diff --git a/internal/transport/controlbuf.go b/internal/transport/controlbuf.go
index 194236a43a24..1e13308e8bde 100644
--- a/internal/transport/controlbuf.go
+++ b/internal/transport/controlbuf.go
@@ -594,7 +594,7 @@ func (l *loopyWriter) incomingSettingsHandler(s *incomingSettings) error {
 }
 
 func (l *loopyWriter) registerStreamHandler(h *registerStream) error {
-	defer h.stat.Egress(h.stat.NewTimer("/http2/recv/header/loopyWriter/registerOutStream"))
+	timer := h.stat.NewTimer("/http2/recv/header/loopyWriter/registerOutStream")
 	str := &outStream{
 		id:    h.streamID,
 		state: empty,
@@ -602,6 +602,7 @@ func (l *loopyWriter) registerStreamHandler(h *registerStream) error {
 		wq:    h.wq,
 	}
 	l.estdStreams[h.streamID] = str
+	h.stat.Egress(timer)
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -700,9 +701,10 @@ func (l *loopyWriter) writeHeader(streamID uint32, endStream bool, hf []hpack.He
 }
 
 func (l *loopyWriter) preprocessData(df *dataFrame) error {
-	defer df.stat.Egress(df.stat.NewTimer("/http2/send/dataFrame/loopyWriter/preprocess"))
+	timer := df.stat.NewTimer("/http2/send/dataFrame/loopyWriter/preprocess")
 	str, ok := l.estdStreams[df.streamID]
 	if !ok {
+		df.stat.Egress(timer)
 		return nil
 	}
 	// If we got data for a stream it means that
@@ -712,6 +714,7 @@ func (l *loopyWriter) preprocessData(df *dataFrame) error {
 		str.state = active
 		l.activeStreams.enqueue(str)
 	}
+	df.stat.Egress(timer)
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -841,7 +844,9 @@ func (l *loopyWriter) processData() (bool, error) {
 	// As an optimization to keep wire traffic low, data from d is copied to h to make as big as the
 	// maximum possilbe HTTP2 frame size.
 
-	defer dataItem.stat.Egress(dataItem.stat.NewTimer("/http2/send/dataFrame/loopyWriter"))
+	if dataItem.stat != nil {
+		defer dataItem.stat.Egress(dataItem.stat.NewTimer("/http2/send/dataFrame/loopyWriter"))
+	}
 
 	if len(dataItem.h) == 0 && len(dataItem.d) == 0 { // Empty data frame
 		// Client sends out empty data frame with endStream = true
diff --git a/internal/transport/http2_client.go b/internal/transport/http2_client.go
index e1b5ee35dfa0..b34bb5d05ad6 100644
--- a/internal/transport/http2_client.go
+++ b/internal/transport/http2_client.go
@@ -572,10 +572,12 @@ func (t *http2Client) NewStream(ctx context.Context, callHdr *CallHdr) (_ *Strea
 		// Stream ID will be set when loopy writer actually establishes the stream
 		// and obtains a stream ID
 		profiling.StreamStats.Push(s.stat)
+		// Usually, performance suffers when we used defers to record egress out of
+		// functions when profiling is disabled, but it's fine here because this is
+		// executed only when profliing is enabled.
+		defer s.stat.Egress(s.stat.AppendTimer(timer))
 	}
 
-	defer s.stat.Egress(s.stat.AppendTimer(timer))
-
 	cleanup := func(err error) {
 		if s.swapState(streamDone) == streamDone {
 			// If it was already done, return.
@@ -607,7 +609,7 @@ func (t *http2Client) NewStream(ctx context.Context, callHdr *CallHdr) (_ *Strea
 				return err
 			}
 			t.activeStreams[id] = s
-			if profiling.IsEnabled() {
+			if s.stat != nil {
 				binary.BigEndian.PutUint32(s.stat.Metadata[8:12], id)
 			}
 			if channelz.IsOn() {
@@ -935,13 +937,14 @@ func (t *http2Client) updateFlowControl(n uint32) {
 func (t *http2Client) handleData(f *http2.DataFrame) {
 	var timer *profiling.Timer
 	if profiling.IsEnabled() {
-		// We don't have a reference to the corresponding stream's stat object
-		// right now, so instead we measure time and append to the stat object
-		// later.
+		// We don't have a reference to the stream's stat object right now, so
+		// instead we measure time and append to the stat object later.
 		timer = profiling.NewTimer("/http2/recv/dataFrame/loopyReader")
 		// Do not defer a call to timer egress here because this object is
 		// short-lived; once this is appended to the appropriate stat, all
 		// references to this object must be lost so as to be garbage collected.
+		// AppendTimer makes a copy of the timer, so operations on this object will
+		// not be reflected in the stat's copy.
 	}
 
