diff --git a/src/core/ext/client_config/channel_connectivity.c b/src/core/ext/client_config/channel_connectivity.c
index e20670e51f7..b452cc33acb 100644
--- a/src/core/ext/client_config/channel_connectivity.c
+++ b/src/core/ext/client_config/channel_connectivity.c
@@ -132,8 +132,6 @@ static void partly_done(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, state_watcher *w,
 
   gpr_mu_lock(&w->mu);
   const char *msg = grpc_error_string(error);
-  gpr_log(GPR_DEBUG, "partly_done: d2c=%d phs=%d err=%s", due_to_completion,
-          w->phase, msg);
   grpc_error_free_string(msg);
 
   if (due_to_completion) {
diff --git a/src/core/ext/client_config/subchannel.c b/src/core/ext/client_config/subchannel.c
index 4ddacfd7c71..1a3e14f4cdc 100644
--- a/src/core/ext/client_config/subchannel.c
+++ b/src/core/ext/client_config/subchannel.c
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
 #define STRONG_REF_MASK (~(gpr_atm)((1 << INTERNAL_REF_BITS) - 1))
 
 #define GRPC_SUBCHANNEL_MIN_CONNECT_TIMEOUT_SECONDS 20
-#define GRPC_SUBCHANNEL_INITIAL_CONNECT_BACKOFF_SECONDS 2
+#define GRPC_SUBCHANNEL_INITIAL_CONNECT_BACKOFF_SECONDS 1
 #define GRPC_SUBCHANNEL_RECONNECT_BACKOFF_MULTIPLIER 1.6
 #define GRPC_SUBCHANNEL_RECONNECT_MAX_BACKOFF_SECONDS 120
 #define GRPC_SUBCHANNEL_RECONNECT_JITTER 0.2
@@ -606,12 +606,8 @@ static void on_alarm(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *arg, grpc_error *error) {
     GRPC_ERROR_REF(error);
   }
   if (error == GRPC_ERROR_NONE) {
-    const char *msg = grpc_error_string(error);
-    gpr_log(GPR_INFO, "Failed to connect to channel, retrying: %s", msg);
-    grpc_error_free_string(msg);
-
-    c->next_attempt =
-        gpr_backoff_step(&c->backoff_state, gpr_now(GPR_CLOCK_MONOTONIC));
+    gpr_log(GPR_INFO, "Failed to connect to channel, retrying");
+    c->next_attempt = gpr_backoff_step(&c->backoff_state, gpr_now(GPR_CLOCK_MONOTONIC));
     continue_connect(exec_ctx, c);
     gpr_mu_unlock(&c->mu);
   } else {
@@ -639,8 +635,7 @@ static void subchannel_connected(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *arg,
         exec_ctx, &c->state_tracker, GRPC_CHANNEL_TRANSIENT_FAILURE,
         GRPC_ERROR_CREATE_REFERENCING("Connect Failed", &error, 1),
         "connect_failed");
-    gpr_timespec time_til_next =
-        gpr_time_sub(c->next_attempt, gpr_now(c->next_attempt.clock_type));
+    gpr_timespec time_til_next = gpr_time_sub(c->next_attempt, now);
     const char *errmsg = grpc_error_string(error);
     gpr_log(GPR_INFO, "Connect failed, retry in %d.%09d seconds: %s",
             time_til_next.tv_sec, time_til_next.tv_nsec, errmsg);
diff --git a/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/chttp2_transport.c b/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/chttp2_transport.c
index 14b0d3d2411..2014c47b1d4 100644
--- a/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/chttp2_transport.c
+++ b/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/chttp2_transport.c
@@ -781,13 +781,14 @@ static void terminate_writing_with_lock(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
   }
 
