diff --git a/google/cloud/bigtable/row_data.py b/google/cloud/bigtable/row_data.py
index c37ef7723..e9589f717 100644
--- a/google/cloud/bigtable/row_data.py
+++ b/google/cloud/bigtable/row_data.py
@@ -329,6 +329,10 @@ class InvalidChunk(RuntimeError):
     """Exception raised to to invalid chunk data from back-end."""
 
 
+class InvalidRetryRequest(RuntimeError):
+    """Exception raised when retry request is invalid."""
+
+
 def _retry_read_rows_exception(exc):
     if isinstance(exc, grpc.RpcError):
         exc = exceptions.from_grpc_error(exc)
@@ -487,6 +491,9 @@ def __iter__(self):
                 if self.state != self.NEW_ROW:
                     raise ValueError("The row remains partial / is not committed.")
                 break
+            except InvalidRetryRequest:
+                self._cancelled = True
+                break
 
             for chunk in response.chunks:
                 if self._cancelled:
@@ -625,29 +632,38 @@ def __init__(self, message, last_scanned_key, rows_read_so_far):
 
     def build_updated_request(self):
         """Updates the given message request as per last scanned key"""
-        r_kwargs = {
-            "table_name": self.message.table_name,
-            "filter": self.message.filter,
-        }
+
+        resume_request = data_messages_v2_pb2.ReadRowsRequest()
+        data_messages_v2_pb2.ReadRowsRequest.CopyFrom(resume_request, self.message)
+        resume_request.rows.Clear()
 
         if self.message.rows_limit != 0:
-            r_kwargs["rows_limit"] = max(
-                1, self.message.rows_limit - self.rows_read_so_far
-            )
+            row_limit_remaining = self.message.rows_limit - self.rows_read_so_far
+            if row_limit_remaining > 0:
+                resume_request.rows_limit = row_limit_remaining
+            else:
+                raise InvalidRetryRequest
 
         # if neither RowSet.row_keys nor RowSet.row_ranges currently exist,
         # add row_range that starts with last_scanned_key as start_key_open
         # to request only rows that have not been returned yet
         if not self.message.HasField("rows"):
             row_range = data_v2_pb2.RowRange(start_key_open=self.last_scanned_key)
-            r_kwargs["rows"] = data_v2_pb2.RowSet(row_ranges=[row_range])
+            resume_request.rows.row_ranges.add().CopyFrom(row_range)
         else:
             row_keys = self._filter_rows_keys()
             row_ranges = self._filter_row_ranges()
-            r_kwargs["rows"] = data_v2_pb2.RowSet(
-                row_keys=row_keys, row_ranges=row_ranges
-            )
-        return data_messages_v2_pb2.ReadRowsRequest(**r_kwargs)
+
+            if len(row_keys) == 0 and len(row_ranges) == 0:
+                # Avoid sending empty row_keys and row_ranges
+                # if that was not the intention
+                raise InvalidRetryRequest
+
+            resume_request.rows.row_keys[:] = row_keys
+            for rr in row_ranges:
+                resume_request.rows.row_ranges.add().CopyFrom(rr)
+
+        return resume_request
 
     def _filter_rows_keys(self):
         """Helper for :meth:`build_updated_request`"""
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_row_data.py b/tests/unit/test_row_data.py
index 8b3f48b78..7a8065f56 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_row_data.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_row_data.py
@@ -855,7 +855,7 @@ def test_build_updated_request_full_table(self):
         request_manager = self._make_one(request, last_scanned_key, 2)
 
         result = request_manager.build_updated_request()
-        expected_result = _ReadRowsRequestPB(table_name=self.table_name, filter={})
+        expected_result = _ReadRowsRequestPB(table_name=self.table_name)
         expected_result.rows.row_ranges.add(start_key_open=last_scanned_key)
         self.assertEqual(expected_result, result)
 
@@ -940,9 +940,7 @@ def test_build_updated_request_rows_limit(self):
         request_manager = self._make_one(request, last_scanned_key, 2)
 
         result = request_manager.build_updated_request()
-        expected_result = _ReadRowsRequestPB(
-            table_name=self.table_name, filter={}, rows_limit=8
-        )
+        expected_result = _ReadRowsRequestPB(table_name=self.table_name, rows_limit=8)
         expected_result.rows.row_ranges.add(start_key_open=last_scanned_key)
         self.assertEqual(expected_result, result)