diff --git a/flow/connectors/bigquery/merge_stmt_generator.go b/flow/connectors/bigquery/merge_stmt_generator.go
index 01affcddfd..f3a00da222 100644
--- a/flow/connectors/bigquery/merge_stmt_generator.go
+++ b/flow/connectors/bigquery/merge_stmt_generator.go
@@ -139,8 +139,7 @@ func (m *mergeStmtGenerator) generateMergeStmt() string {
 	insertColumnsSQL := csep + fmt.Sprintf(", `%s`", m.peerdbCols.SyncedAtColName)
 	insertValuesSQL := shortCsep + ",CURRENT_TIMESTAMP"
 
-	updateStatementsforToastCols := m.generateUpdateStatements(pureColNames,
-		m.unchangedToastColumns, m.peerdbCols)
+	updateStatementsforToastCols := m.generateUpdateStatements(pureColNames)
 	if m.peerdbCols.SoftDelete {
 		softDeleteInsertColumnsSQL := insertColumnsSQL + fmt.Sprintf(",`%s`", m.peerdbCols.SoftDeleteColName)
 		softDeleteInsertValuesSQL := insertValuesSQL + ",TRUE"
@@ -196,14 +195,10 @@ and updating the other columns (not the unchanged toast columns)
 6. Repeat steps 1-5 for each unique unchanged toast column group.
 7. Return the list of generated update statements.
 */
-func (m *mergeStmtGenerator) generateUpdateStatements(
-	allCols []string,
-	unchangedToastCols []string,
-	peerdbCols *protos.PeerDBColumns,
-) []string {
-	updateStmts := make([]string, 0, len(unchangedToastCols))
-
-	for _, cols := range unchangedToastCols {
+func (m *mergeStmtGenerator) generateUpdateStatements(allCols []string) []string {
+	updateStmts := make([]string, 0, len(m.unchangedToastColumns))
+
+	for _, cols := range m.unchangedToastColumns {
 		unchangedColsArray := strings.Split(cols, ",")
 		otherCols := utils.ArrayMinus(allCols, unchangedColsArray)
 		tmpArray := make([]string, 0, len(otherCols))
@@ -212,14 +207,14 @@ func (m *mergeStmtGenerator) generateUpdateStatements(
 		}
 
 		// set the synced at column to the current timestamp
-		if peerdbCols.SyncedAtColName != "" {
+		if m.peerdbCols.SyncedAtColName != "" {
 			tmpArray = append(tmpArray, fmt.Sprintf("`%s`=CURRENT_TIMESTAMP",
-				peerdbCols.SyncedAtColName))
+				m.peerdbCols.SyncedAtColName))
 		}
 		// set soft-deleted to false, tackles insert after soft-delete
-		if peerdbCols.SoftDeleteColName != "" {
+		if m.peerdbCols.SoftDeleteColName != "" {
 			tmpArray = append(tmpArray, fmt.Sprintf("`%s`=FALSE",
-				peerdbCols.SoftDeleteColName))
+				m.peerdbCols.SoftDeleteColName))
 		}
 
 		ssep := strings.Join(tmpArray, ",")
@@ -231,9 +226,9 @@ func (m *mergeStmtGenerator) generateUpdateStatements(
 		// generates update statements for the case where updates and deletes happen in the same branch
 		// the backfill has happened from the pull side already, so treat the DeleteRecord as an update
 		// and then set soft-delete to true.
-		if peerdbCols.SoftDelete && (peerdbCols.SoftDeleteColName != "") {
+		if m.peerdbCols.SoftDelete && (m.peerdbCols.SoftDeleteColName != "") {
 			tmpArray = append(tmpArray[:len(tmpArray)-1],
-				fmt.Sprintf("`%s`=TRUE", peerdbCols.SoftDeleteColName))
+				fmt.Sprintf("`%s`=TRUE", m.peerdbCols.SoftDeleteColName))
 			ssep := strings.Join(tmpArray, ",")
 			updateStmt := fmt.Sprintf(`WHEN MATCHED AND
 			_rt=2 AND _ut='%s'
diff --git a/flow/connectors/bigquery/merge_stmt_generator_test.go b/flow/connectors/bigquery/merge_stmt_generator_test.go
index 141b3999b7..1857b41d76 100644
--- a/flow/connectors/bigquery/merge_stmt_generator_test.go
+++ b/flow/connectors/bigquery/merge_stmt_generator_test.go
@@ -9,15 +9,21 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestGenerateUpdateStatement_WithUnchangedToastCols(t *testing.T) {
+	allCols := []string{"col1", "col2", "col3"}
+	unchangedToastCols := []string{"", "col2,col3", "col2", "col3"}
 	m := &mergeStmtGenerator{
 		shortColumn: map[string]string{
 			"col1": "_c0",
 			"col2": "_c1",
 			"col3": "_c2",
 		},
+		unchangedToastColumns: unchangedToastCols,
+		peerdbCols: &protos.PeerDBColumns{
+			SoftDelete:        true,
+			SoftDeleteColName: "deleted",
+			SyncedAtColName:   "synced_at",
+		},
 	}
-	allCols := []string{"col1", "col2", "col3"}
-	unchangedToastCols := []string{"", "col2,col3", "col2", "col3"}
 
 	expected := []string{
 		"WHEN MATCHED AND _rt!=2 AND _ut=''" +
@@ -47,11 +53,7 @@ func TestGenerateUpdateStatement_WithUnchangedToastCols(t *testing.T) {
 			"`col2`=_d._c1,`synced_at`=CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,`deleted`=TRUE",
 	}
 
-	result := m.generateUpdateStatements(allCols, unchangedToastCols, &protos.PeerDBColumns{
-		SoftDelete:        true,
-		SoftDeleteColName: "deleted",
-		SyncedAtColName:   "synced_at",
-	})
+	result := m.generateUpdateStatements(allCols)
 
 	for i := range expected {
 		expected[i] = removeSpacesTabsNewlines(expected[i])
@@ -64,15 +66,21 @@ func TestGenerateUpdateStatement_WithUnchangedToastCols(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestGenerateUpdateStatement_NoUnchangedToastCols(t *testing.T) {
+	allCols := []string{"col1", "col2", "col3"}
+	unchangedToastCols := []string{""}
 	m := &mergeStmtGenerator{
+		unchangedToastColumns: unchangedToastCols,
 		shortColumn: map[string]string{
 			"col1": "_c0",
 			"col2": "_c1",
 			"col3": "_c2",
 		},
+		peerdbCols: &protos.PeerDBColumns{
+			SoftDelete:        true,
+			SoftDeleteColName: "deleted",
+			SyncedAtColName:   "synced_at",
+		},
 	}
-	allCols := []string{"col1", "col2", "col3"}
-	unchangedToastCols := []string{""}
 
 	expected := []string{
 		"WHEN MATCHED AND _rt!=2 " +
@@ -89,12 +97,7 @@ func TestGenerateUpdateStatement_NoUnchangedToastCols(t *testing.T) {
 			"`col3`=_d._c2,`synced_at`=CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,`deleted`=TRUE",
 	}
 
-	result := m.generateUpdateStatements(allCols, unchangedToastCols,
-		&protos.PeerDBColumns{
-			SoftDelete:        true,
-			SoftDeleteColName: "deleted",
-			SyncedAtColName:   "synced_at",
-		})
+	result := m.generateUpdateStatements(allCols)
 
 	for i := range expected {
 		expected[i] = removeSpacesTabsNewlines(expected[i])