diff --git a/be/src/exec/catalog-op-executor.cc b/be/src/exec/catalog-op-executor.cc
index 985928a..0691d30 100644
--- a/be/src/exec/catalog-op-executor.cc
+++ b/be/src/exec/catalog-op-executor.cc
@@ -375,9 +375,13 @@
   if (FLAGS_inject_latency_before_catalog_fetch_ms > 0) {
     SleepForMs(FLAGS_inject_latency_before_catalog_fetch_ms);
   }
+  // Non-table requests are lightweight requests that won't be blocked by table loading
+  // or table locks. Note that when loading table list of a db, the type is DB.
+  auto client_cache_ptr = (req.object_desc.type == TCatalogObjectType::TABLE) ?
+      env_->catalogd_client_cache() : env_->catalogd_lightweight_req_client_cache();
   int attempt = 0; // Used for debug action only.
   CatalogServiceConnection::RpcStatus rpc_status =
-      CatalogServiceConnection::DoRpcWithRetry(env_->catalogd_client_cache(),
+      CatalogServiceConnection::DoRpcWithRetry(client_cache_ptr,
           *ExecEnv::GetInstance()->GetCatalogdAddress().get(),
           &CatalogServiceClientWrapper::GetPartialCatalogObject, req,
           FLAGS_catalog_client_connection_num_retries,
@@ -399,7 +403,8 @@
     TPrioritizeLoadResponse* result) {
   int attempt = 0; // Used for debug action only.
   CatalogServiceConnection::RpcStatus rpc_status =
-      CatalogServiceConnection::DoRpcWithRetry(env_->catalogd_client_cache(),
+      CatalogServiceConnection::DoRpcWithRetry(
+          env_->catalogd_lightweight_req_client_cache(),
           *ExecEnv::GetInstance()->GetCatalogdAddress().get(),
           &CatalogServiceClientWrapper::PrioritizeLoad, req,
           FLAGS_catalog_client_connection_num_retries,
@@ -427,7 +432,11 @@
   TUpdateTableUsageResponse* resp) {
   int attempt = 0; // Used for debug action only.
   CatalogServiceConnection::RpcStatus rpc_status =
-      CatalogServiceConnection::DoRpcWithRetry(env_->catalogd_client_cache(),
+      CatalogServiceConnection::DoRpcWithRetry(
+          // The operation doesn't require table lock in catalogd. It doesn't require
+          // the table being loaded neither. So we can use clients for lightweight
+          // requests.
+          env_->catalogd_lightweight_req_client_cache(),
           *ExecEnv::GetInstance()->GetCatalogdAddress().get(),
           &CatalogServiceClientWrapper::UpdateTableUsage, req,
           FLAGS_catalog_client_connection_num_retries,
@@ -441,7 +450,8 @@
     const TGetNullPartitionNameRequest& req, TGetNullPartitionNameResponse* result) {
   int attempt = 0; // Used for debug action only.
   CatalogServiceConnection::RpcStatus rpc_status =
-      CatalogServiceConnection::DoRpcWithRetry(env_->catalogd_client_cache(),
+      CatalogServiceConnection::DoRpcWithRetry(
+          env_->catalogd_lightweight_req_client_cache(),
           *ExecEnv::GetInstance()->GetCatalogdAddress().get(),
           &CatalogServiceClientWrapper::GetNullPartitionName, req,
           FLAGS_catalog_client_connection_num_retries,
@@ -455,7 +465,8 @@
     const TGetLatestCompactionsRequest& req, TGetLatestCompactionsResponse* result) {
   int attempt = 0; // Used for debug action only.
   CatalogServiceConnection::RpcStatus rpc_status =
-      CatalogServiceConnection::DoRpcWithRetry(env_->catalogd_client_cache(),
+      CatalogServiceConnection::DoRpcWithRetry(
+          env_->catalogd_lightweight_req_client_cache(),
           *ExecEnv::GetInstance()->GetCatalogdAddress().get(),
           &CatalogServiceClientWrapper::GetLatestCompactions, req,
           FLAGS_catalog_client_connection_num_retries,
diff --git a/be/src/runtime/client-cache.cc b/be/src/runtime/client-cache.cc
index fdf44c1..c1936a2 100644
--- a/be/src/runtime/client-cache.cc
+++ b/be/src/runtime/client-cache.cc
@@ -233,17 +233,24 @@
   }
 }
 
