diff --git a/src/core/surface/call.c b/src/core/surface/call.c
index dfee93eb7d8..da966c874ac 100644
--- a/src/core/surface/call.c
+++ b/src/core/surface/call.c
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ typedef struct {
    These structures are manipulated in sets, where a set is a set of
    operations begin with the same call to start_ioreq and the various
    public and private api's that call it. Each set has a master reqinfo
-   in which we set a few additional fields. */
+   in which we set a few additional fields - see reqinfo_master. */
 typedef struct {
   /* User supplied parameters */
   grpc_ioreq_data data;
@@ -93,25 +93,51 @@ typedef struct {
 } reqinfo;
 
 typedef struct {
+  /* Overall status of the operation: starts OK, may degrade to
+     non-OK */
   grpc_op_error status;
+  /* Completion function to call at the end of the operation */
   grpc_ioreq_completion_func on_complete;
   void *user_data;
+  /* a bit mask of which request ops are needed (1 << opid) */
   gpr_uint32 need_mask;
+  /* a bit mask of which request ops are now completed */
   gpr_uint32 complete_mask;
 } reqinfo_master;
 
+/* Status data for a request can come from several sources; this
+   enumerates them all, and acts as a priority sorting for which
+   status to return to the application - earlier entries override
+   later ones */
 typedef enum {
+  /* Status came from the application layer overriding whatever
+     the wire says */
   STATUS_FROM_API_OVERRIDE = 0,
+  /* Status came from 'the wire' - or somewhere below the surface
+     layer */
   STATUS_FROM_WIRE,
   STATUS_SOURCE_COUNT
 } status_source;
 
 typedef struct {
-  gpr_uint8 set;
+  gpr_uint8 is_set;
   grpc_status_code code;
   grpc_mdstr *details;
 } received_status;
 
+/* How far through the GRPC stream have we read? */
+typedef enum {
+  /* We are still waiting for initial metadata to complete */
+  READ_STATE_INITIAL,
+  /* We have gotten initial metadata, and are reading either
+     messages or trailing metadata */
+  READ_STATE_GOT_INITIAL_METADATA,
+  /* The stream is closed for reading */
+  READ_STATE_READ_CLOSED,
+  /* The stream is closed for reading & writing */
+  READ_STATE_STREAM_CLOSED
+} read_state;
+
 struct grpc_call {
   grpc_completion_queue *cq;
   grpc_channel *channel;
@@ -120,10 +146,8 @@ struct grpc_call {
   gpr_mu mu;
 
   gpr_uint8 is_client;
-  gpr_uint8 got_initial_metadata;
+  read_state read_state;
   gpr_uint8 have_alarm;
-  gpr_uint8 read_closed;
-  gpr_uint8 stream_closed;
   gpr_uint8 sending;
   gpr_uint8 num_completed_requests;
   gpr_uint8 need_more_data;
@@ -229,7 +253,7 @@ void grpc_call_internal_unref(grpc_call *c, int allow_immediate_deletion) {
 
 static void set_status_code(grpc_call *call, status_source source,
                             gpr_uint32 status) {
-  call->status[source].set = 1;
+  call->status[source].is_set = 1;
   call->status[source].code = status;
 }
 
