters *method_params) {
+  if (gpr_unref(&method_params->refs)) {
+    gpr_free(method_params);
+  }
+}
+
 static void *method_parameters_copy(void *value) {
-  void *new_value = gpr_malloc(sizeof(method_parameters));
-  memcpy(new_value, value, sizeof(method_parameters));
-  return new_value;
+  return method_parameters_ref(value);
 }
 
-static void method_parameters_free(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *p) {
-  gpr_free(p);
+static void method_parameters_free(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *value) {
+  method_parameters_unref(value);
 }
 
 static const grpc_slice_hash_table_vtable method_parameters_vtable = {
     method_parameters_free, method_parameters_copy};
 
+static bool parse_wait_for_ready(grpc_json *field,
+                                 wait_for_ready_value *wait_for_ready) {
+  if (field->type != GRPC_JSON_TRUE && field->type != GRPC_JSON_FALSE) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  *wait_for_ready = field->type == GRPC_JSON_TRUE ? WAIT_FOR_READY_TRUE
+                                                  : WAIT_FOR_READY_FALSE;
+  return true;
+}
+
+static bool parse_timeout(grpc_json *field, gpr_timespec* timeout) {
+  if (field->type != GRPC_JSON_STRING) return false;
+  size_t len = strlen(field->value);
+  if (field->value[len - 1] != 's') return false;
+  char *buf = gpr_strdup(field->value);
+  buf[len - 1] = '\0';  // Remove trailing 's'.
+  char *decimal_point = strchr(buf, '.');
+  if (decimal_point != NULL) {
+    *decimal_point = '\0';
+    timeout->tv_nsec = gpr_parse_nonnegative_int(decimal_point + 1);
+    if (timeout->tv_nsec == -1) {
+      gpr_free(buf);
+      return false;
+    }
+    // There should always be exactly 3, 6, or 9 fractional digits.
+    int multiplier = 1;
+    switch (strlen(decimal_point + 1)) {
+      case 9:
+        break;
+      case 6:
+        multiplier *= 1000;
+        break;
+      case 3:
+        multiplier *= 1000000;
+        break;
+      default:  // Unsupported number of digits.
+        gpr_free(buf);
+        return false;
+    }
+    timeout->tv_nsec *= multiplier;
+  }
+  timeout->tv_sec = gpr_parse_nonnegative_int(buf);
+  gpr_free(buf);
+  if (timeout->tv_sec == -1) return false;
+  return true;
+}
+
 static void *method_parameters_create_from_json(const grpc_json *json) {
   wait_for_ready_value wait_for_ready = WAIT_FOR_READY_UNSET;
   gpr_timespec timeout = {0, 0, GPR_TIMESPAN};
@@ -101,49 +159,14 @@ static void *method_parameters_create_from_json(const grpc_json *json) {
     if (field->key == NULL) continue;
     if (strcmp(field->key, "waitForReady") == 0) {
       if (wait_for_ready != WAIT_FOR_READY_UNSET) return NULL;  // Duplicate.
-      if (field->type != GRPC_JSON_TRUE && field->type != GRPC_JSON_FALSE) {
-        return NULL;
-      }
-      wait_for_ready = field->type == GRPC_JSON_TRUE ? WAIT_FOR_READY_TRUE
-                                                     : WAIT_FOR_READY_FALSE;
+      if (!parse_wait_for_ready(field, &wait_for_ready)) return NULL;
     } else if (strcmp(field->key, "timeout") == 0) {
       if (timeout.tv_sec > 0 || timeout.tv_nsec > 0) return NULL;  // Duplicate.
-      if (field->type != GRPC_JSON_STRING) return NULL;
-      size_t len = strlen(field->value);
-      if (field->value[len - 1] != 's') return NULL;
-      char *buf = gpr_strdup(field->value);
-      buf[len - 1] = '\0';  // Remove trailing 's'.
-      char *decimal_point = strchr(buf, '.');
-      if (decimal_point != NULL) {
-        *decimal_point = '\0';
-        timeout.tv_nsec = gpr_parse_nonnegative_int(decimal_point + 1);
-        if (timeout.tv_nsec == -1) {
-          gpr_free(buf);
-          return NULL;
-        }
-        // There should always be exactly 3, 6, or 9 fractional digits.
-        int multiplier = 1;
-        switch (strlen(decimal_point + 1)) {
-          case 9:
-            break;
-          case 6:
-            multiplier *= 1000;
-            break;
-          case 3:
-            multiplier *= 1000000;
-            break;
-          default:  // Unsupported number of digits.
-            gpr_free(buf);
-            return NULL;
-        }
-        timeout.tv_nsec *= multiplier;
-      }
-      timeout.tv_sec = gpr_parse_nonnegative_int(buf);
-      if (timeout.tv_sec == -1) return NULL;
-      gpr_free(buf);
+      if (!parse_timeout(field, &timeout)) return NULL;
     }
   }
   method_parameters *value = gpr_malloc(sizeof(method_parameters));
+  gpr_ref_init(&value->refs, 1);
   value->timeout = timeout;
   value->wait_for_ready = wait_for_ready;
   return value;
@@ -629,7 +652,7 @@ typedef struct client_channel_call_data {
   grpc_slice path;  // Request path.
   gpr_timespec call_start_time;
   gpr_timespec deadline;
-  wait_for_ready_value wait_for_ready_from_service_config;
+  method_parameters *method_params;
   grpc_closure read_service_config;
 
