diff --git a/go/vt/vtctl/grpcvtctldserver/server_test.go b/go/vt/vtctl/grpcvtctldserver/server_test.go
index 2b0113e9ce2..ac90cc0b8e5 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtctl/grpcvtctldserver/server_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtctl/grpcvtctldserver/server_test.go
@@ -4605,7 +4605,7 @@ func TestDeleteTablets(t *testing.T) {
 
 				resp, err := vtctld.GetTablets(ctx, &vtctldatapb.GetTabletsRequest{})
 				assert.NoError(t, err, "cannot look up tablets from topo after issuing DeleteTablets request")
-				testutil.AssertSameTablets(t, tt.expectedRemainingTablets, resp.Tablets)
+				utils.MustMatch(t, tt.expectedRemainingTablets, resp.Tablets)
 			}
 
 			// Run the test
@@ -13338,7 +13338,7 @@ func TestTabletExternallyReparented(t *testing.T) {
 
 					resp, err := vtctld.GetTablets(ctx, &vtctldatapb.GetTabletsRequest{})
 					require.NoError(t, err, "cannot get all tablets in the topo")
-					testutil.AssertSameTablets(t, tt.expectedTopo, resp.Tablets)
+					utils.MustMatch(t, tt.expectedTopo, resp.Tablets)
 				}()
 			}
 
diff --git a/go/vt/vtctl/grpcvtctldserver/testutil/proto_compare.go b/go/vt/vtctl/grpcvtctldserver/testutil/proto_compare.go
index 20ad0f692b0..eaf0786b12d 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtctl/grpcvtctldserver/testutil/proto_compare.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtctl/grpcvtctldserver/testutil/proto_compare.go
@@ -18,15 +18,12 @@ package testutil
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
-	"fmt"
-	"sort"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/test/utils"
 	logutilpb "vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/proto/logutil"
-	topodatapb "vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/proto/topodata"
 	vtctldatapb "vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/proto/vtctldata"
 )
 
@@ -108,16 +105,6 @@ func AssertPlannedReparentShardResponsesEqual(t *testing.T, expected *vtctldatap
 	utils.MustMatch(t, expected, actual)
 }
 
-func AssertSameTablets(t *testing.T, expected, actual []*topodatapb.Tablet) {
-	sort.Slice(expected, func(i, j int) bool {
-		return fmt.Sprintf("%v", expected[i]) < fmt.Sprintf("%v", expected[j])
-	})
-	sort.Slice(actual, func(i, j int) bool {
-		return fmt.Sprintf("%v", actual[i]) < fmt.Sprintf("%v", actual[j])
-	})
-	utils.MustMatch(t, expected, actual)
-}
-
 // AssertKeyspacesEqual is a convenience function to assert that two
 // vtctldatapb.Keyspace objects are equal, after clearing out any reserved
 // proto XXX_ fields.