diff --git a/go/test/endtoend/cellalias/cell_alias_test.go b/go/test/endtoend/cellalias/cell_alias_test.go
index d85f9cdd4dd..84792547675 100644
--- a/go/test/endtoend/cellalias/cell_alias_test.go
+++ b/go/test/endtoend/cellalias/cell_alias_test.go
@@ -118,11 +118,11 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 			return 1, err
 		}
 
-		shard1Master = localCluster.NewVttabletInstance("master", 0, "")
+		shard1Master = localCluster.NewVttabletInstance("master", 0, cell1)
 		shard1Replica = localCluster.NewVttabletInstance("replica", 0, cell2)
 		shard1Rdonly = localCluster.NewVttabletInstance("rdonly", 0, cell2)
 
-		shard2Master = localCluster.NewVttabletInstance("master", 0, "")
+		shard2Master = localCluster.NewVttabletInstance("master", 0, cell1)
 		shard2Replica = localCluster.NewVttabletInstance("replica", 0, cell2)
 		shard2Rdonly = localCluster.NewVttabletInstance("rdonly", 0, cell2)
 
@@ -256,6 +256,8 @@ func TestAlias(t *testing.T) {
 	vtgateInstance := localCluster.NewVtgateInstance()
 	vtgateInstance.CellsToWatch = allCells
 	vtgateInstance.TabletTypesToWait = "MASTER,REPLICA"
+	// Use legacy gateway. There's a separate test for tabletgateway in go/test/endtoend/tabletgateway/cellalias/cell_alias_test.go
+	vtgateInstance.GatewayImplementation = "discoverygateway"
 	err = vtgateInstance.Setup()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
@@ -309,14 +311,12 @@ func TestAddAliasWhileVtgateUp(t *testing.T) {
 
 	vtgateInstance := localCluster.NewVtgateInstance()
 	vtgateInstance.CellsToWatch = allCells
-	vtgateInstance.TabletTypesToWait = "MASTER,REPLICA,RDONLY"
-	vtgateInstance.GatewayImplementation = "discoverygateway"
+	// only MASTER is in vtgate's "cell", other tablet types are not visible because they are in the other cell
+	vtgateInstance.TabletTypesToWait = "MASTER"
 	err = vtgateInstance.Setup()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	defer vtgateInstance.TearDown()
 
-	waitTillAllTabletsAreHealthyInVtgate(t, *vtgateInstance, shard1.Name, shard2.Name)
-
 	// since replica and rdonly tablets of all shards in cell2, the last 2 assertion is expected to fail
 	testQueriesOnTabletType(t, "master", vtgateInstance.GrpcPort, false)
 	testQueriesOnTabletType(t, "replica", vtgateInstance.GrpcPort, true)
diff --git a/go/test/endtoend/vtgate/buffer/buffer_test.go b/go/test/endtoend/vtgate/buffer/buffer_test.go
index 83a4b556af9..89e3435cd97 100644
--- a/go/test/endtoend/vtgate/buffer/buffer_test.go
+++ b/go/test/endtoend/vtgate/buffer/buffer_test.go
@@ -205,7 +205,9 @@ func createCluster() (*cluster.LocalProcessCluster, int) {
 		// Long timeout in case failover is slow.
 		"-buffer_window", "10m",
 		"-buffer_max_failover_duration", "10m",
-		"-buffer_min_time_between_failovers", "20m"}
+		"-buffer_min_time_between_failovers", "20m",
+		// Use legacy gateway. tabletgateway test is at go/test/endtoend/tabletgateway/buffer/buffer_test.go
+		"-gateway_implementation", "discoverygateway"}
 
 	// Start vtgate
 	if err := clusterInstance.StartVtgate(); err != nil {