diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/repltracker/repltracker.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/repltracker/repltracker.go
index db20c2e821c..906b0179eb7 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/repltracker/repltracker.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/repltracker/repltracker.go
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ limitations under the License.
 package repltracker
 
 import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -47,6 +49,8 @@ var (
 	heartbeatLagNsHistogram = stats.NewGenericHistogram("HeartbeatLagNsHistogram",
 		"Histogram of lag values in nanoseconds", []int64{0, 1e6, 1e7, 1e8, 1e9, 1e10, 1e11, 1e12},
 		[]string{"0", "1ms", "10ms", "100ms", "1s", "10s", "100s", "1000s", ">1000s"}, "Count", "Total")
+
+	errFallback = errors.New("failed to obtain replication lag from poller after attempting to use it as fall-back for heartbeat")
 )
 
 // ReplTracker tracks replication lag.
@@ -133,14 +137,29 @@ func (rt *ReplTracker) Status() (time.Duration, error) {
 	rt.mu.Lock()
 	defer rt.mu.Unlock()
 
+	fallbackToPoller := false
+	var heartbeatLag, mysqlLag time.Duration
+	var heartbeatErr, mysqlErr error
+
 	switch {
 	case rt.isPrimary || rt.mode == tabletenv.Disable:
 		return 0, nil
 	case rt.mode == tabletenv.Heartbeat:
-		return rt.hr.Status()
+		// This should allow us to migrate safely to using vttablet heartbeat. If using heartbeat fails (e.g. because
+		// the shard's primary does not yet have them and therefore, either the heartbeat table is missing or it's
+		// empty), fall back to the poller. Otherwise, use what the heartbeat says.
+		if heartbeatLag, heartbeatErr = rt.hr.Status(); heartbeatErr == nil {
+			return heartbeatLag, heartbeatErr
+		}
+		fallbackToPoller = true
 	}
-	// rt.mode == tabletenv.Poller
-	return rt.poller.Status()
+	// rt.mode == tabletenv.Poller or fallback after heartbeat error
+	mysqlLag, mysqlErr = rt.poller.Status()
+	if fallbackToPoller && mysqlErr != nil {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("%w: %s", errFallback, mysqlErr)
+	}
+
+	return mysqlLag, mysqlErr
 }
 
 // EnableHeartbeat enables or disables writes of heartbeat. This functionality
diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/repltracker/repltracker_test.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/repltracker/repltracker_test.go
index 362148cd3b2..0695a079b82 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/repltracker/repltracker_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/repltracker/repltracker_test.go
@@ -95,3 +95,76 @@ func TestReplTracker(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err = rt.Status()
 	assert.Equal(t, "err", err.Error())
 }
+
+func TestStatusHeartbeatFallBack(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	heartbeatErr := errors.New("some error reading heartbeat")
+	mysqlErr := errors.New("some mysql error")
+	testCases := []struct {
+		name           string
+		heartbeatLag   tabletenv.Seconds
+		heartbeatError error
+		mysqldLag      uint
+		mysqldErr      error
+		expectedError  error
+		expectedLag    time.Duration
+	}{
+		{
+			name:           "Heartbeat successful",
+			heartbeatLag:   tabletenv.Seconds(5.0),
+			heartbeatError: nil,
+			expectedLag:    5 * time.Second,
+		},
+		{
+			name:           "Heartbeat failed, mysqld lag successful",
+			heartbeatError: heartbeatErr,
+			mysqldLag:      8,
+			expectedLag:    8 * time.Second,
+		},
+		{
+			name:           "Heartbeat & mysqld lag failed",
+			heartbeatError: heartbeatErr,
+			mysqldErr:      mysqlErr,
+			expectedError:  errFallback,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, testCase := range testCases {
+		theCase := testCase
+
+		t.Run(theCase.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+			config := tabletenv.NewDefaultConfig()
+			config.ReplicationTracker.Mode = tabletenv.Heartbeat
+			config.ReplicationTracker.HeartbeatIntervalSeconds = theCase.heartbeatLag
+			env := tabletenv.NewEnv(config, "ReplTrackerTest")
+			alias := &topodatapb.TabletAlias{
+				Cell: "cell",
+				Uid:  1,
+			}
+			mysqld := fakemysqldaemon.NewFakeMysqlDaemon(nil)
+			mysqld.ReplicationLagSeconds = theCase.mysqldLag
+			mysqld.Replicating = true
+			mysqld.ReplicationStatusError = theCase.mysqldErr
+			target := &querypb.Target{}
+
+			rt := NewReplTracker(env, alias)
+
+			rt.hr.lastKnownLag = time.Duration(theCase.heartbeatLag) * time.Second
+			rt.hr.lastKnownError = theCase.heartbeatError
+			rt.InitDBConfig(target, mysqld)
+
+			lag, err := rt.Status()
+
+			if theCase.expectedError == nil {
+				assert.NoError(t, err)
+				assert.Equal(t, theCase.expectedLag, lag)
+			} else {
+				assert.ErrorIs(t, err, theCase.expectedError)
+			}
+
+		})
+	}
+
+}