diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/txthrottler/tx_throttler.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/txthrottler/tx_throttler.go
index 9f2f369ffd9..94035b9ec0c 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/txthrottler/tx_throttler.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/txthrottler/tx_throttler.go
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/patrickmn/go-cache"
+
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/encoding/prototext"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/proto"
 
@@ -184,6 +186,8 @@ type txThrottlerStateImpl struct {
 
 	healthCheck      discovery.LegacyHealthCheck
 	topologyWatchers []TopologyWatcherInterface
+	// lagRecordsCache holds the  most recently seen lag for each tablet
+	lagRecordsCache *cache.Cache
 }
 
 // NewTxThrottler tries to construct a txThrottler from the
@@ -331,6 +335,8 @@ func newTxThrottlerState(topoServer *topo.Server, config *txThrottlerConfig, tar
 	result := &txThrottlerStateImpl{
 		config:    config,
 		throttler: t,
+		lagRecordsCache: cache.New(time.Duration(2*config.throttlerConfig.TargetReplicationLagSec)*time.Second,
+			time.Duration(4*config.throttlerConfig.TargetReplicationLagSec)*time.Second),
 	}
 	result.healthCheck = healthCheckFactory()
 	result.healthCheck.SetListener(result, false /* sendDownEvents */)
@@ -359,7 +365,25 @@ func (ts *txThrottlerStateImpl) throttle() bool {
 	// Serialize calls to ts.throttle.Throttle()
 	ts.throttleMu.Lock()
 	defer ts.throttleMu.Unlock()
-	return ts.throttler.Throttle(0 /* threadId */) > 0
+
+	// Find out the max lag seen recently from the lag cache
+	var maxLag int64
+
+	for host, lagInfo := range ts.lagRecordsCache.Items() {
+		lag, ok := lagInfo.Object.(int64)
+		if !ok {
+			log.Warningf("Failed to get lag of tablet %s from cache: %+v", host, lagInfo.Object)
+
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if lag > maxLag {
+			maxLag = lag
+		}
+	}
+
+	return ts.throttler.Throttle(0 /* threadId */) > 0 && // Throttle if underlying Throttler object says so...
+		maxLag > ts.config.throttlerConfig.TargetReplicationLagSec // ... but only if there is actual lag
 }
 
 func (ts *txThrottlerStateImpl) deallocateResources() {
@@ -391,6 +415,10 @@ func (ts *txThrottlerStateImpl) StatsUpdate(tabletStats *discovery.LegacyTabletS
 	for _, expectedTabletType := range ts.config.tabletTypes {
 		if tabletStats.Target.TabletType == expectedTabletType {
 			ts.throttler.RecordReplicationLag(time.Now(), tabletStats)
+			if tabletStats.Stats != nil {
+				ts.lagRecordsCache.Set(tabletStats.Name, int64(tabletStats.Stats.ReplicationLagSeconds),
+					cache.DefaultExpiration)
+			}
 			return
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/txthrottler/tx_throttler_test.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/txthrottler/tx_throttler_test.go
index 7b9e4bc98bd..aa129bdb09c 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/txthrottler/tx_throttler_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/txthrottler/tx_throttler_test.go
@@ -90,26 +90,53 @@ func TestEnabledThrottler(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	call0 := mockThrottler.EXPECT().UpdateConfiguration(gomock.Any(), true /* copyZeroValues */)
+	// Call 1 cannot throttle because the return value of call to underlying Throttle is zero.
 	call1 := mockThrottler.EXPECT().Throttle(0)
 	call1.Return(0 * time.Second)
-	tabletStats := &discovery.LegacyTabletStats{
+	tabletStatsReplicaLagged := &discovery.LegacyTabletStats{
 		Target: &querypb.Target{
 			TabletType: topodatapb.TabletType_REPLICA,
 		},
+		Stats: &querypb.RealtimeStats{ReplicationLagSeconds: 20}, // Lag high enough for throttling
+		Name:  "replica-name",
 	}
-	call2 := mockThrottler.EXPECT().RecordReplicationLag(gomock.Any(), tabletStats)
+	// call2 Adds a lag record above threshold for replica tablets
+	call2 := mockThrottler.EXPECT().RecordReplicationLag(gomock.Any(), tabletStatsReplicaLagged)
+
+	// call3 can throttle because the return value of call to Throttle is > zero - provided other conditions are met
 	call3 := mockThrottler.EXPECT().Throttle(0)
 	call3.Return(1 * time.Second)
-
+	// call4 can throttle because the return value of call to Throttle is > zero - provided other conditions are met
 	call4 := mockThrottler.EXPECT().Throttle(0)
 	call4.Return(1 * time.Second)
+
+	tabletStatsReplicaNotLagged := &discovery.LegacyTabletStats{
+		Target: &querypb.Target{
+			TabletType: topodatapb.TabletType_REPLICA,
+		},
+		Stats: &querypb.RealtimeStats{ReplicationLagSeconds: 1}, // Lag high enough for throttling
+		Name:  "replica-name",
+	}
+
+	// call5 Adds a lag record below threshold for the right tablet type
+	call5 := mockThrottler.EXPECT().RecordReplicationLag(gomock.Any(), tabletStatsReplicaNotLagged)
+	// call6 can throttle because the return value of call to Throttle is > zero - provided other conditions are met
+	call6 := mockThrottler.EXPECT().Throttle(0)
+	call6.Return(1 * time.Second)
+	// call7 can throttle because the return value of call to Throttle is > zero - provided other conditions are met
+	call7 := mockThrottler.EXPECT().Throttle(0)
+	call7.Return(1 * time.Second)
+
 	calllast := mockThrottler.EXPECT().Close()
 
