diff --git a/go/vt/wrangler/reparent.go b/go/vt/wrangler/reparent.go
index ccb56dd388d..b19e9e267fe 100644
--- a/go/vt/wrangler/reparent.go
+++ b/go/vt/wrangler/reparent.go
@@ -203,6 +203,11 @@ func (wr *Wrangler) initShardMasterLocked(ctx context.Context, ev *events.Repare
 	// we stop. It is probably because it is unreachable, and may leave
 	// an unstable database process in the mix, with a database daemon
 	// at a wrong replication spot.
+
+	// Create a context for the following RPCs that respects waitSlaveTimeout
+	resetCtx, resetCancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, waitSlaveTimeout)
+	defer resetCancel()
+
 	event.DispatchUpdate(ev, "resetting replication on all tablets")
 	wg := sync.WaitGroup{}
 	rec := concurrency.AllErrorRecorder{}
@@ -211,13 +216,14 @@ func (wr *Wrangler) initShardMasterLocked(ctx context.Context, ev *events.Repare
 		go func(alias string, tabletInfo *topo.TabletInfo) {
 			defer wg.Done()
 			wr.logger.Infof("resetting replication on tablet %v", alias)
-			if err := wr.tmc.ResetReplication(ctx, tabletInfo.Tablet); err != nil {
+			if err := wr.tmc.ResetReplication(resetCtx, tabletInfo.Tablet); err != nil {
 				rec.RecordError(fmt.Errorf("Tablet %v ResetReplication failed (either fix it, or Scrap it): %v", alias, err))
 			}
 		}(alias, tabletInfo)
 	}
 	wg.Wait()
 	if err := rec.Error(); err != nil {
+		// if any of the slaves failed
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -242,7 +248,7 @@ func (wr *Wrangler) initShardMasterLocked(ctx context.Context, ev *events.Repare
 
 	// Create a cancelable context for the following RPCs.
 	// If error conditions happen, we can cancel all outgoing RPCs.
-	replCtx, replCancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
+	replCtx, replCancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, waitSlaveTimeout)
 	defer replCancel()
 
 	// Now tell the new master to insert the reparent_journal row,
@@ -430,7 +436,7 @@ func (wr *Wrangler) plannedReparentShardLocked(ctx context.Context, ev *events.R
 
 	// Create a cancelable context for the following RPCs.
 	// If error conditions happen, we can cancel all outgoing RPCs.
-	replCtx, replCancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
+	replCtx, replCancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, waitSlaveTimeout)
 	defer replCancel()
 
 	// Go through all the tablets:
diff --git a/test/initial_sharding.py b/test/initial_sharding.py
index 645ed257159..0a101192ae0 100755
--- a/test/initial_sharding.py
+++ b/test/initial_sharding.py
@@ -240,16 +240,27 @@ def test_resharding(self):
     for t in [shard_master, shard_replica, shard_rdonly1]:
       t.create_db('vt_test_keyspace')
 
+    # replica is not started, InitShardMaster should timeout
     shard_master.start_vttablet(wait_for_state=None,
                                 binlog_use_v3_resharding_mode=False)
-    shard_replica.start_vttablet(wait_for_state=None,
-                                 binlog_use_v3_resharding_mode=False)
     shard_rdonly1.start_vttablet(wait_for_state=None,
                                  binlog_use_v3_resharding_mode=False)
 
-    for t in [shard_master, shard_replica, shard_rdonly1]:
+    for t in [shard_master, shard_rdonly1]:
       t.wait_for_vttablet_state('NOT_SERVING')
 
+    # reparent to make the tablets work - expect fail
+    # because replica tablet is not up
+    _, stderr = utils.run_vtctl(['InitShardMaster', '-force', 'test_keyspace/0',
+                     shard_master.tablet_alias], auto_log=True, expect_fail=True)
+
+    self.assertIn('Tablet test_nj-0000062345 ResetReplication failed', stderr)
+    # start replica
+    shard_replica.start_vttablet(wait_for_state=None,
+                                 binlog_use_v3_resharding_mode=False)
+
+    shard_replica.wait_for_vttablet_state('NOT_SERVING')
+
     # reparent to make the tablets work
     utils.run_vtctl(['InitShardMaster', '-force', 'test_keyspace/0',
                      shard_master.tablet_alias], auto_log=True)
diff --git a/test/reparent.py b/test/reparent.py
index c4957465e81..5f1f07a30b5 100755
--- a/test/reparent.py
+++ b/test/reparent.py
@@ -339,8 +339,8 @@ def _test_reparent_graceful(self, shard_id):
 
     tablet_62044.kill_vttablet()
 
-  # This is a manual test to check error formatting.
-  def _test_reparent_slave_offline(self, shard_id='0'):
+  # Reparenting should return error if replica vttablet is down
+  def test_reparent_slave_offline(self, shard_id='0'):
     utils.run_vtctl(['CreateKeyspace', 'test_keyspace'])
 
     # create the database so vttablets start, as they are serving
@@ -377,9 +377,11 @@ def _test_reparent_slave_offline(self, shard_id='0'):
     tablet_31981.kill_vttablet()
 
     # Perform a graceful reparent operation.
-    utils.run_vtctl(['PlannedReparentShard',
+    _, stderr = utils.run_vtctl(['PlannedReparentShard',
                      '-keyspace_shard', 'test_keyspace/' + shard_id,
-                     '-new_master', tablet_62044.tablet_alias])
+                     '-new_master', tablet_62044.tablet_alias], expect_fail=True)
+    self.assertIn('Tablet test_ny-0000031981 SetMaster failed', stderr)
+
     self._check_master_tablet(tablet_62044)
 
     tablet.kill_tablets([tablet_62344, tablet_62044, tablet_41983])