diff --git a/etcdctl/ctlv3/command/ep_command.go b/etcdctl/ctlv3/command/ep_command.go
index a1534b4df686..0b2067c3e633 100644
--- a/etcdctl/ctlv3/command/ep_command.go
+++ b/etcdctl/ctlv3/command/ep_command.go
@@ -85,9 +85,11 @@ func epHealthCommandFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 	ka := keepAliveTimeFromCmd(cmd)
 	kat := keepAliveTimeoutFromCmd(cmd)
 	auth := authCfgFromCmd(cmd)
+	maxCallSendMsgSize := maxSendBytesFromCmd(cmd)
+	maxCallRecvMsgSize := maxRecvBytesFromCmd(cmd)
 	cfgs := []*v3.Config{}
 	for _, ep := range endpointsFromCluster(cmd) {
-		cfg, err := newClientCfg([]string{ep}, dt, ka, kat, sec, auth)
+		cfg, err := newClientCfg([]string{ep}, dt, ka, kat, sec, auth, maxCallSendMsgSize, maxCallRecvMsgSize)
 		if err != nil {
 			ExitWithError(ExitBadArgs, err)
 		}
diff --git a/etcdctl/ctlv3/command/global.go b/etcdctl/ctlv3/command/global.go
index ce607e82a0a5..5f182e7ef7ca 100644
--- a/etcdctl/ctlv3/command/global.go
+++ b/etcdctl/ctlv3/command/global.go
@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@ type GlobalFlags struct {
 	KeepAliveTime      time.Duration
 	KeepAliveTimeout   time.Duration
 
+	MaxCallSendMsgSize int
+	MaxCallRecvMsgSize int
+
 	TLS transport.TLSInfo
 
 	OutputFormat string
@@ -93,12 +96,14 @@ func initDisplayFromCmd(cmd *cobra.Command) {
 }
 
 type clientConfig struct {
-	endpoints        []string
-	dialTimeout      time.Duration
-	keepAliveTime    time.Duration
-	keepAliveTimeout time.Duration
-	scfg             *secureCfg
-	acfg             *authCfg
+	endpoints          []string
+	dialTimeout        time.Duration
+	keepAliveTime      time.Duration
+	keepAliveTimeout   time.Duration
+	maxCallSendMsgSize int
+	maxCallRecvMsgSize int
+	scfg               *secureCfg
+	acfg               *authCfg
 }
 
 func clientConfigFromCmd(cmd *cobra.Command) *clientConfig {
@@ -127,6 +132,8 @@ func clientConfigFromCmd(cmd *cobra.Command) *clientConfig {
 	cfg.dialTimeout = dialTimeoutFromCmd(cmd)
 	cfg.keepAliveTime = keepAliveTimeFromCmd(cmd)
 	cfg.keepAliveTimeout = keepAliveTimeoutFromCmd(cmd)
+	cfg.maxCallSendMsgSize = maxSendBytesFromCmd(cmd)
+	cfg.maxCallRecvMsgSize = maxRecvBytesFromCmd(cmd)
 
 	cfg.scfg = secureCfgFromCmd(cmd)
 	cfg.acfg = authCfgFromCmd(cmd)
@@ -141,7 +148,7 @@ func mustClientFromCmd(cmd *cobra.Command) *clientv3.Client {
 }
 
 func (cc *clientConfig) mustClient() *clientv3.Client {
-	cfg, err := newClientCfg(cc.endpoints, cc.dialTimeout, cc.keepAliveTime, cc.keepAliveTimeout, cc.scfg, cc.acfg)
+	cfg, err := newClientCfg(cc.endpoints, cc.dialTimeout, cc.keepAliveTime, cc.keepAliveTimeout, cc.scfg, cc.acfg, cc.maxCallSendMsgSize, cc.maxCallRecvMsgSize)
 	if err != nil {
 		ExitWithError(ExitBadArgs, err)
 	}
@@ -154,7 +161,7 @@ func (cc *clientConfig) mustClient() *clientv3.Client {
 	return client
 }
 
-func newClientCfg(endpoints []string, dialTimeout, keepAliveTime, keepAliveTimeout time.Duration, scfg *secureCfg, acfg *authCfg) (*clientv3.Config, error) {
+func newClientCfg(endpoints []string, dialTimeout, keepAliveTime, keepAliveTimeout time.Duration, scfg *secureCfg, acfg *authCfg, maxCallSendMsgSize int, maxCallRecvMsgSize int) (*clientv3.Config, error) {
 	// set tls if any one tls option set
 	var cfgtls *transport.TLSInfo
 	tlsinfo := transport.TLSInfo{}
@@ -183,6 +190,8 @@ func newClientCfg(endpoints []string, dialTimeout, keepAliveTime, keepAliveTimeo
 		DialTimeout:          dialTimeout,
 		DialKeepAliveTime:    keepAliveTime,
 		DialKeepAliveTimeout: keepAliveTimeout,
+		MaxCallSendMsgSize:   maxCallSendMsgSize,
+		MaxCallRecvMsgSize:   maxCallRecvMsgSize,
 	}
 
 	if cfgtls != nil {
@@ -249,6 +258,22 @@ func keepAliveTimeoutFromCmd(cmd *cobra.Command) time.Duration {
 	return keepAliveTimeout
 }
 
+func maxSendBytesFromCmd(cmd *cobra.Command) int {
+	maxSendBytes, err := cmd.Flags().GetInt("max-send-bytes")
+	if err != nil {
+		ExitWithError(ExitError, err)
+	}
+	return maxSendBytes
+}
+
+func maxRecvBytesFromCmd(cmd *cobra.Command) int {
+	maxRecvBytes, err := cmd.Flags().GetInt("max-recv-bytes")
+	if err != nil {
+		ExitWithError(ExitError, err)
+	}
+	return maxRecvBytes
+}
+
 func secureCfgFromCmd(cmd *cobra.Command) *secureCfg {
 	cert, key, cacert := keyAndCertFromCmd(cmd)
 	insecureTr := insecureTransportFromCmd(cmd)
diff --git a/etcdctl/ctlv3/ctl.go b/etcdctl/ctlv3/ctl.go
index 8692084cfcdf..4e12c9750b7c 100644
--- a/etcdctl/ctlv3/ctl.go
+++ b/etcdctl/ctlv3/ctl.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 package ctlv3
 
 import (
+	"math"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/coreos/etcd/etcdctl/ctlv3/command"
@@ -55,6 +56,8 @@ func init() {
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().DurationVar(&globalFlags.CommandTimeOut, "command-timeout", defaultCommandTimeOut, "timeout for short running command (excluding dial timeout)")
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().DurationVar(&globalFlags.KeepAliveTime, "keepalive-time", defaultKeepAliveTime, "keepalive time for client connections")
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().DurationVar(&globalFlags.KeepAliveTimeout, "keepalive-timeout", defaultKeepAliveTimeOut, "keepalive timeout for client connections")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().IntVar(&globalFlags.MaxCallSendMsgSize, "max-send-bytes", 1.5*1024*1024, "client-side message send limits in bytes (default value is 1.5 MiB)")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().IntVar(&globalFlags.MaxCallRecvMsgSize, "max-recv-bytes", math.MaxInt32, "client-side message receive limits in bytes (default value is math.MaxInt32)")
 
 	// TODO: secure by default when etcd enables secure gRPC by default.
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&globalFlags.Insecure, "insecure-transport", true, "disable transport security for client connections")