diff --git a/src/util/mock-servers/mock-server.ts b/src/util/mock-servers/mock-server.ts
index c4ebb9779..02ca9b7e4 100644
--- a/src/util/mock-servers/mock-server.ts
+++ b/src/util/mock-servers/mock-server.ts
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ export class MockServer {
       `localhost:${this.port}`,
       grpc.ServerCredentials.createInsecure(),
       () => {
-        server.start();
         callback ? callback(portString) : undefined;
       }
     );
diff --git a/system-test/read-rows.ts b/system-test/read-rows.ts
index 37beab74c..7deccc643 100644
--- a/system-test/read-rows.ts
+++ b/system-test/read-rows.ts
@@ -12,69 +12,109 @@
 // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 // limitations under the License.
 
-import {Bigtable} from '../src';
-import {Mutation} from '../src/mutation.js';
+import {Bigtable, Cluster, protos, Table} from '../src';
 const {tests} = require('../../system-test/data/read-rows-retry-test.json') as {
-  tests: Test[];
+  tests: ReadRowsTest[];
 };
-import {google} from '../protos/protos';
 import * as assert from 'assert';
-import {describe, it, afterEach, beforeEach} from 'mocha';
-import * as sinon from 'sinon';
-import {EventEmitter} from 'events';
-import {Test} from './testTypes';
-import {ServiceError, GrpcClient, GoogleError, CallOptions} from 'google-gax';
-import {PassThrough} from 'stream';
+import {describe, it, before} from 'mocha';
+import {CreateReadStreamRequest, ReadRowsTest} from './testTypes';
+import {ServiceError, GrpcClient, CallOptions, GoogleError} from 'google-gax';
+import {MockServer} from '../src/util/mock-servers/mock-server';
+import {MockService} from '../src/util/mock-servers/mock-service';
+import {BigtableClientMockService} from '../src/util/mock-servers/service-implementations/bigtable-client-mock-service';
+import {ServerWritableStream} from '@grpc/grpc-js';
 
 const {grpc} = new GrpcClient();
 
-// eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
-function dispatch(emitter: EventEmitter, response: any) {
-  // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
-  const emits: any[] = [{name: 'request'}];
-  if (response.row_keys) {
-    emits.push.apply(emits, [
-      {name: 'response', arg: 200},
-      {
-        name: 'data',
-        arg: {chunks: response.row_keys.map(rowResponse)},
-      },
-    ]);
-  }
-  if (response.end_with_error) {
-    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
-    const error: any = new Error();
-    error.code = response.end_with_error;
-    emits.push({name: 'error', arg: error});
-  } else {
-    emits.push({name: 'end'});
-  }
-  let index = 0;
-  setImmediate(next);
-
-  function next() {
-    if (index < emits.length) {
-      const emit = emits[index];
-      index++;
-      emitter.emit(emit.name, emit.arg);
-      setImmediate(next);
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-function rowResponse(rowKey: {}) {
+function rowResponseFromServer(rowKey: string) {
   return {
-    rowKey: Mutation.convertToBytes(rowKey),
+    rowKey: Buffer.from(rowKey).toString('base64'),
     familyName: {value: 'family'},
-    qualifier: {value: 'qualifier'},
-    valueSize: 0,
-    timestampMicros: 0,
-    labels: [],
+    qualifier: {value: Buffer.from('qualifier').toString('base64')},
     commitRow: true,
-    value: 'value',
+    value: Buffer.from(rowKey).toString('base64'),
   };
 }
 
