diff --git a/backoff.go b/backoff.go
index d0113ec9..36602caa 100644
--- a/backoff.go
+++ b/backoff.go
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import (
 // DefaultBackoffConfig uses values specified for backoff in
 // https://github.com/grpc/grpc/blob/master/doc/connection-backoff.md.
 var (
-	DefaultBackoffConfig = &BackoffConfig{
+	DefaultBackoffConfig = BackoffConfig{
 		MaxDelay:  120 * time.Second,
 		baseDelay: 1.0 * time.Second,
 		factor:    1.6,
@@ -33,7 +33,10 @@ type BackoffConfig struct {
 	// MaxDelay is the upper bound of backoff delay.
 	MaxDelay time.Duration
 
-	// TODO(stevvooe): The following fields are not exported, as allowing changes
+	// TODO(stevvooe): The following fields are not exported, as allowing
+	// changes would violate the current GRPC specification for backoff. If
+	// GRPC decides to allow more interesting backoff strategies, these fields
+	// may be opened up in the future.
 
 	// baseDelay is the amount of time to wait before retrying after the first
 	// failure.
@@ -46,7 +49,16 @@ type BackoffConfig struct {
 	jitter float64
 }
 
-func (bc *BackoffConfig) backoff(retries int) (t time.Duration) {
+func (bc *BackoffConfig) setDefaults() {
+	md := bc.MaxDelay
+	*bc = DefaultBackoffConfig
+
+	if md > 0 {
+		bc.MaxDelay = md
+	}
+}
+
+func (bc BackoffConfig) backoff(retries int) (t time.Duration) {
 	if retries == 0 {
 		return bc.baseDelay
 	}
diff --git a/backoff_test.go b/backoff_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..847858c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backoff_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+package grpc
+
+import "testing"
+
+func TestBackoffConfigDefaults(t *testing.T) {
+	b := BackoffConfig{}
+	b.setDefaults()
+	if b != DefaultBackoffConfig {
+		t.Fatalf("expected BackoffConfig to pickup default parameters: %v != %v", b, DefaultBackoffConfig)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/clientconn.go b/clientconn.go
index 1562c0f9..9b29eabd 100644
--- a/clientconn.go
+++ b/clientconn.go
@@ -115,9 +115,21 @@ func WithPicker(p Picker) DialOption {
 	}
 }
 
+// WithBackoffMaxDelay configures the dialer to use the provided maximum delay
+// when backing off after failed connection attempts.
+func WithBackoffMaxDelay(md time.Duration) DialOption {
+	return WithBackoffConfig(BackoffConfig{MaxDelay: md})
+}
+
 // WithBackoffConfig configures the dialer to use the provided backoff
 // parameters after connection failures.
-func WithBackoffConfig(b *BackoffConfig) DialOption {
+//
+// Use WithBackoffMaxDelay until more parameters on BackoffConfig are opened up
+// for use.
+func WithBackoffConfig(b BackoffConfig) DialOption {
+	// Set defaults to ensure that provided BackoffConfig is valid and
+	// unexported fields get default values.
+	b.setDefaults()
 	return withBackoff(b)
 }
 
diff --git a/clientconn_test.go b/clientconn_test.go
index 8eb1a225..336ad4dd 100644
--- a/clientconn_test.go
+++ b/clientconn_test.go
@@ -80,3 +80,42 @@ func TestCredentialsMisuse(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("Dial(_, _) = _, %v, want _, %v", err, ErrCredentialsMisuse)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestWithBackoffConfigDefault(t *testing.T) {
+	testBackoffConfigSet(t, &DefaultBackoffConfig)
+}
+
+func TestWithBackoffConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	b := BackoffConfig{MaxDelay: DefaultBackoffConfig.MaxDelay / 2}
+	expected := b
+	expected.setDefaults() // defaults should be set
+	testBackoffConfigSet(t, &expected, WithBackoffConfig(b))
+}
+
+func TestWithBackoffMaxDelay(t *testing.T) {
+	md := DefaultBackoffConfig.MaxDelay / 2
+	expected := BackoffConfig{MaxDelay: md}
+	expected.setDefaults()
+	testBackoffConfigSet(t, &expected, WithBackoffMaxDelay(md))
+}
+
+func testBackoffConfigSet(t *testing.T, expected *BackoffConfig, opts ...DialOption) {
+	opts = append(opts, WithInsecure())
+	conn, err := Dial("foo:80", opts...)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error dialing connection: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if conn.dopts.bs == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("backoff config not set")
+	}
+
+	actual, ok := conn.dopts.bs.(BackoffConfig)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected type of backoff config: %#v", conn.dopts.bs)
+	}
+
+	if actual != *expected {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected backoff config on connection: %v, want %v", actual, expected)
+	}
+}