diff --git a/go/test/endtoend/vreplication/cluster.go b/go/test/endtoend/vreplication/cluster.go
index f66bd98e9d..e9041cca28 100644
--- a/go/test/endtoend/vreplication/cluster.go
+++ b/go/test/endtoend/vreplication/cluster.go
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	debug = false // set to true to always use local env vtdataroot for local debugging
+	debug = false // set to true for local debugging: this uses the local env vtdataroot and does not teardown clusters
 
 	originalVtdataroot    string
 	vtdataroot            string
@@ -391,6 +391,9 @@ func (vc *VitessCluster) AddCell(t testing.TB, name string) (*Cell, error) {
 
 // TearDown brings down a cluster, deleting processes, removing topo keys
 func (vc *VitessCluster) TearDown(t testing.TB) {
+	if debug {
+		return
+	}
 	for _, cell := range vc.Cells {
 		for _, vtgate := range cell.Vtgates {
 			if err := vtgate.TearDown(); err != nil {
diff --git a/go/vt/wrangler/vdiff.go b/go/vt/wrangler/vdiff.go
index 4bbf23059a..bfa46b2e5d 100644
--- a/go/vt/wrangler/vdiff.go
+++ b/go/vt/wrangler/vdiff.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import (
 
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine"
 
+	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/binlog/binlogplayer"
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/log"
 
 	"github.com/golang/protobuf/proto"
@@ -590,7 +591,7 @@ func (df *vdiff) stopTargets(ctx context.Context) error {
 			if err := proto.UnmarshalText(row[0].ToString(), &bls); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-			pos, err := mysql.DecodePosition(row[1].ToString())
+			pos, err := binlogplayer.DecodePosition(row[1].ToString())
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
@@ -726,7 +727,7 @@ func (df *vdiff) syncTargets(ctx context.Context, filteredReplicationWaitTime ti
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		mpos, err := mysql.DecodePosition(pos)
+		mpos, err := binlogplayer.DecodePosition(pos)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
diff --git a/tools/rowlog/rowlog.go b/tools/rowlog/rowlog.go
index e4458005f4..84117bf095 100644
--- a/tools/rowlog/rowlog.go
+++ b/tools/rowlog/rowlog.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
+	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/binlog/binlogplayer"
 	vtgatepb "vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/proto/vtgate"
 
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/mysql"
@@ -202,11 +203,11 @@ func startStreaming(ctx context.Context, vtgate, vtctld, keyspace, tablet, table
 			//fmt.Printf("stopPos %s\n", stopPos)
 			var err error
 			var currentPosition, stopPosition mysql.Position
-			currentPosition, err = mysql.DecodePosition(gtid)
+			currentPosition, err = binlogplayer.DecodePosition(gtid)
 			if err != nil {
 				fmt.Errorf("Error decoding position for %s:%vs\n", gtid, err.Error())
 			}
-			stopPosition, err = mysql.DecodePosition(stopPos)
+			stopPosition, err = binlogplayer.DecodePosition(stopPos)
 			if err != nil {
 				fmt.Errorf("Error decoding position for %s:%vs\n", stopPos, err.Error())
 			}