diff --git a/go/test/endtoend/vreplication/cluster.go b/go/test/endtoend/vreplication/cluster.go
index a8ec0c5c81f..b17e551360a 100644
--- a/go/test/endtoend/vreplication/cluster.go
+++ b/go/test/endtoend/vreplication/cluster.go
@@ -317,14 +317,17 @@ func (vc *VitessCluster) AddShards(t testing.TB, cells []*Cell, keyspace *Keyspa
 				tablets = append(tablets, tablet)
 				dbProcesses = append(dbProcesses, proc)
 			}
-			for i := 0; i < numRdonly; i++ {
-				log.Infof("Adding RdOnly tablet")
-				tablet, proc, err := vc.AddTablet(t, cell, keyspace, shard, "rdonly", tabletID+tabletIndex)
-				require.NoError(t, err)
-				require.NotNil(t, tablet)
-				tabletIndex++
-				tablets = append(tablets, tablet)
-				dbProcesses = append(dbProcesses, proc)
+			// Only create RDONLY tablets in the default cell
+			if cell.Name == cluster.DefaultCell {
+				for i := 0; i < numRdonly; i++ {
+					log.Infof("Adding RdOnly tablet")
+					tablet, proc, err := vc.AddTablet(t, cell, keyspace, shard, "rdonly", tabletID+tabletIndex)
+					require.NoError(t, err)
+					require.NotNil(t, tablet)
+					tabletIndex++
+					tablets = append(tablets, tablet)
+					dbProcesses = append(dbProcesses, proc)
+				}
 			}
 
 			for ind, proc := range dbProcesses {
diff --git a/go/test/endtoend/vreplication/resharding_workflows_v2_test.go b/go/test/endtoend/vreplication/resharding_workflows_v2_test.go
index d69a0f5a56e..8333ecceef0 100644
--- a/go/test/endtoend/vreplication/resharding_workflows_v2_test.go
+++ b/go/test/endtoend/vreplication/resharding_workflows_v2_test.go
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@ const (
 )
 
 var (
-	targetTab1, targetTab2, targetReplicaTab1 *cluster.VttabletProcess
-	sourceReplicaTab, sourceTab               *cluster.VttabletProcess
+	targetTab1, targetTab2, targetReplicaTab1, targetRdonlyTab1 *cluster.VttabletProcess
+	sourceTab, sourceReplicaTab, sourceRdonlyTab                *cluster.VttabletProcess
 
 	lastOutput          string
 	currentWorkflowType wrangler.VReplicationWorkflowType
@@ -142,12 +142,16 @@ func tstWorkflowReverseWrites(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, tstWorkflowAction(t, workflowActionReverseTraffic, "master", ""))
 }
 
+// tstWorkflowSwitchReadsAndWrites tests that SwitchWrites w/o any user provided --tablet_types
+// value switches all traffic
 func tstWorkflowSwitchReadsAndWrites(t *testing.T) {
-	require.NoError(t, tstWorkflowAction(t, workflowActionSwitchTraffic, "replica,rdonly,master", ""))
+	require.NoError(t, tstWorkflowAction(t, workflowActionSwitchTraffic, "", ""))
 }
 
+// tstWorkflowReversesReadsAndWrites tests that SwitchWrites w/o any user provided --tablet_types
+// value switches all traffic in reverse
 func tstWorkflowReverseReadsAndWrites(t *testing.T) {
-	require.NoError(t, tstWorkflowAction(t, workflowActionReverseTraffic, "replica,rdonly,master", ""))
+	require.NoError(t, tstWorkflowAction(t, workflowActionReverseTraffic, "", ""))
 }
 
 func tstWorkflowComplete(t *testing.T) error {
@@ -231,6 +235,8 @@ func getCurrentState(t *testing.T) string {
 // but CI currently fails on creating multiple clusters even after the previous ones are torn down
 
 func TestBasicV2Workflows(t *testing.T) {
+	defaultRdonly = 1
+	defer func() { defaultRdonly = 0 }()
 	vc = setupCluster(t)
 	defer vtgateConn.Close()
 	defer vc.TearDown(t)
@@ -365,8 +371,10 @@ func testRestOfWorkflow(t *testing.T) {
 
 	tstWorkflowSwitchReadsAndWrites(t)
 	validateReadsRouteToTarget(t, "replica")
+	validateReadsRoute(t, "rdonly", targetRdonlyTab1)
 	validateWritesRouteToTarget(t)
 	tstWorkflowReverseReadsAndWrites(t)
+	validateReadsRoute(t, "rdonly", sourceRdonlyTab)
 	validateReadsRouteToSource(t, "replica")
 	validateWritesRouteToSource(t)
 