 	call1.After(call0)
 	call2.After(call1)
 	call3.After(call2)
 	call4.After(call3)
-	calllast.After(call4)
+	call5.After(call4)
+	call6.After(call5)
+	call7.After(call6)
+	calllast.After(call7)
 
 	config := tabletenv.NewDefaultConfig()
 	config.EnableTxThrottler = true
@@ -126,27 +153,46 @@ func TestEnabledThrottler(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Nil(t, throttler.Open())
 	assert.Equal(t, int64(1), throttler.throttlerRunning.Get())
 
+	// call1 can't throttle.
 	assert.False(t, throttler.Throttle(100, "some-workload"))
 	assert.Equal(t, int64(1), throttler.requestsTotal.Counts()["some-workload"])
 	assert.Zero(t, throttler.requestsThrottled.Counts()["some-workload"])
+	// call2 records lag above threshold for REPLICA tablet
+	throttler.state.StatsUpdate(tabletStatsReplicaLagged)
 
-	throttler.state.StatsUpdate(tabletStats)
+	// This call should not be forwarded to the go/vt/throttler.Throttler object. Ignore RDONLY replicas due to config
 	rdonlyTabletStats := &discovery.LegacyTabletStats{
 		Target: &querypb.Target{
 			TabletType: topodatapb.TabletType_RDONLY,
 		},
+		Stats: &querypb.RealtimeStats{ReplicationLagSeconds: 20}, // Lag high enough for throttling
+		Name:  "rdonly-name",
 	}
-	// This call should not be forwarded to the go/vt/throttler.Throttler object.
 	hcListener.StatsUpdate(rdonlyTabletStats)
-	// The second throttle call should reject.
+
+	// call3 throttles due to priority & enough replication lag besides return value for underlying Throttle call
 	assert.True(t, throttler.Throttle(100, "some-workload"))
 	assert.Equal(t, int64(2), throttler.requestsTotal.Counts()["some-workload"])
 	assert.Equal(t, int64(1), throttler.requestsThrottled.Counts()["some-workload"])
 
-	// This call should not throttle due to priority. Check that's the case and counters agree.
+	// call4 does not throttle due to priority, despite enough replication lag besides return value for underlying
+	// Throttle call
 	assert.False(t, throttler.Throttle(0, "some-workload"))
 	assert.Equal(t, int64(3), throttler.requestsTotal.Counts()["some-workload"])
 	assert.Equal(t, int64(1), throttler.requestsThrottled.Counts()["some-workload"])
+
+	// call5 records lag below threshold for REPLICA tablet
+	throttler.state.StatsUpdate(tabletStatsReplicaNotLagged)
+
+	// call6 does not throttle despite priority, because lag is below threshold
+	assert.False(t, throttler.Throttle(100, "some-workload"))
+	assert.Equal(t, int64(4), throttler.requestsTotal.Counts()["some-workload"])
+	assert.Equal(t, int64(1), throttler.requestsThrottled.Counts()["some-workload"])
+	// call7 does not throttle due to priority and replication lag below threshold
+	assert.False(t, throttler.Throttle(0, "some-workload"))
+	assert.Equal(t, int64(5), throttler.requestsTotal.Counts()["some-workload"])
+	assert.Equal(t, int64(1), throttler.requestsThrottled.Counts()["some-workload"])
+
 	throttler.Close()
 	assert.Zero(t, throttler.throttlerRunning.Get())
 }