diff --git a/go/vt/vtctl/reparentutil/emergency_reparenter.go b/go/vt/vtctl/reparentutil/emergency_reparenter.go
index 46dda5a2887..b2ac75380f0 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtctl/reparentutil/emergency_reparenter.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtctl/reparentutil/emergency_reparenter.go
@@ -167,7 +167,10 @@ func (erp *EmergencyReparenter) reparentShardLocked(ctx context.Context, ev *eve
 	ev.ShardInfo = *shardInfo
 
 	if opts.ExpectedPrimaryAlias != nil && !topoproto.TabletAliasEqual(opts.ExpectedPrimaryAlias, shardInfo.PrimaryAlias) {
-		return vterrors.Errorf(vtrpc.Code_FAILED_PRECONDITION, "primary %s is not equal to expected alias %s", shardInfo.PrimaryAlias, opts.ExpectedPrimaryAlias)
+		return vterrors.Errorf(vtrpc.Code_FAILED_PRECONDITION, "primary %s is not equal to expected alias %s",
+			topoproto.TabletAliasString(shardInfo.PrimaryAlias),
+			topoproto.TabletAliasString(opts.ExpectedPrimaryAlias),
+		)
 	}
 
 	keyspaceDurability, err := erp.ts.GetKeyspaceDurability(ctx, keyspace)
diff --git a/go/vt/vtctl/reparentutil/emergency_reparenter_test.go b/go/vt/vtctl/reparentutil/emergency_reparenter_test.go
index ffd2c4a3926..887dbd22671 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtctl/reparentutil/emergency_reparenter_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtctl/reparentutil/emergency_reparenter_test.go
@@ -1810,6 +1810,125 @@ func TestEmergencyReparenter_reparentShardLocked(t *testing.T) {
 			shouldErr:        true,
 			errShouldContain: "proposed primary zone1-0000000102 will not be able to make forward progress on being promoted",
 		},
+		{
+			name:       "expected primary mismatch",
+			durability: "none",
+			emergencyReparentOps: EmergencyReparentOptions{
+				ExpectedPrimaryAlias: &topodatapb.TabletAlias{
+					Cell: "zone1",
+					Uid:  102,
+				},
+			},
+			tmc: &testutil.TabletManagerClient{
+				PopulateReparentJournalResults: map[string]error{
+					"zone1-0000000102": nil,
+				},
+				PromoteReplicaResults: map[string]struct {
+					Result string
+					Error  error
+				}{
+					"zone1-0000000102": {
+						Result: "ok",
+						Error:  nil,
+					},
+				},
+				SetReplicationSourceResults: map[string]error{
+					"zone1-0000000100": nil,
+					"zone1-0000000101": nil,
+				},
+				StopReplicationAndGetStatusResults: map[string]struct {
+					StopStatus *replicationdatapb.StopReplicationStatus
+					Error      error
+				}{
+					"zone1-0000000100": {
+						StopStatus: &replicationdatapb.StopReplicationStatus{
+							Before: &replicationdatapb.Status{IoState: int32(replication.ReplicationStateRunning), SqlState: int32(replication.ReplicationStateRunning)},
+							After: &replicationdatapb.Status{
+								SourceUuid:       "3E11FA47-71CA-11E1-9E33-C80AA9429562",
+								RelayLogPosition: "MySQL56/3E11FA47-71CA-11E1-9E33-C80AA9429562:1-21",
+							},
+						},
+					},
+					"zone1-0000000101": {
+						StopStatus: &replicationdatapb.StopReplicationStatus{
+							Before: &replicationdatapb.Status{IoState: int32(replication.ReplicationStateRunning), SqlState: int32(replication.ReplicationStateRunning)},
+							After: &replicationdatapb.Status{
+								SourceUuid:       "3E11FA47-71CA-11E1-9E33-C80AA9429562",
+								RelayLogPosition: "MySQL56/3E11FA47-71CA-11E1-9E33-C80AA9429562:1-21",
+							},
+						},
+					},
+					"zone1-0000000102": {
+						StopStatus: &replicationdatapb.StopReplicationStatus{
+							Before: &replicationdatapb.Status{IoState: int32(replication.ReplicationStateRunning), SqlState: int32(replication.ReplicationStateRunning)},
+							After: &replicationdatapb.Status{
+								SourceUuid:       "3E11FA47-71CA-11E1-9E33-C80AA9429562",
+								RelayLogPosition: "MySQL56/3E11FA47-71CA-11E1-9E33-C80AA9429562:1-26",
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				WaitForPositionResults: map[string]map[string]error{
+					"zone1-0000000100": {
+						"MySQL56/3E11FA47-71CA-11E1-9E33-C80AA9429562:1-21": nil,
+					},
+					"zone1-0000000101": {
+						"MySQL56/3E11FA47-71CA-11E1-9E33-C80AA9429562:1-21": nil,
+					},
+					"zone1-0000000102": {
+						"MySQL56/3E11FA47-71CA-11E1-9E33-C80AA9429562:1-26": nil,
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			shards: []*vtctldatapb.Shard{
+				{
+					Keyspace: "testkeyspace",
+					Name:     "-",
+					Shard: &topodatapb.Shard{
+						IsPrimaryServing: true,
+						PrimaryAlias: &topodatapb.TabletAlias{
+							Cell: "zone1",
+							Uid:  100,
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			tablets: []*topodatapb.Tablet{
+				{
+					Alias: &topodatapb.TabletAlias{
+						Cell: "zone1",
+						Uid:  100,
+					},
+					Type:     topodatapb.TabletType_PRIMARY,
+					Keyspace: "testkeyspace",
+					Shard:    "-",
+				},
+				{
+					Alias: &topodatapb.TabletAlias{
+						Cell: "zone1",
+						Uid:  101,
+					},
+					Type:     topodatapb.TabletType_REPLICA,
+					Keyspace: "testkeyspace",
+					Shard:    "-",
+				},
+				{
+					Alias: &topodatapb.TabletAlias{
+						Cell: "zone1",
+						Uid:  102,
+					},
+					Type:     topodatapb.TabletType_REPLICA,
+					Keyspace: "testkeyspace",
+					Shard:    "-",
+					Hostname: "proposed primary",
+				},
+			},
+			keyspace:         "testkeyspace",
+			shard:            "-",
+			cells:            []string{"zone1"},
+			shouldErr:        true,
+			errShouldContain: "primary zone1-0000000100 is not equal to expected alias zone1-0000000102",
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {