diff --git a/server/server.go b/server/server.go
index e9521487..e056990b 100644
--- a/server/server.go
+++ b/server/server.go
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ func (s *server) RPCVersion(context.Context, *rpcpb.RPCVersionRequest) (*rpcpb.R
 	return &rpcpb.RPCVersionResponse{Version: RPCVersion}, nil
 }
 
-func (s *server) Start(_ context.Context, req *rpcpb.StartRequest) (*rpcpb.StartResponse, error) {
+func (s *server) Start(callContext context.Context, req *rpcpb.StartRequest) (*rpcpb.StartResponse, error) {
 	s.mu.Lock()
 	defer s.mu.Unlock()
 
@@ -383,16 +383,15 @@ func (s *server) Start(_ context.Context, req *rpcpb.StartRequest) (*rpcpb.Start
 		zap.String("global-node-config", globalNodeConfig),
 	)
 
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), s.network.GetWaitForHealthyTimeout())
+	ctx, cancel := s.getContext(callContext)
 	defer cancel()
+
 	if err := s.network.Start(ctx); err != nil {
 		s.log.Warn("start failed to complete", zap.Error(err))
 		s.stopAndRemoveNetwork(nil)
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	ctx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), s.network.GetWaitForHealthyTimeout())
-	defer cancel()
 	chainIDs, err := s.network.CreateChains(ctx, chainSpecs)
 	if err != nil {
 		s.log.Error("network never became healthy", zap.Error(err))
@@ -439,7 +438,7 @@ func (s *server) updateClusterInfo() {
 // - timeout expires
 // - network operation terminates with error
 // - network operation terminates successfully by setting CustomChainsHealthy
-func (s *server) WaitForHealthy(ctx context.Context, _ *rpcpb.WaitForHealthyRequest) (*rpcpb.WaitForHealthyResponse, error) {
+func (s *server) WaitForHealthy(callContext context.Context, _ *rpcpb.WaitForHealthyRequest) (*rpcpb.WaitForHealthyResponse, error) {
 	s.log.Debug("WaitForHealthy")
 
 	s.mu.RLock()
@@ -447,7 +446,7 @@ func (s *server) WaitForHealthy(ctx context.Context, _ *rpcpb.WaitForHealthyRequ
 		s.mu.RUnlock()
 		return nil, ErrNotBootstrapped
 	}
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, s.network.GetWaitForHealthyTimeout())
+	ctx, cancel := s.getContext(callContext)
 	defer cancel()
 	s.mu.RUnlock()
 
@@ -555,7 +554,7 @@ func (s *server) CreateBlockchains(
 }
 
 func (s *server) AddPermissionlessDelegator(
-	_ context.Context,
+	callContext context.Context,
 	req *rpcpb.AddPermissionlessDelegatorRequest,
 ) (*rpcpb.AddPermissionlessDelegatorResponse, error) {
 	s.mu.Lock()
@@ -592,7 +591,7 @@ func (s *server) AddPermissionlessDelegator(
 		}
 	}
 
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), s.network.GetWaitForHealthyTimeout())
+	ctx, cancel := s.getContext(callContext)
 	defer cancel()
 	err := s.network.AddPermissionlessDelegators(ctx, delegatorSpecList)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -609,7 +608,7 @@ func (s *server) AddPermissionlessDelegator(
 }
 
 func (s *server) AddPermissionlessValidator(
-	_ context.Context,
+	callContext context.Context,
 	req *rpcpb.AddPermissionlessValidatorRequest,
 ) (*rpcpb.AddPermissionlessValidatorResponse, error) {
 	s.mu.Lock()
@@ -649,7 +648,7 @@ func (s *server) AddPermissionlessValidator(
 	s.clusterInfo.Healthy = false
 	s.clusterInfo.CustomChainsHealthy = false
 
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), s.network.GetWaitForHealthyTimeout())
+	ctx, cancel := s.getContext(callContext)
 	defer cancel()
 	err := s.network.AddPermissionlessValidators(ctx, validatorSpecList)
 
@@ -670,7 +669,7 @@ func (s *server) AddPermissionlessValidator(
 }
 
 func (s *server) AddSubnetValidators(
-	_ context.Context,
+	callContext context.Context,
 	req *rpcpb.AddSubnetValidatorsRequest,
 ) (*rpcpb.AddSubnetValidatorsResponse, error) {
 	s.mu.Lock()
@@ -707,7 +706,7 @@ func (s *server) AddSubnetValidators(
 	s.clusterInfo.Healthy = false
 	s.clusterInfo.CustomChainsHealthy = false
 
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), s.network.GetWaitForHealthyTimeout())
+	ctx, cancel := s.getContext(callContext)
 	defer cancel()
 	err := s.network.AddSubnetValidators(ctx, validatorSpecList)
 
