diff --git a/src/compiler/csharp_generator.cc b/src/compiler/csharp_generator.cc
index ccb0b688b6b4f63eba9524d36394c8291f6fa7e1..6431174dbfb4c0bd44bd9fe19873a53c0587abb8 100644
--- a/src/compiler/csharp_generator.cc
+++ b/src/compiler/csharp_generator.cc
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ void GenerateStaticMethodField(Printer* out, const MethodDescriptor *method) {
 }
 
 void GenerateClientInterface(Printer* out, const ServiceDescriptor *service) {
-  out->Print("// client-side stub interface\n");
+  out->Print("// client interface\n");
   out->Print("public interface $name$\n", "name",
              GetClientInterfaceName(service));
   out->Print("{\n");
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ void GenerateServerInterface(Printer* out, const ServiceDescriptor *service) {
 void GenerateClientStub(Printer* out, const ServiceDescriptor *service) {
   out->Print("// client stub\n");
   out->Print(
-      "public class $name$ : AbstractStub<$name$, StubConfiguration>, $interface$\n",
+      "public class $name$ : ClientBase, $interface$\n",
       "name", GetClientClassName(service), "interface",
       GetClientInterfaceName(service));
   out->Print("{\n");
@@ -320,12 +320,7 @@ void GenerateClientStub(Printer* out, const ServiceDescriptor *service) {
 
   // constructors
   out->Print(
-      "public $name$(Channel channel) : this(channel, StubConfiguration.Default)\n",
-      "name", GetClientClassName(service));
-  out->Print("{\n");
-  out->Print("}\n");
-  out->Print(
-      "public $name$(Channel channel, StubConfiguration config) : base(channel, config)\n",
+      "public $name$(Channel channel) : base(channel)\n",
       "name", GetClientClassName(service));
   out->Print("{\n");
   out->Print("}\n");
@@ -423,9 +418,9 @@ void GenerateBindServiceMethod(Printer* out, const ServiceDescriptor *service) {
 }
 
 void GenerateNewStubMethods(Printer* out, const ServiceDescriptor *service) {
-  out->Print("// creates a new client stub\n");
-  out->Print("public static $interface$ NewStub(Channel channel)\n",
-             "interface", GetClientInterfaceName(service));
+  out->Print("// creates a new client\n");
+  out->Print("public static $classname$ NewClient(Channel channel)\n",
+             "classname", GetClientClassName(service));
   out->Print("{\n");
   out->Indent();
   out->Print("return new $classname$(channel);\n", "classname",
@@ -433,17 +428,6 @@ void GenerateNewStubMethods(Printer* out, const ServiceDescriptor *service) {
   out->Outdent();
   out->Print("}\n");
   out->Print("\n");
-
-  out->Print("// creates a new client stub\n");
-  out->Print(
-      "public static $interface$ NewStub(Channel channel, StubConfiguration config)\n",
-      "interface", GetClientInterfaceName(service));
-  out->Print("{\n");
-  out->Indent();
-  out->Print("return new $classname$(channel, config);\n", "classname",
-             GetClientClassName(service));
-  out->Outdent();
-  out->Print("}\n");
 }
 
 void GenerateService(Printer* out, const ServiceDescriptor *service) {
diff --git a/src/csharp/Grpc.Core.Tests/Internal/MetadataArraySafeHandleTest.cs b/src/csharp/Grpc.Core.Tests/Internal/MetadataArraySafeHandleTest.cs
index 2f6013483d98bc63b07149e1e836b6bb1695cb93..320423b245d2dd68ec175867efc21b6707c2d5a3 100644
--- a/src/csharp/Grpc.Core.Tests/Internal/MetadataArraySafeHandleTest.cs
+++ b/src/csharp/Grpc.Core.Tests/Internal/MetadataArraySafeHandleTest.cs
@@ -44,17 +44,17 @@ namespace Grpc.Core.Internal.Tests
         [Test]
         public void CreateEmptyAndDestroy()
         {
-            var metadata = Metadata.CreateBuilder().Build();
-            var nativeMetadata = MetadataArraySafeHandle.Create(metadata);
+            var nativeMetadata = MetadataArraySafeHandle.Create(new Metadata());
             nativeMetadata.Dispose();
         }
 