 	size := f.Header().Length
@@ -982,10 +985,11 @@ func (t *http2Client) handleData(f *http2.DataFrame) {
 	if s == nil {
 		return
 	}
-	defer s.stat.Egress(s.stat.AppendTimer(timer))
+	timerIdx := s.stat.AppendTimer(timer)
 	if size > 0 {
 		if err := s.fc.onData(size); err != nil {
 			t.closeStream(s, io.EOF, true, http2.ErrCodeFlowControl, status.New(codes.Internal, err.Error()), nil, false)
+			s.stat.Egress(timerIdx)
 			return
 		}
 		if f.Header().Flags.Has(http2.FlagDataPadded) {
@@ -1008,6 +1012,7 @@ func (t *http2Client) handleData(f *http2.DataFrame) {
 	if f.FrameHeader.Flags.Has(http2.FlagDataEndStream) {
 		t.closeStream(s, io.EOF, false, http2.ErrCodeNo, status.New(codes.Internal, "server closed the stream without sending trailers"), nil, true)
 	}
+	s.stat.Egress(timerIdx)
 }
 
 func (t *http2Client) handleRSTStream(f *http2.RSTStreamFrame) {
@@ -1194,7 +1199,9 @@ func (t *http2Client) operateHeaders(frame *http2.MetaHeadersFrame) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	defer s.stat.Egress(s.stat.NewTimer("/http2/recv/header/loopyReader"))
+	if s.stat != nil {
+		defer s.stat.Egress(s.stat.NewTimer("/http2/recv/header/loopyReader"))
+	}
 
 	endStream := frame.StreamEnded()
 	atomic.StoreUint32(&s.bytesReceived, 1)
diff --git a/internal/transport/http2_server.go b/internal/transport/http2_server.go
index 7fd5fa9d257e..548e59ff207f 100644
--- a/internal/transport/http2_server.go
+++ b/internal/transport/http2_server.go
@@ -629,10 +629,11 @@ func (t *http2Server) handleData(f *http2.DataFrame) {
 	if !ok {
 		return
 	}
-	defer s.stat.Egress(s.stat.AppendTimer(timer))
+	timerIdx := s.stat.AppendTimer(timer)
 	if size > 0 {
 		if err := s.fc.onData(size); err != nil {
 			t.closeStream(s, true, http2.ErrCodeFlowControl, false)
+			s.stat.Egress(timerIdx)
 			return
 		}
 		if f.Header().Flags.Has(http2.FlagDataPadded) {
@@ -655,6 +656,7 @@ func (t *http2Server) handleData(f *http2.DataFrame) {
 		s.compareAndSwapState(streamActive, streamReadDone)
 		s.write(recvMsg{err: io.EOF})
 	}
+	s.stat.Egress(timerIdx)
 }
 
 func (t *http2Server) handleRSTStream(f *http2.RSTStreamFrame) {
@@ -852,6 +854,9 @@ func (t *http2Server) writeHeaderLocked(s *Stream) error {
 // TODO(zhaoq): Now it indicates the end of entire stream. Revisit if early
 // OK is adopted.
 func (t *http2Server) WriteStatus(s *Stream, st *status.Status) error {
+	if s.stat != nil {
+		defer s.stat.Egress(s.stat.NewTimer("/WriteStatus"))
+	}
 	if s.getState() == streamDone {
 		return nil
 	}
diff --git a/internal/transport/transport.go b/internal/transport/transport.go
index 9c59f4454d10..bb82d4fe7397 100644
--- a/internal/transport/transport.go
+++ b/internal/transport/transport.go
@@ -151,7 +151,6 @@ type recvBufferReader struct {
 // read additional data from recv. It blocks if there no additional data available
 // in recv. If Read returns any non-nil error, it will continue to return that error.
 func (r *recvBufferReader) Read(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
-	defer r.stat.Egress(r.stat.NewTimer("/recvBufferReader"))
 	if r.err != nil {
 		return 0, r.err
 	}
@@ -173,7 +172,6 @@ func (r *recvBufferReader) Read(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
 }
 
