diff --git a/go/cmd/vtbackup/cli/vtbackup.go b/go/cmd/vtbackup/cli/vtbackup.go
index 84a26af156f..26c270233c1 100644
--- a/go/cmd/vtbackup/cli/vtbackup.go
+++ b/go/cmd/vtbackup/cli/vtbackup.go
@@ -340,10 +340,16 @@ func takeBackup(ctx, backgroundCtx context.Context, topoServer *topo.Server, bac
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to initialize mysql config: %v", err)
 	}
+
 	ctx, cancelCtx := context.WithCancel(ctx)
 	backgroundCtx, cancelbackgroundCtx := context.WithCancel(backgroundCtx)
-	mysqld.OnFailure(func(err error) {
-		log.Warning("Cancelling the vtbackup context as MySQL has failed")
+	defer func() {
+		cancelCtx()
+		cancelbackgroundCtx()
+	}()
+
+	mysqld.OnTerm(func() {
+		log.Warning("Cancelling the vtbackup context as MySQL has terminated")
 		cancelCtx()
 		cancelbackgroundCtx()
 	})
@@ -533,12 +539,12 @@ func takeBackup(ctx, backgroundCtx context.Context, topoServer *topo.Server, bac
 
 		waitStartTime = time.Now()
 
-		continuousErrorCount int
+		// continuousErrorCount int
 	)
 	for {
-		if continuousErrorCount == maximumErrorCountWhenWaitingForReplicationStatus {
-			return fmt.Errorf("timeout waiting for replication status after %d errors", maximumErrorCountWhenWaitingForReplicationStatus)
-		}
+		// if continuousErrorCount == maximumErrorCountWhenWaitingForReplicationStatus {
+		// 	return fmt.Errorf("timeout waiting for replication status after %d errors", maximumErrorCountWhenWaitingForReplicationStatus)
+		// }
 
 		select {
 		case <-ctx.Done():
@@ -550,7 +556,7 @@ func takeBackup(ctx, backgroundCtx context.Context, topoServer *topo.Server, bac
 		status, statusErr = mysqld.ReplicationStatus(ctx)
 		if statusErr != nil {
 			log.Warningf("Error getting replication status: %v", statusErr)
-			continuousErrorCount++
+			// continuousErrorCount++
 			continue
 		}
 		if status.Position.AtLeast(primaryPos) {
@@ -573,11 +579,11 @@ func takeBackup(ctx, backgroundCtx context.Context, topoServer *topo.Server, bac
 			if err := startReplication(ctx, mysqld, topoServer); err != nil {
 				log.Warningf("Failed to restart replication: %v", err)
 			}
-			continuousErrorCount++
+			// continuousErrorCount++
 		} else {
 			// Since replication is working if we got here, let's reset the error count to zero.
 			// This allows us to avoid failing if we only have transient errors from time to time.
-			continuousErrorCount = 0
+			// continuousErrorCount = 0
 			phaseStatus.Set([]string{phaseNameCatchupReplication, phaseStatusCatchupReplicationStopped}, 0)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/go/vt/mysqlctl/mysqld.go b/go/vt/mysqlctl/mysqld.go
index 43ec3d88575..d7435705a8a 100644
--- a/go/vt/mysqlctl/mysqld.go
+++ b/go/vt/mysqlctl/mysqld.go
@@ -118,10 +118,9 @@ type Mysqld struct {
 	capabilities capabilitySet
 
 	// mutex protects the fields below.
-	mutex          sync.Mutex
-	onTermFuncs    []func()
-	onFailureFuncs []func(error)
-	cancelWaitCmd  chan struct{}
+	mutex         sync.Mutex
+	onTermFuncs   []func()
+	cancelWaitCmd chan struct{}
 
 	semiSyncType mysql.SemiSyncType
 }
@@ -446,11 +445,6 @@ func (mysqld *Mysqld) startNoWait(cnf *Mycnf, mysqldArgs ...string) error {
 				for _, callback := range mysqld.onTermFuncs {
 					go callback()
 				}
-				if err != nil {
-					for _, failureFunc := range mysqld.onFailureFuncs {
-						go failureFunc(err)
-					}
-				}
 				mysqld.mutex.Unlock()
 			}
 		}(mysqld.cancelWaitCmd)
@@ -1253,12 +1247,6 @@ func (mysqld *Mysqld) OnTerm(f func()) {
 	mysqld.onTermFuncs = append(mysqld.onTermFuncs, f)
 }
 
-func (mysqld *Mysqld) OnFailure(f func(error)) {
-	mysqld.mutex.Lock()
-	defer mysqld.mutex.Unlock()
-	mysqld.onFailureFuncs = append(mysqld.onFailureFuncs, f)
-}
-
 func buildLdPaths() ([]string, error) {
 	vtMysqlRoot, err := vtenv.VtMysqlRoot()
 	if err != nil {