diff --git a/cmd/evm/main.go b/cmd/evm/main.go
index 6c39cf8b8..a59cb1fb8 100644
--- a/cmd/evm/main.go
+++ b/cmd/evm/main.go
@@ -86,10 +86,6 @@ var (
 		Name:  "create",
 		Usage: "indicates the action should be create rather than call",
 	}
-	DisableGasMeteringFlag = cli.BoolFlag{
-		Name:  "nogasmetering",
-		Usage: "disable gas metering",
-	}
 	GenesisFlag = cli.StringFlag{
 		Name:  "prestate",
 		Usage: "JSON file with prestate (genesis) config",
@@ -128,7 +124,6 @@ func init() {
 		ValueFlag,
 		DumpFlag,
 		InputFlag,
-		DisableGasMeteringFlag,
 		MemProfileFlag,
 		CPUProfileFlag,
 		StatDumpFlag,
diff --git a/cmd/evm/runner.go b/cmd/evm/runner.go
index a9a2e5420..8a7399840 100644
--- a/cmd/evm/runner.go
+++ b/cmd/evm/runner.go
@@ -161,9 +161,8 @@ func runCmd(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 		GasPrice: utils.GlobalBig(ctx, PriceFlag.Name),
 		Value:    utils.GlobalBig(ctx, ValueFlag.Name),
 		EVMConfig: vm.Config{
-			Tracer:             tracer,
-			Debug:              ctx.GlobalBool(DebugFlag.Name) || ctx.GlobalBool(MachineFlag.Name),
-			DisableGasMetering: ctx.GlobalBool(DisableGasMeteringFlag.Name),
+			Tracer: tracer,
+			Debug:  ctx.GlobalBool(DebugFlag.Name) || ctx.GlobalBool(MachineFlag.Name),
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/core/vm/interpreter.go b/core/vm/interpreter.go
index e12dd7e5a..95490adfc 100644
--- a/core/vm/interpreter.go
+++ b/core/vm/interpreter.go
@@ -37,8 +37,6 @@ type Config struct {
 	// NoRecursion disabled Interpreter call, callcode,
 	// delegate call and create.
 	NoRecursion bool
-	// Disable gas metering
-	DisableGasMetering bool
 	// Enable recording of SHA3/keccak preimages
 	EnablePreimageRecording bool
 	// JumpTable contains the EVM instruction table. This
@@ -189,14 +187,11 @@ func (in *Interpreter) Run(contract *Contract, input []byte) (ret []byte, err er
 				return nil, errGasUintOverflow
 			}
 		}
-
-		if !in.cfg.DisableGasMetering {
-			// consume the gas and return an error if not enough gas is available.
-			// cost is explicitly set so that the capture state defer method cas get the proper cost
-			cost, err = operation.gasCost(in.gasTable, in.evm, contract, stack, mem, memorySize)
-			if err != nil || !contract.UseGas(cost) {
-				return nil, ErrOutOfGas
-			}
+		// consume the gas and return an error if not enough gas is available.
+		// cost is explicitly set so that the capture state defer method cas get the proper cost
+		cost, err = operation.gasCost(in.gasTable, in.evm, contract, stack, mem, memorySize)
+		if err != nil || !contract.UseGas(cost) {
+			return nil, ErrOutOfGas
 		}
 		if memorySize > 0 {
 			mem.Resize(memorySize)
diff --git a/internal/ethapi/api.go b/internal/ethapi/api.go
index 20a060e72..e49244404 100644
--- a/internal/ethapi/api.go
+++ b/internal/ethapi/api.go
@@ -611,7 +611,7 @@ type CallArgs struct {
 	Data     hexutil.Bytes   `json:"data"`
 }
 
-func (s *PublicBlockChainAPI) doCall(ctx context.Context, args CallArgs, blockNr rpc.BlockNumber, vmCfg vm.Config) ([]byte, uint64, bool, error) {
+func (s *PublicBlockChainAPI) doCall(ctx context.Context, args CallArgs, blockNr rpc.BlockNumber, vmCfg vm.Config, timeout time.Duration) ([]byte, uint64, bool, error) {
 	defer func(start time.Time) { log.Debug("Executing EVM call finished", "runtime", time.Since(start)) }(time.Now())
 
 	state, header, err := s.b.StateAndHeaderByNumber(ctx, blockNr)
@@ -630,7 +630,7 @@ func (s *PublicBlockChainAPI) doCall(ctx context.Context, args CallArgs, blockNr
 	// Set default gas & gas price if none were set
 	gas, gasPrice := uint64(args.Gas), args.GasPrice.ToInt()
 	if gas == 0 {
-		gas = 50000000
+		gas = math.MaxUint64 / 2
 	}
 	if gasPrice.Sign() == 0 {
 		gasPrice = new(big.Int).SetUint64(defaultGasPrice)
@@ -642,14 +642,14 @@ func (s *PublicBlockChainAPI) doCall(ctx context.Context, args CallArgs, blockNr
 	// Setup context so it may be cancelled the call has completed
 	// or, in case of unmetered gas, setup a context with a timeout.
 	var cancel context.CancelFunc
-	if vmCfg.DisableGasMetering {
-		ctx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(ctx, time.Second*5)
+	if timeout > 0 {
+		ctx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(ctx, timeout)
 	} else {
 		ctx, cancel = context.WithCancel(ctx)
 	}
 	// Make sure the context is cancelled when the call has completed
 	// this makes sure resources are cleaned up.
-	defer func() { cancel() }()
+	defer cancel()
 
 	// Get a new instance of the EVM.
 	evm, vmError, err := s.b.GetEVM(ctx, msg, state, header, vmCfg)
@@ -676,7 +676,7 @@ func (s *PublicBlockChainAPI) doCall(ctx context.Context, args CallArgs, blockNr
 // Call executes the given transaction on the state for the given block number.
 // It doesn't make and changes in the state/blockchain and is useful to execute and retrieve values.
 func (s *PublicBlockChainAPI) Call(ctx context.Context, args CallArgs, blockNr rpc.BlockNumber) (hexutil.Bytes, error) {
-	result, _, _, err := s.doCall(ctx, args, blockNr, vm.Config{DisableGasMetering: true})
+	result, _, _, err := s.doCall(ctx, args, blockNr, vm.Config{}, 5*time.Second)
 	return (hexutil.Bytes)(result), err
 }
 
@@ -705,7 +705,7 @@ func (s *PublicBlockChainAPI) EstimateGas(ctx context.Context, args CallArgs) (h
 	executable := func(gas uint64) bool {
 		args.Gas = hexutil.Uint64(gas)
 
-		_, _, failed, err := s.doCall(ctx, args, rpc.PendingBlockNumber, vm.Config{})
+		_, _, failed, err := s.doCall(ctx, args, rpc.PendingBlockNumber, vm.Config{}, 0)
 		if err != nil || failed {
 			return false
 		}