diff --git a/pkg/ccl/backupccl/backup_test.go b/pkg/ccl/backupccl/backup_test.go
index 3bf2db5f7c37..580697ce63ce 100644
--- a/pkg/ccl/backupccl/backup_test.go
+++ b/pkg/ccl/backupccl/backup_test.go
@@ -2391,27 +2391,50 @@ func TestRestoreAsOfSystemTime(t *testing.T) {
 
 		// fullBackup covers up to ts[2], inc to ts[5], inc2 to > ts[8].
 		sqlDB.ExpectErr(
-			t, "incompatible RESTORE timestamp",
+			t, "invalid RESTORE timestamp",
 			fmt.Sprintf(`RESTORE data.* FROM $1 AS OF SYSTEM TIME %s WITH into_db='err'`, ts[3]),
 			fullBackup,
 		)
 
 		for _, i := range ts {
-			sqlDB.ExpectErr(
-				t, "incompatible RESTORE timestamp",
-				fmt.Sprintf(`RESTORE data.* FROM $1 AS OF SYSTEM TIME %s WITH into_db='err'`, i),
-				latestBackup,
-			)
 
-			sqlDB.ExpectErr(
-				t, "incompatible RESTORE timestamp",
-				fmt.Sprintf(`RESTORE data.* FROM $1, $2, $3 AS OF SYSTEM TIME %s WITH into_db='err'`, i),
-				latestBackup, incLatestBackup, inc2LatestBackup,
-			)
+			if i == ts[2] {
+				// latestBackup is _at_ ts2 so that is the time, and the only time, at
+				// which restoring it is allowed.
+				sqlDB.Exec(
+					t, fmt.Sprintf(`RESTORE data.* FROM $1 AS OF SYSTEM TIME %s WITH into_db='err'`, i),
+					latestBackup,
+				)
+				sqlDB.Exec(t, `DROP DATABASE err; CREATE DATABASE err`)
+			} else {
+				sqlDB.ExpectErr(
+					t, "invalid RESTORE timestamp",
+					fmt.Sprintf(`RESTORE data.* FROM $1 AS OF SYSTEM TIME %s WITH into_db='err'`, i),
+					latestBackup,
+				)
+			}
+
+			if i == ts[2] || i == ts[5] {
+				// latestBackup is _at_ ts2 and incLatestBackup is at ts5, so either of
+				// those are valid for the chain (latest,incLatest,inc2Latest). In fact
+				// there's a third time -- that of inc2Latest, that is valid as well but
+				// it isn't fixed when created above so we know it / test for it.
+				sqlDB.Exec(
+					t, fmt.Sprintf(`RESTORE data.* FROM $1, $2, $3 AS OF SYSTEM TIME %s WITH into_db='err'`, i),
+					latestBackup, incLatestBackup, inc2LatestBackup,
+				)
+				sqlDB.Exec(t, `DROP DATABASE err; CREATE DATABASE err`)
+			} else {
+				sqlDB.ExpectErr(
+					t, "invalid RESTORE timestamp",
+					fmt.Sprintf(`RESTORE data.* FROM $1, $2, $3 AS OF SYSTEM TIME %s WITH into_db='err'`, i),
+					latestBackup, incLatestBackup, inc2LatestBackup,
+				)
+			}
 		}
 
