diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/healthcheck.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/healthcheck.go
index cf187767741..cfc2a48ae9d 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/healthcheck.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/healthcheck.go
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@ func (agent *ActionAgent) runHealthCheck() {
 }
 
 func (agent *ActionAgent) runHealthCheckLocked() {
+	agent.checkLock()
 	// read the current tablet record and tablet control
 	agent.mutex.Lock()
 	tablet := proto.Clone(agent._tablet).(*topodatapb.Tablet)
diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/rpc_backup.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/rpc_backup.go
index b2ffffd3933..d7387b7c941 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/rpc_backup.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/rpc_backup.go
@@ -122,9 +122,10 @@ func (agent *ActionAgent) Backup(ctx context.Context, concurrency int, logger lo
 		if err := agent.refreshTablet(bgCtx, "after backup"); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+		// and re-run health check to be sure to capture any replication delay
+		// not needed for online backups because it will continue to run per schedule
+		agent.runHealthCheckLocked()
 	}
-	// and re-run health check to be sure to capture any replication delay
-	agent.runHealthCheckLocked()
 
 	return returnErr
 }