   grpc_error *cancel_error;
@@ -836,10 +859,11 @@ static bool pick_subchannel_locked(
         initial_metadata_flags &
         GRPC_INITIAL_METADATA_WAIT_FOR_READY_EXPLICITLY_SET;
     const bool wait_for_ready_set_from_service_config =
-        calld->wait_for_ready_from_service_config != WAIT_FOR_READY_UNSET;
+        calld->method_params != NULL &&
+        calld->method_params->wait_for_ready != WAIT_FOR_READY_UNSET;
     if (!wait_for_ready_set_from_api &&
         wait_for_ready_set_from_service_config) {
-      if (calld->wait_for_ready_from_service_config == WAIT_FOR_READY_TRUE) {
+      if (calld->method_params->wait_for_ready == WAIT_FOR_READY_TRUE) {
         initial_metadata_flags |= GRPC_INITIAL_METADATA_WAIT_FOR_READY;
       } else {
         initial_metadata_flags &= ~GRPC_INITIAL_METADATA_WAIT_FOR_READY;
@@ -977,10 +1001,9 @@ static void start_transport_stream_op_locked_inner(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
   add_waiting_locked(calld, op);
 }
 
-static void cc_start_transport_stream_op_locked(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
-                                                void *arg,
+static void start_transport_stream_op_locked(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *arg,
                                                 grpc_error *error_ignored) {
-  GPR_TIMER_BEGIN("cc_start_transport_stream_op_locked", 0);
+  GPR_TIMER_BEGIN("start_transport_stream_op_locked", 0);
 
   grpc_transport_stream_op *op = arg;
   grpc_call_element *elem = op->handler_private.args[0];
@@ -990,7 +1013,7 @@ static void cc_start_transport_stream_op_locked(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
 
   GRPC_CALL_STACK_UNREF(exec_ctx, calld->owning_call,
                         "start_transport_stream_op");
-  GPR_TIMER_END("cc_start_transport_stream_op_locked", 0);
+  GPR_TIMER_END("start_transport_stream_op_locked", 0);
 }
 
 /* The logic here is fairly complicated, due to (a) the fact that we
@@ -1030,52 +1053,53 @@ static void cc_start_transport_stream_op(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
   grpc_closure_sched(
       exec_ctx,
       grpc_closure_init(&op->handler_private.closure,
-                        cc_start_transport_stream_op_locked, op,
+                        start_transport_stream_op_locked, op,
                         grpc_combiner_scheduler(chand->combiner, false)),
       GRPC_ERROR_NONE);
   GPR_TIMER_END("cc_start_transport_stream_op", 0);
 }
 
