diff --git a/java-spanner/google-cloud-spanner/src/test/java/com/google/cloud/spanner/MultiplexedSessionDatabaseClientMockServerTest.java b/java-spanner/google-cloud-spanner/src/test/java/com/google/cloud/spanner/MultiplexedSessionDatabaseClientMockServerTest.java
index 629b5611862d..61d06da821c0 100644
--- a/java-spanner/google-cloud-spanner/src/test/java/com/google/cloud/spanner/MultiplexedSessionDatabaseClientMockServerTest.java
+++ b/java-spanner/google-cloud-spanner/src/test/java/com/google/cloud/spanner/MultiplexedSessionDatabaseClientMockServerTest.java
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ public void createSpannerInstance() {
   public void testCreateSessionDeadlineExceeded() {
     // Simulate a problem with the CreateSession RPC making it slow.
     mockSpanner.setCreateSessionExecutionTime(
-        SimulatedExecutionTime.ofException(Status.DEADLINE_EXCEEDED.asRuntimeException()));
+        SimulatedExecutionTime.ofStickyException(Status.DEADLINE_EXCEEDED.asRuntimeException()));
 
     Spanner testSpanner =
         SpannerOptions.newBuilder()