diff --git a/src/createApiCall.ts b/src/createApiCall.ts
index 9b785960a..7ed95e537 100644
--- a/src/createApiCall.ts
+++ b/src/createApiCall.ts
@@ -88,7 +88,8 @@ export function createApiCall(
           return retryable(
             func,
             thisSettings.retry!,
-            thisSettings.otherArgs as GRPCCallOtherArgs
+            thisSettings.otherArgs as GRPCCallOtherArgs,
+            thisSettings.apiName
           );
         }
         return addTimeoutArg(
diff --git a/src/gax.ts b/src/gax.ts
index 2c566bc51..22a4a8e17 100644
--- a/src/gax.ts
+++ b/src/gax.ts
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ export interface CallOptions {
   bundleOptions?: BundleOptions | null;
   isBundling?: boolean;
   longrunning?: BackoffSettings;
+  apiName?: string;
 }
 
 export class CallSettings {
@@ -138,6 +139,7 @@ export class CallSettings {
   bundleOptions?: BundleOptions | null;
   isBundling: boolean;
   longrunning?: BackoffSettings;
+  apiName?: string;
 
   /**
    * @param {Object} settings - An object containing parameters of this settings.
@@ -170,6 +172,7 @@ export class CallSettings {
     this.isBundling = 'isBundling' in settings ? settings.isBundling! : true;
     this.longrunning =
       'longrunning' in settings ? settings.longrunning : undefined;
+    this.apiName = settings.apiName ?? undefined;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -193,6 +196,7 @@ export class CallSettings {
     let otherArgs = this.otherArgs;
     let isBundling = this.isBundling;
     let longrunning = this.longrunning;
+    let apiName = this.apiName;
     if ('timeout' in options) {
       timeout = options.timeout!;
     }
@@ -239,6 +243,9 @@ export class CallSettings {
     if ('longrunning' in options) {
       longrunning = options.longrunning;
     }
+    if ('apiName' in options) {
+      apiName = options.apiName;
+    }
 
     return new CallSettings({
       timeout,
@@ -251,6 +258,7 @@ export class CallSettings {
       maxResults,
       otherArgs,
       isBundling,
+      apiName,
     });
   }
 }
@@ -650,7 +658,7 @@ export function constructSettings(
         )!
       );
     }
-
+    const apiName = serviceName;
     defaults[jsName] = new CallSettings({
       timeout,
       retry,
@@ -658,6 +666,7 @@ export function constructSettings(
         ? createBundleOptions(bundlingConfig)
         : null,
       otherArgs,
+      apiName,
     });
   }
 
diff --git a/src/normalCalls/retries.ts b/src/normalCalls/retries.ts
index 31c50e7cd..18bc1f3fb 100644
--- a/src/normalCalls/retries.ts
+++ b/src/normalCalls/retries.ts
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ import {addTimeoutArg} from './timeout';
 export function retryable(
   func: GRPCCall,
   retry: RetryOptions,
-  otherArgs: GRPCCallOtherArgs
+  otherArgs: GRPCCallOtherArgs,
+  apiName?: string
 ): SimpleCallbackFunction {
   const delayMult = retry.backoffSettings.retryDelayMultiplier;
   const maxDelay = retry.backoffSettings.maxRetryDelayMillis;
@@ -81,7 +82,7 @@ export function retryable(
       timeoutId = null;
       if (deadline && now.getTime() >= deadline) {
         const error = new GoogleError(
-          'Retry total timeout exceeded before any response was received'
+          `Total timeout of API ${apiName} exceeded ${retry.backoffSettings.totalTimeoutMillis} milliseconds before any response was received.`
         );
         error.code = Status.DEADLINE_EXCEEDED;
         callback(error);
diff --git a/test/unit/apiCallable.ts b/test/unit/apiCallable.ts
index 6f9d0876e..21e1d4b56 100644
--- a/test/unit/apiCallable.ts
+++ b/test/unit/apiCallable.ts
@@ -213,7 +213,9 @@ describe('Promise', () => {
 
 describe('retryable', () => {
   const retryOptions = utils.createRetryOptions(0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 100);
-  const settings = {settings: {timeout: 0, retry: retryOptions}};
+  const settings = {
+    settings: {timeout: 0, retry: retryOptions, apiName: 'TestApi'},
+  };
 
   it('retries the API call', done => {
     let toAttempt = 3;
@@ -364,6 +366,20 @@ describe('retryable', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it('retry fails for exceeding total timeout', done => {
+    const spy = sinon.spy(fail);
+    const apiCall = createApiCall(spy, settings);
+    apiCall({}, undefined, err => {
+      assert.ok(err instanceof GoogleError);
+      assert.strictEqual(
+        err.message,
+        'Total timeout of API TestApi exceeded 100 milliseconds before any response was received.'
+      );
+      assert.strictEqual(err!.code, status.DEADLINE_EXCEEDED);
+      done();
+    });
+  });
+
   // maxRetries is unsupported, and intended for internal use only.
   it('errors when totalTimeoutMillis and maxRetries set', done => {
     const maxRetries = 5;
diff --git a/test/unit/gax.ts b/test/unit/gax.ts
index 0ce57cdf9..3744dac12 100644
--- a/test/unit/gax.ts
+++ b/test/unit/gax.ts
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ describe('gax construct settings', () => {
     );
     let settings = defaults.bundlingMethod;
     assert.strictEqual(settings.timeout, 40000);
+    assert.strictEqual(settings.apiName, SERVICE_NAME);
     expectRetryOptions(settings.retry);
     assert.deepStrictEqual(settings.retry.retryCodes, [1, 2]);
     assert.strictEqual(settings.otherArgs, otherArgs);