diff --git a/tests/server/global_config/global_config_test.go b/tests/server/global_config/global_config_test.go
index ad47008e184..4d56d7ba3df 100644
--- a/tests/server/global_config/global_config_test.go
+++ b/tests/server/global_config/global_config_test.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package global_config_test
 import (
 	"context"
 	"strconv"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -24,7 +25,6 @@ import (
 	. "github.com/pingcap/check"
 	"github.com/pingcap/kvproto/pkg/pdpb"
 	"github.com/pingcap/log"
-	pd "github.com/tikv/pd/client"
 	"github.com/tikv/pd/pkg/assertutil"
 	"github.com/tikv/pd/pkg/testutil"
 	"github.com/tikv/pd/server"
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ var globalConfigPath = "/global/config/"
 
 type GlobalConfigTestSuite struct {
 	server  *server.GrpcServer
-	client  pd.Client
+	client  *grpc.ClientConn
 	cleanup server.CleanupFunc
 	mu      sync.Mutex
 }
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func (s *GlobalConfigTestSuite) SetUpSuite(c *C) {
 	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
 	server.EnableZap = true
 	addr := s.server.GetAddr()
-	s.client, err = pd.NewClient([]string{addr}, pd.SecurityOption{})
+	s.client, err = grpc.Dial(strings.TrimPrefix(addr, "http://"), grpc.WithInsecure())
 	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
 }
 
@@ -134,6 +134,50 @@ func (s *GlobalConfigTestSuite) TestWatch(c *C) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (s *GlobalConfigTestSuite) loadGlobalConfig(ctx context.Context, names []string) ([]*pdpb.GlobalConfigItem, error) {
+	res, err := pdpb.NewPDClient(s.client).LoadGlobalConfig(ctx, &pdpb.LoadGlobalConfigRequest{Names: names})
+	return res.GetItems(), err
+}
+
+func (s *GlobalConfigTestSuite) storeGlobalConfig(ctx context.Context, changes []*pdpb.GlobalConfigItem) error {
+	_, err := pdpb.NewPDClient(s.client).StoreGlobalConfig(ctx, &pdpb.StoreGlobalConfigRequest{Changes: changes})
+	return err
+}
+
+func (s *GlobalConfigTestSuite) watchGlobalConfig(ctx context.Context) (chan []*pdpb.GlobalConfigItem, error) {
+	globalConfigWatcherCh := make(chan []*pdpb.GlobalConfigItem, 16)
+	res, err := pdpb.NewPDClient(s.client).WatchGlobalConfig(ctx, &pdpb.WatchGlobalConfigRequest{})
+	if err != nil {
+		close(globalConfigWatcherCh)
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	go func() {
+		defer func() {
+			if r := recover(); r != nil {
+				return
+			}
+		}()
+		for {
+			select {
+			case <-ctx.Done():
+				close(globalConfigWatcherCh)
+				return
+			default:
+				m, err := res.Recv()
+				if err != nil {
+					return
+				}
+				arr := make([]*pdpb.GlobalConfigItem, len(m.Changes))
+				for j, i := range m.Changes {
+					arr[j] = &pdpb.GlobalConfigItem{Name: i.GetName(), Value: i.GetValue()}
+				}
+				globalConfigWatcherCh <- arr
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+	return globalConfigWatcherCh, err
+}
+
 func (s *GlobalConfigTestSuite) TestClientLoad(c *C) {
 	defer func() {
 		_, err := s.server.GetClient().Delete(s.server.Context(), globalConfigPath+"test")
@@ -141,14 +185,14 @@ func (s *GlobalConfigTestSuite) TestClientLoad(c *C) {
 	}()
 	_, err := s.server.GetClient().Put(s.server.Context(), globalConfigPath+"test", "test")
 	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
-	res, err := s.client.LoadGlobalConfig(s.server.Context(), []string{"test"})
+	res, err := s.loadGlobalConfig(s.server.Context(), []string{"test"})
 	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
 	c.Assert(len(res), Equals, 1)
-	c.Assert(res[0], Equals, pd.GlobalConfigItem{Name: "test", Value: "test", Error: nil})
+	c.Assert(res[0], DeepEquals, &pdpb.GlobalConfigItem{Name: "test", Value: "test", Error: nil})
 }
 
 func (s *GlobalConfigTestSuite) TestClientLoadError(c *C) {
-	res, err := s.client.LoadGlobalConfig(s.server.Context(), []string{"test"})
+	res, err := s.loadGlobalConfig(s.server.Context(), []string{"test"})
 	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
 	c.Assert(res[0].Error, Not(Equals), nil)
 }
@@ -160,7 +204,7 @@ func (s *GlobalConfigTestSuite) TestClientStore(c *C) {
 			c.Assert(err, IsNil)
 		}
 	}()
-	err := s.client.StoreGlobalConfig(s.server.Context(), []pd.GlobalConfigItem{{Name: "1", Value: "1"}, {Name: "2", Value: "2"}, {Name: "3", Value: "3"}})
+	err := s.storeGlobalConfig(s.server.Context(), []*pdpb.GlobalConfigItem{{Name: "1", Value: "1"}, {Name: "2", Value: "2"}, {Name: "3", Value: "3"}})
 	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
 	for i := 1; i <= 3; i++ {
 		res, err := s.server.GetClient().Get(s.server.Context(), globalConfigPath+strconv.Itoa(i))
@@ -176,7 +220,7 @@ func (s *GlobalConfigTestSuite) TestClientWatch(c *C) {
 			c.Assert(err, IsNil)
 		}
 	}()
-	wc, err := s.client.WatchGlobalConfig(s.server.Context())
+	wc, err := s.watchGlobalConfig(s.server.Context())
 	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
 	for i := 0; i < 3; i++ {
 		_, err = s.server.GetClient().Put(s.server.Context(), globalConfigPath+strconv.Itoa(i), strconv.Itoa(i))
@@ -194,20 +238,6 @@ func (s *GlobalConfigTestSuite) TestClientWatch(c *C) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (s *GlobalConfigTestSuite) TestClientWatchCloseReceiverExternally(c *C) {
-	wc, err := s.client.WatchGlobalConfig(s.server.Context())
-	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
-	close(wc)
-}
-
-func (s *GlobalConfigTestSuite) TestClientWatchTimeout(c *C) {
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(s.server.Context())
-	wc, _ := s.client.WatchGlobalConfig(ctx)
-	cancel()
-	_, opened := <-wc
-	c.Assert(opened, Equals, false)
-}
-
 func (s *GlobalConfigTestSuite) TestEtcdNotStart(c *C) {
 	cli := s.server.GetClient()
 	defer func() {