diff --git a/pkg/kv/kvserver/BUILD.bazel b/pkg/kv/kvserver/BUILD.bazel
index 915640792134..edf68ae7649e 100644
--- a/pkg/kv/kvserver/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/pkg/kv/kvserver/BUILD.bazel
@@ -417,6 +417,7 @@ go_test(
         "//pkg/kv/kvserver/raftentry",
         "//pkg/kv/kvserver/raftlog",
         "//pkg/kv/kvserver/raftutil",
+        "//pkg/kv/kvserver/rangefeed",
         "//pkg/kv/kvserver/rditer",
         "//pkg/kv/kvserver/readsummary/rspb",
         "//pkg/kv/kvserver/replicastats",
diff --git a/pkg/kv/kvserver/helpers_test.go b/pkg/kv/kvserver/helpers_test.go
index e399994f3ce0..0ce05c34d18a 100644
--- a/pkg/kv/kvserver/helpers_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kv/kvserver/helpers_test.go
@@ -27,10 +27,12 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/kv/kvserver/allocator/storepool"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/kv/kvserver/batcheval"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/kv/kvserver/batcheval/result"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/kv/kvserver/intentresolver"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/kv/kvserver/kvserverpb"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/kv/kvserver/liveness"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/kv/kvserver/liveness/livenesspb"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/kv/kvserver/logstore"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/kv/kvserver/rangefeed"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/kv/kvserver/rditer"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/kv/kvserver/split"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/roachpb"
@@ -663,3 +665,13 @@ func getMapsDiff(beforeMap map[string]int64, afterMap map[string]int64) map[stri
 	}
 	return diffMap
 }
+
+func NewRangefeedTxnPusher(
+	ir *intentresolver.IntentResolver, r *Replica, span roachpb.RSpan,
+) rangefeed.TxnPusher {
+	return &rangefeedTxnPusher{
+		ir:   ir,
+		r:    r,
+		span: span,
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/kv/kvserver/replica_rangefeed.go b/pkg/kv/kvserver/replica_rangefeed.go
index ccb843278acd..d8047bae184a 100644
--- a/pkg/kv/kvserver/replica_rangefeed.go
+++ b/pkg/kv/kvserver/replica_rangefeed.go
@@ -194,10 +194,19 @@ func (tp *rangefeedTxnPusher) Barrier(ctx context.Context) error {
 	// Execute a Barrier on the leaseholder, and obtain its LAI. Error out on any
 	// range changes (e.g. splits/merges) that we haven't applied yet.
 	lai, desc, err := tp.r.store.db.BarrierWithLAI(ctx, tp.span.Key, tp.span.EndKey)
-	if err != nil {
-		if errors.HasType(err, &kvpb.RangeKeyMismatchError{}) {
-			return errors.Wrap(err, "range barrier failed, range split")
+	if err != nil && errors.HasType(err, &kvpb.RangeKeyMismatchError{}) {
+		// The DistSender may have a stale range descriptor, e.g. following a merge.
+		// Failed unsplittable requests don't trigger a refresh, so we have to
+		// attempt to refresh it by sending a Get request to the start key.
+		//
+		// TODO(erikgrinaker): the DistSender should refresh its cache instead.
+		if _, err := tp.r.store.db.Get(ctx, tp.span.Key); err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "range barrier failed: range descriptor refresh failed")
 		}
+		// Retry the Barrier.
+		lai, desc, err = tp.r.store.db.BarrierWithLAI(ctx, tp.span.Key, tp.span.EndKey)
+	}
+	if err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "range barrier failed")
 	}
 	if lai == 0 {
diff --git a/pkg/kv/kvserver/replica_rangefeed_test.go b/pkg/kv/kvserver/replica_rangefeed_test.go
index c2aa55ec8061..bb9f2395b457 100644
--- a/pkg/kv/kvserver/replica_rangefeed_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kv/kvserver/replica_rangefeed_test.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/storage"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/testutils"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/testutils/serverutils"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/testutils/skip"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/testutils/sqlutils"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/testutils/testcluster"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/future"
@@ -1652,3 +1653,100 @@ func TestNewRangefeedForceLeaseRetry(t *testing.T) {
 	rangeFeedCancel()
 
 }
+
+// TestRangefeedTxnPusherBarrierRangeKeyMismatch is a regression test for
+// https://github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/issues/119333
+//
+// Specifically, it tests that a Barrier call that encounters a
+// RangeKeyMismatchError will eagerly attempt to refresh the DistSender range
+// cache. The DistSender does not do this itself for unsplittable requests, so
+// it might otherwise continually fail.