 func (r *recvBufferReader) read(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
-	defer r.stat.Egress(r.stat.NewTimer("/read"))
 	select {
 	case <-r.ctxDone:
 		return 0, ContextErr(r.ctx.Err())
@@ -316,7 +314,6 @@ func (s *Stream) getState() streamState {
 }
 
 func (s *Stream) waitOnHeader() {
-	defer s.stat.Egress(s.stat.NewTimer("/waitOnHeader"))
 	if s.headerChan == nil {
 		// On the server headerChan is always nil since a stream originates
 		// only after having received headers.
@@ -471,15 +468,8 @@ func (s *Stream) Read(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
 	if er := s.trReader.(*transportReader).er; er != nil {
 		return 0, er
 	}
-
-	timer := s.stat.NewTimer("/requestRead")
 	s.requestRead(len(p))
-	s.stat.Egress(timer)
-
-	timer = s.stat.NewTimer("/io")
 	n, err = io.ReadFull(s.trReader, p)
-	s.stat.Egress(timer)
-
 	return
 }
 
@@ -497,18 +487,12 @@ type transportReader struct {
 }
 
 func (t *transportReader) Read(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
-	timer := t.stat.NewTimer("/transportReader/reader")
 	n, err = t.reader.Read(p)
-	t.stat.Egress(timer)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.er = err
 		return
 	}
-
-	timer = t.stat.NewTimer("/transportReader/windowHandler")
 	t.windowHandler(n)
-	t.stat.Egress(timer)
-
 	return
 }
 
diff --git a/rpc_util.go b/rpc_util.go
index 21a2c880e585..c6ab0b57418c 100644
--- a/rpc_util.go
+++ b/rpc_util.go
@@ -658,7 +658,9 @@ type payloadInfo struct {
 }
 
 func recvAndDecompress(p *parser, s *transport.Stream, dc Decompressor, maxReceiveMessageSize int, payInfo *payloadInfo, compressor encoding.Compressor, stat *profiling.Stat) ([]byte, error) {
-	defer stat.Egress(stat.NewTimer("/recvAndDecompress"))
+	if stat != nil {
+		defer stat.Egress(stat.NewTimer("/recvAndDecompress"))
+	}
 
 	timer := stat.NewTimer("/recvMsg")
 	pf, d, err := p.recvMsg(maxReceiveMessageSize, stat)
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index f3ae15eeb9c9..41a6f77f45f6 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -845,7 +845,9 @@ func (s *Server) incrCallsFailed() {
 
 func (s *Server) sendResponse(t transport.ServerTransport, stream *transport.Stream, msg interface{}, cp Compressor, opts *transport.Options, comp encoding.Compressor) error {
 	stat := stream.Stat()
-	defer stat.Egress(stat.NewTimer("/Server/sendResponse"))
+	if stat != nil {
+		defer stat.Egress(stat.NewTimer("/Server/sendResponse"))
+	}
 
 	timer := stat.NewTimer("/encoding")
 	data, err := encode(s.getCodec(stream.ContentSubtype()), msg, stat)
@@ -882,7 +884,9 @@ func (s *Server) sendResponse(t transport.ServerTransport, stream *transport.Str
 
 func (s *Server) processUnaryRPC(t transport.ServerTransport, stream *transport.Stream, srv *service, md *MethodDesc, trInfo *traceInfo) (err error) {
 	stat := stream.Stat()
-	defer stat.Egress(stat.NewTimer("/processUnaryRPC"))
+	if stat != nil {
+		defer stat.Egress(stat.NewTimer("/processUnaryRPC"))
+	}
 
 	if channelz.IsOn() {
 		s.incrCallsStarted()
@@ -1007,7 +1011,7 @@ func (s *Server) processUnaryRPC(t transport.ServerTransport, stream *transport.
 		t.IncrMsgRecv()
 	}
 	df := func(v interface{}) error {
-		defer stat.Egress(stat.NewTimer("/encoding"))
+		overallTimer := stat.NewTimer("/encoding")
 
 		// Do not create a closure on timer.
 		timer := stat.NewTimer("/getCodec")
@@ -1018,6 +1022,7 @@ func (s *Server) processUnaryRPC(t transport.ServerTransport, stream *transport.
 		err := codec.Unmarshal(d, v)
 		stat.Egress(timer)
 		if err != nil {
+			stat.Egress(overallTimer)
 			return status.Errorf(codes.Internal, "grpc: error unmarshalling request: %v", err)
 		}
 
