diff --git a/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/alter_changefeed_test.go b/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/alter_changefeed_test.go
index 8be5febb6203..f39a0aad1b71 100644
--- a/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/alter_changefeed_test.go
+++ b/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/alter_changefeed_test.go
@@ -1156,17 +1156,9 @@ func TestAlterChangefeedAddTargetsDuringSchemaChangeError(t *testing.T) {
 			_ = g.Wait()
 		}()
 
-		// Helper to read job progress
-		loadProgress := func() jobspb.Progress {
-			jobID := jobFeed.JobID()
-			job, err := jobRegistry.LoadJob(context.Background(), jobID)
-			require.NoError(t, err)
-			return job.Progress()
-		}
-
 		// Ensure initial backfill completes
 		testutils.SucceedsSoon(t, func() error {
-			prog := loadProgress()
+			prog := loadProgress(t, jobFeed, jobRegistry)
 			if p := prog.GetHighWater(); p != nil && !p.IsEmpty() {
 				return nil
 			}
@@ -1210,7 +1202,7 @@ func TestAlterChangefeedAddTargetsDuringSchemaChangeError(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 
 			// Check if we've set a checkpoint yet
-			progress := loadProgress()
+			progress := loadProgress(t, jobFeed, jobRegistry)
 			if p := progress.GetChangefeed(); p != nil && p.Checkpoint != nil && len(p.Checkpoint.Spans) > 0 {
 				initialCheckpoint.Add(p.Checkpoint.Spans...)
 				atomic.StoreInt32(&foundCheckpoint, 1)
@@ -1238,7 +1230,10 @@ func TestAlterChangefeedAddTargetsDuringSchemaChangeError(t *testing.T) {
 			if atomic.LoadInt32(&foundCheckpoint) != 0 {
 				return nil
 			}
-			return errors.New("waiting for checkpoint")
+			if err := jobFeed.FetchTerminalJobErr(); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			return errors.Newf("waiting for checkpoint")
 		})
 
 		require.NoError(t, jobFeed.Pause())
@@ -1339,16 +1334,10 @@ func TestAlterChangefeedAddTargetsDuringBackfill(t *testing.T) {
 		}()
 
 		jobFeed := testFeed.(cdctest.EnterpriseTestFeed)
-		loadProgress := func() jobspb.Progress {
-			jobID := jobFeed.JobID()
-			job, err := registry.LoadJob(context.Background(), jobID)
-			require.NoError(t, err)
-			return job.Progress()
-		}
 
 		// Wait for non-nil checkpoint.
 		testutils.SucceedsSoon(t, func() error {
-			progress := loadProgress()
+			progress := loadProgress(t, jobFeed, registry)
 			if p := progress.GetChangefeed(); p != nil && p.Checkpoint != nil && len(p.Checkpoint.Spans) > 0 {
 				return nil
 			}
@@ -1357,7 +1346,7 @@ func TestAlterChangefeedAddTargetsDuringBackfill(t *testing.T) {
 
 		// Pause the job and read and verify the latest checkpoint information.
 		require.NoError(t, jobFeed.Pause())
-		progress := loadProgress()
+		progress := loadProgress(t, jobFeed, registry)
 		require.NotNil(t, progress.GetChangefeed())
 		h := progress.GetHighWater()
 		noHighWater := h == nil || h.IsEmpty()
@@ -1385,7 +1374,7 @@ func TestAlterChangefeedAddTargetsDuringBackfill(t *testing.T) {
 
 		// Wait for the high water mark to be non-zero.
 		testutils.SucceedsSoon(t, func() error {
-			prog := loadProgress()
+			prog := loadProgress(t, jobFeed, registry)
 			if p := prog.GetHighWater(); p != nil && !p.IsEmpty() {
 				return nil
 			}
@@ -1393,7 +1382,7 @@ func TestAlterChangefeedAddTargetsDuringBackfill(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 
 		// At this point, highwater mark should be set, and previous checkpoint should be gone.
-		progress = loadProgress()
+		progress = loadProgress(t, jobFeed, registry)
 		require.NotNil(t, progress.GetChangefeed())
 		require.Equal(t, 0, len(progress.GetChangefeed().Checkpoint.Spans))
 
@@ -1569,14 +1558,8 @@ func TestAlterChangefeedWithOldCursorFromCreateChangefeed(t *testing.T) {
 		castedFeed, ok := testFeed.(cdctest.EnterpriseTestFeed)
 		require.True(t, ok)
 
-		loadProgress := func() jobspb.Progress {
-			job, err := registry.LoadJob(context.Background(), castedFeed.JobID())
-			require.NoError(t, err)
-			return job.Progress()
-		}
-
 		testutils.SucceedsSoon(t, func() error {
-			progress := loadProgress()
+			progress := loadProgress(t, castedFeed, registry)
 			if hw := progress.GetHighWater(); hw != nil && cursor.LessEq(*hw) {
 				return nil
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/helpers_test.go b/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/helpers_test.go
index c500f3b36a89..ff726991bd32 100644
--- a/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/helpers_test.go
+++ b/pkg/ccl/changefeedccl/helpers_test.go
@@ -688,6 +688,19 @@ func expectNotice(t *testing.T, s serverutils.TestTenantInterface, sql string, e
 	require.Equal(t, expected, actual)
 }
 
+func loadProgress(
+	t *testing.T, jobFeed cdctest.EnterpriseTestFeed, jobRegistry *jobs.Registry,
+) jobspb.Progress {
+	t.Helper()
+	jobID := jobFeed.JobID()
+	job, err := jobRegistry.LoadJob(context.Background(), jobID)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	if job.Status().Terminal() {
+		t.Errorf("tried to load progress for job %v but it has reached terminal status %s with error %s", job, job.Status(), jobFeed.FetchTerminalJobErr())
+	}
+	return job.Progress()
+}
+
 func feed(
 	t testing.TB, f cdctest.TestFeedFactory, create string, args ...interface{},
 ) cdctest.TestFeed {