diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 15b189f0cbccdb6fa29f9bfd8f34c36c98bcc201..2729e3ba8eb1e41fbcf9e87693c2c9d993f1952d 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -12208,16 +12208,16 @@ $(BINDIR)/$(CONFIG)/interop_test: protobuf_dep_error
 
 else
 
-$(BINDIR)/$(CONFIG)/interop_test: $(PROTOBUF_DEP) $(INTEROP_TEST_OBJS) $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgrpc_test_util.a $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgrpc.a $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgpr_test_util.a $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgpr.a
+$(BINDIR)/$(CONFIG)/interop_test: $(PROTOBUF_DEP) $(INTEROP_TEST_OBJS) $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgrpc_test_util.a $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgrpc.a $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgpr_test_util.a $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgpr.a $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgrpc++_test_config.a
 	$(E) "[LD]      Linking $@"
 	$(Q) mkdir -p `dirname $@`
-	$(Q) $(LDXX) $(LDFLAGS) $(INTEROP_TEST_OBJS) $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgrpc_test_util.a $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgrpc.a $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgpr_test_util.a $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgpr.a $(LDLIBSXX) $(LDLIBS_PROTOBUF) $(LDLIBS) $(LDLIBS_SECURE) $(GTEST_LIB) -o $(BINDIR)/$(CONFIG)/interop_test
+	$(Q) $(LDXX) $(LDFLAGS) $(INTEROP_TEST_OBJS) $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgrpc_test_util.a $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgrpc.a $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgpr_test_util.a $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgpr.a $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgrpc++_test_config.a $(LDLIBSXX) $(LDLIBS_PROTOBUF) $(LDLIBS) $(LDLIBS_SECURE) $(GTEST_LIB) -o $(BINDIR)/$(CONFIG)/interop_test
 
 endif
 
 endif
 
-$(OBJDIR)/$(CONFIG)/test/cpp/interop/interop_test.o:  $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgrpc_test_util.a $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgrpc.a $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgpr_test_util.a $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgpr.a
+$(OBJDIR)/$(CONFIG)/test/cpp/interop/interop_test.o:  $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgrpc_test_util.a $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgrpc.a $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgpr_test_util.a $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgpr.a $(LIBDIR)/$(CONFIG)/libgrpc++_test_config.a
 
 deps_interop_test: $(INTEROP_TEST_OBJS:.o=.dep)
 
diff --git a/build.yaml b/build.yaml
index 3f8480ace5424c50933bf5eb24f7f5457fdc873f..8594380658b880d2111b01be3aa7ad655c5423c6 100644
--- a/build.yaml
+++ b/build.yaml
@@ -3041,6 +3041,7 @@ targets:
   - grpc
   - gpr_test_util
   - gpr
+  - grpc++_test_config
   platforms:
   - mac
   - linux
diff --git a/test/cpp/interop/interop_test.cc b/test/cpp/interop/interop_test.cc
index 8e71a2bb295f72087c02dfea48f2fb30ded0fa36..c066598d363d2e57398aa700a11ff144762f0538 100644
--- a/test/cpp/interop/interop_test.cc
+++ b/test/cpp/interop/interop_test.cc
@@ -44,17 +44,21 @@
 #include <sys/wait.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
+#include <gflags/gflags.h>
 #include <grpc/support/alloc.h>
 #include <grpc/support/host_port.h>
 #include <grpc/support/log.h>
 #include <grpc/support/string_util.h>
 #include "test/core/util/port.h"
+#include "test/cpp/util/test_config.h"
 
 extern "C" {
 #include "src/core/lib/iomgr/socket_utils_posix.h"
 #include "src/core/lib/support/string.h"
 }
 
+DEFINE_string(extra_server_flags, "", "Extra flags to pass to server.");
+
 int test_client(const char* root, const char* host, int port) {
   int status;
   pid_t cli;
@@ -80,6 +84,7 @@ int test_client(const char* root, const char* host, int port) {
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char** argv) {
+  grpc::testing::InitTest(&argc, &argv, true);
   char* me = argv[0];
   char* lslash = strrchr(me, '/');
   char root[1024];
@@ -105,15 +110,19 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
   /* start the server */
   svr = fork();
   if (svr == 0) {
-    char* binary_path;
-    char* port_arg;
-    gpr_asprintf(&binary_path, "%s/interop_server", root);
-    gpr_asprintf(&port_arg, "--port=%d", port);
-
-    execl(binary_path, binary_path, port_arg, NULL);
-
-    gpr_free(binary_path);
-    gpr_free(port_arg);
+    const size_t num_args = 3 + !FLAGS_extra_server_flags.empty();
+    char** args = (char**)gpr_malloc(sizeof(char*) * num_args);
+    memset(args, 0, sizeof(char*) * num_args);
+    gpr_asprintf(&args[0], "%s/interop_server", root);
+    gpr_asprintf(&args[1], "--port=%d", port);
+    if (!FLAGS_extra_server_flags.empty()) {
+      args[2] = gpr_strdup(FLAGS_extra_server_flags.c_str());
+    }
+    execv(args[0], args);
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < num_args - 1; ++i) {
+      gpr_free(args[i]);
+    }
+    gpr_free(args);
     return 1;
   }
   /* wait a little */
diff --git a/tools/run_tests/sources_and_headers.json b/tools/run_tests/sources_and_headers.json
index dc8ebdd9f474970f90f79a24e427bd13f2a3e29e..5e8290ad9078f3a167d89ecf960cebe2b4ae6da6 100644
--- a/tools/run_tests/sources_and_headers.json
+++ b/tools/run_tests/sources_and_headers.json
@@ -2695,6 +2695,7 @@
       "gpr", 
       "gpr_test_util", 
       "grpc", 
+      "grpc++_test_config", 
       "grpc_test_util"
     ], 
     "headers": [],