diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/shard_sync.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/shard_sync.go
index ab995ec14b1..4afbaa1a639 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/shard_sync.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/shard_sync.go
@@ -85,10 +85,15 @@ func (tm *TabletManager) shardSyncLoop(ctx context.Context, notifyChan <-chan st
 			// We don't use the watch event except to know that we should
 			// re-read the shard record, and to know if the watch dies.
 			log.Info("Change in shard record")
-			if event.Err != nil {
-				// The watch failed. Stop it so we start a new one if needed.
-				log.Errorf("Shard watch failed: %v", event.Err)
-				shardWatch.stop()
+
+			if event != nil {
+				if event.Err != nil {
+					// The watch failed. Stop it so we start a new one if needed.
+					log.Errorf("Shard watch failed: %v", event.Err)
+					shardWatch.stop()
+				}
+			} else {
+				log.Infof("Got a nil event from the shard watcher for %s. This should not happen.", tm.tabletAlias)
 			}
 		case <-ctx.Done():
 			// Our context was cancelled. Terminate the loop.
diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/vdiff/controller.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/vdiff/controller.go
index 20c1501989e..7b5e1311066 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/vdiff/controller.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/vdiff/controller.go
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ type controller struct {
 	TableDiffPhaseTimings *stats.Timings
 }
 
-func newController(ctx context.Context, row sqltypes.RowNamedValues, dbClientFactory func() binlogplayer.DBClient,
+func newController(row sqltypes.RowNamedValues, dbClientFactory func() binlogplayer.DBClient,
 	ts *topo.Server, vde *Engine, options *tabletmanagerdata.VDiffOptions) (*controller, error) {
 
 	log.Infof("VDiff controller initializing for %+v", row)
@@ -104,9 +104,6 @@ func newController(ctx context.Context, row sqltypes.RowNamedValues, dbClientFac
 		TableDiffRowCounts:    stats.NewCountersWithSingleLabel("", "", "Rows"),
 		TableDiffPhaseTimings: stats.NewTimings("", "", "", "TablePhase"),
 	}
-	ctx, ct.cancel = context.WithCancel(ctx)
-	go ct.run(ctx)
-
 	return ct, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/vdiff/engine.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/vdiff/engine.go
index b2285a070fa..cd3771accfd 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/vdiff/engine.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/vdiff/engine.go
@@ -146,6 +146,8 @@ func (vde *Engine) openLocked(ctx context.Context) error {
 		vde.resetControllers()
 	}
 
+	globalStats.initControllerStats()
+
 	// At this point the tablet has no controllers running. So
 	// we want to start any VDiffs that have not been explicitly
 	// stopped or otherwise finished.
@@ -153,12 +155,12 @@ func (vde *Engine) openLocked(ctx context.Context) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+
 	vde.ctx, vde.cancel = context.WithCancel(ctx)
 	vde.isOpen = true // now we are open and have things to close
 	if err := vde.initControllers(rows); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	vde.updateStats()
 
