diff --git a/clientv3/integration/watch_test.go b/clientv3/integration/watch_test.go
index f5e6deda6..0bb9ebb32 100644
--- a/clientv3/integration/watch_test.go
+++ b/clientv3/integration/watch_test.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"reflect"
 	"sort"
-	"sync/atomic"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -381,11 +380,11 @@ func testWatchWithProgressNotify(t *testing.T, watchOnPut bool) {
 	defer testutil.AfterTest(t)
 
 	// accelerate report interval so test terminates quickly
-	oldpi := v3rpc.ProgressReportIntervalMilliseconds
+	oldpi := v3rpc.GetProgressReportInterval()
 	// using atomics to avoid race warnings
-	atomic.StoreInt32(&v3rpc.ProgressReportIntervalMilliseconds, 3*1000)
+	v3rpc.SetProgressReportInterval(3 * time.Second)
 	pi := 3 * time.Second
-	defer func() { v3rpc.ProgressReportIntervalMilliseconds = oldpi }()
+	defer func() { v3rpc.SetProgressReportInterval(oldpi) }()
 
 	clus := integration.NewClusterV3(t, &integration.ClusterConfig{Size: 3})
 	defer clus.Terminate(t)
diff --git a/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/watch.go b/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/watch.go
index d7f4ea842..2f380a58d 100644
--- a/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/watch.go
+++ b/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/watch.go
@@ -42,12 +42,25 @@ func NewWatchServer(s *etcdserver.EtcdServer) pb.WatchServer {
 }
 
 var (
-	// expose for testing purpose. External test can change this to a
-	// small value to finish fast. The type is int32 instead of time.Duration
-	// in order to placate the race detector by setting the value with atomic stores.
-	ProgressReportIntervalMilliseconds = int32(10 * 60 * 1000) // 10 minutes
+	// External test can read this with GetProgressReportInterval()
+	// and change this to a small value to finish fast with
+	// SetProgressReportInterval().
+	progressReportInterval   = 10 * time.Minute
+	progressReportIntervalMu sync.RWMutex
 )
 
+func GetProgressReportInterval() time.Duration {
+	progressReportIntervalMu.RLock()
+	defer progressReportIntervalMu.RUnlock()
+	return progressReportInterval
+}
+
+func SetProgressReportInterval(newTimeout time.Duration) {
+	progressReportIntervalMu.Lock()
+	defer progressReportIntervalMu.Unlock()
+	progressReportInterval = newTimeout
+}
+
 const (
 	// We send ctrl response inside the read loop. We do not want
 	// send to block read, but we still want ctrl response we sent to
@@ -166,7 +179,7 @@ func (sws *serverWatchStream) sendLoop() {
 	// watch responses pending on a watch id creation message
 	pending := make(map[storage.WatchID][]*pb.WatchResponse)
 
-	interval := time.Duration(ProgressReportIntervalMilliseconds) * time.Millisecond
+	interval := GetProgressReportInterval()
 	progressTicker := time.NewTicker(interval)
 	defer progressTicker.Stop()
 
diff --git a/integration/v3_watch_test.go b/integration/v3_watch_test.go
index 083926012..50f6cab3a 100644
--- a/integration/v3_watch_test.go
+++ b/integration/v3_watch_test.go
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ import (
 	"reflect"
 	"sort"
 	"sync"
-	"sync/atomic"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -924,11 +923,11 @@ func waitResponse(wc pb.Watch_WatchClient, timeout time.Duration) (bool, *pb.Wat
 
 func TestWatchWithProgressNotify(t *testing.T) {
 	// accelerate report interval so test terminates quickly
-	oldpi := v3rpc.ProgressReportIntervalMilliseconds
+	oldpi := v3rpc.GetProgressReportInterval()
 	// using atomics to avoid race warnings
-	atomic.StoreInt32(&v3rpc.ProgressReportIntervalMilliseconds, 3*1000)
+	v3rpc.SetProgressReportInterval(3 * time.Second)
 	testInterval := 3 * time.Second
-	defer func() { v3rpc.ProgressReportIntervalMilliseconds = oldpi }()
+	defer func() { v3rpc.SetProgressReportInterval(oldpi) }()
 
 	defer testutil.AfterTest(t)
 	clus := NewClusterV3(t, &ClusterConfig{Size: 3})