diff --git a/call.go b/call.go
index 0843865244de..4e2687400ad4 100644
--- a/call.go
+++ b/call.go
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ func sendRequest(ctx context.Context, dopts dialOptions, compressor Compressor,
 	}
 	outBuf, err := encode(dopts.codec, args, compressor, cbuf, outPayload)
 	if err != nil {
-		return Errorf(codes.Internal, "grpc: %v", err)
+		return err
 	}
 	err = t.Write(stream, outBuf, opts)
 	if err == nil && outPayload != nil {
diff --git a/rpc_util.go b/rpc_util.go
index 6a32afdfcc88..b55259cc1d93 100644
--- a/rpc_util.go
+++ b/rpc_util.go
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ func encode(c Codec, msg interface{}, cp Compressor, cbuf *bytes.Buffer, outPayl
 		// TODO(zhaoq): optimize to reduce memory alloc and copying.
 		b, err = c.Marshal(msg)
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
+			return nil, Errorf(codes.Internal, "grpc: error while marshaling: %v", err.Error())
 		}
 		if outPayload != nil {
 			outPayload.Payload = msg
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ func encode(c Codec, msg interface{}, cp Compressor, cbuf *bytes.Buffer, outPayl
 		}
 		if cp != nil {
 			if err := cp.Do(cbuf, b); err != nil {
-				return nil, err
+				return nil, Errorf(codes.Internal, "grpc: error while compressing: %v", err.Error())
 			}
 			b = cbuf.Bytes()
 		}
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index 5a1d4ea1b4aa..91d30d392b96 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -640,14 +640,8 @@ func (s *Server) sendResponse(t transport.ServerTransport, stream *transport.Str
 	}
 	p, err := encode(s.opts.codec, msg, cp, cbuf, outPayload)
 	if err != nil {
-		// This typically indicates a fatal issue (e.g., memory
-		// corruption or hardware faults) the application program
-		// cannot handle.
-		//
-		// TODO(zhaoq): There exist other options also such as only closing the
-		// faulty stream locally and remotely (Other streams can keep going). Find
-		// the optimal option.
-		grpclog.Fatalf("grpc: Server failed to encode response %v", err)
+		grpclog.Println("grpc: server failed to encode response: ", err)
+		return err
 	}
 	err = t.Write(stream, p, opts)
 	if err == nil && outPayload != nil {
diff --git a/stream.go b/stream.go
index ec534a017b1d..9cc9fa615efb 100644
--- a/stream.go
+++ b/stream.go
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ func (cs *clientStream) SendMsg(m interface{}) (err error) {
 		}
 	}()
 	if err != nil {
-		return Errorf(codes.Internal, "grpc: %v", err)
+		return err
 	}
 	err = cs.t.Write(cs.s, out, &transport.Options{Last: false})
 	if err == nil && outPayload != nil {
@@ -588,7 +588,6 @@ func (ss *serverStream) SendMsg(m interface{}) (err error) {
 		}
 	}()
 	if err != nil {
-		err = Errorf(codes.Internal, "grpc: %v", err)
 		return err
 	}
 	if err := ss.t.Write(ss.s, out, &transport.Options{Last: false}); err != nil {
diff --git a/test/end2end_test.go b/test/end2end_test.go
index 0eee77d01341..796b5457feda 100644
--- a/test/end2end_test.go
+++ b/test/end2end_test.go
@@ -450,6 +450,7 @@ type test struct {
 	clientInitialWindowSize     int32
 	clientInitialConnWindowSize int32
 	perRPCCreds                 credentials.PerRPCCredentials
+	customCodec                 grpc.Codec
 
 	// srv and srvAddr are set once startServer is called.
 	srv     *grpc.Server
@@ -545,6 +546,9 @@ func (te *test) startServer(ts testpb.TestServiceServer) {
 	case "clientTimeoutCreds":
 		sopts = append(sopts, grpc.Creds(&clientTimeoutCreds{}))
 	}
+	if te.customCodec != nil {
+		sopts = append(sopts, grpc.CustomCodec(te.customCodec))
+	}
 	s := grpc.NewServer(sopts...)
 	te.srv = s
 	if te.e.httpHandler {
@@ -625,6 +629,9 @@ func (te *test) clientConn() *grpc.ClientConn {
 	if te.perRPCCreds != nil {
 		opts = append(opts, grpc.WithPerRPCCredentials(te.perRPCCreds))
 	}
+	if te.customCodec != nil {
+		opts = append(opts, grpc.WithCodec(te.customCodec))
+	}
 	var err error
 	te.cc, err = grpc.Dial(te.srvAddr, opts...)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -4109,3 +4116,46 @@ func testPerRPCCredentialsViaDialOptionsAndCallOptions(t *testing.T, e env) {
 		t.Fatalf("Test failed. Reason: %v", err)
 	}
 }
+
+type errCodec struct {
+	noError bool
+}
+
+func (c *errCodec) Marshal(v interface{}) ([]byte, error) {
+	if c.noError {
+		return []byte{}, nil
+	}
+	return nil, fmt.Errorf("3987^12 + 4365^12 = 4472^12")
+}
+
+func (c *errCodec) Unmarshal(data []byte, v interface{}) error {
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (c *errCodec) String() string {
+	return "Fermat's near-miss."
+}
+
+func TestEncodeDoesntPanic(t *testing.T) {
+	defer leakCheck(t)()
+	for _, e := range listTestEnv() {
+		testEncodeDoesntPanic(t, e)
+	}
+}
+
+func testEncodeDoesntPanic(t *testing.T, e env) {
+	te := newTest(t, e)
+	erc := &errCodec{}
+	te.customCodec = erc
+	te.startServer(&testServer{security: e.security})
+	defer te.tearDown()
+	te.customCodec = nil
+	tc := testpb.NewTestServiceClient(te.clientConn())
+	// Failure case, should not panic.
+	tc.EmptyCall(context.Background(), &testpb.Empty{})
+	erc.noError = true
+	// Passing case.
+	if _, err := tc.EmptyCall(context.Background(), &testpb.Empty{}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("EmptyCall(_, _) = _, %v, want _, <nil>", err)
+	}
+}