diff --git a/test/cpp/interop/metrics_client.cc b/test/cpp/interop/metrics_client.cc
index cc304f2e89560d51422adf39b7961716c973af79..86174ef0e21a60f74ca17796514ee84a90e32b5f 100644
--- a/test/cpp/interop/metrics_client.cc
+++ b/test/cpp/interop/metrics_client.cc
@@ -42,13 +42,15 @@
 #include "test/cpp/util/metrics_server.h"
 #include "test/cpp/util/test_config.h"
 
+int kDeadlineSecs = 10;
+
 DEFINE_string(metrics_server_address, "",
               "The metrics server addresses in the fomrat <hostname>:<port>");
+DEFINE_int32(deadline_secs, kDeadlineSecs,
+             "The deadline (in seconds) for RCP call");
 DEFINE_bool(total_only, false,
             "If true, this prints only the total value of all gauges");
 
-int kDeadlineSecs = 10;
-
 using grpc::testing::EmptyMessage;
 using grpc::testing::GaugeResponse;
 using grpc::testing::MetricsService;
@@ -56,12 +58,13 @@ using grpc::testing::MetricsServiceImpl;
 
 // Prints the values of all Gauges (unless total_only is set to 'true' in which
 // case this only prints the sum of all gauge values).
-bool PrintMetrics(std::unique_ptr<MetricsService::Stub> stub, bool total_only) {
+bool PrintMetrics(std::unique_ptr<MetricsService::Stub> stub, bool total_only,
+                  int deadline_secs) {
   grpc::ClientContext context;
   EmptyMessage message;
 
   std::chrono::system_clock::time_point deadline =
-      std::chrono::system_clock::now() + std::chrono::seconds(kDeadlineSecs);
+      std::chrono::system_clock::now() + std::chrono::seconds(deadline_secs);
 
   context.set_deadline(deadline);
 
@@ -108,7 +111,8 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
   std::shared_ptr<grpc::Channel> channel(grpc::CreateChannel(
       FLAGS_metrics_server_address, grpc::InsecureChannelCredentials()));
 
-  if (!PrintMetrics(MetricsService::NewStub(channel), FLAGS_total_only)) {
+  if (!PrintMetrics(MetricsService::NewStub(channel), FLAGS_total_only,
+                    FLAGS_deadline_secs)) {
     return 1;
   }