diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index 53822adc..e9bc68ef 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -10,12 +10,11 @@ import (
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"net"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
-	gzk "github.com/go-zookeeper/zk"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
-
 	"github.com/tsuna/gohbase/compression"
 	"github.com/tsuna/gohbase/hrpc"
 	"github.com/tsuna/gohbase/pb"
@@ -99,15 +98,15 @@ type client struct {
 	closeOnce sync.Once
 
 	newRegionClientFn func(string, region.ClientType, int, time.Duration,
-		string, time.Duration, compression.Codec, region.Dialer) hrpc.RegionClient
+		string, time.Duration, compression.Codec, func(ctx context.Context, network, addr string) (net.Conn, error)) hrpc.RegionClient
 
 	compressionCodec compression.Codec
 
-	// zkDialer is passed through to Zk Connect() to configure custom connection settings
-	zkDialer gzk.Dialer
+	// zkDialer is used in the zkClient to connect to the quorum
+	zkDialer func(ctx context.Context, network, addr string) (net.Conn, error)
 	// regionDialer is passed into the region client to connect to hbase in a custom way,
 	// such as SOCKS proxy.
-	regionDialer region.Dialer
+	regionDialer func(ctx context.Context, network, addr string) (net.Conn, error)
 }
 
 // NewClient creates a new HBase client.
@@ -279,7 +278,7 @@ func CompressionCodec(codec string) Option {
 // ZooKeeperDialer will return an option to pass the given dialer function
 // into the ZooKeeper client Connect() call, which allows for customizing
 // network connections.
-func ZooKeeperDialer(dialer gzk.Dialer) Option {
+func ZooKeeperDialer(dialer func(ctx context.Context, network, addr string) (net.Conn, error)) Option {
 	return func(c *client) {
 		c.zkDialer = dialer
 	}
@@ -287,7 +286,7 @@ func ZooKeeperDialer(dialer gzk.Dialer) Option {
 
 // RegionDialer will return an option that uses the specified Dialer for
 // connecting to region servers. This allows for connecting through proxies.
-func RegionDialer(dialer region.Dialer) Option {
+func RegionDialer(dialer func(ctx context.Context, network, addr string) (net.Conn, error)) Option {
 	return func(c *client) {
 		c.regionDialer = dialer
 	}
diff --git a/mockrc_test.go b/mockrc_test.go
index 5d819c09..c35ecf0c 100644
--- a/mockrc_test.go
+++ b/mockrc_test.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"net"
 	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
@@ -177,7 +178,7 @@ func init() {
 
 func newMockRegionClient(addr string, ctype region.ClientType, queueSize int,
 	flushInterval time.Duration, effectiveUser string,
-	readTimeout time.Duration, codec compression.Codec, dialer region.Dialer) hrpc.RegionClient {
+	readTimeout time.Duration, codec compression.Codec, dialer func(ctx context.Context, network, addr string) (net.Conn, error)) hrpc.RegionClient {
 	m.Lock()
 	clients[addr]++
 	m.Unlock()
diff --git a/region/client.go b/region/client.go
index ec5580fc..acd15703 100644
--- a/region/client.go
+++ b/region/client.go
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ type client struct {
 	compressor *compressor
 
 	// dialer is used to connect to region servers in non-standard ways
-	dialer Dialer
+	dialer func(ctx context.Context, network, addr string) (net.Conn, error)
 }
 
 // QueueRPC will add an rpc call to the queue for processing by the writer goroutine
diff --git a/region/new.go b/region/new.go
index ea34b0a4..4ed37f2f 100644
--- a/region/new.go
+++ b/region/new.go
@@ -18,16 +18,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/tsuna/gohbase/hrpc"
 )
 