   UNREF_TRANSPORT(exec_ctx, t, "writing");
+  GRPC_ERROR_UNREF(error);
 }
 
 void grpc_chttp2_terminate_writing(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
                                    void *transport_writing, grpc_error *error) {
   grpc_chttp2_transport *t = TRANSPORT_FROM_WRITING(transport_writing);
   grpc_chttp2_run_with_global_lock(exec_ctx, t, NULL,
-                                   terminate_writing_with_lock, error, 0);
+                                   terminate_writing_with_lock, GRPC_ERROR_REF(error), 0);
 }
 
 static void writing_action(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *gt,
diff --git a/src/core/lib/iomgr/error.c b/src/core/lib/iomgr/error.c
index 7e5d74b495c..e75a643a542 100644
--- a/src/core/lib/iomgr/error.c
+++ b/src/core/lib/iomgr/error.c
@@ -158,6 +158,7 @@ static bool is_special(grpc_error *err) {
          err == GRPC_ERROR_CANCELLED;
 }
 
+#ifdef GRPC_ERROR_REFCOUNT_DEBUG
 grpc_error *grpc_error_ref(grpc_error *err, const char *file, int line,
                            const char *func) {
   if (is_special(err)) return err;
@@ -166,6 +167,13 @@ grpc_error *grpc_error_ref(grpc_error *err, const char *file, int line,
   gpr_ref(&err->refs);
   return err;
 }
+#else
+grpc_error *grpc_error_ref(grpc_error *err) {
+  if (is_special(err)) return err;
+  gpr_ref(&err->refs);
+  return err;
+}
+#endif
 
 static void error_destroy(grpc_error *err) {
   GPR_ASSERT(!is_special(err));
@@ -176,6 +184,7 @@ static void error_destroy(grpc_error *err) {
   gpr_free(err);
 }
 
+#ifdef GRPC_ERROR_REFCOUNT_DEBUG
 void grpc_error_unref(grpc_error *err, const char *file, int line,
                       const char *func) {
   if (is_special(err)) return;
@@ -185,6 +194,14 @@ void grpc_error_unref(grpc_error *err, const char *file, int line,
     error_destroy(err);
   }
 }
+#else
+void grpc_error_unref(grpc_error *err) {
+  if (is_special(err)) return;
+  if (gpr_unref(&err->refs)) {
+    error_destroy(err);
+  }
+}
+#endif
 
 grpc_error *grpc_error_create(const char *file, int line, const char *desc,
                               grpc_error **referencing,
@@ -193,7 +210,9 @@ grpc_error *grpc_error_create(const char *file, int line, const char *desc,
   if (err == NULL) {  // TODO(ctiller): make gpr_malloc return NULL
     return GRPC_ERROR_OOM;
   }
+#ifdef GRPC_ERROR_REFCOUNT_DEBUG
   gpr_log(GPR_DEBUG, "%p create [%s:%d]", err, file, line);
+#endif
   err->ints = gpr_avl_add(gpr_avl_create(&avl_vtable_ints),
                           (void *)(uintptr_t)GRPC_ERROR_INT_FILE_LINE,
                           (void *)(uintptr_t)line);
@@ -223,7 +242,9 @@ static grpc_error *copy_error_and_unref(grpc_error *in) {
     return GRPC_ERROR_CREATE("unknown");
   }
   grpc_error *out = gpr_malloc(sizeof(*out));
+#ifdef GRPC_ERROR_REFCOUNT_DEBUG
   gpr_log(GPR_DEBUG, "%p create copying", out);
+#endif
   out->ints = gpr_avl_ref(in->ints);
   out->strs = gpr_avl_ref(in->strs);
   out->errs = gpr_avl_ref(in->errs);
diff --git a/src/core/lib/iomgr/error.h b/src/core/lib/iomgr/error.h
index 0cc466e8c44..fa0a78011cb 100644
--- a/src/core/lib/iomgr/error.h
+++ b/src/core/lib/iomgr/error.h
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ grpc_error *grpc_error_create(const char *file, int line, const char *desc,
 #define GRPC_ERROR_CREATE_REFERENCING(desc, errs, count) \
   grpc_error_create(__FILE__, __LINE__, desc, errs, count)
 