+function isRowKeysWithFunction(array: unknown): array is RowKeysWithFunction {
+  return (array as RowKeysWithFunction).asciiSlice !== undefined;
+}
+
+function isRowKeysWithFunctionArray(
+  array: unknown[]
+): array is RowKeysWithFunction[] {
+  return array.every((element: unknown) => {
+    return isRowKeysWithFunction(element);
+  });
+}
+
+interface TestRowRange {
+  startKey?: 'startKeyClosed' | 'startKeyOpen';
+  endKey?: 'endKeyOpen' | 'endKeyClosed';
+  startKeyClosed?: Uint8Array | string | null;
+  startKeyOpen?: Uint8Array | string | null;
+  endKeyOpen?: Uint8Array | string | null;
+  endKeyClosed?: Uint8Array | string | null;
+}
+interface RowKeysWithFunction {
+  asciiSlice: () => string;
+}
+function getRequestOptions(request: {
+  rows?: {
+    rowRanges?: TestRowRange[] | null;
+    rowKeys?: Uint8Array[] | null;
+  } | null;
+  rowsLimit?: string | number | Long | null | undefined;
+}): CreateReadStreamRequest {
+  const requestOptions = {} as CreateReadStreamRequest;
+  if (request.rows && request.rows.rowRanges) {
+    requestOptions.rowRanges = request.rows.rowRanges.map(
+      (range: TestRowRange) => {
+        const convertedRowRange = {} as {[index: string]: string};
+        {
+          // startKey and endKey get filled in during the grpc request.
+          // They should be removed as the test data does not look
+          // for these properties in the request.
+          if (range.startKey) {
+            delete range.startKey;
+          }
+          if (range.endKey) {
+            delete range.endKey;
+          }
+        }
+        Object.entries(range).forEach(
+          ([key, value]) => (convertedRowRange[key] = value.asciiSlice())
+        );
+        return convertedRowRange;
+      }
+    );
+  }
+  if (
+    request.rows &&
+    request.rows.rowKeys &&
+    isRowKeysWithFunctionArray(request.rows.rowKeys)
+  ) {
+    requestOptions.rowKeys = request.rows.rowKeys.map(
+      (rowKeys: RowKeysWithFunction) => rowKeys.asciiSlice()
+    );
+  }
+  // The grpc protocol sets rowsLimit to '0' if rowsLimit is not provided in the
+  // grpc request.
+  //
+  // Do not append rowsLimit to collection of request options if received grpc
+  // rows limit is '0' so that test data in read-rows-retry-test.json remains
+  // shorter.
+  if (
+    request.rowsLimit &&
+    request.rowsLimit !== '0' &&
+    typeof request.rowsLimit === 'string'
+  ) {
+    requestOptions.rowsLimit = parseInt(request.rowsLimit);
+  }
+  return requestOptions;
+}
+
 describe('Bigtable/Table', () => {
   const bigtable = new Bigtable();
   const INSTANCE_NAME = 'fake-instance2';
@@ -82,7 +122,6 @@ describe('Bigtable/Table', () => {
   (bigtable as any).grpcCredentials = grpc.credentials.createInsecure();
 
   const INSTANCE = bigtable.instance('instance');
-  const TABLE = INSTANCE.table('table');
 
   describe('close', () => {
     it('should fail when invoking readRows with closed client', async () => {
@@ -123,97 +162,92 @@ describe('Bigtable/Table', () => {
     });
   });
 
-  describe('createReadStream', () => {
-    let clock: sinon.SinonFakeTimers;
-    let endCalled: boolean;
-    let error: ServiceError | null;
-    let requestedOptions: Array<{}>;
-    let responses: Array<{}> | null;
-    let rowKeysRead: Array<Array<{}>>;
-    let stub: sinon.SinonStub;
-
-    beforeEach(() => {
-      clock = sinon.useFakeTimers({
-        toFake: [
-          'setTimeout',
-          'clearTimeout',
-          'setImmediate',
-          'clearImmediate',
-          'setInterval',
-          'clearInterval',
-          'Date',
-          'nextTick',
-        ],
+  describe('createReadStream using mock server', () => {
+    let server: MockServer;
+    let service: MockService;
+    let bigtable = new Bigtable();
+    let table: Table;
+    before(async () => {
+      // make sure we have everything initialized before starting tests
+      const port = await new Promise<string>(resolve => {
+        server = new MockServer(resolve);
       });
-      endCalled = false;
-      error = null;
-      responses = null;
-      rowKeysRead = [];
-      requestedOptions = [];
-      stub = sinon.stub(bigtable, 'request').callsFake(cfg => {
-        const reqOpts = cfg.reqOpts;
-        const requestOptions = {} as google.bigtable.v2.IRowSet;
-        if (reqOpts.rows && reqOpts.rows.rowRanges) {
-          requestOptions.rowRanges = reqOpts.rows.rowRanges.map(
-            // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
-            (range: any) => {
-              const convertedRowRange = {} as {[index: string]: string};
-              Object.keys(range).forEach(
-                key => (convertedRowRange[key] = range[key].asciiSlice())
-              );
-              return convertedRowRange;
-            }
-          );
-        }
-        if (reqOpts.rows && reqOpts.rows.rowKeys) {
-          // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
-          requestOptions.rowKeys = reqOpts.rows.rowKeys.map((rowKeys: any) =>
-            rowKeys.asciiSlice()
-          );
-        }
-        if (reqOpts.rowsLimit) {
-          // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
-          (requestOptions as any).rowsLimit = reqOpts.rowsLimit;
-        }
-        requestedOptions.push(requestOptions);
-        rowKeysRead.push([]);
-        const requestStream = new PassThrough({objectMode: true});
-        // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
-        (requestStream as any).abort = () => {};
-        dispatch(requestStream, responses!.shift());
-        return requestStream;
+      bigtable = new Bigtable({
+        apiEndpoint: `localhost:${port}`,
       });
+      table = bigtable.instance('fake-instance').table('fake-table');
+      service = new BigtableClientMockService(server);
     });
 
