diff --git a/go/vt/discovery/healthcheck.go b/go/vt/discovery/healthcheck.go
index 263a0d62c93..02eb035ea21 100644
--- a/go/vt/discovery/healthcheck.go
+++ b/go/vt/discovery/healthcheck.go
@@ -397,6 +397,11 @@ func (hc *HealthCheckImpl) deleteTablet(tablet *topodata.Tablet) {
 		return
 	}
 	delete(ths, tabletAlias)
+	// delete from healthy list
+	healthy, ok := hc.healthy[key]
+	if ok && len(healthy) > 0 {
+		hc.recomputeHealthy(key)
+	}
 }
 
 func (hc *HealthCheckImpl) updateHealth(th *TabletHealth, shr *query.StreamHealthResponse, currentTarget *query.Target, trivialNonMasterUpdate bool, isMasterUpdate bool, isMasterChange bool) {
@@ -446,27 +451,11 @@ func (hc *HealthCheckImpl) updateHealth(th *TabletHealth, shr *query.StreamHealt
 		// Tablets from other cells for non-master targets should not trigger a re-sort;
 		// they should also be excluded from healthy list.
 		if shr.Target.TabletType != topodata.TabletType_MASTER && hc.isIncluded(shr.Target.TabletType, shr.TabletAlias) {
-			all := hc.healthData[targetKey]
-			allArray := make([]*TabletHealth, 0, len(all))
-			for _, s := range all {
-				// Only tablets in same cell / cellAlias are included in healthy list.
-				if hc.isIncluded(s.Tablet.Type, s.Tablet.Alias) {
-					allArray = append(allArray, s)
-				}
-			}
-			hc.healthy[targetKey] = FilterStatsByReplicationLag(allArray)
+			hc.recomputeHealthy(targetKey)
 		}
 		if targetChanged && currentTarget.TabletType != topodata.TabletType_MASTER && hc.isIncluded(shr.Target.TabletType, shr.TabletAlias) { // also recompute old target's healthy list
 			oldTargetKey := hc.keyFromTarget(currentTarget)
-			all := hc.healthData[oldTargetKey]
-			allArray := make([]*TabletHealth, 0, len(all))
-			for _, s := range all {
-				// Only tablets in same cell / cellAlias are included in healthy list.
-				if hc.isIncluded(s.Tablet.Type, s.Tablet.Alias) {
-					allArray = append(allArray, s)
-				}
-			}
-			hc.healthy[oldTargetKey] = FilterStatsByReplicationLag(allArray)
+			hc.recomputeHealthy(oldTargetKey)
 		}
 	}
 	if isMasterChange {
@@ -478,6 +467,18 @@ func (hc *HealthCheckImpl) updateHealth(th *TabletHealth, shr *query.StreamHealt
 
 }
 
+func (hc *HealthCheckImpl) recomputeHealthy(key keyspaceShardTabletType) {
+	all := hc.healthData[key]
+	allArray := make([]*TabletHealth, 0, len(all))
+	for _, s := range all {
+		// Only tablets in same cell / cellAlias are included in healthy list.
+		if hc.isIncluded(s.Tablet.Type, s.Tablet.Alias) {
+			allArray = append(allArray, s)
+		}
+	}
+	hc.healthy[key] = FilterStatsByReplicationLag(allArray)
+}
+
 // Subscribe adds a listener. Used by vtgate buffer to learn about master changes.
 func (hc *HealthCheckImpl) Subscribe() chan *TabletHealth {
 	hc.subMu.Lock()
diff --git a/go/vt/discovery/healthcheck_test.go b/go/vt/discovery/healthcheck_test.go
index e98f00afbff..0e37351c5b7 100644
--- a/go/vt/discovery/healthcheck_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/discovery/healthcheck_test.go
@@ -514,6 +514,48 @@ func TestWaitForAllServingTablets(t *testing.T) {
 	KeyspacesToWatch = []string{}
 }
 
+// TestRemoveTablet tests the behavior when a tablet goes away.
+func TestRemoveTablet(t *testing.T) {
+	ts := memorytopo.NewServer("cell")
+	hc := createTestHc(ts)
+	defer hc.Close()
+	tablet := createTestTablet(0, "cell", "a")
+	tablet.Type = topodatapb.TabletType_REPLICA
+	input := make(chan *querypb.StreamHealthResponse)
+	createFakeConn(tablet, input)
+
+	// create a channel and subscribe to healthcheck
+	resultChan := hc.Subscribe()
+	hc.AddTablet(tablet)
+	// there will be a first result, get and discard it
+	<-resultChan
+
+	shr := &querypb.StreamHealthResponse{
+		TabletAlias:                         tablet.Alias,
+		Target:                              &querypb.Target{Keyspace: "k", Shard: "s", TabletType: topodatapb.TabletType_REPLICA},
+		Serving:                             true,
+		TabletExternallyReparentedTimestamp: 0,
+		RealtimeStats:                       &querypb.RealtimeStats{SecondsBehindMaster: 1, CpuUsage: 0.2},
+	}
+	want := []*TabletHealth{{
+		Tablet:              tablet,
+		Target:              &querypb.Target{Keyspace: "k", Shard: "s", TabletType: topodatapb.TabletType_REPLICA},
+		Serving:             true,
+		Stats:               &querypb.RealtimeStats{SecondsBehindMaster: 1, CpuUsage: 0.2},
+		MasterTermStartTime: 0,
+	}}
+	input <- shr
+	<-resultChan
+	// check it's there
+	a := hc.GetHealthyTabletStats(&querypb.Target{Keyspace: "k", Shard: "s", TabletType: topodatapb.TabletType_REPLICA})
+	mustMatch(t, want, a, "unexpected result")
+
+	// delete the tablet
+	hc.RemoveTablet(tablet)
+	a = hc.GetHealthyTabletStats(&querypb.Target{Keyspace: "k", Shard: "s", TabletType: topodatapb.TabletType_REPLICA})
+	assert.Empty(t, a, "wrong result, expected empty list")
+}
+
 // TestGetHealthyTablets tests the functionality of GetHealthyTabletStats.
 func TestGetHealthyTablets(t *testing.T) {
 	ts := memorytopo.NewServer("cell")