+// Sets calld->method_params.
+// If the method params specify a timeout, populates
+// *per_method_deadline and returns true.
+static bool set_call_method_params_from_service_config_locked(
+    grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, grpc_call_element *elem,
+    gpr_timespec *per_method_deadline) {
+  channel_data *chand = elem->channel_data;
+  call_data *calld = elem->call_data;
+  if (chand->method_params_table != NULL) {
+    calld->method_params = grpc_method_config_table_get(
+        exec_ctx, chand->method_params_table, calld->path);
+    if (calld->method_params != NULL) {
+      method_parameters_ref(calld->method_params);
+      if (gpr_time_cmp(calld->method_params->timeout,
+                       gpr_time_0(GPR_TIMESPAN)) != 0) {
+        *per_method_deadline = gpr_time_add(
+            calld->call_start_time, calld->method_params->timeout);
+        return true;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  return false;
+}
+
 // Gets data from the service config.  Invoked when the resolver returns
 // its initial result.
 static void read_service_config_locked(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *arg,
                                        grpc_error *error) {
   grpc_call_element *elem = arg;
-  channel_data *chand = elem->channel_data;
   call_data *calld = elem->call_data;
   // If this is an error, there's no point in looking at the service config.
   if (error == GRPC_ERROR_NONE) {
-    // Get the method config table from channel data.
-    grpc_slice_hash_table *method_params_table = NULL;
-    if (chand->method_params_table != NULL) {
-      method_params_table =
-          grpc_slice_hash_table_ref(chand->method_params_table);
-    }
-    // If the method config table was present, use it.
-    if (method_params_table != NULL) {
-      const method_parameters *method_params = grpc_method_config_table_get(
-          exec_ctx, method_params_table, calld->path);
-      if (method_params != NULL) {
-        const bool have_method_timeout =
-            gpr_time_cmp(method_params->timeout, gpr_time_0(GPR_TIMESPAN)) != 0;
-        if (have_method_timeout ||
-            method_params->wait_for_ready != WAIT_FOR_READY_UNSET) {
-          if (have_method_timeout) {
-            const gpr_timespec per_method_deadline =
-                gpr_time_add(calld->call_start_time, method_params->timeout);
-            if (gpr_time_cmp(per_method_deadline, calld->deadline) < 0) {
-              calld->deadline = per_method_deadline;
-              // Reset deadline timer.
-              grpc_deadline_state_reset(exec_ctx, elem, calld->deadline);
-            }
-          }
-          if (method_params->wait_for_ready != WAIT_FOR_READY_UNSET) {
-            calld->wait_for_ready_from_service_config =
-                method_params->wait_for_ready;
-          }
-        }
+    gpr_timespec per_method_deadline;
+    if (set_call_method_params_from_service_config_locked(
+            exec_ctx, elem, &per_method_deadline)) {
+      // If the deadline from the service config is shorter than the one
+      // from the client API, reset the deadline timer.
+      if (gpr_time_cmp(per_method_deadline, calld->deadline) < 0) {
+        calld->deadline = per_method_deadline;
+        grpc_deadline_state_reset(exec_ctx, elem, calld->deadline);
       }
-      grpc_slice_hash_table_unref(exec_ctx, method_params_table);
     }
   }
   GRPC_CALL_STACK_UNREF(exec_ctx, calld->owning_call, "read_service_config");
@@ -1090,29 +1114,12 @@ static void initial_read_service_config_locked(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
   // If the resolver has already returned results, then we can access
   // the service config parameters immediately.  Otherwise, we need to
   // defer that work until the resolver returns an initial result.
-  // TODO(roth): This code is almost but not quite identical to the code
-  // in read_service_config() above.  It would be nice to find a way to
-  // combine them, to avoid having to maintain it twice.
   if (chand->lb_policy != NULL) {
     // We already have a resolver result, so check for service config.
-    if (chand->method_params_table != NULL) {
-      grpc_slice_hash_table *method_params_table =
-          grpc_slice_hash_table_ref(chand->method_params_table);
-      method_parameters *method_params = grpc_method_config_table_get(
-          exec_ctx, method_params_table, calld->path);
-      if (method_params != NULL) {
-        if (gpr_time_cmp(method_params->timeout,
-                         gpr_time_0(GPR_CLOCK_MONOTONIC)) != 0) {
-          gpr_timespec per_method_deadline =
-              gpr_time_add(calld->call_start_time, method_params->timeout);
-          calld->deadline = gpr_time_min(calld->deadline, per_method_deadline);
-        }
-        if (method_params->wait_for_ready != WAIT_FOR_READY_UNSET) {
-          calld->wait_for_ready_from_service_config =
-              method_params->wait_for_ready;
-        }
-      }
-      grpc_slice_hash_table_unref(exec_ctx, method_params_table);
+    gpr_timespec per_method_deadline;
+    if (set_call_method_params_from_service_config_locked(
+            exec_ctx, elem, &per_method_deadline)) {
+      calld->deadline = gpr_time_min(calld->deadline, per_method_deadline);
     }
   } else {
     // We don't yet have a resolver result, so register a callback to
@@ -1143,7 +1150,7 @@ static grpc_error *cc_init_call_elem(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
   calld->path = grpc_slice_ref_internal(args->path);
   calld->call_start_time = args->start_time;
   calld->deadline = gpr_convert_clock_type(args->deadline, GPR_CLOCK_MONOTONIC);
-  calld->wait_for_ready_from_service_config = WAIT_FOR_READY_UNSET;
+  calld->method_params = NULL;
   calld->cancel_error = GRPC_ERROR_NONE;
   gpr_atm_rel_store(&calld->subchannel_call, 0);
   calld->connected_subchannel = NULL;
@@ -1171,6 +1178,9 @@ static void cc_destroy_call_elem(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
   call_data *calld = elem->call_data;
   grpc_deadline_state_destroy(exec_ctx, elem);
   grpc_slice_unref_internal(exec_ctx, calld->path);
+  if (calld->method_params != NULL) {
+    method_parameters_unref(calld->method_params);
+  }
   GRPC_ERROR_UNREF(calld->cancel_error);
   grpc_subchannel_call *call = GET_CALL(calld);
   if (call != NULL && call != CANCELLED_CALL) {