-    afterEach(() => {
-      clock.restore();
-      stub.restore();
+    after(async () => {
+      server.shutdown(() => {});
     });
 
     tests.forEach(test => {
-      it(test.name, () => {
-        responses = test.responses;
-        TABLE.maxRetries = test.max_retries;
-        TABLE.createReadStream(test.createReadStream_options)
-          .on('data', row => rowKeysRead[rowKeysRead.length - 1].push(row.id))
-          .on('end', () => (endCalled = true))
-          .on('error', err => (error = err as ServiceError));
-        clock.runAll();
-
-        if (test.error) {
-          assert(!endCalled, ".on('end') should not have been invoked");
-          assert.strictEqual(error!.code, test.error);
-        } else {
-          assert(endCalled, ".on('end') shoud have been invoked");
-          assert.ifError(error);
+      it(test.name, done => {
+        // These variables store request/response data capturing data sent
+        // and received when using readRows with retries. This data is evaluated
+        // in checkResults at the end of the test for correctness.
+        const requestedOptions: CreateReadStreamRequest[] = [];
+        const responses = test.responses;
+        const rowKeysRead: string[][] = [];
+        let endCalled = false;
+        let error: ServiceError | null = null;
+        function checkResults() {
+          if (test.error) {
+            assert(!endCalled, ".on('end') should not have been invoked");
+            assert.strictEqual(error!.code, test.error);
+          } else {
+            assert(endCalled, ".on('end') should have been invoked");
+            assert.ifError(error);
+          }
+          assert.deepStrictEqual(rowKeysRead, test.row_keys_read);
+          assert.strictEqual(
+            responses.length,
+            0,
+            'not all the responses were used'
+          );
+          assert.deepStrictEqual(requestedOptions, test.request_options);
+          done();
         }
-        assert.deepStrictEqual(rowKeysRead, test.row_keys_read);
-        assert.strictEqual(
-          responses.length,
-          0,
-          'not all the responses were used'
-        );
-        assert.deepStrictEqual(requestedOptions, test.request_options);
+
+        table.maxRetries = test.max_retries;
+        service.setService({
+          ReadRows: (
+            stream: ServerWritableStream<
+              protos.google.bigtable.v2.IReadRowsRequest,
+              protos.google.bigtable.v2.IReadRowsResponse
+            >
+          ) => {
+            const response = responses!.shift();
+            assert(response);
+            rowKeysRead.push([]);
+            requestedOptions.push(getRequestOptions(stream.request));
+            if (response.row_keys) {
+              stream.write({
+                chunks: response.row_keys.map(rowResponseFromServer),
+              });
+            }
+            if (response.end_with_error) {
+              const error: GoogleError = new GoogleError();
+              error.code = response.end_with_error;
+              stream.emit('error', error);
+            } else {
+              stream.end();
+            }
+          },
+        });
+        table
+          .createReadStream(test.createReadStream_options)
+          .on('data', row => rowKeysRead[rowKeysRead.length - 1].push(row.id))
+          .on('end', () => {
+            endCalled = true;
+            checkResults();
+          })
+          .on('error', err => {
+            error = err as ServiceError;
+            checkResults();
+          });
       });
     });
   });
diff --git a/system-test/testTypes.ts b/system-test/testTypes.ts
index 43613cc67..d6b83464a 100644
--- a/system-test/testTypes.ts
+++ b/system-test/testTypes.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 import {ServiceError} from 'google-gax';
 import {GetRowsOptions} from '../src/table';
+import {google} from '../protos/protos';
 
 export interface Test {
   name: string;
@@ -46,3 +47,23 @@ export interface Test {
   row_keys_read: {};
   createReadStream_options: GetRowsOptions;
 }
+
+interface CreateReadStreamResponse {
+  row_keys?: string[];
+  end_with_error?: 4;
+}
+
+export interface CreateReadStreamRequest {
+  rowKeys: string[];
+  rowRanges: google.bigtable.v2.IRowRange[];
+  rowsLimit?: number;
+}
+export interface ReadRowsTest {
+  createReadStream_options?: GetRowsOptions;
+  max_retries: number;
+  responses: CreateReadStreamResponse[];
+  request_options: CreateReadStreamRequest[];
+  error: number;
+  row_keys_read: string[][];
+  name: string;
+}