diff --git a/go/vt/discovery/healthcheck.go b/go/vt/discovery/healthcheck.go
index 9d17005d0ad..6640fabc8bf 100644
--- a/go/vt/discovery/healthcheck.go
+++ b/go/vt/discovery/healthcheck.go
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"hash/crc32"
+	"math"
 	"net/http"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
@@ -448,10 +449,16 @@ func (hc *HealthCheckImpl) deleteTablet(tablet *topodata.Tablet) {
 				continue
 			}
 			delete(ths, tabletAlias)
-			// delete from healthy list
+
 			healthy, ok := hc.healthy[key]
 			if ok && len(healthy) > 0 {
-				hc.recomputeHealthy(key)
+				if tabletType == topodata.TabletType_PRIMARY {
+					// If tablet type is primary, we should only have one tablet in the healthy list.
+					hc.recomputeHealthyPrimary(key)
+				} else {
+					// Simply recompute the list of healthy tablets for all other tablet types.
+					hc.recomputeHealthy(key)
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}()
@@ -579,6 +586,25 @@ func (hc *HealthCheckImpl) recomputeHealthy(key KeyspaceShardTabletType) {
 	hc.healthy[key] = FilterStatsByReplicationLag(allArray)
 }
 
+// Recompute the healthy primary tablet for the given key.
+func (hc *HealthCheckImpl) recomputeHealthyPrimary(key KeyspaceShardTabletType) {
+	highestPrimaryTermStartTime := int64(math.MinInt64)
+	var newestPrimary *TabletHealth
+
+	for _, s := range hc.healthData[key] {
+		if s.PrimaryTermStartTime >= highestPrimaryTermStartTime {
+			highestPrimaryTermStartTime = s.PrimaryTermStartTime
+			newestPrimary = s
+		}
+	}
+
+	if newestPrimary != nil {
+		hc.healthy[key] = []*TabletHealth{newestPrimary}
+	} else {
+		hc.healthy[key] = []*TabletHealth{}
+	}
+}
+
 // Subscribe adds a listener. Used by vtgate buffer to learn about primary changes.
 func (hc *HealthCheckImpl) Subscribe() chan *TabletHealth {
 	hc.subMu.Lock()
@@ -680,6 +706,11 @@ func (hc *HealthCheckImpl) GetHealthyTabletStats(target *query.Target) []*Tablet
 	var result []*TabletHealth
 	hc.mu.Lock()
 	defer hc.mu.Unlock()
+
+	if (target.TabletType == topodata.TabletType_PRIMARY) && len(hc.healthy[KeyFromTarget(target)]) > 1 {
+		log.Warningf("[BUG] GetHealthyTabletStats called for primary tablet type, but returning more than one primary tablet")
+	}
+
 	return append(result, hc.healthy[KeyFromTarget(target)]...)
 }
 
diff --git a/go/vt/discovery/healthcheck_test.go b/go/vt/discovery/healthcheck_test.go
index 07350a0a64a..1080ebef095 100644
--- a/go/vt/discovery/healthcheck_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/discovery/healthcheck_test.go
@@ -777,6 +777,125 @@ func TestRemoveTablet(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Empty(t, a, "wrong result, expected empty list")
 }
 
