diff --git a/examples/are-you-alive/README.md b/examples/are-you-alive/README.md
index 7da5460c64d..0404ca98cc7 100644
--- a/examples/are-you-alive/README.md
+++ b/examples/are-you-alive/README.md
@@ -19,13 +19,13 @@ This client application:
 1. Measures all the important things:
    - Client connection errors
    - Write latency
-   - Read latency from masters
+   - Read latency from primaries
    - Read latency from replicas
    - Write errors
-   - Read errors on masters
+   - Read errors on primaries
    - Write errors on replicas
-   - Errors in other operations on masters and replicas (e.g. COUNT)
-   - Latency on other operations on masters and replicas (e.g. COUNT)
+   - Errors in other operations on primaries and replicas (e.g. COUNT)
+   - Latency on other operations on primaries and replicas (e.g. COUNT)
    - Data loss (by writing predictable data and testing for that)
 1. Reports all these metrics to Prometheus.
 
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ That's it!
 
 First, [initialize your database with the correct schemas](schemas/README.md).
 
-Run `are-you-alive --help` for usage.  You can us the command line flags to
-control the dataset size, whether to target reads at masters and replicas, your
+Run `are-you-alive --help` for usage.  You can use the command line flags to
+control the dataset size, whether to target reads at primaries and replicas, your
 mysql connection string, and the rate at which to send requests.
 
 Example:
@@ -75,10 +75,8 @@ exported.
 
 ## Test Specific Tablet Types
 
-See [this vitess
-documentation](https://vitess.io/docs/user-guides/faq/#how-do-i-choose-between-master-vs-replica-for-queries)
-for how to target specific tablet types. In the configuration file you'll want
-to, for example, put "@master" or "@replica" on the ends of your connection
+Queries can target specific tablet types. In the configuration file you simply
+need to, for example, put "@primary" or "@replica" on the ends of your connection
 strings.
 
 ## Push to Registry
diff --git a/examples/are-you-alive/cmd/are-you-alive/main.go b/examples/are-you-alive/cmd/are-you-alive/main.go
index 393b27c1fba..2d6ab04517c 100644
--- a/examples/are-you-alive/cmd/are-you-alive/main.go
+++ b/examples/are-you-alive/cmd/are-you-alive/main.go
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ var (
 	prometheusMetricsAddress = flag.String(
 		"prometheus_metrics_address", ":8080", "Address on which to serve prometheus metrics")
 	debug                   = flag.Bool("debug", false, "Enable debug logging")
-	useVtgate               = flag.Bool("vtgate", false, "Using vtgate (for @master and @replica)")
+	useVtgate               = flag.Bool("vtgate", false, "Using vtgate (for @primary and @replica)")
 	initialize              = flag.Bool("initialize", false, "Initialize database (for testing)")
 	datasetSize             = flag.Int("dataset_size", 10, "Number of total records in database")
 	endpointsConfigFilename = flag.String("endpoints_config", "", "Endpoint and load configuration.")
diff --git a/examples/are-you-alive/pkg/client/client.go b/examples/are-you-alive/pkg/client/client.go
index 93178c99e8d..249c6ca2243 100644
--- a/examples/are-you-alive/pkg/client/client.go
+++ b/examples/are-you-alive/pkg/client/client.go
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ func ParseDBName(connectionString string) string {
 // See https://vitess.io/docs/faq/queries/ for where these come from.
 func ParseTabletType(connectionString string) string {
 	databaseName := ParseDBName(connectionString)
+	// for backwards compatibility
 	if strings.HasSuffix(databaseName, "@master") {
 		return "primary"
 	} else if strings.HasSuffix(databaseName, "@primary") {
diff --git a/examples/local/orc_test.sh b/examples/local/orc_test.sh
index 8c3cb38d86d..c8139d228c8 100755
--- a/examples/local/orc_test.sh
+++ b/examples/local/orc_test.sh
@@ -44,9 +44,6 @@ for i in 110 111; do
 	CELL=zone2 KEYSPACE=commerce TABLET_UID=$i ./scripts/ovttablet-up.sh
 done
 
-# set one of the replicas to primary
-#vtctlclient InitShardMaster -force commerce/0 zone1-100
-
 # create the schema
 #vtctlclient ApplySchema -sql-file create_commerce_schema.sql commerce