-void ClientCacheHelper::InitMetrics(MetricGroup* metrics, const string& key_prefix) {
+void ClientCacheHelper::InitMetrics(MetricGroup* metrics, const string& key_prefix,
+    const string& key_appendix) {
   DCHECK(metrics != NULL);
   // Not strictly needed if InitMetrics is called before any cache usage, but ensures that
   // metrics_enabled_ is published.
   lock_guard<mutex> lock(cache_lock_);
   stringstream count_ss;
   count_ss << key_prefix << ".client-cache.clients-in-use";
+  if (!key_appendix.empty()) {
+    count_ss << "-" << key_appendix;
+  }
   clients_in_use_metric_ = metrics->AddGauge(count_ss.str(), 0);
 
   stringstream max_ss;
   max_ss << key_prefix << ".client-cache.total-clients";
+  if (!key_appendix.empty()) {
+    max_ss << "-" << key_appendix;
+  }
   total_clients_metric_ = metrics->AddGauge(max_ss.str(), 0);
   metrics_enabled_ = true;
 }
diff --git a/be/src/runtime/client-cache.h b/be/src/runtime/client-cache.h
index 018c366..cb80e0b 100644
--- a/be/src/runtime/client-cache.h
+++ b/be/src/runtime/client-cache.h
@@ -123,7 +123,8 @@
 
   /// Creates two metrics for this cache measuring the number of clients currently used,
   /// and the total number in the cache.
-  void InitMetrics(MetricGroup* metrics, const std::string& key_prefix);
+  void InitMetrics(MetricGroup* metrics, const std::string& key_prefix,
+      const std::string& key_appendix);
 
  private:
   template <class T> friend class ClientCache;
@@ -447,8 +448,9 @@
   /// metrics have keys that are prefixed by the key_prefix argument
   /// (which should not end in a period).
   /// Must be called before the cache is used, otherwise the metrics might be wrong
-  void InitMetrics(MetricGroup* metrics, const std::string& key_prefix) {
-    client_cache_helper_.InitMetrics(metrics, key_prefix);
+  void InitMetrics(MetricGroup* metrics, const std::string& key_prefix,
+      const std::string& key_appendix = "") {
+    client_cache_helper_.InitMetrics(metrics, key_prefix, key_appendix);
   }
 
  private:
diff --git a/be/src/runtime/exec-env.cc b/be/src/runtime/exec-env.cc
index d0430dd..fb1ed73 100644
--- a/be/src/runtime/exec-env.cc
+++ b/be/src/runtime/exec-env.cc
@@ -161,8 +161,13 @@
 
