diff --git a/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/BUILD.bazel b/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/BUILD.bazel
index a55df56c57b8..a87b763151d8 100644
--- a/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/BUILD.bazel
@@ -190,6 +190,7 @@ go_test(
         "alter_changefeed_test.go",
         "avro_test.go",
         "changefeed_dist_test.go",
+        "changefeed_processors_test.go",
         "changefeed_test.go",
         "csv_test.go",
         "encoder_test.go",
diff --git a/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/changefeed_processors.go b/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/changefeed_processors.go
index 9b8cf0a9ec60..b61cabc0da14 100644
--- a/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/changefeed_processors.go
+++ b/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/changefeed_processors.go
@@ -525,11 +525,20 @@ func makeKVFeedMonitoringCfg(
 func (ca *changeAggregator) setupSpansAndFrontier() (spans []roachpb.Span, err error) {
 	var initialHighWater hlc.Timestamp
 	spans = make([]roachpb.Span, 0, len(ca.spec.Watches))
-	for _, watch := range ca.spec.Watches {
-		if initialHighWater.IsEmpty() || watch.InitialResolved.Less(initialHighWater) {
+
+	// Keep initialHighWater as the minimum of all InitialResolved timestamps.
+	// If there are any zero InitialResolved timestamps, initial scan is
+	// ongoing. If there are no zero InitialResolved timestamps, initial scan
+	// is not required.
+	for i, watch := range ca.spec.Watches {
+		spans = append(spans, watch.Span)
+		if i == 0 {
+			initialHighWater = watch.InitialResolved
+			continue
+		}
+		if watch.InitialResolved.Less(initialHighWater) {
 			initialHighWater = watch.InitialResolved
 		}
-		spans = append(spans, watch.Span)
 	}
 
 	ca.frontier, err = makeSchemaChangeFrontier(initialHighWater, spans...)
diff --git a/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/changefeed_processors_test.go b/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/changefeed_processors_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..804717917ea3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/changefeed_processors_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+// Copyright 2024 The Cockroach Authors.
+//
+// Licensed as a CockroachDB Enterprise file under the Cockroach Community
+// License (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with
+// the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     https://github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/blob/master/licenses/CCL.txt
+
+package changefeedccl
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/roachpb"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/execinfrapb"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/hlc"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/leaktest"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/log"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+// TestSetupSpansAndFrontier tests that the setupSpansAndFrontier function
+// correctly sets up frontier for the changefeed aggregator frontier.
+func TestSetupSpansAndFrontier(t *testing.T) {
+	defer leaktest.AfterTest(t)()
+	defer log.Scope(t).Close(t)
+
+	for _, tc := range []struct {
+		name             string
+		expectedFrontier hlc.Timestamp
+		watches          []execinfrapb.ChangeAggregatorSpec_Watch
+	}{
+		{
+			name:             "new initial scan",
+			expectedFrontier: hlc.Timestamp{},
+			watches: []execinfrapb.ChangeAggregatorSpec_Watch{
+				{
+					Span:            roachpb.Span{Key: roachpb.Key("a"), EndKey: roachpb.Key("b")},
+					InitialResolved: hlc.Timestamp{},
+				},
+				{
+					Span:            roachpb.Span{Key: roachpb.Key("b"), EndKey: roachpb.Key("c")},
+					InitialResolved: hlc.Timestamp{},
+				},
+				{
+					Span:            roachpb.Span{Key: roachpb.Key("c"), EndKey: roachpb.Key("d")},
+					InitialResolved: hlc.Timestamp{},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:             "incomplete initial scan with non-empty initial resolved in the middle",
+			expectedFrontier: hlc.Timestamp{},
+			watches: []execinfrapb.ChangeAggregatorSpec_Watch{
+				{
+					Span:            roachpb.Span{Key: roachpb.Key("a"), EndKey: roachpb.Key("b")},
+					InitialResolved: hlc.Timestamp{WallTime: 5},
+				},
+				{
+					Span:            roachpb.Span{Key: roachpb.Key("b"), EndKey: roachpb.Key("c")},
+					InitialResolved: hlc.Timestamp{},
+				},
+				{
+					Span:            roachpb.Span{Key: roachpb.Key("c"), EndKey: roachpb.Key("d")},
+					InitialResolved: hlc.Timestamp{WallTime: 20},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:             "incomplete initial scan with non-empty initial resolved in the front",
+			expectedFrontier: hlc.Timestamp{},
+			watches: []execinfrapb.ChangeAggregatorSpec_Watch{
+				{
+					Span:            roachpb.Span{Key: roachpb.Key("a"), EndKey: roachpb.Key("b")},
+					InitialResolved: hlc.Timestamp{},
+				},
+				{
+					Span:            roachpb.Span{Key: roachpb.Key("b"), EndKey: roachpb.Key("c")},
+					InitialResolved: hlc.Timestamp{WallTime: 10},
+				},
+				{
+					Span:            roachpb.Span{Key: roachpb.Key("c"), EndKey: roachpb.Key("d")},
+					InitialResolved: hlc.Timestamp{WallTime: 20},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:             "incomplete initial scan with empty initial resolved in the end",
+			expectedFrontier: hlc.Timestamp{},
+			watches: []execinfrapb.ChangeAggregatorSpec_Watch{
+				{
+					Span:            roachpb.Span{Key: roachpb.Key("a"), EndKey: roachpb.Key("b")},
+					InitialResolved: hlc.Timestamp{WallTime: 10},
+				},
+				{
+					Span:            roachpb.Span{Key: roachpb.Key("b"), EndKey: roachpb.Key("c")},
+					InitialResolved: hlc.Timestamp{WallTime: 20},
+				},
+				{
+					Span:            roachpb.Span{Key: roachpb.Key("c"), EndKey: roachpb.Key("d")},
+					InitialResolved: hlc.Timestamp{},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:             "complete initial scan",
+			expectedFrontier: hlc.Timestamp{WallTime: 5},
+			watches: []execinfrapb.ChangeAggregatorSpec_Watch{
+				{
+					Span:            roachpb.Span{Key: roachpb.Key("a"), EndKey: roachpb.Key("b")},
+					InitialResolved: hlc.Timestamp{WallTime: 10},
+				},
+				{
+					Span:            roachpb.Span{Key: roachpb.Key("b"), EndKey: roachpb.Key("c")},
+					InitialResolved: hlc.Timestamp{WallTime: 20},
+				},
+				{
+					Span:            roachpb.Span{Key: roachpb.Key("c"), EndKey: roachpb.Key("d")},
+					InitialResolved: hlc.Timestamp{WallTime: 5},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	} {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			ca := &changeAggregator{
+				spec: execinfrapb.ChangeAggregatorSpec{
+					Watches: tc.watches,
+				},
+			}
+			_, err := ca.setupSpansAndFrontier()
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.Equal(t, tc.expectedFrontier, ca.frontier.Frontier())
+		})
+	}
+}