         [Test]
         public void CreateAndDestroy()
         {
-            var metadata = Metadata.CreateBuilder()
-                .Add(new Metadata.MetadataEntry("host", "somehost"))
-                .Add(new Metadata.MetadataEntry("header2", "header value")).Build();
+            var metadata = new Metadata {
+                new Metadata.Entry("host", "somehost"),
+                new Metadata.Entry("header2", "header value"),
+            };
             var nativeMetadata = MetadataArraySafeHandle.Create(metadata);
             nativeMetadata.Dispose();
         }
diff --git a/src/csharp/Grpc.Core/ClientBase.cs b/src/csharp/Grpc.Core/ClientBase.cs
index 59dc40ba4e922da0d1350ac76270093f90b0adb5..b5c3c98393e1ad64476f1dd33bf904873f75c0d7 100644
--- a/src/csharp/Grpc.Core/ClientBase.cs
+++ b/src/csharp/Grpc.Core/ClientBase.cs
@@ -80,9 +80,14 @@ namespace Grpc.Core
             where TRequest : class
             where TResponse : class
         {
-            var metadata = new Metadata();
-            HeaderInterceptor(metadata);
-            metadata.Freeze();
+            var metadata = Metadata.Empty;
+            var interceptor = HeaderInterceptor;
+            if (interceptor != null)
+            {
+                metadata = new Metadata();
+                interceptor(metadata);
+                metadata.Freeze();
+            }
             return new Call<TRequest, TResponse>(serviceName, method, channel, metadata);
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/csharp/Grpc.Examples.Tests/MathClientServerTests.cs b/src/csharp/Grpc.Examples.Tests/MathClientServerTests.cs
index 10dceb60aaad70fca4004551e220870dcc0d0636..e7c4b331208de2f09590830889e3423ae123455f 100644
--- a/src/csharp/Grpc.Examples.Tests/MathClientServerTests.cs
+++ b/src/csharp/Grpc.Examples.Tests/MathClientServerTests.cs
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ namespace math.Tests
         string host = "localhost";
         Server server;
         Channel channel;
-        Math.IMathClient client;
+        Math.MathClient client;
 
         [TestFixtureSetUp]
         public void Init()
@@ -59,14 +59,14 @@ namespace math.Tests
             int port = server.AddListeningPort(host, Server.PickUnusedPort);
             server.Start();
             channel = new Channel(host, port);
+            client = Math.NewClient(channel);
 
             // TODO(jtattermusch): get rid of the custom header here once we have dedicated tests
             // for header support.
-            var stubConfig = new StubConfiguration((headerBuilder) =>
+            client.HeaderInterceptor = (metadata) =>
             {
-                headerBuilder.Add(new Metadata.MetadataEntry("customHeader", "abcdef"));
-            });
-            client = Math.NewStub(channel, stubConfig);
+                metadata.Add(new Metadata.Entry("customHeader", "abcdef"));
+            };
         }
 
         [TestFixtureTearDown]
diff --git a/src/csharp/Grpc.Examples/MathGrpc.cs b/src/csharp/Grpc.Examples/MathGrpc.cs
index bf820e2e3abe5eb46e48d92cdd66d8a708272989..0bdc7668d17c022b570becb0dfd0e8bf8245e6d2 100644
--- a/src/csharp/Grpc.Examples/MathGrpc.cs
+++ b/src/csharp/Grpc.Examples/MathGrpc.cs
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ namespace math {
         __Marshaller_Num,
         __Marshaller_Num);
 
-    // client-side stub interface
+    // client interface
     public interface IMathClient
     {
       global::math.DivReply Div(global::math.DivArgs request, CancellationToken token = default(CancellationToken));
@@ -61,12 +61,9 @@ namespace math {
     }
 
     // client stub
-    public class MathClient : ClientBase<MathClient, StubConfiguration>, IMathClient
+    public class MathClient : ClientBase, IMathClient
     {
-      public MathClient(Channel channel) : this(channel, StubConfiguration.Default)
-      {
-      }
-      public MathClient(Channel channel, StubConfiguration config) : base(channel, config)
+      public MathClient(Channel channel) : base(channel)
       {
       }
       public global::math.DivReply Div(global::math.DivArgs request, CancellationToken token = default(CancellationToken))
@@ -106,17 +103,12 @@ namespace math {
           .AddMethod(__Method_Sum, serviceImpl.Sum).Build();
     }
 
-    // creates a new client stub
-    public static IMathClient NewStub(Channel channel)
+    // creates a new client
+    public static MathClient NewClient(Channel channel)
     {
       return new MathClient(channel);
     }
 
