diff --git a/src/viam/sdk/CMakeLists.txt b/src/viam/sdk/CMakeLists.txt
index 5136d59e5..7d44e638e 100644
--- a/src/viam/sdk/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/viam/sdk/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ target_sources(viamsdk
     robot/service.cpp
     rpc/dial.cpp
     rpc/server.cpp
+    rpc/private/viam_grpc_channel.cpp
     services/generic.cpp
     services/mlmodel.cpp
     services/motion.cpp
@@ -161,6 +162,7 @@ target_sources(viamsdk
       ../../viam/sdk/robot/client.hpp
       ../../viam/sdk/robot/service.hpp
       ../../viam/sdk/rpc/dial.hpp
+      ../../viam/sdk/rpc/message_sizes.hpp
       ../../viam/sdk/rpc/server.hpp
       ../../viam/sdk/services/generic.hpp
       ../../viam/sdk/services/mlmodel.hpp
diff --git a/src/viam/sdk/robot/client.cpp b/src/viam/sdk/robot/client.cpp
index 2f2038f6f..00f094453 100644
--- a/src/viam/sdk/robot/client.cpp
+++ b/src/viam/sdk/robot/client.cpp
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 #include <boost/log/trivial.hpp>
 #include <grpcpp/channel.h>
 #include <grpcpp/client_context.h>
-#include <grpcpp/create_channel.h>
 #include <grpcpp/grpcpp.h>
 #include <grpcpp/support/status.h>
 
@@ -26,6 +25,7 @@
 #include <viam/sdk/registry/registry.hpp>
 #include <viam/sdk/resource/resource.hpp>
 #include <viam/sdk/rpc/dial.hpp>
+#include <viam/sdk/rpc/private/viam_grpc_channel.hpp>
 #include <viam/sdk/services/service.hpp>
 
 namespace viam {
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ std::shared_ptr<RobotClient> RobotClient::at_local_socket(const std::string& add
     const std::string addr = "unix://" + address;
     const char* uri = addr.c_str();
     const std::shared_ptr<grpc::Channel> channel =
-        grpc::CreateChannel(uri, grpc::InsecureChannelCredentials());
+        sdk::impl::create_viam_channel(uri, grpc::InsecureChannelCredentials());
     auto viam_channel = std::make_shared<ViamChannel>(channel, address.c_str(), nullptr);
     std::shared_ptr<RobotClient> robot = RobotClient::with_channel(viam_channel, options);
     robot->should_close_channel_ = true;
diff --git a/src/viam/sdk/rpc/dial.cpp b/src/viam/sdk/rpc/dial.cpp
index 56cdd44e2..2f4cbaa8d 100644
--- a/src/viam/sdk/rpc/dial.cpp
+++ b/src/viam/sdk/rpc/dial.cpp
@@ -6,12 +6,12 @@
 #include <boost/none.hpp>
 #include <boost/optional.hpp>
 #include <grpcpp/channel.h>
-#include <grpcpp/create_channel.h>
 #include <grpcpp/security/credentials.h>
 
 #include <viam/api/robot/v1/robot.grpc.pb.h>
 #include <viam/api/robot/v1/robot.pb.h>
 #include <viam/sdk/common/exception.hpp>
+#include <viam/sdk/rpc/private/viam_grpc_channel.hpp>
 
 extern "C" void* init_rust_runtime();
 extern "C" int free_rust_runtime(void* ptr);
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ std::shared_ptr<ViamChannel> ViamChannel::dial(const char* uri,
     std::string address("unix://");
     address += socket_path;
     const std::shared_ptr<grpc::Channel> channel =
-        grpc::CreateChannel(address, grpc::InsecureChannelCredentials());
+        impl::create_viam_channel(address, grpc::InsecureChannelCredentials());
     const std::unique_ptr<viam::robot::v1::RobotService::Stub> st =
         viam::robot::v1::RobotService::NewStub(channel);
     return std::make_shared<ViamChannel>(channel, socket_path, ptr);
@@ -125,10 +125,10 @@ const boost::optional<DialOptions>& Options::dial_options() const {
 }
 
 Credentials::Credentials(std::string payload)
-    : type_("robot-location-secret"), payload_(std::move(payload)){};
+    : type_("robot-location-secret"), payload_(std::move(payload)) {}
 
