diff --git a/xds/internal/balancer/clusterimpl/clusterimpl.go b/xds/internal/balancer/clusterimpl/clusterimpl.go
index e1a18ae338d3..d316d6a62a91 100644
--- a/xds/internal/balancer/clusterimpl/clusterimpl.go
+++ b/xds/internal/balancer/clusterimpl/clusterimpl.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import (
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/balancer"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/connectivity"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/internal"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/internal/balancer/gracefulswitch"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/internal/buffer"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/internal/grpclog"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/internal/grpcsync"
@@ -69,6 +70,7 @@ func (bb) Build(cc balancer.ClientConn, bOpts balancer.BuildOptions) balancer.Ba
 		requestCountMax: defaultRequestCountMax,
 	}
 	b.logger = prefixLogger(b)
+	b.child = gracefulswitch.NewBalancer(b, bOpts)
 	go b.run()
 	b.logger.Infof("Created")
 	return b
@@ -102,7 +104,7 @@ type clusterImplBalancer struct {
 	xdsClient xdsclient.XDSClient
 
 	config           *LBConfig
-	childLB          balancer.Balancer
+	child            *gracefulswitch.Balancer
 	cancelLoadReport func()
 	edsServiceName   string
 	lrsServer        *bootstrap.ServerConfig
@@ -251,31 +253,19 @@ func (b *clusterImplBalancer) UpdateClientConnState(s balancer.ClientConnState)
 		return err
 	}
 
-	// If child policy is a different type, recreate the sub-balancer.
 	if b.config == nil || b.config.ChildPolicy.Name != newConfig.ChildPolicy.Name {
-		if b.childLB != nil {
-			b.childLB.Close()
+		if err := b.child.SwitchTo(bb); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("error switching to child of type %q: %v", newConfig.ChildPolicy.Name, err)
 		}
-		b.childLB = bb.Build(b, b.bOpts)
 	}
 	b.config = newConfig
 
-	if b.childLB == nil {
-		// This is not an expected situation, and should be super rare in
-		// practice.
-		//
-		// When this happens, we already applied all the other configurations
-		// (drop/circuit breaking), but there's no child policy. This balancer
-		// will be stuck, and we report the error to the parent.
-		return fmt.Errorf("child policy is nil, this means balancer %q's Build() returned nil", newConfig.ChildPolicy.Name)
-	}
-
 	// Notify run() of this new config, in case drop and request counter need
 	// update (which means a new picker needs to be generated).
 	b.pickerUpdateCh.Put(newConfig)
 
 	// Addresses and sub-balancer config are sent to sub-balancer.
-	return b.childLB.UpdateClientConnState(balancer.ClientConnState{
+	return b.child.UpdateClientConnState(balancer.ClientConnState{
 		ResolverState:  s.ResolverState,
 		BalancerConfig: b.config.ChildPolicy.Config,
 	})
@@ -286,10 +276,7 @@ func (b *clusterImplBalancer) ResolverError(err error) {
 		b.logger.Warningf("xds: received resolver error {%+v} after clusterImplBalancer was closed", err)
 		return
 	}
-
-	if b.childLB != nil {
-		b.childLB.ResolverError(err)
-	}
+	b.child.ResolverError(err)
 }
 
 func (b *clusterImplBalancer) UpdateSubConnState(sc balancer.SubConn, s balancer.SubConnState) {
@@ -318,9 +305,7 @@ func (b *clusterImplBalancer) UpdateSubConnState(sc balancer.SubConn, s balancer
 		}
 	}
 	b.scWrappersMu.Unlock()
-	if b.childLB != nil {
-		b.childLB.UpdateSubConnState(sc, s)
-	}
+	b.child.UpdateSubConnState(sc, s)
 }
 
 func (b *clusterImplBalancer) Close() {
@@ -328,29 +313,15 @@ func (b *clusterImplBalancer) Close() {
 	b.closed.Fire()
 	b.mu.Unlock()
 
-	if b.childLB != nil {
-		b.childLB.Close()
-		b.childLB = nil
-		b.childState = balancer.State{}
-	}
+	b.child.Close()
+	b.childState = balancer.State{}
 	b.pickerUpdateCh.Close()
 	<-b.done.Done()
 	b.logger.Infof("Shutdown")
 }
 
 func (b *clusterImplBalancer) ExitIdle() {
-	if b.childLB == nil {
-		return
-	}
-	if ei, ok := b.childLB.(balancer.ExitIdler); ok {
-		ei.ExitIdle()
-		return
-	}
-	// Fallback for children that don't support ExitIdle -- connect to all
-	// SubConns.
-	for _, sc := range b.scWrappers {
-		sc.Connect()
-	}
+	b.child.ExitIdle()
 }
 
 // Override methods to accept updates from the child LB.