diff --git a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/test.go b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/test.go
index b6eb562acbc3..4951bac33cfe 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/test.go
@@ -654,6 +654,12 @@ type test struct {
 	runnerID int64
 	start    time.Time
 	end      time.Time
+
+	// debugEnabled is a test scoped value which enables automated tests to
+	// enable debugging without enabling debugging for all tests.
+	// It is a bit of a hack added to help debug #34458.
+	debugEnabled bool
+
 	// artifactsDir is the path to the directory holding all the artifacts for
 	// this test. It will contain a test.log file, cluster logs, and
 	// subdirectories for subtests.
@@ -1097,7 +1103,7 @@ func (r *registry) runAsync(
 			}
 			if c != nil {
 				defer func() {
-					if !debugEnabled || !t.Failed() {
+					if (!debugEnabled && !t.debugEnabled) || !t.Failed() {
 						c.Destroy(ctx)
 					} else {
 						c.l.Printf("not destroying cluster to allow debugging\n")
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/ycsb.go b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/ycsb.go
index 6b83edbbd4d5..4010a4e7222f 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/ycsb.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/ycsb.go
@@ -18,10 +18,40 @@ package main
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
+// performanceExpectations is a map from workload to a map from core count to
+// expected throughput below which we consider the test to have failed.
+var performanceExpectations = map[string]map[int]float64{
+	// The below numbers are minimum expectations based on historical data.
+	"A": {8: 2000},
+	"B": {8: 15000},
+}
+
+func getPerformanceExpectation(wl string, cpus int) (float64, bool) {
+	m, exists := performanceExpectations[cloud]
+	if !exists {
+		return 0, false
+	}
+	expected, exists := m[cpus]
+	return expected, exists
+}
+
+func parseThroughputFromOutput(output string) (opsPerSec float64, _ error) {
+	prefix := "__result\n" // this string precedes the cumulative results
+	idx := strings.LastIndex(output, prefix)
+	if idx == -1 {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to find %q in output", prefix)
+	}
+	return strconv.ParseFloat(strings.Fields(output[idx+len(prefix):])[3], 64)
+}
+
 func registerYCSB(r *registry) {
-	runYCSB := func(ctx context.Context, t *test, c *cluster, wl string) {
+	runYCSB := func(ctx context.Context, t *test, c *cluster, wl string, cpus int) {
 		nodes := c.nodes - 1
 
 		c.Put(ctx, cockroach, "./cockroach", c.Range(1, nodes))
@@ -38,7 +68,22 @@ func registerYCSB(r *registry) {
 					" --workload=%s --concurrency=64 --histograms=logs/stats.json"+
 					ramp+duration+" {pgurl:1-%d}",
 				wl, nodes)
-			c.Run(ctx, c.Node(nodes+1), cmd)
+			out, err := c.RunWithBuffer(ctx, t.l, c.Node(nodes+1), cmd)
+			if err != nil {
+				return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed with output %q", string(out))
+			}
+			if expected, ok := getPerformanceExpectation(wl, cpus); ok {
+				throughput, err := parseThroughputFromOutput(string(out))
+				if err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+				t.debugEnabled = teamCity
+				if throughput < expected {
+					return fmt.Errorf("%v failed to meet throughput expectations: "+
+						"observed %v, expected at least %v", t.Name(), expected, throughput)
+				}
+				c.l.Printf("Observed throughput of %v > %v", throughput, expected)
+			}
 			return nil
 		})
 		m.Wait()
@@ -51,18 +96,18 @@ func registerYCSB(r *registry) {
 			continue
 		}
 		for _, cpus := range []int{8, 32} {
-			wl := wl
 			var name string
 			if cpus == 8 { // support legacy test name which didn't include cpu
 				name = fmt.Sprintf("ycsb/%s/nodes=3", wl)
 			} else {
 				name = fmt.Sprintf("ycsb/%s/nodes=3/cpu=%d", wl, cpus)
 			}
+			wl, cpus := wl, cpus
 			r.Add(testSpec{
 				Name:    name,
 				Cluster: makeClusterSpec(4, cpu(cpus)),
 				Run: func(ctx context.Context, t *test, c *cluster) {
-					runYCSB(ctx, t, c, wl)
+					runYCSB(ctx, t, c, wl, cpus)
 				},
 			})
 		}