diff --git a/src/createApiCall.ts b/src/createApiCall.ts
index acffb6d3a..23080c1f0 100644
--- a/src/createApiCall.ts
+++ b/src/createApiCall.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import {Descriptor} from './descriptor';
 import {CallOptions, CallSettings} from './gax';
 import {retryable} from './normalCalls/retries';
 import {addTimeoutArg} from './normalCalls/timeout';
+import {StreamingApiCaller} from './streamingCalls/streamingApiCaller';
 
 /**
  * Converts an rpc call into an API call governed by the settings.
@@ -83,8 +84,16 @@ export function createApiCall(
       .then((func: GRPCCall) => {
         // Initially, the function is just what gRPC server stub contains.
         func = currentApiCaller.wrap(func);
+
+        const streaming = (currentApiCaller as StreamingApiCaller).descriptor
+          ?.streaming;
         const retry = thisSettings.retry;
-        if (retry && retry.retryCodes && retry.retryCodes.length > 0) {
+        if (
+          !streaming &&
+          retry &&
+          retry.retryCodes &&
+          retry.retryCodes.length > 0
+        ) {
           retry.backoffSettings.initialRpcTimeoutMillis =
             retry.backoffSettings.initialRpcTimeoutMillis ||
             thisSettings.timeout;
diff --git a/test/unit/streaming.ts b/test/unit/streaming.ts
index edf840ed5..38ac3d910 100644
--- a/test/unit/streaming.ts
+++ b/test/unit/streaming.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 
 import * as assert from 'assert';
 import * as sinon from 'sinon';
-import {describe, it} from 'mocha';
+import {afterEach, describe, it} from 'mocha';
 import {PassThrough} from 'stream';
 
 import {GaxCallStream, GRPCCall} from '../../src/apitypes';
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ function createApiCallStreaming(
 }
 
 describe('streaming', () => {
+  afterEach(() => {
+    sinon.restore();
+  });
+
   it('handles server streaming', done => {
     const spy = sinon.spy((...args: Array<{}>) => {
       assert.strictEqual(args.length, 3);
@@ -147,6 +151,41 @@ describe('streaming', () => {
     s.end();
   });
 
+  it('allows custome CallOptions.retry settings', done => {
+    sinon
+      .stub(streaming.StreamProxy.prototype, 'forwardEvents')
+      .callsFake(stream => {
+        assert(stream instanceof internal.Stream);
+        done();
+      });
+    const spy = sinon.spy((...args: Array<{}>) => {
+      assert.strictEqual(args.length, 3);
+      const s = new PassThrough({
+        objectMode: true,
+      });
+      return s;
+    });
+
+    const apiCall = createApiCallStreaming(
+      spy,
+      streaming.StreamType.SERVER_STREAMING
+    );
+
+    apiCall(
+      {},
+      {
+        retry: gax.createRetryOptions([1], {
+          initialRetryDelayMillis: 100,
+          retryDelayMultiplier: 1.2,
+          maxRetryDelayMillis: 1000,
+          rpcTimeoutMultiplier: 1.5,
+          maxRpcTimeoutMillis: 3000,
+          totalTimeoutMillis: 4500,
+        }),
+      }
+    );
+  });
+
   it('forwards metadata and status', done => {
     const responseMetadata = {metadata: true};
     const status = {code: 0, metadata: responseMetadata};