diff --git a/spanner/session.go b/spanner/session.go
index 8e1fee89ffd1..a31524c56a5b 100644
--- a/spanner/session.go
+++ b/spanner/session.go
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ func (sh *sessionHandle) destroy() {
 		p.trackedSessionHandles.Remove(tracked)
 		p.mu.Unlock()
 	}
-	s.destroy(false)
+	s.destroy(false, true)
 }
 
 func (sh *sessionHandle) updateLastUseTime() {
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ func (s *session) recycle() {
 		// s is rejected by its home session pool because it expired and the
 		// session pool currently has enough open sessions.
 		s.pool.mu.Unlock()
-		s.destroy(false)
+		s.destroy(false, true)
 		s.pool.mu.Lock()
 	}
 	s.pool.decNumInUseLocked(context.Background())
@@ -383,15 +383,15 @@ func (s *session) recycle() {
 
 // destroy removes the session from its home session pool, healthcheck queue
 // and Cloud Spanner service.
-func (s *session) destroy(isExpire bool) bool {
+func (s *session) destroy(isExpire, wasInUse bool) bool {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 15*time.Second)
 	defer cancel()
-	return s.destroyWithContext(ctx, isExpire)
+	return s.destroyWithContext(ctx, isExpire, wasInUse)
 }
 
-func (s *session) destroyWithContext(ctx context.Context, isExpire bool) bool {
+func (s *session) destroyWithContext(ctx context.Context, isExpire, wasInUse bool) bool {
 	// Remove s from session pool.
-	if !s.pool.remove(s, isExpire) {
+	if !s.pool.remove(s, isExpire, wasInUse) {
 		return false
 	}
 	// Unregister s from healthcheck queue.
@@ -907,7 +907,7 @@ func (p *sessionPool) close(ctx context.Context) {
 
 func deleteSession(ctx context.Context, s *session, wg *sync.WaitGroup) {
 	defer wg.Done()
-	s.destroyWithContext(ctx, false)
+	s.destroyWithContext(ctx, false, true)
 }
 
 // errInvalidSessionPool is the error for using an invalid session pool.
@@ -1022,7 +1022,7 @@ func (p *sessionPool) isHealthy(s *session) bool {
 	if s.getNextCheck().Add(2 * p.hc.getInterval()).Before(time.Now()) {
 		if err := s.ping(); isSessionNotFoundError(err) {
 			// The session is already bad, continue to fetch/create a new one.
-			s.destroy(false)
+			s.destroy(false, true)
 			return false
 		}
 		p.hc.scheduledHC(s)
@@ -1133,7 +1133,7 @@ func (p *sessionPool) recycleLocked(s *session) bool {
 // remove atomically removes session s from the session pool and invalidates s.
 // If isExpire == true, the removal is triggered by session expiration and in
 // such cases, only idle sessions can be removed.
-func (p *sessionPool) remove(s *session, isExpire bool) bool {
+func (p *sessionPool) remove(s *session, isExpire bool, wasInUse bool) bool {
 	p.mu.Lock()
 	defer p.mu.Unlock()
 	if isExpire && (p.numOpened <= p.MinOpened || s.getIdleList() == nil) {
@@ -1153,7 +1153,7 @@ func (p *sessionPool) remove(s *session, isExpire bool) bool {
 		// Decrease the number of opened sessions.
 		p.numOpened--
 		// Decrease the number of sessions in use, only when not from idle list.
-		if !isExpire {
+		if wasInUse {
 			p.decNumInUseLocked(ctx)
 		}
 		p.recordStat(ctx, OpenSessionCount, int64(p.numOpened))
@@ -1458,12 +1458,12 @@ func (hc *healthChecker) healthCheck(s *session) {
 	defer hc.markDone(s)
 	if !s.pool.isValid() {
 		// Session pool is closed, perform a garbage collection.
-		s.destroy(false)
+		s.destroy(false, true)
 		return
 	}
 	if err := s.ping(); isSessionNotFoundError(err) {
 		// Ping failed, destroy the session.
-		s.destroy(false)
+		s.destroy(false, true)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1645,7 +1645,7 @@ func (hc *healthChecker) shrinkPool(ctx context.Context, shrinkToNumSessions uin
 		if s != nil {
 			deleted++
 			// destroy session as expire.
-			s.destroy(true)
+			s.destroy(true, false)
 		} else {
 			break
 		}
diff --git a/spanner/session_test.go b/spanner/session_test.go
index 3743c2eb4ca2..849c7adb8549 100644
--- a/spanner/session_test.go
+++ b/spanner/session_test.go
@@ -997,7 +997,7 @@ func TestMinOpenedSessions(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Simulate session expiration.
 	for _, s := range ss {
-		s.destroy(true)
+		s.destroy(true, false)
 	}
 
 	// Wait until the maintainer has had a chance to replenish the pool.
@@ -1048,16 +1048,15 @@ func TestPositiveNumInUseSessions(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, sh := range shs {
 		sh.recycle()
 	}
-
-	for true {
+	waitFor(t, func() error {
 		sp.mu.Lock()
 		if sp.idleList.Len() == 1 {
 			sp.mu.Unlock()
-			break
+			return errInvalidSessionPool
 		}
 		sp.mu.Unlock()
-		continue
-	}
+		return nil
+	})
 	sp.mu.Lock()
 	defer sp.mu.Unlock()
 	if int64(sp.numInUse) < 0 {
@@ -1065,11 +1064,8 @@ func TestPositiveNumInUseSessions(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	// There should be still one session left in either the idle list or in one
 	// of the other opened states due to the min open sessions constraint.
-	if (sp.idleList.Len() +
-		int(sp.createReqs)) != 1 {
-		t.Fatalf(
-			"got %v sessions in idle lists, want 1. Opened: %d, Creation: %d",
-			sp.idleList.Len(), sp.numOpened, sp.createReqs)
+	if sp.idleList.Len() != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("got %v sessions in idle lists, want 1. Opened: %d, Creation: %d", sp.idleList.Len(), sp.numOpened, sp.createReqs)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1196,11 +1192,11 @@ func TestSessionDestroy(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	s := sh.session
 	sh.recycle()
-	if d := s.destroy(true); d || !s.isValid() {
-		// Session should be remaining because of min open sessions constraint.
+	if d := s.destroy(true, false); d || !s.isValid() {
+		// Session should be remaining because of min open session's constraint.
 		t.Fatalf("session %s invalid, want it to stay alive. (destroy in expiration mode, success: %v)", s.id, d)
 	}
-	if d := s.destroy(false); !d || s.isValid() {
+	if d := s.destroy(false, true); !d || s.isValid() {
 		// Session should be destroyed.
 		t.Fatalf("failed to destroy session %s. (destroy in default mode, success: %v)", s.id, d)
 	}