diff --git a/xds/src/main/java/io/grpc/xds/ClusterImplLoadBalancer.java b/xds/src/main/java/io/grpc/xds/ClusterImplLoadBalancer.java
index 3b30b8fa036..2a9435aa72f 100644
--- a/xds/src/main/java/io/grpc/xds/ClusterImplLoadBalancer.java
+++ b/xds/src/main/java/io/grpc/xds/ClusterImplLoadBalancer.java
@@ -163,6 +163,13 @@ public void handleNameResolutionError(Status error) {
     }
   }
 
+  @Override
+  public void requestConnection() {
+    if (childSwitchLb != null) {
+      childSwitchLb.requestConnection();
+    }
+  }
+
   @Override
   public void shutdown() {
     if (dropStats != null) {
diff --git a/xds/src/test/java/io/grpc/xds/ClusterImplLoadBalancerTest.java b/xds/src/test/java/io/grpc/xds/ClusterImplLoadBalancerTest.java
index aaaed9554f4..c627d60a010 100644
--- a/xds/src/test/java/io/grpc/xds/ClusterImplLoadBalancerTest.java
+++ b/xds/src/test/java/io/grpc/xds/ClusterImplLoadBalancerTest.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkNotNull;
 import static com.google.common.truth.Truth.assertThat;
+import static com.google.common.truth.Truth.assertWithMessage;
 import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.anyInt;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
@@ -280,6 +281,7 @@ public void pick_addsLocalityLabel() {
     FakeLoadBalancer leafBalancer = Iterables.getOnlyElement(downstreamBalancers);
     leafBalancer.createSubChannel();
     FakeSubchannel fakeSubchannel = helper.subchannels.poll();
+    fakeSubchannel.updateState(ConnectivityStateInfo.forNonError(ConnectivityState.CONNECTING));
     fakeSubchannel.setConnectedEagIndex(0);
     fakeSubchannel.updateState(ConnectivityStateInfo.forNonError(ConnectivityState.READY));
     assertThat(currentState).isEqualTo(ConnectivityState.READY);
@@ -309,6 +311,7 @@ public void recordLoadStats() {
     FakeLoadBalancer leafBalancer = Iterables.getOnlyElement(downstreamBalancers);
     Subchannel subchannel = leafBalancer.createSubChannel();
     FakeSubchannel fakeSubchannel = helper.subchannels.poll();
+    fakeSubchannel.updateState(ConnectivityStateInfo.forNonError(ConnectivityState.CONNECTING));
     fakeSubchannel.setConnectedEagIndex(0);
     fakeSubchannel.updateState(ConnectivityStateInfo.forNonError(ConnectivityState.READY));
     assertThat(currentState).isEqualTo(ConnectivityState.READY);
@@ -407,6 +410,7 @@ public void pickFirstLoadReport_onUpdateAddress() {
     // Leaf balancer is created by Pick First. Get FakeSubchannel created to update attributes
     // A real subchannel would get these attributes from the connected address's EAG locality.
     FakeSubchannel fakeSubchannel = helper.subchannels.poll();
+    fakeSubchannel.updateState(ConnectivityStateInfo.forNonError(ConnectivityState.CONNECTING));
     fakeSubchannel.setConnectedEagIndex(0);
     fakeSubchannel.updateState(ConnectivityStateInfo.forNonError(ConnectivityState.READY));
     assertThat(currentState).isEqualTo(ConnectivityState.READY);
@@ -490,6 +494,7 @@ public void dropRpcsWithRespectToLbConfigDropCategories() {
         .isEqualTo(endpoint.getAddresses());
     leafBalancer.createSubChannel();
     FakeSubchannel fakeSubchannel = helper.subchannels.poll();
+    fakeSubchannel.updateState(ConnectivityStateInfo.forNonError(ConnectivityState.CONNECTING));
     fakeSubchannel.setConnectedEagIndex(0);
     fakeSubchannel.updateState(ConnectivityStateInfo.forNonError(ConnectivityState.READY));
 
@@ -571,6 +576,7 @@ private void subtest_maxConcurrentRequests_appliedByLbConfig(boolean enableCircu
         .isEqualTo(endpoint.getAddresses());
     leafBalancer.createSubChannel();
     FakeSubchannel fakeSubchannel = helper.subchannels.poll();
+    fakeSubchannel.updateState(ConnectivityStateInfo.forNonError(ConnectivityState.CONNECTING));
     fakeSubchannel.setConnectedEagIndex(0);
     fakeSubchannel.updateState(ConnectivityStateInfo.forNonError(ConnectivityState.READY));
     assertThat(currentState).isEqualTo(ConnectivityState.READY);
@@ -665,6 +671,7 @@ private void subtest_maxConcurrentRequests_appliedWithDefaultValue(
         .isEqualTo(endpoint.getAddresses());
     leafBalancer.createSubChannel();
     FakeSubchannel fakeSubchannel = helper.subchannels.poll();
+    fakeSubchannel.updateState(ConnectivityStateInfo.forNonError(ConnectivityState.CONNECTING));
     fakeSubchannel.setConnectedEagIndex(0);
     fakeSubchannel.updateState(ConnectivityStateInfo.forNonError(ConnectivityState.READY));
     assertThat(currentState).isEqualTo(ConnectivityState.READY);
@@ -943,6 +950,7 @@ Subchannel createSubChannel() {
               new FixedResultPicker(PickResult.withSubchannel(subchannel)));
         }
       });
+      subchannel.requestConnection();
       return subchannel;
     }
   }
@@ -989,6 +997,8 @@ private static final class FakeSubchannel extends Subchannel {
     private final Attributes attrs;
     private SubchannelStateListener listener;
     private Attributes connectedAttributes;
+    private ConnectivityStateInfo state = ConnectivityStateInfo.forNonError(ConnectivityState.IDLE);
+    private boolean connectionRequested;
 
     private FakeSubchannel(List<EquivalentAddressGroup> eags, Attributes attrs) {
       this.eags = eags;
@@ -1006,6 +1016,9 @@ public void shutdown() {
 
     @Override
     public void requestConnection() {
+      if (state.getState() == ConnectivityState.IDLE) {
+        this.connectionRequested = true;
+      }
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -1028,6 +1041,26 @@ public Attributes getConnectedAddressAttributes() {
     }
 
     public void updateState(ConnectivityStateInfo newState) {
+      switch (newState.getState()) {
+        case IDLE:
+          assertThat(state.getState()).isEqualTo(ConnectivityState.READY);
+          break;
+        case CONNECTING:
+          assertThat(state.getState())
+              .isIn(Arrays.asList(ConnectivityState.IDLE, ConnectivityState.TRANSIENT_FAILURE));
+          if (state.getState() == ConnectivityState.IDLE) {
+            assertWithMessage("Connection requested").that(this.connectionRequested).isTrue();
+            this.connectionRequested = false;
+          }
+          break;
+        case READY:
+        case TRANSIENT_FAILURE:
+          assertThat(state.getState()).isEqualTo(ConnectivityState.CONNECTING);
+          break;
+        default:
+          break;
+      }
+      this.state = newState;
       listener.onSubchannelState(newState);
     }