@@ -377,6 +385,7 @@ func testRestOfWorkflow(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// fully switch and complete
 	tstWorkflowSwitchReadsAndWrites(t)
+	validateReadsRoute(t, "rdonly", targetRdonlyTab1)
 	validateReadsRouteToTarget(t, "replica")
 	validateWritesRouteToTarget(t)
 
@@ -402,13 +411,15 @@ func setupCluster(t *testing.T) *VitessCluster {
 	require.NotNil(t, vtgate)
 	vtgate.WaitForStatusOfTabletInShard(fmt.Sprintf("%s.%s.master", "product", "0"), 1)
 	vtgate.WaitForStatusOfTabletInShard(fmt.Sprintf("%s.%s.replica", "product", "0"), 2)
+	vtgate.WaitForStatusOfTabletInShard(fmt.Sprintf("%s.%s.rdonly", "product", "0"), 1)
 
 	vtgateConn = getConnection(t, vc.ClusterConfig.hostname, vc.ClusterConfig.vtgateMySQLPort)
 	verifyClusterHealth(t, vc)
 	insertInitialData(t)
 
-	sourceReplicaTab = vc.Cells[defaultCell.Name].Keyspaces["product"].Shards["0"].Tablets["zone1-101"].Vttablet
 	sourceTab = vc.Cells[defaultCell.Name].Keyspaces["product"].Shards["0"].Tablets["zone1-100"].Vttablet
+	sourceReplicaTab = vc.Cells[defaultCell.Name].Keyspaces["product"].Shards["0"].Tablets["zone1-101"].Vttablet
+	sourceRdonlyTab = vc.Cells[defaultCell.Name].Keyspaces["product"].Shards["0"].Tablets["zone1-102"].Vttablet
 
 	return vc
 }
@@ -430,10 +441,17 @@ func setupCustomerKeyspace(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := vtgate.WaitForStatusOfTabletInShard(fmt.Sprintf("%s.%s.replica", "customer", "80-"), 2); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
+	if err := vtgate.WaitForStatusOfTabletInShard(fmt.Sprintf("%s.%s.rdonly", "customer", "-80"), 1); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := vtgate.WaitForStatusOfTabletInShard(fmt.Sprintf("%s.%s.rdonly", "customer", "80-"), 1); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 	custKs := vc.Cells[defaultCell.Name].Keyspaces["customer"]
 	targetTab1 = custKs.Shards["-80"].Tablets["zone1-200"].Vttablet
 	targetTab2 = custKs.Shards["80-"].Tablets["zone1-300"].Vttablet
 	targetReplicaTab1 = custKs.Shards["-80"].Tablets["zone1-201"].Vttablet
+	targetRdonlyTab1 = custKs.Shards["-80"].Tablets["zone1-202"].Vttablet
 }
 
 func TestSwitchReadsWritesInAnyOrder(t *testing.T) {
@@ -556,12 +574,16 @@ func createAdditionalCustomerShards(t *testing.T, shards string) {
 		if err := vtgate.WaitForStatusOfTabletInShard(fmt.Sprintf("%s.%s.replica", ksName, shardName), 2); err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
+		if err := vtgate.WaitForStatusOfTabletInShard(fmt.Sprintf("%s.%s.rdonly", ksName, shardName), 1); err != nil {
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+		}
 	}
 	custKs := vc.Cells[defaultCell.Name].Keyspaces[ksName]
 	targetTab2 = custKs.Shards["80-c0"].Tablets["zone1-600"].Vttablet
 	targetTab1 = custKs.Shards["40-80"].Tablets["zone1-500"].Vttablet
 	targetReplicaTab1 = custKs.Shards["-40"].Tablets["zone1-401"].Vttablet
 
