diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/tabletgateway.go b/go/vt/vtgate/tabletgateway.go
index 5499716c4da..d50e8936ae9 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/tabletgateway.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/tabletgateway.go
@@ -309,6 +309,7 @@ func (gw *TabletGateway) withRetry(ctx context.Context, target *querypb.Target,
 				// if primary is serving, but we initially found no tablet, we're in an inconsistent state
 				// we then retry the entire loop
 				if primary != nil {
+					err = vterrors.Errorf(vtrpcpb.Code_UNAVAILABLE, "inconsistent state detected, primary is serving but initially found no available tablet")
 					continue
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/tabletgateway_flaky_test.go b/go/vt/vtgate/tabletgateway_flaky_test.go
index 67140e47910..b9f4acae64b 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/tabletgateway_flaky_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/tabletgateway_flaky_test.go
@@ -233,3 +233,83 @@ outer:
 		t.Fatalf("timed out waiting for query to execute")
 	}
 }
+
+// TestInconsistentStateDetectedBuffering simulates the case where we have used up all our buffering retries and in the
+// last attempt we are in an inconsistent state. Meaning that we initially thought that there are no available tablets
+// but after a moment the primary is found to be serving.
+// This is inconsistent and we want to fail properly. This scenario used to panic since no error and no results were
+// returned.
+func TestInconsistentStateDetectedBuffering(t *testing.T) {
+	bufferImplementation = "keyspace_events"
+	buffer.SetBufferingModeInTestingEnv(true)
+	defer func() {
+		buffer.SetBufferingModeInTestingEnv(false)
+		bufferImplementation = "healthcheck"
+	}()
+
+	keyspace := "ks1"
+	shard := "-80"
+	tabletType := topodatapb.TabletType_PRIMARY
+	host := "1.1.1.1"
+	port := int32(1001)
+	target := &querypb.Target{
+		Keyspace:   keyspace,
+		Shard:      shard,
+		TabletType: tabletType,
+	}
+
+	ts := &fakeTopoServer{}
+	// create a new fake health check. We want to check the buffering code which uses Subscribe, so we must also pass a channel
+	hc := discovery.NewFakeHealthCheck(make(chan *discovery.TabletHealth))
+	// create a new tablet gateway
+	tg := NewTabletGateway(context.Background(), hc, ts, "cell")
+
+	tg.retryCount = 0
+
+	// add a primary tabelt which is serving
+	sbc := hc.AddTestTablet("cell", host, port, keyspace, shard, tabletType, true, 10, nil)
+
+	// add a result to the sandbox connection
+	sqlResult1 := &sqltypes.Result{
+		Fields: []*querypb.Field{{
+			Name: "col1",
+			Type: sqltypes.VarChar,
+		}},
+		RowsAffected: 1,
+		Rows: [][]sqltypes.Value{{
+			sqltypes.MakeTrusted(sqltypes.VarChar, []byte("bb")),
+		}},
+	}
+	sbc.SetResults([]*sqltypes.Result{sqlResult1})
+
+	// get the primary and replica tablet from the fake health check
+	tablets := hc.GetAllTablets()
+	var primaryTablet *topodatapb.Tablet
+
+	for _, tablet := range tablets {
+		if tablet.Type == topodatapb.TabletType_PRIMARY {
+			primaryTablet = tablet
+		}
+	}
+	require.NotNil(t, primaryTablet)
+	hc.SetServing(primaryTablet, true)
+	hc.Broadcast(primaryTablet)
+	hc.SetServing(primaryTablet, false)
+
+	var res *sqltypes.Result
+	var err error
+	queryChan := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		res, err = tg.Execute(context.Background(), target, "query", nil, 0, 0, nil)
+		queryChan <- struct{}{}
+	}()
+
+	select {
+	case <-queryChan:
+		require.Nil(t, res)
+		require.Error(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, "target: ks1.-80.primary: inconsistent state detected, primary is serving but initially found no available tablet", err.Error())
+	case <-time.After(15 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatalf("timed out waiting for query to execute")
+	}
+}