diff --git a/pkg/ccl/testccl/workload/schemachange/BUILD.bazel b/pkg/ccl/testccl/workload/schemachange/BUILD.bazel
index b5e6e0246d16..8341b8995be8 100644
--- a/pkg/ccl/testccl/workload/schemachange/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/pkg/ccl/testccl/workload/schemachange/BUILD.bazel
@@ -3,11 +3,12 @@ load("@io_bazel_rules_go//go:def.bzl", "go_test")
 
 go_test(
     name = "schemachange_test",
+    size = "large",
     srcs = [
         "main_test.go",
         "schema_change_external_test.go",
     ],
-    args = ["-test.timeout=295s"],
+    args = ["-test.timeout=895s"],
     data = [
         "//c-deps:libgeos",
     ],
diff --git a/pkg/ccl/testccl/workload/schemachange/schema_change_external_test.go b/pkg/ccl/testccl/workload/schemachange/schema_change_external_test.go
index 9c8d1676cc2e..754dbce520b8 100644
--- a/pkg/ccl/testccl/workload/schemachange/schema_change_external_test.go
+++ b/pkg/ccl/testccl/workload/schemachange/schema_change_external_test.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ import (
 func TestWorkload(t *testing.T) {
 	defer leaktest.AfterTest(t)()
 	defer utilccl.TestingEnableEnterprise()()
-	skip.WithIssue(t, 78478)
+	skip.UnderRace(t, "test connections can be too slow under race option.")
 
 	dir := t.TempDir()
 	ctx := context.Background()
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ func TestWorkload(t *testing.T) {
 	ql, err := wl.Ops(ctx, []string{pgURL.String()}, reg)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	const N = 100
+	const N = 800
 	workerFn := func(ctx context.Context, fn func(ctx context.Context) error) func() error {
 		return func() error {
 			for i := 0; i < N; i++ {
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/tests/schemachange_random_load.go b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/tests/schemachange_random_load.go
index 1bfcc35d9c18..d0742a0b8811 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/tests/schemachange_random_load.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/tests/schemachange_random_load.go
@@ -46,9 +46,6 @@ func registerSchemaChangeRandomLoad(r registry.Registry) {
 			spec.Zones(geoZonesStr),
 		),
 		NativeLibs: registry.LibGEOS,
-		// This is set while development is still happening on the workload and we
-		// fix (or bypass) minor schema change bugs that are discovered.
-		NonReleaseBlocker: true,
 		Run: func(ctx context.Context, t test.Test, c cluster.Cluster) {
 			maxOps := 5000
 			concurrency := 20
diff --git a/pkg/sql/resolve_oid.go b/pkg/sql/resolve_oid.go
index da9b820aad49..cdba7448764f 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/resolve_oid.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/resolve_oid.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/kv"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/catalog"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/pgwire/pgcode"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/pgwire/pgerror"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/sem/tree"
@@ -77,7 +78,12 @@ func resolveOID(
 	results, err := ie.QueryRowEx(ctx, "queryOid", txn,
 		sessiondata.NoSessionDataOverride, q, toResolve)
 	if err != nil {
-		if errors.HasType(err, (*tree.MultipleResultsError)(nil)) {
+		if catalog.HasInactiveDescriptorError(err) {
+			// Descriptor is either dropped or offline, so
+			// the OID does not exist.
+			return nil, true, pgerror.Newf(info.errType,
+				"%s %s does not exist", info.objName, toResolve)
+		} else if errors.HasType(err, (*tree.MultipleResultsError)(nil)) {
 			return nil, false, pgerror.Newf(pgcode.AmbiguousAlias,
 				"more than one %s named %s", info.objName, toResolve)
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/workload/schemachange/error_screening.go b/pkg/workload/schemachange/error_screening.go
index ed502bb75690..4f0eeadb5b75 100644
--- a/pkg/workload/schemachange/error_screening.go
+++ b/pkg/workload/schemachange/error_screening.go
@@ -562,14 +562,20 @@ SELECT count(*) > 0
 	return nil
 }
 
+func getValidGenerationErrors() errorCodeSet {
+	return errorCodeSet{
+		pgcode.NumericValueOutOfRange:    true,
+		pgcode.FloatingPointException:    true,
+		pgcode.InvalidTextRepresentation: true,
+	}
+}
+
 // isValidGenerationError these codes can be observed when evaluating values
 // for generated expressions. These are errors are not ignored, but added into
 // the expected set of errors.
 func isValidGenerationError(code string) bool {
 	pgCode := pgcode.MakeCode(code)
-	return pgCode == pgcode.NumericValueOutOfRange ||
-		pgCode == pgcode.FloatingPointException ||
-		pgCode == pgcode.InvalidTextRepresentation
+	return getValidGenerationErrors().contains(pgCode)
 }
 
 // validateGeneratedExpressionsForInsert goes through generated expressions and
diff --git a/pkg/workload/schemachange/operation_generator.go b/pkg/workload/schemachange/operation_generator.go
index 88b471794cbb..3aacb9a68cb8 100644
--- a/pkg/workload/schemachange/operation_generator.go
+++ b/pkg/workload/schemachange/operation_generator.go
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ type operationGeneratorParams struct {
 // The OperationBuilder has the sole responsibility of generating ops
 type operationGenerator struct {
 	params                *operationGeneratorParams
-	potentialExecErrors   errorCodeSet
 	expectedCommitErrors  errorCodeSet
 	potentialCommitErrors errorCodeSet
 
