diff --git a/bigtable/google/cloud/bigtable/client.py b/bigtable/google/cloud/bigtable/client.py
index 88dc5681af72..c105ed6d4b80 100644
--- a/bigtable/google/cloud/bigtable/client.py
+++ b/bigtable/google/cloud/bigtable/client.py
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@
 """Scope for reading table data."""
 
 # NOTE: 'grpc.max_message_length' will no longer be recognized in
-# grpcio 1.1 and later.
+#       grpcio 1.1 and later.
 _MAX_MSG_LENGTH_100MB = 100 * 1024 * 1024
 _GRPC_MAX_LENGTH_OPTIONS = (
     ('grpc.max_message_length', _MAX_MSG_LENGTH_100MB),
diff --git a/system_tests/bigtable.py b/system_tests/bigtable.py
index 5c03487f8dc1..6b0c992a2338 100644
--- a/system_tests/bigtable.py
+++ b/system_tests/bigtable.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 from google.cloud.bigtable.row_data import Cell
 from google.cloud.bigtable.row_data import PartialRowData
 from google.cloud.environment_vars import BIGTABLE_EMULATOR
+from grpc._channel import _Rendezvous
 
 from retry import RetryErrors
 from retry import RetryResult
@@ -378,23 +379,22 @@ def test_read_large_cells_over_limit(self):
         row = self._table.row(ROW_KEY)
         self.rows_to_delete.append(row)
 
-        data = '1' * 51 * 1024 * 1024  # 51MB.
+        data = b'1' * 51 * 1024 * 1024  # 51MB.
         row.set_cell(COLUMN_FAMILY_ID1, COL_NAME1, data)
         row.commit()
         row.set_cell(COLUMN_FAMILY_ID1, COL_NAME1, data)
         row.commit()
 
-        with self.assertRaises(Exception):
+        with self.assertRaises(_Rendezvous):
             partial_row_data = self._table.read_row(ROW_KEY)
 
-
     def test_read_large_cell_over_limit(self):
         row = self._table.row(ROW_KEY)
         self.rows_to_delete.append(row)
 
-        data = '1' * 101 * 1024 * 1024  # 11MB of 1's.
+        data = b'1' * 101 * 1024 * 1024  # 101MB of 1's.
         row.set_cell(COLUMN_FAMILY_ID1, COL_NAME1, data)
-        with self.assertRaises(Exception):
+        with self.assertRaises(_Rendezvous):
             row.commit()
 
     def test_read_row(self):