diff --git a/go/vt/vtctl/vtctl.go b/go/vt/vtctl/vtctl.go
index 273fcfebe94..dce59a78c3c 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtctl/vtctl.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtctl/vtctl.go
@@ -1340,11 +1340,6 @@ func commandWaitForFilteredReplication(ctx context.Context, wr *wrangler.Wrangle
 		"Specifies the maximum delay, in seconds, the filtered replication of the"+
 			" given destination shard should lag behind the source shard. When"+
 			" higher, the command will block and wait for the delay to decrease.")
-	// In case of automated reshardings, a tablet may still report itself as
-	// unhealthy e.g. because CopySchemaShard wasn't run yet and the db doesn't
-	// exist yet.
-	allowedHealthErrorsInARow := subFlags.Int("allowed_health_errors_in_a_row", 3,
-		"Limit of observed health errors in a row after which the command will fail and no longer wait for the tablet to become healthy.")
 
 	if err := subFlags.Parse(args); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -1376,6 +1371,13 @@ func commandWaitForFilteredReplication(ctx context.Context, wr *wrangler.Wrangle
 		return fmt.Errorf("cannot get EndPoint for master tablet record: %v record: %v", err, tabletInfo)
 	}
 
+	// Always run an explicit healthcheck first to make sure we don't see any outdated values.
+	// This is especially true for tests and automation where there is no pause of multiple seconds
+	// between commands and the periodic healthcheck did not run again yet.
+	if err := wr.TabletManagerClient().RunHealthCheck(ctx, tabletInfo, pb.TabletType_REPLICA); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to run explicit healthcheck on tablet: %v err: %v", tabletInfo, err)
+	}
+
 	// pass in a non-UNKNOWN tablet type to not use sessionId
 	conn, err := tabletconn.GetDialer()(ctx, ep, "", "", pb.TabletType_MASTER, 30*time.Second)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -1387,7 +1389,6 @@ func commandWaitForFilteredReplication(ctx context.Context, wr *wrangler.Wrangle
 		return fmt.Errorf("could not stream health records from tablet: %v err: %v", alias, err)
 	}
 	var lastSeenDelay int
-	healthErrorsInARow := 0
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-ctx.Done():
@@ -1401,19 +1402,8 @@ func commandWaitForFilteredReplication(ctx context.Context, wr *wrangler.Wrangle
 				return fmt.Errorf("health record does not include RealtimeStats message. tablet: %v health record: %v", alias, shr)
 			}
 			if stats.HealthError != "" {
-				healthErrorsInARow++
-				if healthErrorsInARow >= *allowedHealthErrorsInARow {
-					return fmt.Errorf("tablet is not healthy. tablet: %v health record: %v", alias, shr)
-				}
-				wr.Logger().Printf("Tablet is not healthy. Waiting for %v more health"+
-					" record(s) before the command will fail."+
-					" tablet: %v health record: %v\n",
-					(*allowedHealthErrorsInARow - healthErrorsInARow), alias, shr)
-				continue
-			} else {
-				healthErrorsInARow = 0
+				return fmt.Errorf("tablet is not healthy. tablet: %v health record: %v", alias, shr)
 			}
-
 			if stats.BinlogPlayersCount == 0 {
 				return fmt.Errorf("no filtered replication running on tablet: %v health record: %v", alias, shr)
 			}
diff --git a/go/vt/wrangler/testlib/wait_for_filtered_replication_test.go b/go/vt/wrangler/testlib/wait_for_filtered_replication_test.go
index 33e73509542..a94aa008ec2 100644
--- a/go/vt/wrangler/testlib/wait_for_filtered_replication_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/wrangler/testlib/wait_for_filtered_replication_test.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/net/context"
 
 	"github.com/youtube/vitess/go/vt/logutil"
+	"github.com/youtube/vitess/go/vt/tabletmanager"
 	"github.com/youtube/vitess/go/vt/tabletmanager/tmclient"
 	"github.com/youtube/vitess/go/vt/tabletserver"
 	"github.com/youtube/vitess/go/vt/tabletserver/grpcqueryservice"
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@ func TestWaitForFilteredReplication_noFilteredReplication(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 // TestWaitForFilteredReplication_unhealthy checks that
-// vtctl WaitForFilteredReplication fails eventually when a tablet is not healthy.
+// vtctl WaitForFilteredReplication fails when a tablet is not healthy.
 func TestWaitForFilteredReplication_unhealthy(t *testing.T) {
 	unhealthy := &pbq.RealtimeStats{
 		HealthError: "WaitForFilteredReplication: unhealthy test",
@@ -94,6 +95,14 @@ func waitForFilteredReplication(t *testing.T, expectedErr string, initialStats *
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	wr.SetSourceShards(ctx, keyspace, destShard, []*pbt.TabletAlias{source.Tablet.GetAlias()}, nil)
 
+	// Set a BinlogPlayerMap to avoid a nil panic when the explicit RunHealthCheck
+	// is called by WaitForFilteredReplication.
+	// Note that for this test we don't mock the BinlogPlayerMap i.e. although
+	// its state says no filtered replication is running, the code under test will
+	// observe otherwise because we call SqlQuery.BroadcastHealth() directly and
+	// skip going through the tabletmanager's agent.
+	dest.Agent.BinlogPlayerMap = tabletmanager.NewBinlogPlayerMap(ts, nil, nil)
+
 	// Use real, but trimmed down QueryService.
 	testConfig := tabletserver.DefaultQsConfig
 	testConfig.EnablePublishStats = false