diff --git a/client/client.go b/client/client.go
index 13b210de4..2c35b07b1 100644
--- a/client/client.go
+++ b/client/client.go
@@ -115,17 +115,14 @@ func New(address string, opts ...Opt) (*Client, error) {
 	}
 	if address != "" {
 		backoffConfig := backoff.DefaultConfig
-		backoffConfig.MaxDelay = 3 * time.Second
+		backoffConfig.MaxDelay = copts.timeout
 		connParams := grpc.ConnectParams{
 			Backoff: backoffConfig,
 		}
 		gopts := []grpc.DialOption{
-			grpc.WithBlock(),
 			grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()),
-			grpc.FailOnNonTempDialError(true),
 			grpc.WithConnectParams(connParams),
 			grpc.WithContextDialer(dialer.ContextDialer),
-			grpc.WithReturnConnectionError(),
 		}
 		if len(copts.dialOptions) > 0 {
 			gopts = copts.dialOptions
@@ -143,9 +140,7 @@ func New(address string, opts ...Opt) (*Client, error) {
 		}
 
 		connector := func() (*grpc.ClientConn, error) {
-			ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), copts.timeout)
-			defer cancel()
-			conn, err := grpc.DialContext(ctx, dialer.DialAddress(address), gopts...)
+			conn, err := grpc.NewClient(dialer.DialAddress(address), gopts...)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to dial %q: %w", address, err)
 			}
diff --git a/cmd/containerd/command/publish.go b/cmd/containerd/command/publish.go
index 81e569303..65c463817 100644
--- a/cmd/containerd/command/publish.go
+++ b/cmd/containerd/command/publish.go
@@ -100,15 +100,11 @@ func connect(address string, d func(context.Context, string) (net.Conn, error))
 		Backoff: backoffConfig,
 	}
 	gopts := []grpc.DialOption{
-		grpc.WithBlock(),
 		grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()),
 		grpc.WithContextDialer(d),
-		grpc.FailOnNonTempDialError(true),
 		grpc.WithConnectParams(connParams),
 	}
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 2*time.Second)
-	defer cancel()
-	conn, err := grpc.DialContext(ctx, dialer.DialAddress(address), gopts...)
+	conn, err := grpc.NewClient(dialer.DialAddress(address), gopts...)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to dial %q: %w", address, err)
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/containerd/server/server.go b/cmd/containerd/server/server.go
index 6b235e358..d5f281dd5 100644
--- a/cmd/containerd/server/server.go
+++ b/cmd/containerd/server/server.go
@@ -587,7 +587,7 @@ func (pc *proxyClients) getClient(address string) (*grpc.ClientConn, error) {
 		grpc.WithDefaultCallOptions(grpc.MaxCallSendMsgSize(defaults.DefaultMaxSendMsgSize)),
 	}
 
-	conn, err := grpc.Dial(dialer.DialAddress(address), gopts...)
+	conn, err := grpc.NewClient(dialer.DialAddress(address), gopts...)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to dial %q: %w", address, err)
 	}
diff --git a/core/runtime/v2/shim.go b/core/runtime/v2/shim.go
index 0b6ed3432..420c1f535 100644
--- a/core/runtime/v2/shim.go
+++ b/core/runtime/v2/shim.go
@@ -275,14 +275,10 @@ func makeConnection(ctx context.Context, id string, params client.BootstrapParam
 
 		return ttrpc.NewClient(conn, ttrpc.WithOnClose(onClose)), nil
 	case "grpc":
-		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, time.Second*100)
-		defer cancel()
-
 		gopts := []grpc.DialOption{
 			grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()),
-			grpc.WithBlock(),
 		}
-		return grpcDialContext(ctx, params.Address, onClose, gopts...)
+		return grpcDialContext(params.Address, onClose, gopts...)
 	default:
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unexpected protocol: %q", params.Protocol)
 	}
@@ -292,7 +288,6 @@ func makeConnection(ctx context.Context, id string, params client.BootstrapParam
 // so we can have something similar to ttrpc.WithOnClose to have
 // a callback run when the connection is severed or explicitly closed.
 func grpcDialContext(
-	ctx context.Context,
 	address string,
 	onClose func(),
 	gopts ...grpc.DialOption,
@@ -316,7 +311,7 @@ func grpcDialContext(
 	conn.Close()
 
 	target := dialer.DialAddress(address)
-	client, err := grpc.DialContext(ctx, target, gopts...)
+	client, err := grpc.NewClient(target, gopts...)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create GRPC connection: %w", err)
 	}
diff --git a/internal/cri/io/helpers.go b/internal/cri/io/helpers.go
index 6e148e8c1..7bd531774 100644
--- a/internal/cri/io/helpers.go
+++ b/internal/cri/io/helpers.go
@@ -245,14 +245,8 @@ func openStream(ctx context.Context, urlStr string) (streamingapi.Stream, error)
 		return stream, nil
 
 	case "grpc":
-		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, time.Second*100)
-		defer cancel()
-
-		gopts := []grpc.DialOption{
-			grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()),
-			grpc.WithBlock(),
-		}
-		conn, err := grpc.DialContext(ctx, realAddress, gopts...)
+		gopts := []grpc.DialOption{grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials())}
+		conn, err := grpc.NewClient(realAddress, gopts...)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}