+// When an external primary failover is performed,
+// the demoted primary will advertise itself as a `PRIMARY`
+// tablet until it recognizes that it was demoted,
+// and until all in-flight operations have either finished
+// (successfully or unsuccessfully, see `--shutdown_grace_period` flag).
+//
+// During this time, operations like `RemoveTablet` should not lead
+// to multiple tablets becoming valid targets for `PRIMARY`.
+func TestRemoveTabletDuringExternalReparenting(t *testing.T) {
+	// reset error counters
+	hcErrorCounters.ResetAll()
+	ts := memorytopo.NewServer("cell")
+	defer ts.Close()
+	hc := createTestHc(ts)
+	// close healthcheck
+	defer hc.Close()
+
+	firstTablet := createTestTablet(0, "cell", "a")
+	firstTablet.Type = topodatapb.TabletType_PRIMARY
+
+	secondTablet := createTestTablet(1, "cell", "b")
+	secondTablet.Type = topodatapb.TabletType_REPLICA
+
+	thirdTablet := createTestTablet(2, "cell", "c")
+	thirdTablet.Type = topodatapb.TabletType_REPLICA
+
+	firstTabletHealthStream := make(chan *querypb.StreamHealthResponse)
+	firstTabletConn := createFakeConn(firstTablet, firstTabletHealthStream)
+	firstTabletConn.errCh = make(chan error)
+
+	secondTabletHealthStream := make(chan *querypb.StreamHealthResponse)
+	secondTabletConn := createFakeConn(secondTablet, secondTabletHealthStream)
+	secondTabletConn.errCh = make(chan error)
+
+	thirdTabletHealthStream := make(chan *querypb.StreamHealthResponse)
+	thirdTabletConn := createFakeConn(thirdTablet, thirdTabletHealthStream)
+	thirdTabletConn.errCh = make(chan error)
+
+	resultChan := hc.Subscribe()
+
+	hc.AddTablet(firstTablet)
+	hc.AddTablet(secondTablet)
+	hc.AddTablet(thirdTablet)
+
+	<-resultChan
+	<-resultChan
+
+	firstTabletPrimaryTermStartTimestamp := time.Now().Unix() - 10
+
+	firstTabletHealthStream <- &querypb.StreamHealthResponse{
+		TabletAlias: firstTablet.Alias,
+		Target:      &querypb.Target{Keyspace: "k", Shard: "s", TabletType: topodatapb.TabletType_PRIMARY},
+		Serving:     true,
+
+		TabletExternallyReparentedTimestamp: firstTabletPrimaryTermStartTimestamp,
+		RealtimeStats:                       &querypb.RealtimeStats{ReplicationLagSeconds: 0, CpuUsage: 0.5},
+	}
+
+	secondTabletHealthStream <- &querypb.StreamHealthResponse{
+		TabletAlias: secondTablet.Alias,
+		Target:      &querypb.Target{Keyspace: "k", Shard: "s", TabletType: topodatapb.TabletType_REPLICA},
+		Serving:     true,
+
+		TabletExternallyReparentedTimestamp: 0,
+		RealtimeStats:                       &querypb.RealtimeStats{ReplicationLagSeconds: 1, CpuUsage: 0.5},
+	}
+
+	thirdTabletHealthStream <- &querypb.StreamHealthResponse{
+		TabletAlias: thirdTablet.Alias,
+		Target:      &querypb.Target{Keyspace: "k", Shard: "s", TabletType: topodatapb.TabletType_REPLICA},
+		Serving:     true,
+
+		TabletExternallyReparentedTimestamp: 0,
+		RealtimeStats:                       &querypb.RealtimeStats{ReplicationLagSeconds: 1, CpuUsage: 0.5},
+	}
+
+	<-resultChan
+	<-resultChan
+	<-resultChan
+
+	secondTabletPrimaryTermStartTimestamp := time.Now().Unix()
+
+	// Simulate a failover
+	firstTabletHealthStream <- &querypb.StreamHealthResponse{
+		TabletAlias: firstTablet.Alias,
+		Target:      &querypb.Target{Keyspace: "k", Shard: "s", TabletType: topodatapb.TabletType_PRIMARY},
+		Serving:     true,
+
+		TabletExternallyReparentedTimestamp: firstTabletPrimaryTermStartTimestamp,
+		RealtimeStats:                       &querypb.RealtimeStats{ReplicationLagSeconds: 0, CpuUsage: 0.5},
+	}
+
+	secondTabletHealthStream <- &querypb.StreamHealthResponse{
+		TabletAlias: secondTablet.Alias,
+		Target:      &querypb.Target{Keyspace: "k", Shard: "s", TabletType: topodatapb.TabletType_PRIMARY},
+		Serving:     true,
+
+		TabletExternallyReparentedTimestamp: secondTabletPrimaryTermStartTimestamp,
+		RealtimeStats:                       &querypb.RealtimeStats{ReplicationLagSeconds: 0, CpuUsage: 0.5},
+	}
+
+	<-resultChan
+	<-resultChan
+
+	hc.RemoveTablet(thirdTablet)
+
+	// `secondTablet` should be the primary now
+	expectedTabletStats := []*TabletHealth{{
+		Tablet:               secondTablet,
+		Target:               &querypb.Target{Keyspace: "k", Shard: "s", TabletType: topodatapb.TabletType_PRIMARY},
+		Serving:              true,
+		Stats:                &querypb.RealtimeStats{ReplicationLagSeconds: 0, CpuUsage: 0.5},
+		PrimaryTermStartTime: secondTabletPrimaryTermStartTimestamp,
+	}}
+
+	actualTabletStats := hc.GetHealthyTabletStats(&querypb.Target{Keyspace: "k", Shard: "s", TabletType: topodatapb.TabletType_PRIMARY})
+	mustMatch(t, expectedTabletStats, actualTabletStats, "unexpected result")
+}
+
 // TestGetHealthyTablets tests the functionality of GetHealthyTabletStats.
 func TestGetHealthyTablets(t *testing.T) {
 	ts := memorytopo.NewServer("cell")