diff --git a/go/vt/discovery/healthcheck.go b/go/vt/discovery/healthcheck.go
index c724ddb2870..5ab5823c5ad 100644
--- a/go/vt/discovery/healthcheck.go
+++ b/go/vt/discovery/healthcheck.go
@@ -397,8 +397,29 @@ func (hc *HealthCheckImpl) deleteTablet(tablet *topodata.Tablet) {
 	hc.mu.Lock()
 	defer hc.mu.Unlock()
 
-	key := KeyFromTablet(tablet)
 	tabletAlias := tabletAliasString(topoproto.TabletAliasString(tablet.Alias))
+	defer func() {
+		// We want to be sure the tablet is gone from the secondary
+		// maps even if it's already gone from the authoritative map.
+		// The tablet's type also may have recently changed as well,
+		// so ensure that the tablet we're removing is removed from
+		// any possible secondary map keys:
+		// key: keyspace.shard.tabletType -> val: map[tabletAlias]tabletHealth
+		for _, tabletType := range topoproto.AllTabletTypes {
+			key := KeyspaceShardTabletType(fmt.Sprintf("%s.%s.%s", tablet.Keyspace, tablet.Shard, topoproto.TabletTypeLString(tabletType)))
+			// delete from map by keyspace.shard.tabletType
+			ths, ok := hc.healthData[key]
+			if !ok {
+				continue
+			}
+			delete(ths, tabletAlias)
+			// delete from healthy list
+			healthy, ok := hc.healthy[key]
+			if ok && len(healthy) > 0 {
+				hc.recomputeHealthy(key)
+			}
+		}
+	}()
 	// delete from authoritative map
 	th, ok := hc.healthByAlias[tabletAlias]
 	if !ok {
@@ -409,18 +430,6 @@ func (hc *HealthCheckImpl) deleteTablet(tablet *topodata.Tablet) {
 	// which will call finalizeConn, which will close the connection.
 	th.cancelFunc()
 	delete(hc.healthByAlias, tabletAlias)
-	// delete from map by keyspace.shard.tabletType
-	ths, ok := hc.healthData[key]
-	if !ok {
-		log.Warningf("We have no health data for target: %v", key)
-		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, prevTarget *query.Target, trivialUpdate bool, up bool) {
diff --git a/go/vt/discovery/healthcheck_test.go b/go/vt/discovery/healthcheck_test.go
index d2f6d25eaf9..bbe3e4b8d8c 100644
--- a/go/vt/discovery/healthcheck_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/discovery/healthcheck_test.go
@@ -681,7 +681,7 @@ func TestRemoveTablet(t *testing.T) {
 	// there will be a first result, get and discard it
 	<-resultChan
 
-	shr := &querypb.StreamHealthResponse{
+	shrReplica := &querypb.StreamHealthResponse{
 		TabletAlias:                         tablet.Alias,
 		Target:                              &querypb.Target{Keyspace: "k", Shard: "s", TabletType: topodatapb.TabletType_REPLICA},
 		Serving:                             true,
@@ -695,7 +695,7 @@ func TestRemoveTablet(t *testing.T) {
 		Stats:                &querypb.RealtimeStats{ReplicationLagSeconds: 1, CpuUsage: 0.2},
 		PrimaryTermStartTime: 0,
 	}}
-	input <- shr
+	input <- shrReplica
 	<-resultChan
 	// check it's there
 	a := hc.GetHealthyTabletStats(&querypb.Target{Keyspace: "k", Shard: "s", TabletType: topodatapb.TabletType_REPLICA})
@@ -705,6 +705,59 @@ func TestRemoveTablet(t *testing.T) {
 	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")
+
+	// Now confirm that when a tablet's type changes between when it's added to the cache
+	// and when it's removed, that the tablet is entirely removed from the cache since
+	// in the secondary maps it's keyed in part by tablet type.
+	// Note: we are using GetTabletStats here to check the healthData map (rather than
+	// the healthy map that we checked above) because that is the data structure that
+	// is used when printing the contents of the healthcheck cache in the /debug/status
+	// endpoint and in the SHOW VITESS_TABLETS; SQL command output.
+
+	// Add the tablet back.
+	hc.AddTablet(tablet)
+	// Receive and discard the initial result.
+	<-resultChan
+	input <- shrReplica
+	// Confirm it's there in the cache.
+	a = hc.getTabletStats(&querypb.Target{Keyspace: "k", Shard: "s", TabletType: topodatapb.TabletType_REPLICA})
+	mustMatch(t, want, a, "unexpected result")
+	// Change the tablet type to RDONLY.
+	tablet.Type = topodatapb.TabletType_RDONLY
+	shrRdonly := &querypb.StreamHealthResponse{
+		TabletAlias:                         tablet.Alias,
+		Target:                              &querypb.Target{Keyspace: "k", Shard: "s", TabletType: topodatapb.TabletType_RDONLY},
+		Serving:                             true,
+		TabletExternallyReparentedTimestamp: 0,
+		RealtimeStats:                       &querypb.RealtimeStats{ReplicationLagSeconds: 2, CpuUsage: 0.4},
+	}
+	// Now replace it, which does a Remove and Add. The tablet should
+	// be removed from the cache and all its maps even though the
+	// tablet type had changed in-between the initial Add and Remove.
+	hc.ReplaceTablet(tablet, tablet)
+	// Confirm that the old entry is gone.
+	a = hc.getTabletStats(&querypb.Target{Keyspace: "k", Shard: "s", TabletType: topodatapb.TabletType_REPLICA})
+	assert.Empty(t, a, "wrong result, expected empty list")
+	// Receive and discard the initial result.
+	<-resultChan
+	input <- shrRdonly
+	// Confirm that the new entry is there in the cache.
+	want = []*TabletHealth{{
+		Tablet:               tablet,
+		Target:               &querypb.Target{Keyspace: "k", Shard: "s", TabletType: topodatapb.TabletType_RDONLY},
+		Serving:              true,
+		Stats:                &querypb.RealtimeStats{ReplicationLagSeconds: 2, CpuUsage: 0.4},
+		PrimaryTermStartTime: 0,
+	}}
+	a = hc.getTabletStats(&querypb.Target{Keyspace: "k", Shard: "s", TabletType: topodatapb.TabletType_RDONLY})
+	mustMatch(t, want, a, "unexpected result")
+	// Delete the tablet, confirm again that it's gone in both
+	// tablet type forms.
+	hc.RemoveTablet(tablet)
+	a = hc.getTabletStats(&querypb.Target{Keyspace: "k", Shard: "s", TabletType: topodatapb.TabletType_REPLICA})
+	assert.Empty(t, a, "wrong result, expected empty list")
+	a = hc.getTabletStats(&querypb.Target{Keyspace: "k", Shard: "s", TabletType: topodatapb.TabletType_RDONLY})
+	assert.Empty(t, a, "wrong result, expected empty list")
 }
 
 // TestGetHealthyTablets tests the functionality of GetHealthyTabletStats.