 	// At this point we've fully and successfully opened so begin
 	// retrying error'd VDiffs until the engine is closed.
@@ -212,7 +214,7 @@ func (vde *Engine) retry(ctx context.Context, err error) {
 // addController creates a new controller using the given vdiff record and adds it to the engine.
 // You must already have the main engine mutex (mu) locked before calling this.
 func (vde *Engine) addController(row sqltypes.RowNamedValues, options *tabletmanagerdata.VDiffOptions) error {
-	ct, err := newController(vde.ctx, row, vde.dbClientFactoryDba, vde.ts, vde, options)
+	ct, err := newController(row, vde.dbClientFactoryDba, vde.ts, vde, options)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("controller could not be initialized for stream %+v on tablet %v",
 			row, vde.thisTablet.Alias)
@@ -221,6 +223,10 @@ func (vde *Engine) addController(row sqltypes.RowNamedValues, options *tabletman
 	globalStats.mu.Lock()
 	defer globalStats.mu.Unlock()
 	globalStats.controllers[ct.id] = ct
+
+	controllerCtx, cancel := context.WithCancel(vde.ctx)
+	ct.cancel = cancel
+	go ct.run(controllerCtx)
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -395,16 +401,4 @@ func (vde *Engine) resetControllers() {
 		ct.Stop()
 	}
 	vde.controllers = make(map[int64]*controller)
-	vde.updateStats()
-}
-
-// updateStats must only be called while holding the engine lock.
-func (vre *Engine) updateStats() {
-	globalStats.mu.Lock()
-	defer globalStats.mu.Unlock()
-
-	globalStats.controllers = make(map[int64]*controller, len(vre.controllers))
-	for id, ct := range vre.controllers {
-		globalStats.controllers[id] = ct
-	}
 }
diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/vdiff/framework_test.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/vdiff/framework_test.go
index 43aa76894d4..f6ca201e042 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/vdiff/framework_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/vdiff/framework_test.go
@@ -651,3 +651,39 @@ func (tvde *testVDiffEnv) addTablet(id int, keyspace, shard string, tabletType t
 	tstenv.SchemaEngine.Reload(context.Background())
 	return tvde.tablets[id]
 }
+<<<<<<< HEAD
+=======
+
+func (tvde *testVDiffEnv) createController(t *testing.T, id int) *controller {
+	controllerQR := sqltypes.MakeTestResult(sqltypes.MakeTestFields(
+		vdiffTestCols,
+		vdiffTestColTypes,
+	),
+		fmt.Sprintf("%d|%s|%s|%s|%s|%s|%s|%s|", id, uuid.New(), tvde.workflow, tstenv.KeyspaceName, tstenv.ShardName, vdiffDBName, PendingState, optionsJS),
+	)
+	tvde.dbClient.ExpectRequest(fmt.Sprintf("select * from _vt.vdiff where id = %d", id), noResults, nil)
+	ct := tvde.newController(t, controllerQR)
+	ct.sources = map[string]*migrationSource{
+		tstenv.ShardName: {
+			vrID: 1,
+			shardStreamer: &shardStreamer{
+				tablet: tvde.vde.thisTablet,
+				shard:  tstenv.ShardName,
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	ct.sourceKeyspace = tstenv.KeyspaceName
+
+	return ct
+}
+
+func (tvde *testVDiffEnv) newController(t *testing.T, controllerQR *sqltypes.Result) *controller {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	ct, err := newController(controllerQR.Named().Row(), tvde.dbClientFactory, tstenv.TopoServ, tvde.vde, tvde.opts)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	ctx2, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
+	ct.cancel = cancel
+	go ct.run(ctx2)
+	return ct
+}
+>>>>>>> aebc4b82f9 (VDiff: fix race when a vdiff resumes on vttablet restart (#17638))
diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/vdiff/stats.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/vdiff/stats.go
index 04cda6ac0c1..ae59884e6c2 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/vdiff/stats.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/vdiff/stats.go
@@ -44,11 +44,18 @@ type vdiffStats struct {
 	RowsDiffedCount     *stats.Counter
 }
 
+func (vds *vdiffStats) initControllerStats() {
+	vds.mu.Lock()
+	defer vds.mu.Unlock()
+	vds.controllers = make(map[int64]*controller)
+}
+
 func (vds *vdiffStats) register() {
 	globalStats.Count = stats.NewGauge("", "")
 	globalStats.ErrorCount = stats.NewCounter("", "")
 	globalStats.RestartedTableDiffs = stats.NewCountersWithSingleLabel("", "", "Table")
 	globalStats.RowsDiffedCount = stats.NewCounter("", "")
+	globalStats.initControllerStats()
 
 	stats.NewGaugeFunc("VDiffCount", "Number of current vdiffs", vds.numControllers)
 
diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/vdiff/workflow_differ_test.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/vdiff/workflow_differ_test.go
index d4f9ddb001d..a57bd621f79 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/vdiff/workflow_differ_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/vdiff/workflow_differ_test.go
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ limitations under the License.
 package vdiff
 
 import (
-	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
@@ -49,8 +48,22 @@ func TestBuildPlanSuccess(t *testing.T) {
 	)
 
 	vdiffenv.dbClient.ExpectRequest("select * from _vt.vdiff where id = 1", noResults, nil)
+<<<<<<< HEAD
 	ct, err := newController(context.Background(), controllerQR.Named().Row(), vdiffenv.dbClientFactory, tstenv.TopoServ, vdiffenv.vde, vdiffenv.opts)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
+=======
+	ct := vdenv.newController(t, controllerQR)
+	ct.sources = map[string]*migrationSource{
+		tstenv.ShardName: {
+			vrID: 1,
+			shardStreamer: &shardStreamer{
+				tablet: vdenv.vde.thisTablet,
+				shard:  tstenv.ShardName,
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	ct.sourceKeyspace = tstenv.KeyspaceName
+>>>>>>> aebc4b82f9 (VDiff: fix race when a vdiff resumes on vttablet restart (#17638))
 
 	testcases := []struct {
 		input          *binlogdatapb.Rule
@@ -674,9 +687,7 @@ func TestBuildPlanFailure(t *testing.T) {
 		fmt.Sprintf("1|%s|%s|%s|%s|%s|%s|%s|", UUID, vdiffenv.workflow, tstenv.KeyspaceName, tstenv.ShardName, vdiffDBName, PendingState, optionsJS),
 	)
 	vdiffenv.dbClient.ExpectRequest("select * from _vt.vdiff where id = 1", noResults, nil)
-	ct, err := newController(context.Background(), controllerQR.Named().Row(), vdiffenv.dbClientFactory, tstenv.TopoServ, vdiffenv.vde, vdiffenv.opts)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-
+	ct := vdenv.newController(t, controllerQR)
 	testcases := []struct {
 		input *binlogdatapb.Rule
 		err   string