@@ -308,7 +332,7 @@ static void unlock(grpc_call *call) {
 static void get_final_status(grpc_call *call, grpc_recv_status_args args) {
   int i;
   for (i = 0; i < STATUS_SOURCE_COUNT; i++) {
-    if (call->status[i].set) {
+    if (call->status[i].is_set) {
       *args.code = call->status[i].code;
       if (!args.details) return;
       if (call->status[i].details) {
@@ -581,14 +605,14 @@ static grpc_call_error start_ioreq(grpc_call *call, const grpc_ioreq *reqs,
         *data.recv_message = grpc_bbq_pop(&call->incoming_queue);
         if (*data.recv_message) {
           finish_ioreq_op(call, GRPC_IOREQ_RECV_MESSAGE, GRPC_OP_OK);
-          if (call->stream_closed && grpc_bbq_empty(&call->incoming_queue)) {
+          if (call->read_state == READ_STATE_STREAM_CLOSED && grpc_bbq_empty(&call->incoming_queue)) {
             finish_ioreq_op(call, GRPC_IOREQ_RECV_CLOSE, GRPC_OP_OK);
           }
         } else {
           /* no message: either end of stream or we need more bytes */
-          if (call->read_closed) {
+          if (call->read_state >= READ_STATE_READ_CLOSED) {
             finish_ioreq_op(call, GRPC_IOREQ_RECV_MESSAGE, GRPC_OP_OK);
-            if (call->stream_closed) {
+            if (call->read_state == READ_STATE_STREAM_CLOSED) {
               /* stream closed AND we've drained all messages: signal to the application */
               finish_ioreq_op(call, GRPC_IOREQ_RECV_CLOSE, GRPC_OP_OK);
             }
@@ -598,12 +622,12 @@ static grpc_call_error start_ioreq(grpc_call *call, const grpc_ioreq *reqs,
         }
         break;
       case GRPC_IOREQ_RECV_STATUS:
-        if (call->read_closed) {
+        if (call->read_state >= READ_STATE_READ_CLOSED) {
           finish_ioreq_op(call, GRPC_IOREQ_RECV_STATUS, GRPC_OP_OK);
         }
         break;
       case GRPC_IOREQ_RECV_CLOSE:
-        if (call->stream_closed) {
+        if (call->read_state == READ_STATE_STREAM_CLOSED) {
           finish_ioreq_op(call, GRPC_IOREQ_RECV_CLOSE, GRPC_OP_OK);
         }
         break;
@@ -611,7 +635,7 @@ static grpc_call_error start_ioreq(grpc_call *call, const grpc_ioreq *reqs,
         if (requests[GRPC_IOREQ_SEND_MESSAGE].set == REQSET_EMPTY) {
           requests[GRPC_IOREQ_SEND_MESSAGE].set = REQSET_DONE;
         }
-        if (call->stream_closed) {
+        if (call->read_state == READ_STATE_STREAM_CLOSED) {
           finish_ioreq_op(call, GRPC_IOREQ_SEND_CLOSE, GRPC_OP_ERROR);
         }
         break;
@@ -619,7 +643,7 @@ static grpc_call_error start_ioreq(grpc_call *call, const grpc_ioreq *reqs,
       case GRPC_IOREQ_SEND_INITIAL_METADATA:
       case GRPC_IOREQ_SEND_TRAILING_METADATA:
       case GRPC_IOREQ_SEND_STATUS:
-        if (call->stream_closed) {
+        if (call->read_state == READ_STATE_STREAM_CLOSED) {
           finish_ioreq_op(call, op, GRPC_OP_ERROR);
         }
         break;
@@ -629,11 +653,8 @@ static grpc_call_error start_ioreq(grpc_call *call, const grpc_ioreq *reqs,
           SWAP(grpc_metadata_array, *data.recv_metadata,
                call->buffered_initial_metadata);
         }
-        if (call->got_initial_metadata) {
+        if (call->read_state >= READ_STATE_GOT_INITIAL_METADATA) {
           finish_ioreq_op(call, GRPC_IOREQ_RECV_INITIAL_METADATA, GRPC_OP_OK);
-        } else if (call->stream_closed) {
-          finish_ioreq_op(call, GRPC_IOREQ_RECV_INITIAL_METADATA,
-                          GRPC_OP_ERROR);
         }
         break;
       case GRPC_IOREQ_RECV_TRAILING_METADATA:
@@ -642,7 +663,7 @@ static grpc_call_error start_ioreq(grpc_call *call, const grpc_ioreq *reqs,
           SWAP(grpc_metadata_array, *data.recv_metadata,
                call->buffered_trailing_metadata);
         }
-        if (call->read_closed) {
+        if (call->read_state >= READ_STATE_READ_CLOSED) {
           finish_ioreq_op(call, GRPC_IOREQ_RECV_TRAILING_METADATA, GRPC_OP_OK);
         }
         break;
@@ -683,7 +704,7 @@ void grpc_call_destroy(grpc_call *c) {
     grpc_alarm_cancel(&c->alarm);
     c->have_alarm = 0;
   }
-  cancel = !c->stream_closed;
+  cancel = c->read_state != READ_STATE_STREAM_CLOSED;
   unlock(c);
   if (cancel) grpc_call_cancel(c);
   grpc_call_internal_unref(c, 1);
@@ -754,7 +775,7 @@ void grpc_call_set_deadline(grpc_call_element *elem, gpr_timespec deadline) {
 }
 
