diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/dispatchers/dispatcher.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/dispatchers/dispatcher.ts
index 9215be6d89070..172a58368b278 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/dispatchers/dispatcher.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/dispatchers/dispatcher.ts
@@ -356,13 +356,10 @@ export class DispatcherConnection {
       type: dispatcher._type,
       method,
       params: params || {},
+      timeout: validMetadata.timeout,
       log: [],
     };
 
-    // TODO(skn0tt): promote to top-level metadata instead of smuggling through params.
-    if (validMetadata.timeout)
-      callMetadata.params = { ...callMetadata.params, timeout: validMetadata.timeout };
-
     const controller = dispatcher.createProgressController(callMetadata);
     this._activeProgressControllers.set(callMetadata.id, controller);
 
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/instrumentation.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/instrumentation.ts
index c5730e81a84fc..449782e268418 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/instrumentation.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/instrumentation.ts
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ export type CallMetadata = {
   type: string;
   method: string;
   params: any;
+  timeout?: number;
   title?: string;
   // Client is making an internal call that should not show up in
   // the inspector or trace.
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/trace/recorder/tracing.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/trace/recorder/tracing.ts
index 90a7018dac724..5fc90c8560c7d 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/trace/recorder/tracing.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/trace/recorder/tracing.ts
@@ -738,7 +738,7 @@ function createBeforeActionTraceEvent(metadata: CallMetadata, parentId?: string)
     title: metadata.title,
     class: metadata.type,
     method: metadata.method,
-    params: metadata.params,
+    params: metadata.timeout ? { ...metadata.params, timeout: metadata.timeout } : metadata.params,
     stepId: metadata.stepId,
     pageId: metadata.pageId,
   };