 Credentials::Credentials(std::string type, std::string payload)
-    : type_(std::move(type)), payload_(std::move(payload)){};
+    : type_(std::move(type)), payload_(std::move(payload)) {}
 
 }  // namespace sdk
 }  // namespace viam
diff --git a/src/viam/sdk/rpc/message_sizes.hpp b/src/viam/sdk/rpc/message_sizes.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..11aec6380
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/viam/sdk/rpc/message_sizes.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#pragma once
+
+namespace viam {
+namespace sdk {
+
+/// Max message size used for server builder and channel arguments.
+constexpr int kMaxMessageSize = 1 << 25;
+
+}  // namespace sdk
+}  // namespace viam
diff --git a/src/viam/sdk/rpc/private/viam_grpc_channel.cpp b/src/viam/sdk/rpc/private/viam_grpc_channel.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..909ec6a55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/viam/sdk/rpc/private/viam_grpc_channel.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#include <viam/sdk/rpc/private/viam_grpc_channel.hpp>
+
+#include <grpcpp/create_channel.h>
+#include <grpcpp/support/channel_arguments.h>
+
+#include <viam/sdk/rpc/message_sizes.hpp>
+
+namespace viam {
+namespace sdk {
+namespace impl {
+
+std::shared_ptr<grpc::Channel> create_viam_channel(
+    const grpc::string& target, const std::shared_ptr<grpc::ChannelCredentials>& credentials) {
+    grpc::ChannelArguments args;
+    args.SetMaxSendMessageSize(kMaxMessageSize);
+    args.SetMaxReceiveMessageSize(kMaxMessageSize);
+
+    return grpc::CreateCustomChannel(target, credentials, args);
+}
+
+}  // namespace impl
+}  // namespace sdk
+}  // namespace viam
diff --git a/src/viam/sdk/rpc/private/viam_grpc_channel.hpp b/src/viam/sdk/rpc/private/viam_grpc_channel.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1f6989317
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/viam/sdk/rpc/private/viam_grpc_channel.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <memory>
+
+#include <grpcpp/channel.h>
+#include <grpcpp/security/credentials.h>
+
+namespace viam {
+namespace sdk {
+namespace impl {
+
+/// @brief Like grpc::CreateChannel, but returns a channel suitable for transmitting messages of
+/// size kMaxMessageSize.
+std::shared_ptr<grpc::Channel> create_viam_channel(
+    const grpc::string& target, const std::shared_ptr<grpc::ChannelCredentials>& credentials);
+
+}  // namespace impl
+}  // namespace sdk
+}  // namespace viam
diff --git a/src/viam/sdk/rpc/server.cpp b/src/viam/sdk/rpc/server.cpp
index 35346e24a..94bb72542 100644
--- a/src/viam/sdk/rpc/server.cpp
+++ b/src/viam/sdk/rpc/server.cpp
@@ -7,14 +7,15 @@
 
 #include <viam/sdk/common/exception.hpp>
 #include <viam/sdk/registry/registry.hpp>
+#include <viam/sdk/rpc/message_sizes.hpp>
 
 namespace viam {
 namespace sdk {
 
 Server::Server() : builder_(std::make_unique<grpc::ServerBuilder>()) {
-    builder_->SetMaxReceiveMessageSize(1 << 25);
-    builder_->SetMaxSendMessageSize(1 << 25);
-    builder_->SetMaxMessageSize(1 << 25);
+    builder_->SetMaxReceiveMessageSize(kMaxMessageSize);
+    builder_->SetMaxSendMessageSize(kMaxMessageSize);
+    builder_->SetMaxMessageSize(kMaxMessageSize);
     Registry::initialize();
     for (const auto& rr : Registry::registered_resource_servers()) {
         auto new_manager = std::make_shared<ResourceManager>();
diff --git a/src/viam/sdk/tests/mocks/camera_mocks.cpp b/src/viam/sdk/tests/mocks/camera_mocks.cpp
index 9fe9b5443..857936721 100644
--- a/src/viam/sdk/tests/mocks/camera_mocks.cpp
+++ b/src/viam/sdk/tests/mocks/camera_mocks.cpp
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ Camera::image_collection fake_raw_images() {
 Camera::point_cloud fake_point_cloud() {
     Camera::point_cloud point_cloud;
     point_cloud.mime_type = "pointcloud/pcd";
-    std::vector<unsigned char> bytes = {'a', 'b', 'c'};
+    std::vector<unsigned char> bytes(1 << 24, 'a');
     point_cloud.pc = bytes;
     return point_cloud;
 }
diff --git a/src/viam/sdk/tests/test_robot.cpp b/src/viam/sdk/tests/test_robot.cpp
index 5122bb8e0..f454389d6 100644
--- a/src/viam/sdk/tests/test_robot.cpp
+++ b/src/viam/sdk/tests/test_robot.cpp
@@ -52,9 +52,8 @@ void robot_client_to_mocks_pipeline(F&& test_case) {
 
