diff --git a/xds/src/main/java/io/grpc/xds/FaultFilter.java b/xds/src/main/java/io/grpc/xds/FaultFilter.java
index d46b3d30f5a..b7f7fa9c226 100644
--- a/xds/src/main/java/io/grpc/xds/FaultFilter.java
+++ b/xds/src/main/java/io/grpc/xds/FaultFilter.java
@@ -190,94 +190,102 @@ public ClientInterceptor buildClientInterceptor(
       config = overrideConfig;
     }
     FaultConfig faultConfig = (FaultConfig) config;
-    Long delayNanos = null;
-    Status abortStatus = null;
-    if (faultConfig.maxActiveFaults() == null
-        || activeFaultCounter.get() < faultConfig.maxActiveFaults()) {
-      Metadata headers = args.getHeaders();
-      if (faultConfig.faultDelay() != null) {
-        delayNanos = determineFaultDelayNanos(faultConfig.faultDelay(), headers);
-      }
-      if (faultConfig.faultAbort() != null) {
-        abortStatus = determineFaultAbortStatus(faultConfig.faultAbort(), headers);
-      }
-    }
-    if (delayNanos == null && abortStatus == null) {
-      return null;
-    }
-    final Long finalDelayNanos = delayNanos;
-    final Status finalAbortStatus = getAbortStatusWithDescription(abortStatus);
 
     final class FaultInjectionInterceptor implements ClientInterceptor {
       @Override
       public <ReqT, RespT> ClientCall<ReqT, RespT> interceptCall(
           final MethodDescriptor<ReqT, RespT> method, final CallOptions callOptions,
           final Channel next) {
-        Executor callExecutor = callOptions.getExecutor();
-        if (callExecutor == null) { // This should never happen in practice because
-          // ManagedChannelImpl.ConfigSelectingClientCall always provides CallOptions with
-          // a callExecutor.
-          // TODO(https://github.com/grpc/grpc-java/issues/7868)
-          callExecutor = MoreExecutors.directExecutor();
+        boolean checkFault = false;
+        if (faultConfig.maxActiveFaults() == null
+            || activeFaultCounter.get() < faultConfig.maxActiveFaults()) {
+          checkFault = faultConfig.faultDelay() != null || faultConfig.faultAbort() != null;
         }
-        if (finalDelayNanos != null) {
-          Supplier<? extends ClientCall<ReqT, RespT>> callSupplier;
-          if (finalAbortStatus != null) {
-            callSupplier = Suppliers.ofInstance(
-                new FailingClientCall<ReqT, RespT>(finalAbortStatus, callExecutor));
-          } else {
-            callSupplier = new Supplier<ClientCall<ReqT, RespT>>() {
-              @Override
-              public ClientCall<ReqT, RespT> get() {
-                return next.newCall(method, callOptions);
-              }
-            };
+        if (!checkFault) {
+          return next.newCall(method, callOptions);
+        }
+        final class DeadlineInsightForwardingCall extends ForwardingClientCall<ReqT, RespT> {
+          private ClientCall<ReqT, RespT> delegate;
+
+          @Override
+          protected ClientCall<ReqT, RespT> delegate() {
+            return delegate;
           }
-          final DelayInjectedCall<ReqT, RespT> delayInjectedCall = new DelayInjectedCall<>(
-              finalDelayNanos, callExecutor, scheduler, callOptions.getDeadline(), callSupplier);
 
-          final class DeadlineInsightForwardingCall extends ForwardingClientCall<ReqT, RespT> {
-            @Override
-            protected ClientCall<ReqT, RespT> delegate() {
-              return delayInjectedCall;
+          @Override
+          public void start(Listener<RespT> listener, Metadata headers) {
+            Executor callExecutor = callOptions.getExecutor();
+            if (callExecutor == null) { // This should never happen in practice because
+              // ManagedChannelImpl.ConfigSelectingClientCall always provides CallOptions with
+              // a callExecutor.
+              // TODO(https://github.com/grpc/grpc-java/issues/7868)
+              callExecutor = MoreExecutors.directExecutor();
             }
 