-// Dialer is used to connect to region servers. net.Dialer conforms to this
-// interface, which is just the subset of it that we use.
-type Dialer interface {
-	DialContext(ctx context.Context, net, addr string) (net.Conn, error)
-}
-
 // NewClient creates a new RegionClient.
 func NewClient(addr string, ctype ClientType, queueSize int, flushInterval time.Duration,
 	effectiveUser string, readTimeout time.Duration, codec compression.Codec,
-	dialer Dialer) hrpc.RegionClient {
+	dialer func(ctx context.Context, network, addr string) (net.Conn, error)) hrpc.RegionClient {
 	c := &client{
 		addr:          addr,
 		ctype:         ctype,
@@ -48,7 +42,7 @@ func NewClient(addr string, ctype ClientType, queueSize int, flushInterval time.
 		c.dialer = dialer
 	} else {
 		var d net.Dialer
-		c.dialer = &d
+		c.dialer = d.DialContext
 	}
 
 	return c
@@ -57,7 +51,7 @@ func NewClient(addr string, ctype ClientType, queueSize int, flushInterval time.
 func (c *client) Dial(ctx context.Context) error {
 	c.dialOnce.Do(func() {
 		var err error
-		c.conn, err = c.dialer.DialContext(ctx, "tcp", c.addr)
+		c.conn, err = c.dialer(ctx, "tcp", c.addr)
 		if err != nil {
 			c.fail(fmt.Errorf("failed to dial RegionServer: %s", err))
 			return
diff --git a/rpc.go b/rpc.go
index 0654fe30..e9166a38 100644
--- a/rpc.go
+++ b/rpc.go
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
-
 	"github.com/tsuna/gohbase/hrpc"
 	"github.com/tsuna/gohbase/internal/observability"
 	"github.com/tsuna/gohbase/region"
diff --git a/rpc_test.go b/rpc_test.go
index e3eb9692..b7bbe45c 100644
--- a/rpc_test.go
+++ b/rpc_test.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"math/rand"
+	"net"
 	"reflect"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
@@ -20,7 +21,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/golang/mock/gomock"
 	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
-
 	"github.com/tsuna/gohbase/compression"
 	"github.com/tsuna/gohbase/hrpc"
 	"github.com/tsuna/gohbase/pb"
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ func TestEstablishRegionDialFail(t *testing.T) {
 
 	newRegionClientFnCallCount := 0
 	c.newRegionClientFn = func(_ string, _ region.ClientType, _ int, _ time.Duration,
-		_ string, _ time.Duration, _ compression.Codec, _ region.Dialer) hrpc.RegionClient {
+		_ string, _ time.Duration, _ compression.Codec, _ func(ctx context.Context, network, addr string) (net.Conn, error)) hrpc.RegionClient {
 		var rc hrpc.RegionClient
 		if newRegionClientFnCallCount == 0 {
 			rc = rcFailDial
diff --git a/zk/client.go b/zk/client.go
index 75abfd5f..2687199b 100644
--- a/zk/client.go
+++ b/zk/client.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 package zk
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
@@ -58,11 +59,11 @@ type Client interface {
 type client struct {
 	zks            []string
 	sessionTimeout time.Duration
-	dialer         zk.Dialer
+	dialer         func(ctx context.Context, network, addr string) (net.Conn, error)
 }
 
 // NewClient establishes connection to zookeeper and returns the client
-func NewClient(zkquorum string, st time.Duration, dialer zk.Dialer) Client {
+func NewClient(zkquorum string, st time.Duration, dialer func(ctx context.Context, network, addr string) (net.Conn, error)) Client {
 	return &client{
 		zks:            strings.Split(zkquorum, ","),
 		sessionTimeout: st,
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ func (c *client) LocateResource(resource ResourceName) (string, error) {
 	var conn *zk.Conn
 	var err error
 	if c.dialer != nil {
-		conn, _, err = zk.Connect(c.zks, c.sessionTimeout, zk.WithDialer(c.dialer))
+		conn, _, err = zk.Connect(c.zks, c.sessionTimeout, zk.WithDialer(makeZKDialer(c.dialer)))
 	} else {
 		conn, _, err = zk.Connect(c.zks, c.sessionTimeout)
 	}
@@ -124,3 +125,11 @@ func (c *client) LocateResource(resource ResourceName) (string, error) {
 	}
 	return net.JoinHostPort(*server.HostName, fmt.Sprint(*server.Port)), nil
 }
+
+func makeZKDialer(ctxDialer func(ctx context.Context, network, addr string) (net.Conn, error)) zk.Dialer {
+	return func(network, addr string, timeout time.Duration) (net.Conn, error) {
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), timeout)
+		defer cancel()
+		return ctxDialer(ctx, network, addr)
+	}
+}