@@ -126,7 +125,6 @@ func makeOperationGenerator(params *operationGeneratorParams) *operationGenerato
 	return &operationGenerator{
 		params:                        params,
 		expectedCommitErrors:          makeExpectedErrorSet(),
-		potentialExecErrors:           makeExpectedErrorSet(),
 		potentialCommitErrors:         makeExpectedErrorSet(),
 		candidateExpectedCommitErrors: makeExpectedErrorSet(),
 	}
@@ -135,7 +133,6 @@ func makeOperationGenerator(params *operationGeneratorParams) *operationGenerato
 // Reset internal state used per operation within a transaction
 func (og *operationGenerator) resetOpState() {
 	og.candidateExpectedCommitErrors.reset()
-	og.potentialExecErrors.reset()
 }
 
 // Reset internal state used per transaction
@@ -903,7 +900,7 @@ func (og *operationGenerator) addForeignKeyConstraint(
 	// perfectly if an error is expected. We can confirm post transaction with a time
 	// travel query.
 	_ = rowsSatisfyConstraint
-	og.potentialExecErrors.add(pgcode.ForeignKeyViolation)
+	stmt.potentialExecErrors.add(pgcode.ForeignKeyViolation)
 	og.potentialCommitErrors.add(pgcode.ForeignKeyViolation)
 
 	// It's possible for the table to be dropped concurrently, while we are running
@@ -1418,6 +1415,14 @@ func (og *operationGenerator) createTableAs(ctx context.Context, tx pgx.Tx) (*op
 		{code: pgcode.DuplicateColumn, condition: duplicateColumns},
 	}.add(opStmt.expectedExecErrors)
 
+	// Confirm the select itself doesn't run into any column generation errors,
+	// by executing it independently first until we add validation when adding
+	// generated columns. See issue: #81698?, which will allow us to remove this
+	// logic in the future.
+	if opStmt.expectedExecErrors.empty() {
+		opStmt.potentialExecErrors.merge(getValidGenerationErrors())
+	}
+
 	opStmt.sql = fmt.Sprintf(`CREATE TABLE %s AS %s FETCH FIRST %d ROWS ONLY`,
 		destTableName, selectStatement.String(), MaxRowsToConsume)
 	return opStmt, nil
@@ -2496,7 +2501,7 @@ func (og *operationGenerator) insertRow(ctx context.Context, tx pgx.Tx) (stmt *o
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		// We may have errors that are possible, but not guaranteed.
-		potentialErrors.add(og.potentialExecErrors)
+		potentialErrors.add(stmt.potentialExecErrors)
 		if invalidInsert {
 			generatedErrors.add(stmt.expectedExecErrors)
 			// We will be pessimistic and assume that other column related errors can
@@ -3607,7 +3612,7 @@ func (og *operationGenerator) typeFromTypeName(
 		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "typeFromTypeName: %s", typeName)
 	}
 	typ, err := tree.ResolveType(
-		context.Background(),
+		ctx,
 		stmt.AST.(*tree.Select).Select.(*tree.SelectClause).Exprs[0].Expr.(*tree.CastExpr).Type,
 		&txTypeResolver{tx: tx},
 	)
diff --git a/pkg/workload/schemachange/schemachange.go b/pkg/workload/schemachange/schemachange.go
index 82ea3eaac972..5c8c9e078752 100644
--- a/pkg/workload/schemachange/schemachange.go
+++ b/pkg/workload/schemachange/schemachange.go
@@ -319,7 +319,6 @@ func (w *schemaChangeWorker) WrapWithErrorState(err error) error {
 	}
 	return &ErrorState{
 		cause:                      err,
-		PotentialErrors:            w.opGen.potentialExecErrors.StringSlice(),
 		PotentialCommitErrors:      w.opGen.potentialCommitErrors.StringSlice(),
 		ExpectedCommitErrors:       w.opGen.expectedCommitErrors.StringSlice(),
 		QueriesForGeneratingErrors: w.opGen.GetOpGenLog(),
diff --git a/pkg/workload/schemachange/watch_dog.go b/pkg/workload/schemachange/watch_dog.go
index da021dc5d3f6..f0137a910410 100644
--- a/pkg/workload/schemachange/watch_dog.go
+++ b/pkg/workload/schemachange/watch_dog.go
@@ -93,7 +93,16 @@ func (w *schemaChangeWatchDog) watchLoop(ctx context.Context) {
 			close(responseChannel)
 			return
 		case <-ctx.Done():
-			panic("dumping stacks, we failed to terminate threads on time.")
+			// Give the connections a small amount of time to clean up, if they fail
+			// to do so, we will dump stacks.
+			select {
+			case responseChannel := <-w.cmdChannel:
+				close(responseChannel)
+				return
+			case <-time.After(time.Second * 4):
+				panic("dumping stacks, we failed to terminate threads on time.")
+
+			}
 		case <-time.After(time.Second):
 			// If the connection is making progress, the watch dog timer can be reset
 			// again.