diff --git a/tools/gce_setup/grpc_docker.sh b/tools/gce_setup/grpc_docker.sh
index 61a6afd07a9687d96f1a63c76adbdac26fcea39e..318bfc8868f4913c662ae5d37d1fec087d7ecfe0 100755
--- a/tools/gce_setup/grpc_docker.sh
+++ b/tools/gce_setup/grpc_docker.sh
@@ -731,6 +731,44 @@ grpc_launch_servers() {
   done
 }
 
+# Runs a test command on a docker instance
+#
+# The test command is issued via gcloud compute
+#
+# There are 3 possible results:
+# 1. successful return code and finished within 60 seconds
+# 2. failure return code and finished within 60 seconds
+# 3. command does not return within 60 seconds, in which case it will be killed.
+test_runner() {
+  local project_opt="--project $grpc_project"
+  local zone_opt="--zone $grpc_zone"
+  local ssh_cmd="bash -l -c \"$cmd\""
+  echo "will run:"
+  echo "  $ssh_cmd"
+  echo "on $host"
+  [[ $dry_run == 1 ]] && return 0  # don't run the command on a dry run
+  gcloud compute $project_opt ssh $zone_opt $host --command "$cmd" &
+  PID=$!
+  echo "pid is $PID"
+  for x in {0..5}
+  do
+    if ps -p $PID
+    then
+      # test command has not returned and 60 seconds timeout has not reached
+      sleep 10
+    else
+      # test command has returned, return the return code from the test command
+      wait $PID
+      local ret=$?
+      echo " test runner return $ret before timeout"
+      return $ret
+    fi
+  done
+  kill $PID
+  echo "test got killed by timeout return as failure"
+  return 1
+}
+
 # Runs a test command on a docker instance.
 #
 # call-seq:
@@ -790,33 +828,7 @@ grpc_interop_test() {
   cmd=$($grpc_gen_test_cmd $flags)
   [[ -n $cmd ]] || return 1
 
-  local project_opt="--project $grpc_project"
-  local zone_opt="--zone $grpc_zone"
-  local ssh_cmd="bash -l -c \"$cmd\""
-  echo "will run:"
-  echo "  $ssh_cmd"
-  echo "on $host"
-  [[ $dry_run == 1 ]] && return 0  # don't run the command on a dry run
-  gcloud compute $project_opt ssh $zone_opt $host --command "$cmd" &
-  PID=$!
-  echo "pid is $PID"
-  for x in {0..5}
-  do
-    if ps -p $PID
-    then
-      sleep 10
-    else
-      echo "normal return before timeout"
-      # looks like the test is done
-      wait $PID
-      local ret=$?
-      echo " return $ret"
-      return $ret
-    fi
-  done
-  kill $PID
-  echo "got killed by timeout not normal"
-  return 1
+  test_runner
 }
 
 # Runs a test command on a docker instance.
@@ -855,33 +867,7 @@ grpc_cloud_prod_test() {
   cmd=$($grpc_gen_test_cmd $test_case_flag)
   [[ -n $cmd ]] || return 1
 
-  local project_opt="--project $grpc_project"
-  local zone_opt="--zone $grpc_zone"
-  local ssh_cmd="bash -l -c \"$cmd\""
-  echo "will run:"
-  echo "  $ssh_cmd"
-  echo "on $host"
-  [[ $dry_run == 1 ]] && return 0  # don't run the command on a dry run
-  gcloud compute $project_opt ssh $zone_opt $host --command "$cmd" &
-  PID=$!
-  echo "pid is $PID"
-  for x in {0..5}
-  do
-    if ps -p $PID
-    then
-      sleep 10
-    else
-      echo "normal return before timeout"
-      # looks like the test is done
-      wait $PID
-      local ret=$?
-      echo " return $ret"
-      return $ret
-    fi
-  done
-  kill $PID
-  echo "got killed by timeout not normal"
-  return 1
+  test_runner
 }
 
 # Runs a test command on a docker instance.
@@ -920,14 +906,7 @@ grpc_cloud_prod_auth_test() {
   cmd=$($grpc_gen_test_cmd $test_case_flag)
   [[ -n $cmd ]] || return 1
 
-  local project_opt="--project $grpc_project"
-  local zone_opt="--zone $grpc_zone"
-  local ssh_cmd="bash -l -c \"$cmd\""
-  echo "will run:"
-  echo "  $ssh_cmd"
-  echo "on $host"
-  [[ $dry_run == 1 ]] && return 0  # don't run the command on a dry run
-  gcloud compute $project_opt ssh $zone_opt $host --command "$cmd"
+  test_runner
 }
 
 # constructs the full dockerized ruby interop test cmd.