+#define GRPC_ERROR_REFCOUNT_DEBUG
+#ifdef GRPC_ERROR_REFCOUNT_DEBUG
 grpc_error *grpc_error_ref(grpc_error *err, const char *file, int line,
                            const char *func);
 void grpc_error_unref(grpc_error *err, const char *file, int line,
@@ -107,6 +109,12 @@ void grpc_error_unref(grpc_error *err, const char *file, int line,
 #define GRPC_ERROR_REF(err) grpc_error_ref(err, __FILE__, __LINE__, __func__)
 #define GRPC_ERROR_UNREF(err) \
   grpc_error_unref(err, __FILE__, __LINE__, __func__)
+#else
+grpc_error *grpc_error_ref(grpc_error *err);
+void grpc_error_unref(grpc_error *err);
+#define GRPC_ERROR_REF(err) grpc_error_ref(err)
+#define GRPC_ERROR_UNREF(err) grpc_error_unref(err)
+#endif
 
 grpc_error *grpc_error_set_int(grpc_error *src, grpc_error_ints which,
                                intptr_t value);
diff --git a/src/core/lib/iomgr/tcp_posix.c b/src/core/lib/iomgr/tcp_posix.c
index 766a9762771..81c2acf79ae 100644
--- a/src/core/lib/iomgr/tcp_posix.c
+++ b/src/core/lib/iomgr/tcp_posix.c
@@ -384,6 +384,7 @@ static void tcp_handle_write(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *arg /* grpc_tcp */,
     cb->cb(exec_ctx, cb->cb_arg, error);
     GPR_TIMER_END("tcp_handle_write.cb", 0);
     TCP_UNREF(exec_ctx, tcp, "write");
+    GRPC_ERROR_UNREF(error);
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/core/lib/transport/transport.h b/src/core/lib/transport/transport.h
index f2d750e8709..83529e794e1 100644
--- a/src/core/lib/transport/transport.h
+++ b/src/core/lib/transport/transport.h
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ typedef struct grpc_transport grpc_transport;
    for a stream. */
 typedef struct grpc_stream grpc_stream;
 
-//#define GRPC_STREAM_REFCOUNT_DEBUG
+#define GRPC_STREAM_REFCOUNT_DEBUG
 
 typedef struct grpc_stream_refcount {
   gpr_refcount refs;
diff --git a/test/core/end2end/fuzzers/client_fuzzer.c b/test/core/end2end/fuzzers/client_fuzzer.c
index 2ed4ed66e43..f6bb10720e3 100644
--- a/test/core/end2end/fuzzers/client_fuzzer.c
+++ b/test/core/end2end/fuzzers/client_fuzzer.c
@@ -49,9 +49,9 @@ static void dont_log(gpr_log_func_args *args) {}
 
 int LLVMFuzzerTestOneInput(const uint8_t *data, size_t size) {
   grpc_test_only_set_metadata_hash_seed(0);
-  //struct grpc_memory_counters counters;
+  // struct grpc_memory_counters counters;
   if (squelch) gpr_set_log_function(dont_log);
-  //grpc_memory_counters_init();
+  // grpc_memory_counters_init();
   grpc_init();
   grpc_exec_ctx exec_ctx = GRPC_EXEC_CTX_INIT;
 
@@ -153,8 +153,8 @@ done:
     grpc_byte_buffer_destroy(response_payload_recv);
   }
   grpc_shutdown();
-  //counters = grpc_memory_counters_snapshot();
-  //grpc_memory_counters_destroy();
-  //GPR_ASSERT(counters.total_size_relative == 0);
+  // counters = grpc_memory_counters_snapshot();
+  // grpc_memory_counters_destroy();
+  // GPR_ASSERT(counters.total_size_relative == 0);
   return 0;
 }