diff --git a/go/test/endtoend/cluster/vtctlclient_process.go b/go/test/endtoend/cluster/vtctlclient_process.go
index 94aa2b7651a..8be59625903 100644
--- a/go/test/endtoend/cluster/vtctlclient_process.go
+++ b/go/test/endtoend/cluster/vtctlclient_process.go
@@ -66,20 +66,13 @@ func (vtctlclient *VtctlClientProcess) ApplyVSchema(Keyspace string, JSON string
 
 // ExecuteCommand executes any vtctlclient command
 func (vtctlclient *VtctlClientProcess) ExecuteCommand(args ...string) (err error) {
-	pArgs := []string{"-server", vtctlclient.Server}
-
-	if *isCoverage {
-		pArgs = append(pArgs, "-test.coverprofile="+getCoveragePath("vtctlclient-"+args[0]+".out"), "-test.v")
-	}
-	pArgs = append(pArgs, args...)
-	tmpProcess := exec.Command(
-		vtctlclient.Binary,
-		pArgs...,
-	)
-	log.Infof("Executing vtctlclient with command: %v", strings.Join(tmpProcess.Args, " "))
-	output, err := tmpProcess.Output()
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Errorf("Error executing %s: output %s, err %v", strings.Join(tmpProcess.Args, " "), output, err)
+	output, err := vtctlclient.ExecuteCommandWithOutput(args...)
+	if output != "" {
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Errorf("Output:\n%v", output)
+		} else {
+			log.Infof("Output:\n%v", output)
+		}
 	}
 	return err
 }
diff --git a/go/test/endtoend/sharding/base_sharding.go b/go/test/endtoend/sharding/base_sharding.go
index 8b4ca934892..05a58435f48 100644
--- a/go/test/endtoend/sharding/base_sharding.go
+++ b/go/test/endtoend/sharding/base_sharding.go
@@ -328,14 +328,6 @@ func checkLots(t *testing.T, vttablet cluster.Vttablet, count uint64, table stri
 	return float64(float64(totalFound) * 100 / float64(count) / 2)
 }
 
-// CheckRunningBinlogPlayer Checks binlog player is running and showing in status
-func CheckRunningBinlogPlayer(t *testing.T, vttablet cluster.Vttablet, numberOfQueries int, numberOfTxns int) {
-	status := vttablet.VttabletProcess.GetStatus()
-	assert.Contains(t, status, "VReplication state: Open")
-	assert.Contains(t, status, fmt.Sprintf("<td><b>All</b>: %d<br><b>Query</b>: %d<br><b>Transaction</b>: %d<br></td>", numberOfQueries+numberOfTxns, numberOfQueries, numberOfTxns))
-	assert.Contains(t, status, "</html>")
-}
-
 // CheckTabletQueryServices check that the query service is enabled or disabled on the specified tablets.
 func CheckTabletQueryServices(t *testing.T, vttablets []cluster.Vttablet, expectedStatus string, tabletControlEnabled bool, ci cluster.LocalProcessCluster) {
 	for _, tablet := range vttablets {
diff --git a/go/test/endtoend/sharding/initialsharding/sharding_util.go b/go/test/endtoend/sharding/initialsharding/sharding_util.go
index 2dee65c7331..d72ec0000a0 100644
--- a/go/test/endtoend/sharding/initialsharding/sharding_util.go
+++ b/go/test/endtoend/sharding/initialsharding/sharding_util.go
@@ -512,15 +512,6 @@ func TestInitialSharding(t *testing.T, keyspace *cluster.Keyspace, keyType query
 		}
 	}
 
-	if isExternal {
-		// get status for the destination master tablet, make sure we have it all
-		sharding.CheckRunningBinlogPlayer(t, *shard21.MasterTablet(), 3956, 2002)
-		sharding.CheckRunningBinlogPlayer(t, *shard22.MasterTablet(), 4048, 2002)
-	} else {
-		sharding.CheckRunningBinlogPlayer(t, *shard21.MasterTablet(), 3954, 2000)
-		sharding.CheckRunningBinlogPlayer(t, *shard22.MasterTablet(), 4046, 2000)
-	}
-
 	// check we can't migrate the master just yet
 	err = ClusterInstance.VtctlclientProcess.ExecuteCommand("MigrateServedTypes", shard1Ks, "master")
 	require.Error(t, err)
diff --git a/go/test/endtoend/sharding/mergesharding/mergesharding_base.go b/go/test/endtoend/sharding/mergesharding/mergesharding_base.go
index dbdd13d7d68..43b1ffc1065 100644
--- a/go/test/endtoend/sharding/mergesharding/mergesharding_base.go
+++ b/go/test/endtoend/sharding/mergesharding/mergesharding_base.go
@@ -413,9 +413,6 @@ func TestMergesharding(t *testing.T, useVarbinaryShardingKeyType bool) {
 	err = clusterInstance.VtctlclientProcess.ExecuteCommand("ChangeSlaveType", shard3Rdonly.Alias, "rdonly")
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	// get status for destination master tablets, make sure we have it all
-	sharding.CheckRunningBinlogPlayer(t, *shard3Master, 300, 100)
-
 	sharding.CheckTabletQueryService(t, *shard3Master, "NOT_SERVING", false, *clusterInstance)
 	streamHealth, err := clusterInstance.VtctlclientProcess.ExecuteCommandWithOutput(
 		"VtTabletStreamHealth",
diff --git a/go/test/endtoend/sharding/resharding/resharding_base.go b/go/test/endtoend/sharding/resharding/resharding_base.go
index 23189f7959f..bca8b420f4f 100644
--- a/go/test/endtoend/sharding/resharding/resharding_base.go
+++ b/go/test/endtoend/sharding/resharding/resharding_base.go
@@ -590,10 +590,6 @@ func TestResharding(t *testing.T, useVarbinaryShardingKeyType bool) {
 	err = clusterInstance.VtctlclientProcess.ExecuteCommand("ChangeSlaveType", shard3Rdonly.Alias, "rdonly")
 	require.Nil(t, err)
 
-	// get status for destination master tablets, make sure we have it all
-	sharding.CheckRunningBinlogPlayer(t, *shard2Master, 436, 216)
-	sharding.CheckRunningBinlogPlayer(t, *shard3Master, 456, 216)
-
 	// tests a failover switching serving to a different replica
 	err = clusterInstance.VtctlclientProcess.ExecuteCommand("ChangeSlaveType", shard1Replica2.Alias, "replica")
 	require.Nil(t, err)
diff --git a/go/test/endtoend/sharding/verticalsplit/vertical_split_test.go b/go/test/endtoend/sharding/verticalsplit/vertical_split_test.go
index b79d9f1cf5d..c0df6967ac6 100644
--- a/go/test/endtoend/sharding/verticalsplit/vertical_split_test.go
+++ b/go/test/endtoend/sharding/verticalsplit/vertical_split_test.go
@@ -290,9 +290,6 @@ func TestVerticalSplit(t *testing.T) {
 		"destination_keyspace/0")
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	// get status for destination master tablet, make sure we have it all
-	sharding.CheckRunningBinlogPlayer(t, destinationMasterTablet, 700, 300)
-
 	// check query service is off on destination master, as filtered
 	// replication is enabled. Even health check should not interfere.
 	destinationMasterTabletVars := destinationMasterTablet.VttabletProcess.GetVars()