@@ -728,7 +727,7 @@ func (s *server) AddSubnetValidators(
 }
 
 func (s *server) RemoveSubnetValidator(
-	_ context.Context,
+	callContext context.Context,
 	req *rpcpb.RemoveSubnetValidatorRequest,
 ) (*rpcpb.RemoveSubnetValidatorResponse, error) {
 	s.mu.Lock()
@@ -765,7 +764,7 @@ func (s *server) RemoveSubnetValidator(
 	s.clusterInfo.Healthy = false
 	s.clusterInfo.CustomChainsHealthy = false
 
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), s.network.GetWaitForHealthyTimeout())
+	ctx, cancel := s.getContext(callContext)
 	defer cancel()
 	err := s.network.RemoveSubnetValidator(ctx, validatorSpecList)
 
@@ -786,7 +785,7 @@ func (s *server) RemoveSubnetValidator(
 }
 
 func (s *server) TransformElasticSubnets(
-	_ context.Context,
+	callContext context.Context,
 	req *rpcpb.TransformElasticSubnetsRequest,
 ) (*rpcpb.TransformElasticSubnetsResponse, error) {
 	s.mu.Lock()
@@ -823,7 +822,7 @@ func (s *server) TransformElasticSubnets(
 	s.clusterInfo.Healthy = false
 	s.clusterInfo.CustomChainsHealthy = false
 
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), s.network.GetWaitForHealthyTimeout())
+	ctx, cancel := s.getContext(callContext)
 	defer cancel()
 	txIDs, assetIDs, err := s.network.TransformSubnets(ctx, elasticSubnetSpecList)
 
@@ -853,7 +852,10 @@ func (s *server) TransformElasticSubnets(
 	return &rpcpb.TransformElasticSubnetsResponse{ClusterInfo: clusterInfo, TxIds: strTXIDs, AssetIds: strAssetIDs}, nil
 }
 
-func (s *server) CreateSubnets(_ context.Context, req *rpcpb.CreateSubnetsRequest) (*rpcpb.CreateSubnetsResponse, error) {
+func (s *server) CreateSubnets(
+	callContext context.Context,
+	req *rpcpb.CreateSubnetsRequest,
+) (*rpcpb.CreateSubnetsResponse, error) {
 	s.mu.Lock()
 	defer s.mu.Unlock()
 
@@ -874,7 +876,7 @@ func (s *server) CreateSubnets(_ context.Context, req *rpcpb.CreateSubnetsReques
 	s.clusterInfo.Healthy = false
 	s.clusterInfo.CustomChainsHealthy = false
 
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), s.network.GetWaitForHealthyTimeout())
+	ctx, cancel := s.getContext(callContext)
 	defer cancel()
 	subnetIDs, err := s.network.CreateSubnets(ctx, subnetSpecs)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -1343,7 +1345,10 @@ func (s *server) SendOutboundMessage(ctx context.Context, req *rpcpb.SendOutboun
 	return &rpcpb.SendOutboundMessageResponse{Sent: sent}, err
 }
 
-func (s *server) LoadSnapshot(_ context.Context, req *rpcpb.LoadSnapshotRequest) (*rpcpb.LoadSnapshotResponse, error) {
+func (s *server) LoadSnapshot(
+	callContext context.Context,
+	req *rpcpb.LoadSnapshotRequest,
+) (*rpcpb.LoadSnapshotResponse, error) {
 	s.mu.Lock()
 	defer s.mu.Unlock()
 
@@ -1404,7 +1409,7 @@ func (s *server) LoadSnapshot(_ context.Context, req *rpcpb.LoadSnapshotRequest)
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), s.network.GetWaitForHealthyTimeout())
+	ctx, cancel := s.getContext(callContext)
 	defer cancel()
 	err = s.network.AwaitHealthyAndUpdateNetworkInfo(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -1789,3 +1794,23 @@ func applyDefaultPluginDir(userGivenPluginDir string) string {
 	}
 	return os.Getenv(constants.DefaultPluginDirEnvVar)
 }
+
+// Assumes [s.mu] is held.
+func (s *server) getContext(callContext context.Context) (context.Context, context.CancelFunc) {
+	timeout := 3 * time.Minute
+	if s.network != nil {
+		timeout = s.network.GetWaitForHealthyTimeout()
+	}
+	var (
+		ctx    context.Context
+		cancel context.CancelFunc
+	)
+	_, ok := callContext.Deadline()
+	if ok {
+		ctx = callContext
+		cancel = func() {}
+	} else {
+		ctx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), timeout)
+	}
+	return ctx, cancel
+}