 DEFINE_int32(catalog_client_connection_num_retries, 10, "The number of times connections "
     "or RPCs to the catalog should be retried.");
-DEFINE_int32(catalog_client_rpc_timeout_ms, 0, "(Advanced) The underlying TSocket "
-    "send/recv timeout in milliseconds for a catalog client RPC.");
+DEFINE_int32(catalog_client_rpc_timeout_ms, 36000000, "(Advanced) The underlying TSocket "
+    "send/recv timeout in milliseconds for a catalog client RPC. The default is 10 hours."
+    " Operations take longer than this are usually abnormal and hanging.");
+DEFINE_int32(catalog_lightweight_rpc_timeout_ms, 1800000, "(Advanced) The underlying "
+    "TSocket send/recv timeout in milliseconds for a lightweight catalog RPC which "
+    "shouldn't take long in catalogd, e.g. fetching db/table list. The default is 30 "
+    "minutes which is long enough to tolerate TCP timeout due to retransmission.");
 DEFINE_int32(catalog_client_rpc_retry_interval_ms, 3000, "(Advanced) The time to wait "
     "before retrying when the catalog RPC client fails to connect to catalogd or when "
     "RPCs to the catalogd fail.");
@@ -225,6 +230,10 @@
     catalogd_client_cache_(new CatalogServiceClientCache(1, 0,
         FLAGS_catalog_client_rpc_timeout_ms, FLAGS_catalog_client_rpc_timeout_ms, "",
         !FLAGS_ssl_client_ca_certificate.empty())),
+    catalogd_lightweight_req_client_cache_(new CatalogServiceClientCache(1, 0,
+        FLAGS_catalog_lightweight_rpc_timeout_ms,
+        FLAGS_catalog_lightweight_rpc_timeout_ms, "",
+        !FLAGS_ssl_client_ca_certificate.empty())),
     htable_factory_(new HBaseTableFactory()),
     disk_io_mgr_(new io::DiskIoMgr()),
     webserver_(new Webserver(FLAGS_webserver_interface, webserver_port, metrics_.get())),
@@ -429,6 +438,8 @@
     RETURN_IF_ERROR(metrics_webserver_->Start());
   }
   catalogd_client_cache_->InitMetrics(metrics_.get(), "catalog.server");
+  catalogd_lightweight_req_client_cache_->InitMetrics(
+      metrics_.get(), "catalog.server", "for-lightweight-rpc");
   RETURN_IF_ERROR(RegisterMemoryMetrics(
       metrics_.get(), true, buffer_reservation_.get(), buffer_pool_.get()));
   // Initialize impalad metrics
diff --git a/be/src/runtime/exec-env.h b/be/src/runtime/exec-env.h
index 53f8f68..3a87df6 100644
--- a/be/src/runtime/exec-env.h
+++ b/be/src/runtime/exec-env.h
@@ -127,6 +127,9 @@
   CatalogServiceClientCache* catalogd_client_cache() {
     return catalogd_client_cache_.get();
   }
+  CatalogServiceClientCache* catalogd_lightweight_req_client_cache() {
+    return catalogd_lightweight_req_client_cache_.get();
+  }
   HBaseTableFactory* htable_factory() { return htable_factory_.get(); }
   io::DiskIoMgr* disk_io_mgr() { return disk_io_mgr_.get(); }
   Webserver* webserver() { return webserver_.get(); }
@@ -232,6 +235,7 @@
   boost::scoped_ptr<AdmissionController> admission_controller_;
   boost::scoped_ptr<StatestoreSubscriber> statestore_subscriber_;
   boost::scoped_ptr<CatalogServiceClientCache> catalogd_client_cache_;
+  boost::scoped_ptr<CatalogServiceClientCache> catalogd_lightweight_req_client_cache_;
   boost::scoped_ptr<HBaseTableFactory> htable_factory_;
   boost::scoped_ptr<io::DiskIoMgr> disk_io_mgr_;
   boost::scoped_ptr<Webserver> webserver_;
diff --git a/common/thrift/metrics.json b/common/thrift/metrics.json
index 7cfc5d1..5cbd478 100644
--- a/common/thrift/metrics.json
+++ b/common/thrift/metrics.json
@@ -522,6 +522,26 @@
     "key": "catalog.server.client-cache.total-clients"
   },
   {
+    "description": "The number of clients currently in use by the Catalog Server client cache for lightweight RPC.",
+    "contexts": [
+      "IMPALAD"
+    ],
+    "label": "Catalog Server Client Cache Clients In Use for lightweight RPC",
+    "units": "NONE",
+    "kind": "GAUGE",
+    "key": "catalog.server.client-cache.clients-in-use-for-lightweight-rpc"
+  },
+  {
+    "description": "The total number of clients in the Catalog Server client cache for lightweight RPC.",
+    "contexts": [
+      "IMPALAD"
+    ],
+    "label": "Catalog Server Client Cache Total Clients for lightweight RPC",
+    "units": "NONE",
+    "kind": "GAUGE",
+    "key": "catalog.server.client-cache.total-clients-for-lightweight-rpc"
+  },
+  {
     "description": "The full version string of the Catalog Server.",
     "contexts": [
       "CATALOGSERVER"
diff --git a/tests/custom_cluster/test_local_catalog.py b/tests/custom_cluster/test_local_catalog.py
index d958cd7..93a587a 100644
--- a/tests/custom_cluster/test_local_catalog.py
+++ b/tests/custom_cluster/test_local_catalog.py
@@ -560,6 +560,20 @@
     finally:
       client.close()
 
+  @pytest.mark.execute_serially
+  @CustomClusterTestSuite.with_args(
+      impalad_args="--use_local_catalog=true",
+      catalogd_args="--catalog_topic_mode=minimal")
+  def test_lightweight_rpc_metrics(self):
+    """Verify catalogd client cache for lightweight RPCs is used correctly"""
+    # Fetching the db and table list should be lightweight requests
+    self.execute_query("describe database functional")
+    self.execute_query("show tables in functional")
+    impalad = self.cluster.impalads[0].service
+    assert 0 == impalad.get_metric_value("catalog.server.client-cache.total-clients")
+    assert 1 == impalad.get_metric_value(
+        "catalog.server.client-cache.total-clients-for-lightweight-rpc")
+
 
 class TestFullAcid(CustomClusterTestSuite):
   @classmethod
diff --git a/tests/custom_cluster/test_restart_services.py b/tests/custom_cluster/test_restart_services.py
index cd0f765..bc9e803 100644
--- a/tests/custom_cluster/test_restart_services.py
+++ b/tests/custom_cluster/test_restart_services.py
@@ -118,6 +118,9 @@
       self.wait_for_state(handle, QueryState.EXCEPTION, 20, client=client)
 
   @pytest.mark.execute_serially
+  @CustomClusterTestSuite.with_args(
+      catalogd_args="--catalog_topic_mode=minimal",
+      impalad_args="--use_local_catalog=true")
   def test_catalog_connection_retries(self):
     """Test that connections to the catalogd are retried, both new connections and cached
     connections."""