     // Create a RobotClient to the MockRobotService over an established
     // in-process gRPC channel.
-    grpc::ChannelArguments args;
     auto test_server = TestServer(server);
-    auto grpc_channel = test_server.grpc_in_process_channel(args);
+    auto grpc_channel = test_server.grpc_in_process_channel();
     auto viam_channel = std::make_shared<ViamChannel>(grpc_channel, "", nullptr);
     auto client = RobotClient::with_channel(viam_channel, Options(0, boost::none));
 
diff --git a/src/viam/sdk/tests/test_utils.cpp b/src/viam/sdk/tests/test_utils.cpp
index 84d727226..e61062fba 100644
--- a/src/viam/sdk/tests/test_utils.cpp
+++ b/src/viam/sdk/tests/test_utils.cpp
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 #include <viam/sdk/common/proto_type.hpp>
 #include <viam/sdk/config/resource.hpp>
+#include <viam/sdk/rpc/message_sizes.hpp>
 #include <viam/sdk/spatialmath/geometry.hpp>
 #include <viam/sdk/spatialmath/orientation.hpp>
 #include <viam/sdk/spatialmath/orientation_types.hpp>
@@ -60,12 +61,14 @@ std::vector<GeometryConfig> fake_geometries() {
             std::move(capsule_config)};
 }
 
-TestServer::TestServer(std::shared_ptr<Server> sdk_server) : sdk_server_(sdk_server){};
+TestServer::TestServer(std::shared_ptr<Server> sdk_server) : sdk_server_(sdk_server) {}
 
 TestServer::~TestServer() = default;
 
-std::shared_ptr<grpc::Channel> TestServer::grpc_in_process_channel(
-    const grpc::ChannelArguments& args) {
+std::shared_ptr<grpc::Channel> TestServer::grpc_in_process_channel() {
+    grpc::ChannelArguments args;
+    args.SetMaxSendMessageSize(kMaxMessageSize);
+    args.SetMaxReceiveMessageSize(kMaxMessageSize);
     return sdk_server_->server_->InProcessChannel(args);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/viam/sdk/tests/test_utils.hpp b/src/viam/sdk/tests/test_utils.hpp
index 6b3b8eabf..0b0e31b7a 100644
--- a/src/viam/sdk/tests/test_utils.hpp
+++ b/src/viam/sdk/tests/test_utils.hpp
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ class TestServer {
     TestServer(std::shared_ptr<Server> sdk_server);
     ~TestServer();
 
-    std::shared_ptr<grpc::Channel> grpc_in_process_channel(const grpc::ChannelArguments& args);
+    std::shared_ptr<grpc::Channel> grpc_in_process_channel();
 
    private:
     std::shared_ptr<Server> sdk_server_;
@@ -58,9 +58,8 @@ void client_to_mock_pipeline(std::shared_ptr<Resource> mock, F&& test_case) {
 
     // Create a resource-specific client to the mock over an established
     // in-process gRPC channel.
-    grpc::ChannelArguments args;
     auto test_server = TestServer(server);
-    auto grpc_channel = test_server.grpc_in_process_channel(args);
+    auto grpc_channel = test_server.grpc_in_process_channel();
 
     auto resource_client = Registry::lookup_resource_client(API::get<ResourceType>())
                                ->create_rpc_client(mock->name(), std::move(grpc_channel));