diff --git a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/cdc.go b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/cdc.go
index 7c67c87b76c1..8904b012de24 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/cdc.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/cdc.go
@@ -275,9 +275,16 @@ func runCDCBank(ctx context.Context, t *test, c *cluster) {
 	); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
+
+	// NB: the WITH diff option was not supported until v20.1.
+	withDiff := t.IsBuildVersion("v20.1.0")
+	var opts = []string{`updated`, `resolved`}
+	if withDiff {
+		opts = append(opts, `diff`)
+	}
 	var jobID string
 	if err := db.QueryRow(
-		`CREATE CHANGEFEED FOR bank.bank INTO $1 WITH updated, resolved, diff`, kafka.sinkURL(ctx),
+		`CREATE CHANGEFEED FOR bank.bank INTO $1 WITH `+strings.Join(opts, `, `), kafka.sinkURL(ctx),
 	).Scan(&jobID); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -314,19 +321,22 @@ func runCDCBank(ctx context.Context, t *test, c *cluster) {
 		}
 
 		const requestedResolved = 100
-		baV, err := cdctest.NewBeforeAfterValidator(db, `bank.bank`)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
 		fprintV, err := cdctest.NewFingerprintValidator(db, `bank.bank`, `fprint`, tc.partitions, 0)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		v := cdctest.MakeCountValidator(cdctest.Validators{
+		validators := cdctest.Validators{
 			cdctest.NewOrderValidator(`bank`),
-			baV,
 			fprintV,
-		})
+		}
+		if withDiff {
+			baV, err := cdctest.NewBeforeAfterValidator(db, `bank.bank`)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			validators = append(validators, baV)
+		}
+		v := cdctest.MakeCountValidator(validators)
 
 		for {
 			m := tc.Next(ctx)
@@ -387,10 +397,16 @@ func runCDCSchemaRegistry(ctx context.Context, t *test, c *cluster) {
 	if _, err := db.Exec(`CREATE TABLE foo (a INT PRIMARY KEY)`); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
+
+	// NB: the WITH diff option was not supported until v20.1.
+	withDiff := t.IsBuildVersion("v20.1.0")
+	var opts = []string{`updated`, `resolved`, `format=experimental_avro`, `confluent_schema_registry=$2`}
+	if withDiff {
+		opts = append(opts, `diff`)
+	}
 	var jobID string
 	if err := db.QueryRow(
-		`CREATE CHANGEFEED FOR foo INTO $1`+
-			`WITH updated, resolved, diff, format=experimental_avro, confluent_schema_registry=$2`,
+		`CREATE CHANGEFEED FOR foo INTO $1 WITH `+strings.Join(opts, `, `),
 		kafka.sinkURL(ctx), kafka.schemaRegistryURL(ctx),
 	).Scan(&jobID); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -448,14 +464,30 @@ func runCDCSchemaRegistry(ctx context.Context, t *test, c *cluster) {
 	}
 	sort.Strings(updated)
 
-	expected := []string{
-		`{"before":null,"after":{"foo":{"a":{"long":1}}},"updated":{"string":""}}`,
-		`{"before":null,"after":{"foo":{"a":{"long":2},"b":{"string":"2"}}},"updated":{"string":""}}`,
-		`{"before":null,"after":{"foo":{"a":{"long":3},"b":{"string":"3"},"c":{"long":3}}},"updated":{"string":""}}`,
-		`{"before":null,"after":{"foo":{"a":{"long":4},"c":{"long":4}}},"updated":{"string":""}}`,
-		`{"before":{"foo_before":{"a":{"long":1},"c":null}},"after":{"foo":{"a":{"long":1},"c":null}},"updated":{"string":""}}`,
-		`{"before":{"foo_before":{"a":{"long":2},"c":null}},"after":{"foo":{"a":{"long":2},"c":null}},"updated":{"string":""}}`,
-		`{"before":{"foo_before":{"a":{"long":3},"c":{"long":3}}},"after":{"foo":{"a":{"long":3},"c":{"long":3}}},"updated":{"string":""}}`,
+	var expected []string
+	if withDiff {
+		expected = []string{
+			`{"before":null,"after":{"foo":{"a":{"long":1}}},"updated":{"string":""}}`,
+			`{"before":null,"after":{"foo":{"a":{"long":2},"b":{"string":"2"}}},"updated":{"string":""}}`,
+			`{"before":null,"after":{"foo":{"a":{"long":3},"b":{"string":"3"},"c":{"long":3}}},"updated":{"string":""}}`,
+			`{"before":null,"after":{"foo":{"a":{"long":4},"c":{"long":4}}},"updated":{"string":""}}`,
+			`{"before":{"foo_before":{"a":{"long":1},"b":null,"c":null}},"after":{"foo":{"a":{"long":1},"c":null}},"updated":{"string":""}}`,
+			`{"before":{"foo_before":{"a":{"long":1},"c":null}},"after":{"foo":{"a":{"long":1},"c":null}},"updated":{"string":""}}`,
+			`{"before":{"foo_before":{"a":{"long":2},"b":{"string":"2"},"c":null}},"after":{"foo":{"a":{"long":2},"c":null}},"updated":{"string":""}}`,
+			`{"before":{"foo_before":{"a":{"long":2},"c":null}},"after":{"foo":{"a":{"long":2},"c":null}},"updated":{"string":""}}`,
+			`{"before":{"foo_before":{"a":{"long":3},"b":{"string":"3"},"c":{"long":3}}},"after":{"foo":{"a":{"long":3},"c":{"long":3}}},"updated":{"string":""}}`,
+			`{"before":{"foo_before":{"a":{"long":3},"c":{"long":3}}},"after":{"foo":{"a":{"long":3},"c":{"long":3}}},"updated":{"string":""}}`,
+		}
+	} else {
+		expected = []string{
+			`{"updated":{"string":""},"after":{"foo":{"a":{"long":1},"c":null}}}`,
+			`{"updated":{"string":""},"after":{"foo":{"a":{"long":1}}}}`,
+			`{"updated":{"string":""},"after":{"foo":{"a":{"long":2},"b":{"string":"2"}}}}`,
+			`{"updated":{"string":""},"after":{"foo":{"a":{"long":2},"c":null}}}`,
+			`{"updated":{"string":""},"after":{"foo":{"a":{"long":3},"b":{"string":"3"},"c":{"long":3}}}}`,
+			`{"updated":{"string":""},"after":{"foo":{"a":{"long":3},"c":{"long":3}}}}`,
+			`{"updated":{"string":""},"after":{"foo":{"a":{"long":4},"c":{"long":4}}}}`,
+		}
 	}
 	if strings.Join(expected, "\n") != strings.Join(updated, "\n") {
 		t.Fatalf("expected\n%s\n\ngot\n%s\n\n",