diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/vstream_manager.go b/go/vt/vtgate/vstream_manager.go
index a300a3dcbc8..1afc0a7cf14 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/vstream_manager.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/vstream_manager.go
@@ -61,8 +61,8 @@ const maxSkewTimeoutSeconds = 10 * 60
 // for a vstream
 const tabletPickerContextTimeout = 90 * time.Second
 
-// stopOnReshardDelay is how long we wait after sending a reshard journal event before ending the stream
-// from the tablet.
+// stopOnReshardDelay is how long we wait, at a minimum, after sending a reshard journal event before
+// ending the stream from the tablet.
 const stopOnReshardDelay = 2 * time.Second
 
 // vstream contains the metadata for one VStream request.
@@ -671,8 +671,7 @@ func (vs *vstream) streamFromTablet(ctx context.Context, sgtid *binlogdatapb.Sha
 						// Read any subsequent events until we get the VGTID->COMMIT events that
 						// always follow the JOURNAL event which is generated as a result of
 						// an autocommit insert into the _vt.resharding_journal table on the
-						// tablet. This batch of events we're currently processing may not
-						// contain these events.
+						// tablet.
 						for j := i + 1; j < len(events); j++ {
 							sendevents = append(sendevents, events[j])
 							if events[j].Type == binlogdatapb.VEventType_COMMIT {
@@ -691,19 +690,22 @@ func (vs *vstream) streamFromTablet(ctx context.Context, sgtid *binlogdatapb.Sha
 						return err
 					}
 					if je != nil {
-						// Wait till all other participants converge and return EOF.
+						// We're going to be ending the tablet stream, so we ensure a reasonable
+						// minimum amount of time is alloted for clients to Recv the journal event
+						// before the stream's context is cancelled (which would cause the grpc
+						// Send or Recv to fail). If the client doesn't (grpc) Recv the journal
+						// event before the stream ends then they'll have to resume from the last
+						// ShardGtid they received before the journal event.
+						endTimer := time.NewTimer(stopOnReshardDelay)
+						defer endTimer.Stop()
+						// Wait until all other participants converge and then return EOF after
+						// the minimum delay has passed.
 						journalDone = je.done
 						select {
 						case <-ctx.Done():
 							return ctx.Err()
 						case <-journalDone:
-							// We're going to be ending the tablet stream anyway, so we pause to give
-							// clients time to recv the journal event before the stream's context is
-							// cancelled (which causes the grpc SendMsg to fail).
-							// If the client doesn't (grpc) Recv the journal event before the stream
-							// ends then they'll have to resume from the last ShardGtid they received
-							// before the journal event.
-							time.Sleep(stopOnReshardDelay)
+							<-endTimer.C
 							return io.EOF
 						}
 					}