-    // creates a new client stub
-    public static IMathClient NewStub(Channel channel, StubConfiguration config)
-    {
-      return new MathClient(channel, config);
-    }
   }
 }
 #endregion
diff --git a/src/csharp/Grpc.HealthCheck.Tests/HealthClientServerTest.cs b/src/csharp/Grpc.HealthCheck.Tests/HealthClientServerTest.cs
index 0ac1add8e4289c08717e84b3fde662065de62f6c..73ff0e74b57daeeb87b9fd4563b6efaf2bf71281 100644
--- a/src/csharp/Grpc.HealthCheck.Tests/HealthClientServerTest.cs
+++ b/src/csharp/Grpc.HealthCheck.Tests/HealthClientServerTest.cs
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ namespace Grpc.HealthCheck.Tests
             server.Start();
             channel = new Channel(Host, port);
 
-            client = Grpc.Health.V1Alpha.Health.NewStub(channel);
+            client = Grpc.Health.V1Alpha.Health.NewClient(channel);
         }
 
         [TestFixtureTearDown]
diff --git a/src/csharp/Grpc.HealthCheck/HealthGrpc.cs b/src/csharp/Grpc.HealthCheck/HealthGrpc.cs
index d135ebd8c30477f15f0ba68ed25c9ee2738377fc..5133f09e41a530535ee9b9a6e50e5cda8a0f1066 100644
--- a/src/csharp/Grpc.HealthCheck/HealthGrpc.cs
+++ b/src/csharp/Grpc.HealthCheck/HealthGrpc.cs
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ namespace Grpc.Health.V1Alpha {
         __Marshaller_HealthCheckRequest,
         __Marshaller_HealthCheckResponse);
 
-    // client-side stub interface
+    // client interface
     public interface IHealthClient
     {
       global::Grpc.Health.V1Alpha.HealthCheckResponse Check(global::Grpc.Health.V1Alpha.HealthCheckRequest request, CancellationToken token = default(CancellationToken));
@@ -35,12 +35,9 @@ namespace Grpc.Health.V1Alpha {
     }
 
     // client stub
-    public class HealthClient : ClientBase<HealthClient, StubConfiguration>, IHealthClient
+    public class HealthClient : ClientBase, IHealthClient
     {
-      public HealthClient(Channel channel) : this(channel, StubConfiguration.Default)
-      {
-      }
-      public HealthClient(Channel channel, StubConfiguration config) : base(channel, config)
+      public HealthClient(Channel channel) : base(channel)
       {
       }
       public global::Grpc.Health.V1Alpha.HealthCheckResponse Check(global::Grpc.Health.V1Alpha.HealthCheckRequest request, CancellationToken token = default(CancellationToken))
@@ -62,17 +59,12 @@ namespace Grpc.Health.V1Alpha {
           .AddMethod(__Method_Check, serviceImpl.Check).Build();
     }
 
-    // creates a new client stub
-    public static IHealthClient NewStub(Channel channel)
+    // creates a new client
+    public static HealthClient NewClient(Channel channel)
     {
       return new HealthClient(channel);
     }
 
-    // creates a new client stub
-    public static IHealthClient NewStub(Channel channel, StubConfiguration config)
-    {
-      return new HealthClient(channel, config);
-    }
   }
 }
 #endregion
diff --git a/src/csharp/Grpc.IntegrationTesting/InteropClient.cs b/src/csharp/Grpc.IntegrationTesting/InteropClient.cs
index bdcb2c505c251d3b3a30fea1ca6974b7463ce6c1..4fd9dda3d1ebaffefcb68778bc1a643a05aa613a 100644
--- a/src/csharp/Grpc.IntegrationTesting/InteropClient.cs
+++ b/src/csharp/Grpc.IntegrationTesting/InteropClient.cs
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ namespace Grpc.IntegrationTesting
 
             using (Channel channel = new Channel(options.serverHost, options.serverPort.Value, credentials, channelOptions))
             {
-                var stubConfig = StubConfiguration.Default;
+                TestService.TestServiceClient client = new TestService.TestServiceClient(channel);
                 if (options.testCase == "service_account_creds" || options.testCase == "compute_engine_creds")
                 {
                     var credential = GoogleCredential.GetApplicationDefault();
@@ -127,10 +127,9 @@ namespace Grpc.IntegrationTesting
                     {
                         credential = credential.CreateScoped(new[] { AuthScope });
                     }
-                    stubConfig = new StubConfiguration(OAuth2InterceptorFactory.Create(credential));
+                    client.HeaderInterceptor = OAuth2InterceptorFactory.Create(credential);
                 }
 
-                TestService.ITestServiceClient client = new TestService.TestServiceClient(channel, stubConfig);
                 RunTestCase(options.testCase, client);
             }
             GrpcEnvironment.Shutdown();
diff --git a/src/csharp/Grpc.IntegrationTesting/InteropClientServerTest.cs b/src/csharp/Grpc.IntegrationTesting/InteropClientServerTest.cs
index 6c2da9d2ee672320e7c2017affa1c76cd0ba2039..f306289cfb5dc9031c2bfb4fdeb5a303b3ef91de 100644
--- a/src/csharp/Grpc.IntegrationTesting/InteropClientServerTest.cs
+++ b/src/csharp/Grpc.IntegrationTesting/InteropClientServerTest.cs
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ namespace Grpc.IntegrationTesting
                 new ChannelOption(ChannelOptions.SslTargetNameOverride, TestCredentials.DefaultHostOverride)
             };
             channel = new Channel(host, port, TestCredentials.CreateTestClientCredentials(true), options);
-            client = TestService.NewStub(channel);
+            client = TestService.NewClient(channel);
         }
 
         [TestFixtureTearDown]
diff --git a/src/csharp/Grpc.IntegrationTesting/TestGrpc.cs b/src/csharp/Grpc.IntegrationTesting/TestGrpc.cs
index 35b9b3de403a874fa006dbae3bca13ef8d3c094b..8502bb56da498cebdf4e8257be37e710b34ab760 100644
--- a/src/csharp/Grpc.IntegrationTesting/TestGrpc.cs
+++ b/src/csharp/Grpc.IntegrationTesting/TestGrpc.cs
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ namespace grpc.testing {
         __Marshaller_StreamingOutputCallRequest,
         __Marshaller_StreamingOutputCallResponse);
 
-    // client-side stub interface
+    // client interface
     public interface ITestServiceClient
     {
       global::grpc.testing.Empty EmptyCall(global::grpc.testing.Empty request, CancellationToken token = default(CancellationToken));
@@ -81,12 +81,9 @@ namespace grpc.testing {
     }
 
     // client stub
-    public class TestServiceClient : ClientBase<TestServiceClient, StubConfiguration>, ITestServiceClient
+    public class TestServiceClient : ClientBase, ITestServiceClient
     {
-      public TestServiceClient(Channel channel) : this(channel, StubConfiguration.Default)
-      {
-      }
-      public TestServiceClient(Channel channel, StubConfiguration config) : base(channel, config)
+      public TestServiceClient(Channel channel) : base(channel)
       {
       }
       public global::grpc.testing.Empty EmptyCall(global::grpc.testing.Empty request, CancellationToken token = default(CancellationToken))
@@ -143,17 +140,12 @@ namespace grpc.testing {
           .AddMethod(__Method_HalfDuplexCall, serviceImpl.HalfDuplexCall).Build();
     }
 
-    // creates a new client stub
-    public static ITestServiceClient NewStub(Channel channel)
+    // creates a new client
+    public static TestServiceClient NewClient(Channel channel)
     {
       return new TestServiceClient(channel);
     }
 
-    // creates a new client stub
-    public static ITestServiceClient NewStub(Channel channel, StubConfiguration config)
-    {
-      return new TestServiceClient(channel, config);
-    }
   }
 }
 #endregion
diff --git a/src/csharp/generate_proto_csharp.sh b/src/csharp/generate_proto_csharp.sh
index 6eb3887ea109f12513d2ad967b83a8611cae00c3..7c3ba7092207687b3c8f76ef05fff5c170912e8b 100755
--- a/src/csharp/generate_proto_csharp.sh
+++ b/src/csharp/generate_proto_csharp.sh
@@ -32,16 +32,17 @@
 set +e
 cd $(dirname $0)
 
+PROTOC=../../bins/opt/protobuf/protoc
 PLUGIN=protoc-gen-grpc=../../bins/opt/grpc_csharp_plugin
 EXAMPLES_DIR=Grpc.Examples
 INTEROP_DIR=Grpc.IntegrationTesting
 HEALTHCHECK_DIR=Grpc.HealthCheck
 
-protoc --plugin=$PLUGIN --grpc_out=$EXAMPLES_DIR \
+$PROTOC --plugin=$PLUGIN --grpc_out=$EXAMPLES_DIR \
     -I $EXAMPLES_DIR/proto $EXAMPLES_DIR/proto/math.proto
 
-protoc --plugin=$PLUGIN --grpc_out=$INTEROP_DIR \
+$PROTOC --plugin=$PLUGIN --grpc_out=$INTEROP_DIR \
     -I $INTEROP_DIR/proto $INTEROP_DIR/proto/test.proto
-	
-protoc --plugin=$PLUGIN --grpc_out=$HEALTHCHECK_DIR \
+
+$PROTOC --plugin=$PLUGIN --grpc_out=$HEALTHCHECK_DIR \
     -I $HEALTHCHECK_DIR/proto $HEALTHCHECK_DIR/proto/health.proto