 		sqlDB.ExpectErr(
-			t, "incompatible RESTORE timestamp",
+			t, "invalid RESTORE timestamp",
 			fmt.Sprintf(`RESTORE data.* FROM $1 AS OF SYSTEM TIME %s WITH into_db='err'`, after),
 			latestBackup,
 		)
diff --git a/pkg/ccl/backupccl/manifest_handling.go b/pkg/ccl/backupccl/manifest_handling.go
index 81a26d8d0ede..c5c2e4d22878 100644
--- a/pkg/ccl/backupccl/manifest_handling.go
+++ b/pkg/ccl/backupccl/manifest_handling.go
@@ -325,6 +325,7 @@ func resolveBackupManifests(
 	baseStores []cloud.ExternalStorage,
 	mkStore cloud.ExternalStorageFromURIFactory,
 	from [][]string,
+	endTime hlc.Timestamp,
 	encryption *roachpb.FileEncryptionOptions,
 ) (
 	defaultURIs []string,
@@ -437,6 +438,57 @@ func resolveBackupManifests(
 			}
 		}
 	}
+
+	// Check that the requested target time, if specified, is valid for the list
+	// of incremental backups resolved, truncating the results to the backup that
+	// contains the target time.
+	if !endTime.IsEmpty() {
+		ok := false
+		for i, b := range mainBackupManifests {
+			// Find the backup that covers the requested time.
+			if b.StartTime.Less(endTime) && endTime.LessEq(b.EndTime) {
+				ok = true
+
+				mainBackupManifests = mainBackupManifests[:i+1]
+				defaultURIs = defaultURIs[:i+1]
+				localityInfo = localityInfo[:i+1]
+
+				// Ensure that the backup actually has revision history.
+				if !endTime.Equal(b.EndTime) {
+					if b.MVCCFilter != MVCCFilter_All {
+						const errPrefix = "invalid RESTORE timestamp: restoring to arbitrary time requires that BACKUP for requested time be created with '%s' option."
+						if i == 0 {
+							return nil, nil, nil, errors.Errorf(
+								errPrefix+" nearest backup time is %s", backupOptRevisionHistory, b.EndTime,
+							)
+						}
+						return nil, nil, nil, errors.Errorf(
+							errPrefix+" nearest BACKUP times are %s or %s",
+							backupOptRevisionHistory, mainBackupManifests[i-1].EndTime, b.EndTime,
+						)
+					}
+					// Ensure that the revision history actually covers the requested time -
+					// while the BACKUP's start and end might contain the requested time for
+					// example if start time is 0 (full backup), the revision history was
+					// only captured since the GC window. Note that the RevisionStartTime is
+					// the latest for ranges backed up.
+					if endTime.LessEq(b.RevisionStartTime) {
+						return nil, nil, nil, errors.Errorf(
+							"invalid RESTORE timestamp: BACKUP for requested time only has revision history from %v", b.RevisionStartTime,
+						)
+					}
+				}
+				break
+			}
+		}
+
+		if !ok {
+			return nil, nil, nil, errors.Errorf(
+				"invalid RESTORE timestamp: supplied backups do not cover requested time",
+			)
+		}
+	}
+
 	return defaultURIs, mainBackupManifests, localityInfo, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/ccl/backupccl/restore_planning.go b/pkg/ccl/backupccl/restore_planning.go
index 97e132b2c148..b89f62368aef 100644
--- a/pkg/ccl/backupccl/restore_planning.go
+++ b/pkg/ccl/backupccl/restore_planning.go
@@ -697,7 +697,7 @@ func doRestorePlan(
 	}
 
 	defaultURIs, mainBackupManifests, localityInfo, err := resolveBackupManifests(
-		ctx, baseStores, p.ExecCfg().DistSQLSrv.ExternalStorageFromURI, from, encryption,
+		ctx, baseStores, p.ExecCfg().DistSQLSrv.ExternalStorageFromURI, from, endTime, encryption,
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -728,37 +728,6 @@ func doRestorePlan(
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if !endTime.IsEmpty() {
-		ok := false
-		for _, b := range mainBackupManifests {
-			// Find the backup that covers the requested time.
-			if b.StartTime.Less(endTime) && endTime.LessEq(b.EndTime) {
-				ok = true
-				// Ensure that the backup actually has revision history.
-				if b.MVCCFilter != MVCCFilter_All {
-					return errors.Errorf(
-						"incompatible RESTORE timestamp: BACKUP for requested time needs option '%s'", backupOptRevisionHistory,
-					)
-				}
-				// Ensure that the revision history actually covers the requested time -
-				// while the BACKUP's start and end might contain the requested time for
-				// example if start time is 0 (full backup), the revision history was
-				// only captured since the GC window. Note that the RevisionStartTime is
-				// the latest for ranges backed up.
-				if endTime.LessEq(b.RevisionStartTime) {
-					return errors.Errorf(
-						"incompatible RESTORE timestamp: BACKUP for requested time only has revision history from %v", b.RevisionStartTime,
-					)
-				}
-			}
-		}
-		if !ok {
-			return errors.Errorf(
-				"incompatible RESTORE timestamp: supplied backups do not cover requested time",
-			)
-		}
-	}
-
 	sqlDescs, restoreDBs, err := selectTargets(ctx, p, mainBackupManifests, restoreStmt.Targets, restoreStmt.DescriptorCoverage, endTime)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err