-	sourceReplicaTab = custKs.Shards["-80"].Tablets["zone1-201"].Vttablet
 	sourceTab = custKs.Shards["-80"].Tablets["zone1-200"].Vttablet
+	sourceReplicaTab = custKs.Shards["-80"].Tablets["zone1-201"].Vttablet
+	sourceRdonlyTab = custKs.Shards["-80"].Tablets["zone1-202"].Vttablet
 }
diff --git a/go/vt/vtctl/vtctl.go b/go/vt/vtctl/vtctl.go
index d20607f1c99..01966eb1bb4 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtctl/vtctl.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtctl/vtctl.go
@@ -2027,11 +2027,11 @@ func commandVRWorkflow(ctx context.Context, wr *wrangler.Wrangler, subFlags *fla
 	workflowType wrangler.VReplicationWorkflowType) error {
 
 	cells := subFlags.String("cells", "", "Cell(s) or CellAlias(es) (comma-separated) to replicate from.")
-	tabletTypes := subFlags.String("tablet_types", "in_order:REPLICA,MASTER", "Source tablet types to replicate from (e.g. MASTER, REPLICA, RDONLY). Defaults to --vreplication_tablet_type parameter value for the tablet, which has the default value of in_order:REPLICA,MASTER.")
-	dryRun := subFlags.Bool("dry_run", false, "Does a dry run of SwitchReads and only reports the actions to be taken. -dry_run is only supported for SwitchTraffic, ReverseTraffic and Complete.")
-	timeout := subFlags.Duration("timeout", 30*time.Second, "Specifies the maximum time to wait, in seconds, for vreplication to catch up on master migrations. The migration will be cancelled on a timeout.")
-	reverseReplication := subFlags.Bool("reverse_replication", true, "Also reverse the replication")
-	keepData := subFlags.Bool("keep_data", false, "Do not drop tables or shards (if true, only vreplication artifacts are cleaned up)")
+	tabletTypes := subFlags.String("tablet_types", "in_order:REPLICA,MASTER", "Source tablet types to replicate from (e.g. MASTER, REPLICA, RDONLY). Defaults to --vreplication_tablet_type parameter value for the tablet, which has the default value of in_order:REPLICA,MASTER. Note: SwitchTraffic overrides this default and uses in_order:RDONLY,REPLICA,MASTER to switch all traffic by default.")
+	dryRun := subFlags.Bool("dry_run", false, "Does a dry run of SwitchReads and only reports the actions to be taken. --dry_run is only supported for SwitchTraffic, ReverseTraffic and Complete.")
+	timeout := subFlags.Duration("timeout", 30*time.Second, "Specifies the maximum time to wait, in seconds, for vreplication to catch up on master migrations. The migration will be cancelled on a timeout. --timeout is only supported for SwitchTraffic and ReverseTraffic.")
+	reverseReplication := subFlags.Bool("reverse_replication", true, "Also reverse the replication (default true). --reverse_replication is only supported for SwitchTraffic.")
+	keepData := subFlags.Bool("keep_data", false, "Do not drop tables or shards (if true, only vreplication artifacts are cleaned up).  --keep_data is only supported for Complete and Cancel.")
 
 	autoStart := subFlags.Bool("auto_start", true, "If false, streams will start in the Stopped state and will need to be explicitly started")
 	stopAfterCopy := subFlags.Bool("stop_after_copy", false, "Streams will be stopped once the copy phase is completed")
@@ -2179,9 +2179,12 @@ func commandVRWorkflow(ctx context.Context, wr *wrangler.Wrangler, subFlags *fla
 		vrwp.TabletTypes = *tabletTypes
 	case vReplicationWorkflowActionSwitchTraffic, vReplicationWorkflowActionReverseTraffic:
 		vrwp.Cells = *cells
-		vrwp.TabletTypes = *tabletTypes
-		if vrwp.TabletTypes == "" {
-			vrwp.TabletTypes = "in_order:REPLICA,MASTER"
+		if userPassedFlag(subFlags, "tablet_types") {
+			vrwp.TabletTypes = *tabletTypes
+		} else {
+			// When no tablet types are specified we are supposed to switch all traffic so
+			// we override the normal default for tablet_types.
+			vrwp.TabletTypes = "in_order:RDONLY,REPLICA,MASTER"
 		}
 		vrwp.Timeout = *timeout
 		vrwp.EnableReverseReplication = *reverseReplication
@@ -3806,3 +3809,15 @@ func PrintAllCommands(logger logutil.Logger) {
 		logger.Printf("\n")
 	}
 }
+
+// userPassedFlag returns true if the flag name given was provided
+// as a command-line argument by the user.
+func userPassedFlag(flags *flag.FlagSet, name string) bool {
+	passed := false
+	flags.Visit(func(f *flag.Flag) {
+		if f.Name == name {
+			passed = true
+		}
+	})
+	return passed
+}