diff --git a/go/vt/vtctl/reparentutil/emergency_reparenter_test.go b/go/vt/vtctl/reparentutil/emergency_reparenter_test.go
index 887dbd22671..9f97fdb6c29 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtctl/reparentutil/emergency_reparenter_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtctl/reparentutil/emergency_reparenter_test.go
@@ -1816,70 +1816,10 @@ func TestEmergencyReparenter_reparentShardLocked(t *testing.T) {
 			emergencyReparentOps: EmergencyReparentOptions{
 				ExpectedPrimaryAlias: &topodatapb.TabletAlias{
 					Cell: "zone1",
-					Uid:  102,
-				},
-			},
-			tmc: &testutil.TabletManagerClient{
-				PopulateReparentJournalResults: map[string]error{
-					"zone1-0000000102": nil,
-				},
-				PromoteReplicaResults: map[string]struct {
-					Result string
-					Error  error
-				}{
-					"zone1-0000000102": {
-						Result: "ok",
-						Error:  nil,
-					},
-				},
-				SetReplicationSourceResults: map[string]error{
-					"zone1-0000000100": nil,
-					"zone1-0000000101": nil,
-				},
-				StopReplicationAndGetStatusResults: map[string]struct {
-					StopStatus *replicationdatapb.StopReplicationStatus
-					Error      error
-				}{
-					"zone1-0000000100": {
-						StopStatus: &replicationdatapb.StopReplicationStatus{
-							Before: &replicationdatapb.Status{IoState: int32(replication.ReplicationStateRunning), SqlState: int32(replication.ReplicationStateRunning)},
-							After: &replicationdatapb.Status{
-								SourceUuid:       "3E11FA47-71CA-11E1-9E33-C80AA9429562",
-								RelayLogPosition: "MySQL56/3E11FA47-71CA-11E1-9E33-C80AA9429562:1-21",
-							},
-						},
-					},
-					"zone1-0000000101": {
-						StopStatus: &replicationdatapb.StopReplicationStatus{
-							Before: &replicationdatapb.Status{IoState: int32(replication.ReplicationStateRunning), SqlState: int32(replication.ReplicationStateRunning)},
-							After: &replicationdatapb.Status{
-								SourceUuid:       "3E11FA47-71CA-11E1-9E33-C80AA9429562",
-								RelayLogPosition: "MySQL56/3E11FA47-71CA-11E1-9E33-C80AA9429562:1-21",
-							},
-						},
-					},
-					"zone1-0000000102": {
-						StopStatus: &replicationdatapb.StopReplicationStatus{
-							Before: &replicationdatapb.Status{IoState: int32(replication.ReplicationStateRunning), SqlState: int32(replication.ReplicationStateRunning)},
-							After: &replicationdatapb.Status{
-								SourceUuid:       "3E11FA47-71CA-11E1-9E33-C80AA9429562",
-								RelayLogPosition: "MySQL56/3E11FA47-71CA-11E1-9E33-C80AA9429562:1-26",
-							},
-						},
-					},
-				},
-				WaitForPositionResults: map[string]map[string]error{
-					"zone1-0000000100": {
-						"MySQL56/3E11FA47-71CA-11E1-9E33-C80AA9429562:1-21": nil,
-					},
-					"zone1-0000000101": {
-						"MySQL56/3E11FA47-71CA-11E1-9E33-C80AA9429562:1-21": nil,
-					},
-					"zone1-0000000102": {
-						"MySQL56/3E11FA47-71CA-11E1-9E33-C80AA9429562:1-26": nil,
-					},
+					Uid:  101,
 				},
 			},
+			tmc: &testutil.TabletManagerClient{},
 			shards: []*vtctldatapb.Shard{
 				{
 					Keyspace: "testkeyspace",
@@ -1912,22 +1852,12 @@ func TestEmergencyReparenter_reparentShardLocked(t *testing.T) {
 					Keyspace: "testkeyspace",
 					Shard:    "-",
 				},
-				{
-					Alias: &topodatapb.TabletAlias{
-						Cell: "zone1",
-						Uid:  102,
-					},
-					Type:     topodatapb.TabletType_REPLICA,
-					Keyspace: "testkeyspace",
-					Shard:    "-",
-					Hostname: "proposed primary",
-				},
 			},
 			keyspace:         "testkeyspace",
 			shard:            "-",
 			cells:            []string{"zone1"},
 			shouldErr:        true,
-			errShouldContain: "primary zone1-0000000100 is not equal to expected alias zone1-0000000102",
+			errShouldContain: "primary zone1-0000000100 is not equal to expected alias zone1-0000000101",
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/go/vt/vtctl/reparentutil/planned_reparenter_flaky_test.go b/go/vt/vtctl/reparentutil/planned_reparenter_flaky_test.go
index d1bbe417528..7edcd65b6d6 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtctl/reparentutil/planned_reparenter_flaky_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtctl/reparentutil/planned_reparenter_flaky_test.go
@@ -2518,8 +2518,9 @@ func TestPlannedReparenter_reparentShardLocked(t *testing.T) {
 		shard    string
 		opts     PlannedReparentOptions
 
-		shouldErr     bool
-		expectedEvent *events.Reparent
+		shouldErr        bool
+		errShouldContain string
+		expectedEvent    *events.Reparent
 	}{
 		{
 			name: "success: current primary cannot be determined", // "Case (1)"
@@ -3299,23 +3300,7 @@ func TestPlannedReparenter_reparentShardLocked(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			name: "expected primary mismatch",
-			tmc: &testutil.TabletManagerClient{
-				GetGlobalStatusVarsResults: map[string]struct {
-					Statuses map[string]string
-					Error    error
-				}{
-					"zone1-0000000200": {
-						Statuses: map[string]string{
-							InnodbBufferPoolsDataVar: "123",
-						},
-					},
-					"zone1-0000000100": {
-						Statuses: map[string]string{
-							InnodbBufferPoolsDataVar: "123",
-						},
-					},
-				},
-			},
+			tmc:  &testutil.TabletManagerClient{},
 			shards: []*vtctldatapb.Shard{
 				{
 					Keyspace: "testkeyspace",
@@ -3360,9 +3345,9 @@ func TestPlannedReparenter_reparentShardLocked(t *testing.T) {
 					Uid:  200,
 				},
 			},
-
-			shouldErr:     true,
-			expectedEvent: nil,
+			shouldErr:        true,
+			errShouldContain: "primary zone1-0000000100 is not equal to expected alias zone1-0000000200",
+			expectedEvent:    nil,
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -3410,7 +3395,9 @@ func TestPlannedReparenter_reparentShardLocked(t *testing.T) {
 			err := pr.reparentShardLocked(ctx, tt.ev, tt.keyspace, tt.shard, tt.opts)
 			if tt.shouldErr {
 				assert.Error(t, err)
-
+				if tt.errShouldContain != "" {
+					assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), tt.errShouldContain)
+				}
 				return
 			}