diff --git a/flow/connectors/snowflake/qrep_avro_sync.go b/flow/connectors/snowflake/qrep_avro_sync.go
index 6abfe71fa9..a8946321db 100644
--- a/flow/connectors/snowflake/qrep_avro_sync.go
+++ b/flow/connectors/snowflake/qrep_avro_sync.go
@@ -379,11 +379,6 @@ func GenerateMergeCommand(
 		upsertKeyCols[i] = caseMatchedCols[strings.ToLower(col)]
 	}
 
-	watermarkCol, ok := caseMatchedCols[strings.ToLower(watermarkCol)]
-	if !ok {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("watermark column '%s' not found in destination table", watermarkCol)
-	}
-
 	upsertKeys := []string{}
 	partitionKeyCols := []string{}
 	for _, key := range upsertKeyCols {
@@ -405,23 +400,36 @@ func GenerateMergeCommand(
 	updateSetClause := strings.Join(updateSetClauses, ", ")
 	insertColumnsClause := strings.Join(insertColumnsClauses, ", ")
 	insertValuesClause := strings.Join(insertValuesClauses, ", ")
-
-	quotedWMC := utils.QuoteIdentifier(watermarkCol)
-
 	selectCmd := fmt.Sprintf(`
 		SELECT *
 		FROM %s
 		QUALIFY ROW_NUMBER() OVER (PARTITION BY %s ORDER BY %s DESC) = 1
-	`, tempTableName, strings.Join(partitionKeyCols, ","), quotedWMC)
-
-	mergeCmd := fmt.Sprintf(`
-		MERGE INTO %s dst
-		USING (%s) src
-		ON %s
-		WHEN MATCHED AND src.%s > dst.%s THEN UPDATE SET %s
-		WHEN NOT MATCHED THEN INSERT (%s) VALUES (%s)
-	`, dstTable, selectCmd, upsertKeyClause, quotedWMC, quotedWMC,
-		updateSetClause, insertColumnsClause, insertValuesClause)
+	`, tempTableName, strings.Join(partitionKeyCols, ","), partitionKeyCols[0])
+	var mergeCmd string
+	if watermarkCol == "xmin" { // we don't want to depend on wmc
+		mergeCmd = fmt.Sprintf(`
+			MERGE INTO %s dst
+			USING (%s) src
+			ON %s
+			WHEN MATCHED THEN UPDATE SET %s
+			WHEN NOT MATCHED THEN INSERT (%s) VALUES (%s)
+		`, dstTable, selectCmd, upsertKeyClause,
+			updateSetClause, insertColumnsClause, insertValuesClause)
+	} else {
+		watermarkCol, ok := caseMatchedCols[strings.ToLower(watermarkCol)]
+		if !ok {
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("watermark column '%s' not found in destination table", watermarkCol)
+		}
+		quotedWMC := utils.QuoteIdentifier(watermarkCol)
+		mergeCmd = fmt.Sprintf(`
+			MERGE INTO %s dst
+			USING (%s) src
+			ON %s
+			WHEN MATCHED AND src.%s > dst.%s THEN UPDATE SET %s
+			WHEN NOT MATCHED THEN INSERT (%s) VALUES (%s)
+		`, dstTable, selectCmd, upsertKeyClause, quotedWMC, quotedWMC,
+			updateSetClause, insertColumnsClause, insertValuesClause)
+	}
 
 	return mergeCmd, nil
 }
diff --git a/flow/e2e/snowflake/qrep_flow_sf_test.go b/flow/e2e/snowflake/qrep_flow_sf_test.go
index 7af595c0f2..7f4b142168 100644
--- a/flow/e2e/snowflake/qrep_flow_sf_test.go
+++ b/flow/e2e/snowflake/qrep_flow_sf_test.go
@@ -255,6 +255,52 @@ func (s *PeerFlowE2ETestSuiteSF) Test_Complete_QRep_Flow_XMIN_SF_Append() {
 	env.AssertExpectations(s.T())
 }
 
+func (s *PeerFlowE2ETestSuiteSF) Test_Complete_QRep_Flow_Avro_SF_Upsert_XMIN() {
+	env := s.NewTestWorkflowEnvironment()
+	e2e.RegisterWorkflowsAndActivities(env)
+
+	numRows := 10
+
+	tblName := "test_qrep_flow_avro_sf_ups_xmin"
+	s.setupSourceTable(tblName, numRows)
+	s.setupSFDestinationTable(tblName)
+
+	dstSchemaQualified := fmt.Sprintf("%s.%s", s.sfHelper.testSchemaName, tblName)
+
+	query := fmt.Sprintf("SELECT * FROM e2e_test_%s.%s WHERE xmin::text::bigint BETWEEN {{.start}} AND {{.end}}",
+		snowflakeSuffix, tblName)
+
+	qrepConfig, err := e2e.CreateQRepWorkflowConfig(
+		"test_qrep_flow_avro_sf_xmin",
+		fmt.Sprintf("e2e_test_%s.%s", snowflakeSuffix, tblName),
+		dstSchemaQualified,
+		query,
+		protos.QRepSyncMode_QREP_SYNC_MODE_STORAGE_AVRO,
+		s.sfHelper.Peer,
+		"",
+	)
+	qrepConfig.WriteMode = &protos.QRepWriteMode{
+		WriteType:        protos.QRepWriteType_QREP_WRITE_MODE_UPSERT,
+		UpsertKeyColumns: []string{"id"},
+	}
+	qrepConfig.WatermarkColumn = "xmin"
+	s.NoError(err)
+
+	e2e.RunQrepFlowWorkflow(env, qrepConfig)
+
+	// Verify workflow completes without error
+	s.True(env.IsWorkflowCompleted())
+
+	// assert that error contains "invalid connection configs"
+	err = env.GetWorkflowError()
+	s.NoError(err)
+
+	sel := e2e.GetOwnersSelectorString()
+	s.compareTableContentsSF(tblName, sel, true)
+
+	env.AssertExpectations(s.T())
+}
+
 func (s *PeerFlowE2ETestSuiteSF) Test_Complete_QRep_Flow_Avro_SF_S3_Integration() {
 	env := s.NewTestWorkflowEnvironment()
 	e2e.RegisterWorkflowsAndActivities(env)