diff --git a/flow/connectors/postgres/client.go b/flow/connectors/postgres/client.go
index 8c582b7b05..f9a4c5126e 100644
--- a/flow/connectors/postgres/client.go
+++ b/flow/connectors/postgres/client.go
@@ -602,7 +602,7 @@ func (c *PostgresConnector) getDefaultPublicationName(jobName string) string {
 
 func (c *PostgresConnector) CheckSourceTables(tableNames []string, pubName string) error {
 	if c.conn == nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("check tables: conn is nil")
+		return errors.New("check tables: conn is nil")
 	}
 
 	// Check that we can select from all tables
@@ -625,8 +625,18 @@ func (c *PostgresConnector) CheckSourceTables(tableNames []string, pubName strin
 	// Check if tables belong to publication
 	tableStr := strings.Join(tableArr, ",")
 	if pubName != "" {
+		// Check if publication exists
+		err := c.conn.QueryRow(c.ctx, "SELECT pubname FROM pg_publication WHERE pubname=$1", pubName).Scan(nil)
+		if err != nil {
+			if err == pgx.ErrNoRows {
+				return fmt.Errorf("publication does not exist: %s", pubName)
+			}
+			return fmt.Errorf("error while checking for publication existence: %w", err)
+		}
+
+		// Check if tables belong to publication
 		var pubTableCount int
-		err := c.conn.QueryRow(c.ctx, fmt.Sprintf(`
+		err = c.conn.QueryRow(c.ctx, fmt.Sprintf(`
 		with source_table_components (sname, tname) as (values %s)
 		select COUNT(DISTINCT(schemaname,tablename)) from pg_publication_tables
 		INNER JOIN source_table_components stc
@@ -636,7 +646,7 @@ func (c *PostgresConnector) CheckSourceTables(tableNames []string, pubName strin
 		}
 
 		if pubTableCount != len(tableNames) {
-			return fmt.Errorf("not all tables belong to publication")
+			return errors.New("not all tables belong to publication")
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/flow/connectors/postgres/postgres.go b/flow/connectors/postgres/postgres.go
index 5138fea606..a964c66584 100644
--- a/flow/connectors/postgres/postgres.go
+++ b/flow/connectors/postgres/postgres.go
@@ -995,7 +995,7 @@ func (c *PostgresConnector) AddTablesToPublication(req *protos.AddTablesToPublic
 	// just check if we have all the tables already in the publication
 	if req.PublicationName != "" {
 		rows, err := c.conn.Query(c.ctx,
-			"SELECT tablename FROM pg_publication_tables WHERE pubname=$1", req.PublicationName)
+			"SELECT schemaname || '.' || tablename FROM pg_publication_tables WHERE pubname=$1", req.PublicationName)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to check tables in publication: %w", err)
 		}
@@ -1004,18 +1004,29 @@ func (c *PostgresConnector) AddTablesToPublication(req *protos.AddTablesToPublic
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to check tables in publication: %w", err)
 		}
-		notPresentTables := utils.ArrayMinus(tableNames, additionalSrcTables)
+		notPresentTables := utils.ArrayMinus(additionalSrcTables, tableNames)
 		if len(notPresentTables) > 0 {
 			return fmt.Errorf("some additional tables not present in custom publication: %s",
 				strings.Join(notPresentTables, ", "))
 		}
+	} else {
+		for _, additionalSrcTable := range additionalSrcTables {
+			schemaTable, err := utils.ParseSchemaTable(additionalSrcTable)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			_, err = c.conn.Exec(c.ctx, fmt.Sprintf("ALTER PUBLICATION %s ADD TABLE %s",
+				utils.QuoteIdentifier(c.getDefaultPublicationName(req.FlowJobName)),
+				schemaTable.String()))
+			// don't error out if table is already added to our publication
+			if err != nil && !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "SQLSTATE 42710") {
+				return fmt.Errorf("failed to alter publication: %w", err)
+			}
+			c.logger.Info("added table to publication",
+				slog.String("publication", c.getDefaultPublicationName(req.FlowJobName)),
+				slog.String("table", additionalSrcTable))
+		}
 	}
 
-	additionalSrcTablesString := strings.Join(additionalSrcTables, ",")
-	_, err := c.conn.Exec(c.ctx, fmt.Sprintf("ALTER PUBLICATION %s ADD TABLE %s",
-		c.getDefaultPublicationName(req.FlowJobName), additionalSrcTablesString))
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to alter publication: %w", err)
-	}
 	return nil
 }