-            @Override
-            public void start(Listener<RespT> listener, Metadata headers) {
-              Listener<RespT> finalListener =
-                  new SimpleForwardingClientCallListener<RespT>(listener) {
-                    @Override
-                    public void onClose(Status status, Metadata trailers) {
-                      if (status.getCode().equals(Code.DEADLINE_EXCEEDED)) {
-                        // TODO(zdapeng:) check effective deadline locally, and
-                        //   do the following only if the local deadline is exceeded.
-                        //   (If the server sends DEADLINE_EXCEEDED for its own deadline, then the
-                        //   injected delay does not contribute to the error, because the request is
-                        //   only sent out after the delay. There could be a race between local and
-                        //   remote, but it is rather rare.)
-                        String description = String.format(
-                            Locale.US,
-                            "Deadline exceeded after up to %d ns of fault-injected delay",
-                            finalDelayNanos);
-                        if (status.getDescription() != null) {
-                          description = description + ": " + status.getDescription();
-                        }
-                        status = Status.DEADLINE_EXCEEDED
-                            .withDescription(description).withCause(status.getCause());
-                        // Replace trailers to prevent mixing sources of status and trailers.
-                        trailers = new Metadata();
+            Long delayNanos;
+            Status abortStatus = null;
+            if (faultConfig.faultDelay() != null) {
+              delayNanos = determineFaultDelayNanos(faultConfig.faultDelay(), headers);
+            } else {
+              delayNanos = null;
+            }
+            if (faultConfig.faultAbort() != null) {
+              abortStatus = getAbortStatusWithDescription(
+                  determineFaultAbortStatus(faultConfig.faultAbort(), headers));
+            }
+
+            Supplier<? extends ClientCall<ReqT, RespT>> callSupplier;
+            if (abortStatus != null) {
+              callSupplier = Suppliers.ofInstance(
+                  new FailingClientCall<ReqT, RespT>(abortStatus, callExecutor));
+            } else {
+              callSupplier = new Supplier<ClientCall<ReqT, RespT>>() {
+                @Override
+                public ClientCall<ReqT, RespT> get() {
+                  return next.newCall(method, callOptions);
+                }
+              };
+            }
+            if (delayNanos == null) {
+              delegate = callSupplier.get();
+              delegate().start(listener, headers);
+              return;
+            }
+
+            delegate = new DelayInjectedCall<>(
+                delayNanos, callExecutor, scheduler, callOptions.getDeadline(), callSupplier);
+
+            Listener<RespT> finalListener =
+                new SimpleForwardingClientCallListener<RespT>(listener) {
+                  @Override
+                  public void onClose(Status status, Metadata trailers) {
+                    if (status.getCode().equals(Code.DEADLINE_EXCEEDED)) {
+                      // TODO(zdapeng:) check effective deadline locally, and
+                      //   do the following only if the local deadline is exceeded.
+                      //   (If the server sends DEADLINE_EXCEEDED for its own deadline, then the
+                      //   injected delay does not contribute to the error, because the request is
+                      //   only sent out after the delay. There could be a race between local and
+                      //   remote, but it is rather rare.)
+                      String description = String.format(
+                          Locale.US,
+                          "Deadline exceeded after up to %d ns of fault-injected delay",
+                          delayNanos);
+                      if (status.getDescription() != null) {
+                        description = description + ": " + status.getDescription();
                       }
-                      delegate().onClose(status, trailers);
+                      status = Status.DEADLINE_EXCEEDED
+                          .withDescription(description).withCause(status.getCause());
+                      // Replace trailers to prevent mixing sources of status and trailers.
+                      trailers = new Metadata();
                     }
-                  };
-              delegate().start(finalListener, headers);
-            }
+                    delegate().onClose(status, trailers);
+                  }
+                };
+            delegate().start(finalListener, headers);
           }
-
-          return new DeadlineInsightForwardingCall();
-        } else {
-          return new FailingClientCall<>(finalAbortStatus, callExecutor);
         }
+
+        return new DeadlineInsightForwardingCall();
       }
     }