diff --git a/cmd/gpu_plugin/rm/gpu_plugin_resource_manager_test.go b/cmd/gpu_plugin/rm/gpu_plugin_resource_manager_test.go
index 09a5c68b2..d2c1a7a65 100644
--- a/cmd/gpu_plugin/rm/gpu_plugin_resource_manager_test.go
+++ b/cmd/gpu_plugin/rm/gpu_plugin_resource_manager_test.go
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ func (w *mockPodResources) Get(ctx context.Context,
 }
 
 func newMockResourceManager(pods []v1.Pod) ResourceManager {
-	client, err := grpc.Dial("fake", grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()))
+	client, err := grpc.NewClient("fake", grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()))
 	if err != nil {
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "failed to create client: %v\n", err)
 
diff --git a/pkg/deviceplugin/server.go b/pkg/deviceplugin/server.go
index 7f02b79e8..2636b8fda 100644
--- a/pkg/deviceplugin/server.go
+++ b/pkg/deviceplugin/server.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/fsnotify/fsnotify"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/connectivity"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/credentials/insecure"
 
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
@@ -326,15 +327,9 @@ func watchFile(file string) error {
 }
 
 func (srv *server) registerWithKubelet(kubeletSocket, pluginEndPoint, resourceName string) error {
-	ctx := context.Background()
-
-	conn, err := grpc.DialContext(ctx, kubeletSocket,
-		grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()),
-		grpc.WithContextDialer(func(ctx context.Context, addr string) (net.Conn, error) {
-			return (&net.Dialer{}).DialContext(ctx, "unix", addr)
-		}))
+	conn, err := grpc.NewClient(filepath.Join("unix://", kubeletSocket), grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()))
 	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "Cannot connect to kubelet service")
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "Cannot create a gRPC client")
 	}
 
 	defer conn.Close()
@@ -347,7 +342,7 @@ func (srv *server) registerWithKubelet(kubeletSocket, pluginEndPoint, resourceNa
 		Options:      srv.getDevicePluginOptions(),
 	}
 
-	_, err = client.Register(ctx, reqt)
+	_, err = client.Register(context.Background(), reqt)
 	if err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "Cannot register to kubelet service")
 	}
@@ -358,20 +353,33 @@ func (srv *server) registerWithKubelet(kubeletSocket, pluginEndPoint, resourceNa
 // waitForServer checks if grpc server is alive
 // by making grpc blocking connection to the server socket.
 func waitForServer(socket string, timeout time.Duration) error {
+	conn, err := grpc.NewClient(filepath.Join("unix://", socket), grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()))
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "Cannot create a gRPC client")
+	}
+
+	defer conn.Close()
+
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), timeout)
 
 	defer cancel()
 
-	conn, err := grpc.DialContext(ctx, socket,
-		grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()),
-		grpc.WithBlock(),
-		grpc.WithContextDialer(func(ctx context.Context, addr string) (net.Conn, error) {
-			return (&net.Dialer{}).DialContext(ctx, "unix", addr)
-		}),
-	)
-	if conn != nil {
-		_ = conn.Close()
-	}
+	// A blocking dial blocks until the clientConn is ready. Based
+	// on grpc-go's DialContext() that moved to use NewClient() but
+	// marked DialContext() deprecated.
+	for {
+		state := conn.GetState()
+		if state == connectivity.Idle {
+			conn.Connect()
+		}
+
+		if state == connectivity.Ready {
+			return nil
+		}
 
-	return errors.Wrapf(err, "Failed dial context at %s", socket)
+		if !conn.WaitForStateChange(ctx, state) {
+			// ctx got timeout or canceled.
+			return errors.Wrapf(ctx.Err(), "Failed dial context at %s", socket)
+		}
+	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/deviceplugin/server_test.go b/pkg/deviceplugin/server_test.go
index 1efea061f..c1849c1b3 100644
--- a/pkg/deviceplugin/server_test.go
+++ b/pkg/deviceplugin/server_test.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"net"
 	"os"
 	"path"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"reflect"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
@@ -111,7 +112,7 @@ func (k *kubeletStub) start() error {
 	return waitForServer(k.socket, 10*time.Second)
 }
 
-func TestRegisterWithKublet(t *testing.T) {
+func TestRegisterWithKubelet(t *testing.T) {
 	pluginSocket := path.Join(devicePluginPath, pluginEndpoint)
 
 	srv := newTestServer()
@@ -180,11 +181,8 @@ func TestSetupAndServe(t *testing.T) {
 
 	ctx := context.Background()
 
-	conn, err := grpc.DialContext(ctx, pluginSocket,
-		grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()),
-		grpc.WithContextDialer(func(ctx context.Context, addr string) (net.Conn, error) {
-			return (&net.Dialer{}).DialContext(ctx, "unix", addr)
-		}))
+	conn, err := grpc.NewClient(filepath.Join("unix://", pluginSocket),
+		grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()))
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Failed to get connection: %+v", err)
 	}
@@ -231,12 +229,8 @@ func TestSetupAndServe(t *testing.T) {
 		time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
 	}
 
-	conn, err = grpc.DialContext(ctx, pluginSocket,
-		grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()),
-		grpc.WithContextDialer(func(ctx context.Context, addr string) (net.Conn, error) {
-			return (&net.Dialer{}).DialContext(ctx, "unix", addr)
-		}))
-
+	conn, err = grpc.NewClient(filepath.Join("unix://", pluginSocket),
+		grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()))
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Failed to get connection: %+v", err)
 	}