diff --git a/go/vt/vtorc/inst/instance_dao.go b/go/vt/vtorc/inst/instance_dao.go
index 0f18bbe32be..d7badd906d6 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtorc/inst/instance_dao.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtorc/inst/instance_dao.go
@@ -299,9 +299,9 @@ func ReadTopologyInstanceBufferable(tabletAlias string, latency *stopwatch.Named
 		instance.SourceUUID = fs.ReplicationStatus.SourceUuid
 		instance.HasReplicationFilters = fs.ReplicationStatus.HasReplicationFilters
 
+		instance.SourceAlias = topoproto.TabletAliasString(fs.SourceAlias)
 		instance.SourceHost = fs.ReplicationStatus.SourceHost
 		instance.SourcePort = int(fs.ReplicationStatus.SourcePort)
-		instance.SourceAlias = topoproto.TabletAliasString(fs.SourceAlias)
 
 		if fs.ReplicationStatus.ReplicationLagUnknown {
 			instance.SecondsBehindPrimary.Valid = false
@@ -483,6 +483,7 @@ func ReadInstanceClusterAttributes(instance *Instance) (err error) {
 	primaryHostname := instance.SourceHost
 	primaryPort := instance.SourcePort
 
+	// Using alias is a primary-key read
 	whereCond := `alias = ?`
 	args := sqlutils.Args(primaryAlias)
 
diff --git a/proto/replicationdata.proto b/proto/replicationdata.proto
index eba4d323ee6..d8f1411012f 100644
--- a/proto/replicationdata.proto
+++ b/proto/replicationdata.proto
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ limitations under the License.
 syntax = "proto3";
 option go_package = "vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/proto/replicationdata";
 
+import "topodata.proto";
+
 package replicationdata;
 
 // Status is the replication status for MySQL/MariaDB/File-based. Returned by a
@@ -51,6 +53,7 @@ message Status {
   bool ssl_allowed = 23;
   bool replication_lag_unknown = 24;
   bool backup_running = 25;
+  topodata.TabletAlias source_alias = 26;
 }
 
 // Configuration holds replication configuration information gathered from performance_schema and global variables.
@@ -106,4 +109,5 @@ message FullStatus {
   bool super_read_only = 21;
   replicationdata.Configuration replication_configuration = 22;
   bool disk_stalled = 23;
+  topodata.TabletAlias source_alias = 24;
 }