+func TestRangefeedTxnPusherBarrierRangeKeyMismatch(t *testing.T) {
+	defer leaktest.AfterTest(t)()
+	defer log.Scope(t).Close(t)
+
+	skip.UnderRace(t) // too slow, times out
+	skip.UnderDeadlock(t)
+
+	// Use a timeout, to prevent a hung test.
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 30*time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	// Start a cluster with 3 nodes.
+	tc := testcluster.StartTestCluster(t, 3, base.TestClusterArgs{
+		ReplicationMode: base.ReplicationManual,
+		ServerArgs: base.TestServerArgs{
+			Knobs: base.TestingKnobs{
+				Store: &kvserver.StoreTestingKnobs{},
+			},
+		},
+	})
+	defer tc.Stopper().Stop(ctx)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	n1 := tc.Server(0)
+	n3 := tc.Server(2)
+	db1 := n1.ApplicationLayer().DB()
+	db3 := n3.ApplicationLayer().DB()
+
+	// Split off a range and upreplicate it, with leaseholder on n1. This is the
+	// range we'll run the barrier across.
+	prefix := append(n1.ApplicationLayer().Codec().TenantPrefix(), keys.ScratchRangeMin...)
+	_, _, err := n1.StorageLayer().SplitRange(prefix)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	desc := tc.AddVotersOrFatal(t, prefix, tc.Targets(1, 2)...)
+	t.Logf("split off range %s", desc)
+
+	rspan := desc.RSpan()
+	span := rspan.AsRawSpanWithNoLocals()
+
+	// Split off three other ranges.
+	splitKeys := []roachpb.Key{
+		append(prefix.Clone(), roachpb.Key("/a")...),
+		append(prefix.Clone(), roachpb.Key("/b")...),
+		append(prefix.Clone(), roachpb.Key("/c")...),
+	}
+	for _, key := range splitKeys {
+		_, desc, err = n1.StorageLayer().SplitRange(key)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		t.Logf("split off range %s", desc)
+	}
+
+	// Scan the ranges on n3 to update the range caches, then run a barrier
+	// request which should fail with RangeKeyMismatchError.
+	_, err = db3.Scan(ctx, span.Key, span.EndKey, 0)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	_, _, err = db3.BarrierWithLAI(ctx, span.Key, span.EndKey)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	require.IsType(t, &kvpb.RangeKeyMismatchError{}, err)
+	t.Logf("n3 barrier returned %s", err)
+
+	// Merge the ranges on n1. n3 will still have stale range descriptors, and
+	// fail the barrier request.
+	for range splitKeys {
+		desc, err = n1.StorageLayer().MergeRanges(span.Key)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		t.Logf("merged range %s", desc)
+	}
+
+	// Barriers should now succeed on n1, which have an updated range cache, but
+	// fail on n3 which doesn't.
+	lai, _, err := db1.BarrierWithLAI(ctx, span.Key, span.EndKey)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	t.Logf("n1 barrier returned LAI %d", lai)
+
+	_, _, err = db3.BarrierWithLAI(ctx, span.Key, span.EndKey)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	require.IsType(t, &kvpb.RangeKeyMismatchError{}, err)
+	t.Logf("n3 barrier returned %s", err)
+
+	// However, rangefeedTxnPusher.Barrier() will refresh the cache and
+	// successfully apply the barrier.
+	s3 := tc.GetFirstStoreFromServer(t, 2)
+	repl3 := s3.LookupReplica(roachpb.RKey(span.Key))
+	t.Logf("repl3 desc: %s", repl3.Desc())
+	txnPusher := kvserver.NewRangefeedTxnPusher(nil, repl3, rspan)
+	require.NoError(t, txnPusher.Barrier(ctx))
+	t.Logf("n3 txnPusher barrier succeeded")
+}