 static void mark_read_closed(grpc_call *call) {
-  call->read_closed = 1;
+  call->read_state = READ_STATE_READ_CLOSED;
   finish_ioreq_op(call, GRPC_IOREQ_RECV_MESSAGE, GRPC_OP_OK);
   finish_ioreq_op(call, GRPC_IOREQ_RECV_INITIAL_METADATA, GRPC_OP_OK);
   finish_ioreq_op(call, GRPC_IOREQ_RECV_TRAILING_METADATA, GRPC_OP_OK);
@@ -764,7 +785,7 @@ static void mark_read_closed(grpc_call *call) {
 void grpc_call_read_closed(grpc_call_element *elem) {
   grpc_call *call = CALL_FROM_TOP_ELEM(elem);
   lock(call);
-  GPR_ASSERT(!call->read_closed);
+  GPR_ASSERT(call->read_state < READ_STATE_READ_CLOSED);
   mark_read_closed(call);
   unlock(call);
 }
@@ -772,11 +793,11 @@ void grpc_call_read_closed(grpc_call_element *elem) {
 void grpc_call_stream_closed(grpc_call_element *elem) {
   grpc_call *call = CALL_FROM_TOP_ELEM(elem);
   lock(call);
-  GPR_ASSERT(!call->stream_closed);
-  if (!call->read_closed) {
+  GPR_ASSERT(call->read_state < READ_STATE_STREAM_CLOSED);
+  if (call->read_state < READ_STATE_READ_CLOSED) {
     mark_read_closed(call);
   }
-  call->stream_closed = 1;
+  call->read_state = READ_STATE_STREAM_CLOSED;
   if (grpc_bbq_empty(&call->incoming_queue)) {
     finish_ioreq_op(call, GRPC_IOREQ_RECV_CLOSE, GRPC_OP_OK);
   }
@@ -835,7 +856,7 @@ void grpc_call_recv_metadata(grpc_call_element *elem, grpc_mdelem *md) {
     set_status_details(call, STATUS_FROM_WIRE, grpc_mdstr_ref(md->value));
     grpc_mdelem_unref(md);
   } else {
-    if (!call->got_initial_metadata) {
+    if (call->read_state < READ_STATE_GOT_INITIAL_METADATA) {
       dest = call->requests[GRPC_IOREQ_RECV_INITIAL_METADATA].set <
                      GRPC_IOREQ_OP_COUNT
                  ? call->requests[GRPC_IOREQ_RECV_INITIAL_METADATA]
@@ -1079,7 +1100,9 @@ grpc_call_error grpc_call_server_end_initial_metadata_old(grpc_call *call,
 void grpc_call_initial_metadata_complete(grpc_call_element *surface_element) {
   grpc_call *call = grpc_call_from_top_element(surface_element);
   lock(call);
-  call->got_initial_metadata = 1;
+  if (call->read_state < READ_STATE_GOT_INITIAL_METADATA) {
+    call->read_state = READ_STATE_GOT_INITIAL_METADATA;
+  }
   finish_ioreq_op(call, GRPC_IOREQ_RECV_INITIAL_METADATA, GRPC_OP_OK);
   unlock(call);
 }