diff --git a/go/base/context.go b/go/base/context.go
index f82fb22..21c5758 100644
--- a/go/base/context.go
+++ b/go/base/context.go
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@ type MigrationContext struct {
 	CleanupImminentFlag                    int64
 	UserCommandedUnpostponeFlag            int64
 	CutOverCompleteFlag                    int64
+	InCutOverCriticalSectionFlag           int64
 	PanicAbort                             chan error
 
 	OriginalTableColumnsOnApplier    *sql.ColumnList
@@ -438,6 +439,16 @@ func (this *MigrationContext) SetThrottled(throttle bool, reason string, reasonH
 func (this *MigrationContext) IsThrottled() (bool, string, ThrottleReasonHint) {
 	this.throttleMutex.Lock()
 	defer this.throttleMutex.Unlock()
+
+	// we don't throttle when cutting over. We _do_ throttle:
+	// - during copy phase
+	// - just before cut-over
+	// - in between cut-over retries
+	// When cutting over, we need to be aggressive. Cut-over holds table locks.
+	// We need to release those asap.
+	if atomic.LoadInt64(&this.InCutOverCriticalSectionFlag) > 0 {
+		return false, "critical section", NoThrottleReasonHint
+	}
 	return this.isThrottled, this.throttleReason, this.throttleReasonHint
 }
 
diff --git a/go/logic/migrator.go b/go/logic/migrator.go
index 442c730..cf59972 100644
--- a/go/logic/migrator.go
+++ b/go/logic/migrator.go
@@ -67,8 +67,7 @@ type Migrator struct {
 	rowCopyComplete            chan bool
 	allEventsUpToLockProcessed chan string
 
-	rowCopyCompleteFlag         int64
-	inCutOverCriticalActionFlag int64
+	rowCopyCompleteFlag int64
 	// copyRowsQueue should not be buffered; if buffered some non-damaging but
 	//  excessive work happens at the end of the iteration as new copy-jobs arrive befroe realizing the copy is complete
 	copyRowsQueue    chan tableWriteFunc
@@ -409,6 +408,7 @@ func (this *Migrator) cutOver() (err error) {
 	)
 	atomic.StoreInt64(&this.migrationContext.IsPostponingCutOver, 0)
 	this.migrationContext.MarkPointOfInterest()
+	log.Debugf("checking for cut-over postpone: complete")
 
 	if this.migrationContext.TestOnReplica {
 		// With `--test-on-replica` we stop replication thread, and then proceed to use
@@ -445,7 +445,6 @@ func (this *Migrator) cutOver() (err error) {
 // Inject the "AllEventsUpToLockProcessed" state hint, wait for it to appear in the binary logs,
 // make sure the queue is drained.
 func (this *Migrator) waitForEventsUpToLock() (err error) {
-	//	timeout := time.NewTimer(time.Minute * time.Duration(this.migrationContext.CutOverLockTimeoutSeconds))
 	timeout := time.NewTimer(time.Second * time.Duration(this.migrationContext.CutOverLockTimeoutSeconds))
 
 	this.migrationContext.MarkPointOfInterest()
@@ -488,8 +487,8 @@ func (this *Migrator) waitForEventsUpToLock() (err error) {
 // There is a point in time where the "original" table does not exist and queries are non-blocked
 // and failing.
 func (this *Migrator) cutOverTwoStep() (err error) {
-	atomic.StoreInt64(&this.inCutOverCriticalActionFlag, 1)
-	defer atomic.StoreInt64(&this.inCutOverCriticalActionFlag, 0)
+	atomic.StoreInt64(&this.migrationContext.InCutOverCriticalSectionFlag, 1)
+	defer atomic.StoreInt64(&this.migrationContext.InCutOverCriticalSectionFlag, 0)
 	atomic.StoreInt64(&this.migrationContext.AllEventsUpToLockProcessedInjectedFlag, 0)
 
 	if err := this.retryOperation(this.applier.LockOriginalTable); err != nil {
@@ -514,8 +513,8 @@ func (this *Migrator) cutOverTwoStep() (err error) {
 
 // atomicCutOver
 func (this *Migrator) atomicCutOver() (err error) {
-	atomic.StoreInt64(&this.inCutOverCriticalActionFlag, 1)
-	defer atomic.StoreInt64(&this.inCutOverCriticalActionFlag, 0)
+	atomic.StoreInt64(&this.migrationContext.InCutOverCriticalSectionFlag, 1)
+	defer atomic.StoreInt64(&this.migrationContext.InCutOverCriticalSectionFlag, 0)
 
 	okToUnlockTable := make(chan bool, 4)
 	defer func() {
@@ -1022,15 +1021,8 @@ func (this *Migrator) executeWriteFuncs() error {
 		return nil
 	}
 	for {
-		if atomic.LoadInt64(&this.inCutOverCriticalActionFlag) == 0 {
-			// we don't throttle when cutting over. We _do_ throttle:
-			// - during copy phase
-			// - just before cut-over
-			// - in between cut-over retries
-			this.throttler.throttle(nil)
-			// When cutting over, we need to be aggressive. Cut-over holds table locks.
-			// We need to release those asap.
-		}
+		this.throttler.throttle(nil)
+
 		// We give higher priority to event processing, then secondary priority to
 		// rowcopy
 		select {