diff --git a/go/vt/vtorc/inst/instance_dao.go b/go/vt/vtorc/inst/instance_dao.go
index 9e35e6e3e0b..916f4757722 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtorc/inst/instance_dao.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtorc/inst/instance_dao.go
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ func ReadTopologyInstanceBufferable(tabletAlias string, latency *stopwatch.Named
 		goto Cleanup
 	}
 
-	fs, err = fullStatus(tabletAlias)
+	fs, err = fullStatus(tablet)
 	if err != nil {
 		goto Cleanup
 	}
diff --git a/go/vt/vtorc/inst/tablet_dao.go b/go/vt/vtorc/inst/tablet_dao.go
index f48f2b97370..d4498e65239 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtorc/inst/tablet_dao.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtorc/inst/tablet_dao.go
@@ -44,11 +44,7 @@ func InitializeTMC() tmclient.TabletManagerClient {
 }
 
 // fullStatus gets the full status of the MySQL running in vttablet.
-func fullStatus(tabletAlias string) (*replicationdatapb.FullStatus, error) {
-	tablet, err := ReadTablet(tabletAlias)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
+func fullStatus(tablet *topodatapb.Tablet) (*replicationdatapb.FullStatus, error) {
 	tmcCtx, tmcCancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), topo.RemoteOperationTimeout)
 	defer tmcCancel()
 	return tmc.FullStatus(tmcCtx, tablet)