diff --git a/google-cloud-clients/google-cloud-spanner/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/spanner/SpannerImpl.java b/google-cloud-clients/google-cloud-spanner/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/spanner/SpannerImpl.java
index 7c966a5691d3..e9245f2db3f2 100644
--- a/google-cloud-clients/google-cloud-spanner/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/spanner/SpannerImpl.java
+++ b/google-cloud-clients/google-cloud-spanner/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/spanner/SpannerImpl.java
@@ -1179,11 +1179,7 @@ CloseableIterator<PartialResultSet> startStream(@Nullable ByteString resumeToken
                           : request.toBuilder().setResumeToken(resumeToken).build(),
                       stream.consumer(),
                       session.options);
-              // StreamController does not auto-request 1 message. Kick it off mannually
-              call.request(1);
-              if (prefetchChunks > 1) {
-                call.request(prefetchChunks - 1);
-              }
+              call.request(prefetchChunks);
               stream.setCall(call);
               return stream;
             }
diff --git a/google-cloud-clients/google-cloud-spanner/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/spanner/spi/v1/GapicSpannerRpc.java b/google-cloud-clients/google-cloud-spanner/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/spanner/spi/v1/GapicSpannerRpc.java
index 6e4346ab0857..ad8f654b249c 100644
--- a/google-cloud-clients/google-cloud-spanner/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/spanner/spi/v1/GapicSpannerRpc.java
+++ b/google-cloud-clients/google-cloud-spanner/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/spanner/spi/v1/GapicSpannerRpc.java
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ public class GapicSpannerRpc implements SpannerRpc {
       PathTemplate.create("projects/{project}");
   private static final int MAX_MESSAGE_SIZE = 100 * 1024 * 1024;
   
+  // TODO(hzyi): change the stub names to be more intuitive
   private final SpannerStub stub;
   private final InstanceAdminStub instanceStub;
   private final DatabaseAdminStub databaseStub;