diff --git a/lib/cdc/mongo/debezium.go b/lib/cdc/mongo/debezium.go
index cea3ac467..b7158c3b0 100644
--- a/lib/cdc/mongo/debezium.go
+++ b/lib/cdc/mongo/debezium.go
@@ -28,8 +28,7 @@ func (d *Debezium) GetEventFromBytes(typingSettings typing.Settings, bytes []byt
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("empty message")
 	}
 
-	err := json.Unmarshal(bytes, &schemaEventPayload)
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(bytes, &schemaEventPayload); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to unmarshal json: %w", err)
 	}
 
@@ -156,10 +155,14 @@ func (s *SchemaEventPayload) GetData(pkMap map[string]any, tc *kafkalib.TopicCon
 		// And we need to reconstruct the data bit since it will be empty.
 		// We _can_ rely on *before* since even without running replicate identity, it will still copy over
 		// the PK. We can explore simplifying this interface in the future by leveraging before.
-		retMap = map[string]any{
-			constants.DeleteColumnMarker: true,
+
+		if len(s.Payload.beforeMap) == 0 {
+			retMap = make(map[string]any)
+		} else {
+			retMap = s.Payload.beforeMap
 		}
 
+		retMap[constants.DeleteColumnMarker] = true
 		for k, v := range pkMap {
 			retMap[k] = v
 		}
diff --git a/lib/cdc/mongo/debezium_test.go b/lib/cdc/mongo/debezium_test.go
index eba0dc9a2..528a34f97 100644
--- a/lib/cdc/mongo/debezium_test.go
+++ b/lib/cdc/mongo/debezium_test.go
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ func (p *MongoTestSuite) TestMongoDBEventCustomerBefore() {
 {
 	"schema": {},
 	"payload": {
-		"before": null,
+		"before": "{\"_id\": {\"$numberLong\": \"1003\"},\"first_name\": \"Robin\",\"last_name\": \"Tang\",\"email\": \"robin@example.com\", \"nested\": {\"object\": \"foo\"}}",
 		"after": null,
 		"patch": null,
 		"filter": null,
@@ -235,27 +235,41 @@ func (p *MongoTestSuite) TestMongoDBEventCustomerBefore() {
 	}
 }
 `
-
 	evt, err := p.Debezium.GetEventFromBytes(typing.Settings{}, []byte(payload))
 	assert.NoError(p.T(), err)
-	evtData, err := evt.GetData(map[string]any{"_id": 1003}, &kafkalib.TopicConfig{})
-	assert.NoError(p.T(), err)
-	assert.Equal(p.T(), "customers123", evt.GetTableName())
-	_, isOk := evtData[constants.UpdateColumnMarker]
-	assert.False(p.T(), isOk)
-	assert.Equal(p.T(), evtData["_id"], 1003)
-	assert.Equal(p.T(), evtData[constants.DeleteColumnMarker], true)
-	assert.Equal(p.T(), evt.GetExecutionTime(),
-		time.Date(2022, time.November, 18, 6, 35, 21, 0, time.UTC))
-	assert.Equal(p.T(), true, evt.DeletePayload())
+	{
+		// Making sure the `before` payload is set.
+		evtData, err := evt.GetData(map[string]any{"_id": 1003}, &kafkalib.TopicConfig{})
+		assert.NoError(p.T(), err)
+		assert.Equal(p.T(), "customers123", evt.GetTableName())
 
-	evtData, err = evt.GetData(map[string]any{"_id": 1003}, &kafkalib.TopicConfig{
-		IncludeArtieUpdatedAt: true,
-	})
-	assert.NoError(p.T(), err)
-	_, isOk = evtData[constants.UpdateColumnMarker]
-	assert.True(p.T(), isOk)
+		_, isOk := evtData[constants.UpdateColumnMarker]
+		assert.False(p.T(), isOk)
+
+		expectedKeyToVal := map[string]any{
+			"_id":                        1003,
+			constants.DeleteColumnMarker: true,
+			"first_name":                 "Robin",
+			"email":                      "robin@example.com",
+		}
+
+		for expectedKey, expectedVal := range expectedKeyToVal {
+			assert.Equal(p.T(), expectedVal, evtData[expectedKey], expectedKey)
+		}
 
+		assert.Equal(p.T(), evt.GetExecutionTime(), time.Date(2022, time.November, 18, 6, 35, 21, 0, time.UTC))
+		assert.Equal(p.T(), true, evt.DeletePayload())
+	}
+
+	{
+		// Check `__artie_updated_at` is included
+		evtData, err := evt.GetData(map[string]any{"_id": 1003}, &kafkalib.TopicConfig{
+			IncludeArtieUpdatedAt: true,
+		})
+		assert.NoError(p.T(), err)
+		_, isOk := evtData[constants.UpdateColumnMarker]
+		assert.True(p.T(), isOk)
+	}
 }
 
 func (p *MongoTestSuite) TestGetEventFromBytesTombstone() {
diff --git a/lib/config/constants/constants.go b/lib/config/constants/constants.go
index d886bf091..669f1bbf6 100644
--- a/lib/config/constants/constants.go
+++ b/lib/config/constants/constants.go
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ const (
 
 	TemporaryTableTTL = 6 * time.Hour
 
-	// DBZPostgresFormat is the only supported CDC format right now
 	DBZPostgresFormat    = "debezium.postgres"
 	DBZPostgresAltFormat = "debezium.postgres.wal2json"
 	DBZMongoFormat       = "debezium.mongodb"