diff --git a/tools/run_tests/xds_k8s_test_driver/framework/test_app/client_app.py b/tools/run_tests/xds_k8s_test_driver/framework/test_app/client_app.py
index bd810354e08..fce48ef7b4e 100644
--- a/tools/run_tests/xds_k8s_test_driver/framework/test_app/client_app.py
+++ b/tools/run_tests/xds_k8s_test_driver/framework/test_app/client_app.py
@@ -129,7 +129,12 @@ class XdsTestClient(framework.rpc.grpc.GrpcApp):
             timeout_sec=timeout_sec
         )
 
-    def wait_for_active_server_channel(self) -> _ChannelzChannel:
+    def wait_for_active_server_channel(
+        self,
+        *,
+        timeout: Optional[_timedelta] = None,
+        rpc_deadline: Optional[_timedelta] = None,
+    ) -> _ChannelzChannel:
         """Wait for the channel to the server to transition to READY.
 
         Raises:
@@ -137,7 +142,9 @@ class XdsTestClient(framework.rpc.grpc.GrpcApp):
         """
         try:
             return self.wait_for_server_channel_state(
-                _ChannelzChannelState.READY
+                _ChannelzChannelState.READY,
+                timeout=timeout,
+                rpc_deadline=rpc_deadline,
             )
         except retryers.RetryError as retry_err:
             if isinstance(retry_err.exception(), self.ChannelNotFound):
diff --git a/tools/run_tests/xds_k8s_test_driver/framework/xds_gamma_testcase.py b/tools/run_tests/xds_k8s_test_driver/framework/xds_gamma_testcase.py
index 3334b6dc165..8734a41be3b 100644
--- a/tools/run_tests/xds_k8s_test_driver/framework/xds_gamma_testcase.py
+++ b/tools/run_tests/xds_k8s_test_driver/framework/xds_gamma_testcase.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 # WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
+import datetime
 import logging
 from typing import Optional
 
@@ -125,4 +126,13 @@ class GammaXdsKubernetesTestCase(xds_k8s_testcase.RegularXdsKubernetesTestCase):
             f":{test_server.rpc_port}"
         )
         kwargs.setdefault("generate_mesh_id", True)
-        return self._start_test_client(server_target=server_target, **kwargs)
+        # Waiting for an active channel takes less time in non-gamma
+        # test suites because they only start waiting after already waited for
+        # the TD backends to be created and report healthy.
+        # In GAMMA, these resources are created asynchronously by Kubernetes.
+        # To compensate for this, we double the timeout for GAMMA tests.
+        return self._start_test_client(
+            server_target,
+            wait_for_active_channel_timeout=datetime.timedelta(minutes=10),
+            **kwargs,
+        )
diff --git a/tools/run_tests/xds_k8s_test_driver/framework/xds_k8s_testcase.py b/tools/run_tests/xds_k8s_test_driver/framework/xds_k8s_testcase.py
index 5d8b404c1b1..bd045701c77 100644
--- a/tools/run_tests/xds_k8s_test_driver/framework/xds_k8s_testcase.py
+++ b/tools/run_tests/xds_k8s_test_driver/framework/xds_k8s_testcase.py
@@ -816,11 +816,19 @@ class RegularXdsKubernetesTestCase(IsolatedXdsKubernetesTestCase):
     ) -> XdsTestClient:
         return self._start_test_client(test_server.xds_uri, **kwargs)
 
-    def _start_test_client(self, server_target: str, **kwargs) -> XdsTestClient:
+    def _start_test_client(
+        self,
+        server_target: str,
+        *,
+        wait_for_active_channel_timeout: Optional[_timedelta] = None,
+        **kwargs,
+    ) -> XdsTestClient:
         test_client = self.client_runner.run(
             server_target=server_target, **kwargs
         )
-        test_client.wait_for_active_server_channel()
+        test_client.wait_for_active_server_channel(
+            timeout=wait_for_active_channel_timeout,
+        )
         return test_client