diff --git a/go/vt/topo/topoproto/shard.go b/go/vt/topo/topoproto/shard.go
index 00d5115c23e..282b9ec02c3 100644
--- a/go/vt/topo/topoproto/shard.go
+++ b/go/vt/topo/topoproto/shard.go
@@ -30,17 +30,6 @@ func ParseKeyspaceShard(param string) (string, string, error) {
 	return keySpaceShard[0], keySpaceShard[1], nil
 }
 
-// ParseKeyspaceOptionalShard parses a "keyspace/shard" string
-// and extracts the parts. If a shard is not specified, it's
-// returned as empty string.
-func ParseKeyspaceOptionalShard(keyspaceShard string) (string, string) {
-	last := strings.LastIndex(keyspaceShard, "/")
-	if last == -1 {
-		return keyspaceShard, ""
-	}
-	return keyspaceShard[:last], keyspaceShard[last+1:]
-}
-
 // SourceShardString returns a printable view of a SourceShard.
 func SourceShardString(source *topodatapb.Shard_SourceShard) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("SourceShard(%v,%v/%v)", source.Uid, source.Keyspace, source.Shard)
diff --git a/go/vt/topo/topoproto/shard_test.go b/go/vt/topo/topoproto/shard_test.go
index 22bc0d73810..ea8eb3313f4 100644
--- a/go/vt/topo/topoproto/shard_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/topo/topoproto/shard_test.go
@@ -31,36 +31,6 @@ func TestParseKeyspaceShard(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestParseKeyspaceOptionalShard(t *testing.T) {
-	testcases := []struct {
-		keyspaceShard string
-		keyspace      string
-		shard         string
-	}{{
-		keyspaceShard: "ks",
-		keyspace:      "ks",
-		shard:         "",
-	}, {
-		keyspaceShard: "/-80",
-		keyspace:      "",
-		shard:         "-80",
-	}, {
-		keyspaceShard: "ks/-80",
-		keyspace:      "ks",
-		shard:         "-80",
-	}, {
-		keyspaceShard: "ks/",
-		keyspace:      "ks",
-		shard:         "",
-	}}
-
-	for _, tcase := range testcases {
-		if keyspace, shard := ParseKeyspaceOptionalShard(tcase.keyspaceShard); keyspace != tcase.keyspace || shard != tcase.shard {
-			t.Errorf("parseKeyspaceShard(%s): %s:%s, want %s:%s", tcase.keyspaceShard, keyspace, shard, tcase.keyspace, tcase.shard)
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 func TestSourceShardAsHTML(t *testing.T) {
 	s := &topodatapb.Shard_SourceShard{
 		Uid:      123,
diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/vtgate.go b/go/vt/vtgate/vtgate.go
index bc493ff04f9..79d11e4f176 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/vtgate.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/vtgate.go
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/youtube/vitess/go/vt/vtgate/gateway"
 	"github.com/youtube/vitess/go/vt/vtgate/vtgateservice"
 
+	"strings"
+
 	querypb "github.com/youtube/vitess/go/vt/proto/query"
 	topodatapb "github.com/youtube/vitess/go/vt/proto/topodata"
 	vtgatepb "github.com/youtube/vitess/go/vt/proto/vtgate"
@@ -248,7 +250,7 @@ func (vtg *VTGate) Execute(ctx context.Context, sql string, bindVariables map[st
 		vtg.localBegin(session)
 	}
 
-	keyspace, shard := topoproto.ParseKeyspaceOptionalShard(keyspaceShard)
+	keyspace, shard := parseKeyspaceOptionalShard(keyspaceShard)
 	if shard != "" {
 		sql = sqlannotation.AnnotateIfDML(sql, nil)
 		f := func(keyspace string) (string, []string, error) {
@@ -578,7 +580,7 @@ func (vtg *VTGate) StreamExecute(ctx context.Context, sql string, bindVariables
 	statsKey := []string{"StreamExecute", "Any", ltt}
 	defer vtg.timings.Record(statsKey, startTime)
 
-	keyspace, shard := topoproto.ParseKeyspaceOptionalShard(keyspaceShard)
+	keyspace, shard := parseKeyspaceOptionalShard(keyspaceShard)
 	var err error
 	if shard != "" {
 		err = vtg.resolver.streamExecute(
@@ -1043,3 +1045,15 @@ func annotateBoundShardQueriesAsUnfriendly(queries []*vtgatepb.BoundShardQuery)
 		queries[i].Query.Sql = sqlannotation.AnnotateIfDML(q.Query.Sql, nil)
 	}
 }
+
+// parseKeyspaceOptionalShard parses a "keyspace/shard" or "keyspace:shard" string
+// and extracts the parts. If a shard is not specified, it's
+// returned as empty string. We need to support : and / in vtgate because some clients
+// can't support our default of /. Everywhere else we only support /.
+func parseKeyspaceOptionalShard(keyspaceShard string) (string, string) {
+	last := strings.LastIndexAny(keyspaceShard, "/:")
+	if last == -1 {
+		return keyspaceShard, ""
+	}
+	return keyspaceShard[:last], keyspaceShard[last+1:]
+}
diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/vtgate_test.go b/go/vt/vtgate/vtgate_test.go
index 0cdf336ca96..600c5e25fdc 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/vtgate_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/vtgate_test.go
@@ -2683,3 +2683,29 @@ func TestVTGateShowMetadataTwoShards(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("shard %s not found in Values \n%+v", shard1, qr.Rows)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestParseKeyspaceOptionalShard(t *testing.T) {
+	testcases := []struct {
+		keyspaceShard string
+		keyspace      string
+		shard         string
+	}{{
+		keyspaceShard: "ks",
+		keyspace:      "ks",
+		shard:         "",
+	}, {
+		keyspaceShard: "ks/-80",
+		keyspace:      "ks",
+		shard:         "-80",
+	}, {
+		keyspaceShard: "ks:-80",
+		keyspace:      "ks",
+		shard:         "-80",
+	}}
+
+	for _, tcase := range testcases {
+		if keyspace, shard := parseKeyspaceOptionalShard(tcase.keyspaceShard); keyspace != tcase.keyspace || shard != tcase.shard {
+			t.Errorf("parseKeyspaceShard(%s): %s:%s, want %s:%s", tcase.keyspaceShard, keyspace, shard, tcase.keyspace, tcase.shard)
+		}
+	}
+}