diff --git a/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/changefeed_test.go b/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/changefeed_test.go
index 0511c92417ee..989d6af259ae 100644
--- a/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/changefeed_test.go
+++ b/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/changefeed_test.go
@@ -685,6 +685,28 @@ func TestChangefeedSchemaChangeAllowBackfill(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run(`enterprise`, enterpriseTest(testFn))
 }
 
+// Regression test for #34314
+func TestChangefeedAfterSchemaChangeBackfill(t *testing.T) {
+	defer leaktest.AfterTest(t)()
+
+	testFn := func(t *testing.T, db *gosql.DB, f testfeedFactory) {
+		sqlDB := sqlutils.MakeSQLRunner(db)
+		sqlDB.Exec(t, `CREATE TABLE after_backfill (a INT PRIMARY KEY)`)
+		sqlDB.Exec(t, `INSERT INTO after_backfill VALUES (0)`)
+		sqlDB.Exec(t, `ALTER TABLE after_backfill ADD COLUMN b INT DEFAULT 1`)
+		sqlDB.Exec(t, `INSERT INTO after_backfill VALUES (2, 3)`)
+		afterBackfill := f.Feed(t, `CREATE CHANGEFEED FOR after_backfill`)
+		defer afterBackfill.Close(t)
+		assertPayloads(t, afterBackfill, []string{
+			`after_backfill: [0]->{"a": 0, "b": 1}`,
+			`after_backfill: [2]->{"a": 2, "b": 3}`,
+		})
+	}
+
+	t.Run(`sinkless`, sinklessTest(testFn))
+	t.Run(`enterprise`, enterpriseTest(testFn))
+}
+
 func TestChangefeedInterleaved(t *testing.T) {
 	defer leaktest.AfterTest(t)()
 
diff --git a/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/helpers_test.go b/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/helpers_test.go
index d14acab997cc..d92b089dadf4 100644
--- a/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/helpers_test.go
+++ b/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/helpers_test.go
@@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ func assertPayloads(t testing.TB, f testfeed, expected []string) {
 	for len(actual) < len(expected) {
 		topic, _, key, value, _, ok := f.Next(t)
 		if !ok {
-			break
+			t.Fatalf(`expected another row: %s`, f.Err())
 		} else if key != nil {
 			actual = append(actual, fmt.Sprintf(`%s: %s->%s`, topic, key, value))
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/poller.go b/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/poller.go
index 852cc2accdae..236566b2d802 100644
--- a/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/poller.go
+++ b/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/poller.go
@@ -615,27 +615,32 @@ func (p *poller) validateTable(ctx context.Context, desc *sqlbase.TableDescripto
 		}
 		if lastVersion.HasColumnBackfillMutation() && !desc.HasColumnBackfillMutation() {
 			boundaryTime := desc.GetModificationTime()
-			if boundaryTime.Less(p.mu.highWater) {
-				return fmt.Errorf(
-					"error: detected table ID %d backfill completed at %s earlier than highwater timestamp %s",
-					desc.ID,
-					boundaryTime,
-					p.mu.highWater,
-				)
-			}
-			p.mu.scanBoundaries = append(p.mu.scanBoundaries, boundaryTime)
-			sort.Slice(p.mu.scanBoundaries, func(i, j int) bool {
-				return p.mu.scanBoundaries[i].Less(p.mu.scanBoundaries[j])
-			})
-			// To avoid race conditions with the lease manager, at this point we force
-			// the manager to acquire the freshest descriptor of this table from the
-			// store. In normal operation, the lease manager returns the newest
-			// descriptor it knows about for the timestamp, assuming it's still
-			// allowed; without this explicit load, the lease manager might therefore
-			// return the previous version of the table, which is still technically
-			// allowed by the schema change system.
-			if err := p.leaseMgr.AcquireFreshestFromStore(ctx, desc.ID); err != nil {
-				return err
+			// Only mutations that happened after the changefeed started are
+			// interesting here.
+			if p.details.StatementTime.Less(boundaryTime) {
+				if boundaryTime.Less(p.mu.highWater) {
+					return fmt.Errorf(
+						"error: detected table ID %d backfill completed at %s "+
+							"earlier than highwater timestamp %s",
+						desc.ID,
+						boundaryTime,
+						p.mu.highWater,
+					)
+				}
+				p.mu.scanBoundaries = append(p.mu.scanBoundaries, boundaryTime)
+				sort.Slice(p.mu.scanBoundaries, func(i, j int) bool {
+					return p.mu.scanBoundaries[i].Less(p.mu.scanBoundaries[j])
+				})
+				// To avoid race conditions with the lease manager, at this point we force
+				// the manager to acquire the freshest descriptor of this table from the
+				// store. In normal operation, the lease manager returns the newest
+				// descriptor it knows about for the timestamp, assuming it's still
+				// allowed; without this explicit load, the lease manager might therefore
+				// return the previous version of the table, which is still technically
+				// allowed by the schema change system.
+				if err := p.leaseMgr.AcquireFreshestFromStore(ctx, desc.ID); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}