@@ -1038,6 +1043,7 @@ func (s *Server) processUnaryRPC(t transport.ServerTransport, stream *transport.
 		if trInfo != nil {
 			trInfo.tr.LazyLog(&payload{sent: false, msg: v}, true)
 		}
+		stat.Egress(overallTimer)
 		return nil
 	}
 	ctx := NewContextWithServerTransportStream(stream.Context(), stream)
@@ -1139,7 +1145,9 @@ func (s *Server) processUnaryRPC(t transport.ServerTransport, stream *transport.
 
 func (s *Server) processStreamingRPC(t transport.ServerTransport, stream *transport.Stream, srv *service, sd *StreamDesc, trInfo *traceInfo) (err error) {
 	stat := stream.Stat()
-	defer stat.Egress(stat.NewTimer("/processStreamingRPC"))
+	if stat != nil {
+		defer stat.Egress(stat.NewTimer("/processStreamingRPC"))
+	}
 
 	if channelz.IsOn() {
 		s.incrCallsStarted()
@@ -1306,6 +1314,7 @@ func (s *Server) processStreamingRPC(t transport.ServerTransport, stream *transp
 }
 
 func (s *Server) handleStream(t transport.ServerTransport, stream *transport.Stream, trInfo *traceInfo) {
+	stat := stream.Stat()
 	// If the request is well-formed, we must stop the /stream/recv/grpc/header
 	// timer before either of processUnaryRPC or processStreamingRPC is called.
 	// If the request is malformed, the handler may exit early or use the unknown
@@ -1313,7 +1322,6 @@ func (s *Server) handleStream(t transport.ServerTransport, stream *transport.Str
 	// processing, we cannot stop the timer *after* the completion of the unknown
 	// stream description handler. For these reasons, we cannot defer the
 	// timer.Egress() call.
-	stat := stream.Stat()
 	timer := stat.NewTimer("/grpc/stream/recv/header")
 
 	sm := stream.Method()
diff --git a/stream.go b/stream.go
index c512db7286d4..8a9d75706cdc 100644
--- a/stream.go
+++ b/stream.go
@@ -680,7 +680,9 @@ func (cs *clientStream) bufferForRetryLocked(sz int, op func(a *csAttempt) error
 
 func (cs *clientStream) SendMsg(m interface{}) (err error) {
 	stat := cs.attempt.s.Stat()
-	defer stat.Egress(stat.NewTimer("/send"))
+	if stat != nil {
+		defer stat.Egress(stat.NewTimer("/send"))
+	}
 
 	defer func() {
 		if err != nil && err != io.EOF {
@@ -729,7 +731,9 @@ func (cs *clientStream) SendMsg(m interface{}) (err error) {
 
 func (cs *clientStream) RecvMsg(m interface{}) error {
 	stat := cs.attempt.s.Stat()
-	defer stat.Egress(stat.NewTimer("/clientStream/RecvMsg"))
+	if stat != nil {
+		defer stat.Egress(stat.NewTimer("/clientStream/RecvMsg"))
+	}
 
 	if cs.binlog != nil && !cs.serverHeaderBinlogged {
 		// Call Header() to binary log header if it's not already logged.
@@ -1401,7 +1405,9 @@ func (ss *serverStream) SetTrailer(md metadata.MD) {
 
 func (ss *serverStream) SendMsg(m interface{}) (err error) {
 	stat := ss.s.Stat()
-	defer stat.Egress(stat.NewTimer("/serverStream/SendMsg"))
+	if stat != nil {
+		defer stat.Egress(stat.NewTimer("/serverStream/SendMsg"))
+	}
 
 	defer func() {
 		if ss.trInfo != nil {
@@ -1469,7 +1475,9 @@ func (ss *serverStream) SendMsg(m interface{}) (err error) {
 
 func (ss *serverStream) RecvMsg(m interface{}) (err error) {
 	stat := ss.s.Stat()
-	defer stat.Egress(stat.NewTimer("/serverStream/RecvMsg"))
+	if stat != nil {
+		defer stat.Egress(stat.NewTimer("/serverStream/RecvMsg"))
+	}
 
 	defer func() {
 		if ss.trInfo != nil {