diff --git a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/tests/cdc.go b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/tests/cdc.go
index d1cda656ebbf..f1457ed97a92 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/tests/cdc.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/tests/cdc.go
@@ -59,6 +59,12 @@ const (
 	ledgerWorkloadType workloadType = "ledger"
 )
 
+// kafkaCreateTopicRetryDuration is the retry duration we use while
+// trying to create a Kafka topic after setting it up on a
+// node. Without retrying, a `kafka controller not available` error is
+// seen with a 1-5% probability
+var kafkaCreateTopicRetryDuration = 1 * time.Minute
+
 type sinkType int32
 
 const (
@@ -1537,14 +1543,16 @@ func (k kafkaManager) schemaRegistryURL(ctx context.Context) string {
 func (k kafkaManager) createTopic(ctx context.Context, topic string) error {
 	kafkaAddrs := []string{k.consumerURL(ctx)}
 	config := sarama.NewConfig()
-	admin, err := sarama.NewClusterAdmin(kafkaAddrs, config)
-	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "admin client")
-	}
-	return admin.CreateTopic(topic, &sarama.TopicDetail{
-		NumPartitions:     1,
-		ReplicationFactor: 1,
-	}, false)
+	return retry.ForDuration(kafkaCreateTopicRetryDuration, func() error {
+		admin, err := sarama.NewClusterAdmin(kafkaAddrs, config)
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "admin client")
+		}
+		return admin.CreateTopic(topic, &sarama.TopicDetail{
+			NumPartitions:     1,
+			ReplicationFactor: 1,
+		}, false)
+	})
 }
 
 func (k kafkaManager) consumer(ctx context.Context, topic string) (*topicConsumer, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/tests/mixed_version_cdc.go b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/tests/mixed_version_cdc.go
index de9283c9eb36..0731fe2b6424 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/tests/mixed_version_cdc.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/tests/mixed_version_cdc.go
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/cmd/roachtest/registry"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/cmd/roachtest/test"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/randutil"
-	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/retry"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/syncutil"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/timeutil"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/version"
@@ -103,14 +102,8 @@ func newCDCMixedVersionTester(
 func (cmvt *cdcMixedVersionTester) StartKafka(t test.Test, c cluster.Cluster) {
 	t.Status("starting Kafka node")
 	cmvt.kafka, cmvt.cleanup = setupKafka(cmvt.ctx, t, c, cmvt.kafkaNodes)
-
-	// try to create a Kafka topic for some time. Without waiting, a
-	// `kafka controller not available` error is seen with 1-5%
-	// probability
-	if err := retry.ForDuration(1*time.Minute, func() error {
-		return cmvt.kafka.createTopic(cmvt.ctx, targetTable)
-	}); err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(fmt.Errorf("timed out trying to create kafka topic: %w", err))
+	if err := cmvt.kafka.createTopic(cmvt.ctx, targetTable); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 }