diff --git a/go/vt/vtctl/cell_info.go b/go/vt/vtctl/cell_info.go
index dca4cc469bc..7af97cb10b3 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtctl/cell_info.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtctl/cell_info.go
@@ -23,10 +23,10 @@ import (
 
 	"context"
 
-	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/topo"
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/wrangler"
 
 	topodatapb "vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/proto/topodata"
+	vtctldatapb "vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/proto/vtctldata"
 )
 
 // This file contains the Cells command group for vtctl.
@@ -73,18 +73,19 @@ func commandAddCellInfo(ctx context.Context, wr *wrangler.Wrangler, subFlags *fl
 	if err := subFlags.Parse(args); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if *root == "" {
-		return fmt.Errorf("root must be non-empty")
-	}
 	if subFlags.NArg() != 1 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("the <cell> argument is required for the AddCellInfo command")
 	}
 	cell := subFlags.Arg(0)
 
-	return wr.TopoServer().CreateCellInfo(ctx, cell, &topodatapb.CellInfo{
-		ServerAddress: *serverAddress,
-		Root:          *root,
+	_, err := wr.VtctldServer().AddCellInfo(ctx, &vtctldatapb.AddCellInfoRequest{
+		Name: cell,
+		CellInfo: &topodatapb.CellInfo{
+			ServerAddress: *serverAddress,
+			Root:          *root,
+		},
 	})
+	return err
 }
 
 func commandUpdateCellInfo(ctx context.Context, wr *wrangler.Wrangler, subFlags *flag.FlagSet, args []string) error {
@@ -98,19 +99,14 @@ func commandUpdateCellInfo(ctx context.Context, wr *wrangler.Wrangler, subFlags
 	}
 	cell := subFlags.Arg(0)
 
-	return wr.TopoServer().UpdateCellInfoFields(ctx, cell, func(ci *topodatapb.CellInfo) error {
-		if (*serverAddress == "" || ci.ServerAddress == *serverAddress) &&
-			(*root == "" || ci.Root == *root) {
-			return topo.NewError(topo.NoUpdateNeeded, cell)
-		}
-		if *serverAddress != "" {
-			ci.ServerAddress = *serverAddress
-		}
-		if *root != "" {
-			ci.Root = *root
-		}
-		return nil
+	_, err := wr.VtctldServer().UpdateCellInfo(ctx, &vtctldatapb.UpdateCellInfoRequest{
+		Name: cell,
+		CellInfo: &topodatapb.CellInfo{
+			ServerAddress: *serverAddress,
+			Root:          *root,
+		},
 	})
+	return err
 }
 
 func commandDeleteCellInfo(ctx context.Context, wr *wrangler.Wrangler, subFlags *flag.FlagSet, args []string) error {
@@ -123,7 +119,11 @@ func commandDeleteCellInfo(ctx context.Context, wr *wrangler.Wrangler, subFlags
 	}
 	cell := subFlags.Arg(0)
 
-	return wr.TopoServer().DeleteCellInfo(ctx, cell, *force)
+	_, err := wr.VtctldServer().DeleteCellInfo(ctx, &vtctldatapb.DeleteCellInfoRequest{
+		Name:  cell,
+		Force: *force,
+	})
+	return err
 }
 
 func commandGetCellInfoNames(ctx context.Context, wr *wrangler.Wrangler, subFlags *flag.FlagSet, args []string) error {
diff --git a/go/vt/vtctl/cells_aliases.go b/go/vt/vtctl/cells_aliases.go
index 195b36921ad..ecdc10eb9e9 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtctl/cells_aliases.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtctl/cells_aliases.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/wrangler"
 
 	topodatapb "vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/proto/topodata"
+	vtctldatapb "vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/proto/vtctldata"
 )
 
 // This file contains the CellsAliases command group for vtctl.
@@ -75,10 +76,11 @@ func commandAddCellsAlias(ctx context.Context, wr *wrangler.Wrangler, subFlags *
 	}
 
 	alias := subFlags.Arg(0)
-
-	return wr.TopoServer().CreateCellsAlias(ctx, alias, &topodatapb.CellsAlias{
+	_, err := wr.VtctldServer().AddCellsAlias(ctx, &vtctldatapb.AddCellsAliasRequest{
+		Name:  alias,
 		Cells: cells,
 	})
+	return err
 }
 
 func commandUpdateCellsAlias(ctx context.Context, wr *wrangler.Wrangler, subFlags *flag.FlagSet, args []string) error {
@@ -96,11 +98,13 @@ func commandUpdateCellsAlias(ctx context.Context, wr *wrangler.Wrangler, subFlag
 	}
 
 	alias := subFlags.Arg(0)
-
-	return wr.TopoServer().UpdateCellsAlias(ctx, alias, func(ca *topodatapb.CellsAlias) error {
-		ca.Cells = cells
-		return nil
+	_, err := wr.VtctldServer().UpdateCellsAlias(ctx, &vtctldatapb.UpdateCellsAliasRequest{
+		Name: alias,
+		CellsAlias: &topodatapb.CellsAlias{
+			Cells: cells,
+		},
 	})
+	return err
 }
 
 func commandDeleteCellsAlias(ctx context.Context, wr *wrangler.Wrangler, subFlags *flag.FlagSet, args []string) error {
@@ -112,7 +116,10 @@ func commandDeleteCellsAlias(ctx context.Context, wr *wrangler.Wrangler, subFlag
 	}
 	alias := subFlags.Arg(0)
 
-	return wr.TopoServer().DeleteCellsAlias(ctx, alias)
+	_, err := wr.VtctldServer().DeleteCellsAlias(ctx, &vtctldatapb.DeleteCellsAliasRequest{
+		Name: alias,
+	})
+	return err
 }
 
 func commandGetCellsAliases(ctx context.Context, wr *wrangler.Wrangler, subFlags *flag.FlagSet, args []string) error {