diff --git a/clients/shared/merge.go b/clients/shared/merge.go
index 7260366c9..e218d4a79 100644
--- a/clients/shared/merge.go
+++ b/clients/shared/merge.go
@@ -70,9 +70,6 @@ func Merge(dwh destination.DataWarehouse, tableData *optimization.TableData, opt
 	}
 
 	temporaryTableID := TempTableIDWithSuffix(dwh.IdentifierFor(tableData.TopicConfig(), tableData.Name()), tableData.TempTableSuffix())
-	if err = dwh.PrepareTemporaryTable(tableData, tableConfig, temporaryTableID, types.AdditionalSettings{}, true); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to prepare temporary table: %w", err)
-	}
 
 	defer func() {
 		if dropErr := ddl.DropTemporaryTable(dwh, temporaryTableID, false); dropErr != nil {
@@ -80,6 +77,10 @@ func Merge(dwh destination.DataWarehouse, tableData *optimization.TableData, opt
 		}
 	}()
 
+	if err = dwh.PrepareTemporaryTable(tableData, tableConfig, temporaryTableID, types.AdditionalSettings{}, true); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to prepare temporary table: %w", err)
+	}
+
 	// Now iterate over all the in-memory cols and see which ones require a backfill.
 	for _, col := range tableData.ReadOnlyInMemoryCols().GetColumns() {
 		if col.ShouldSkip() {
diff --git a/clients/snowflake/snowflake_test.go b/clients/snowflake/snowflake_test.go
index b3e17aa4d..215264b4c 100644
--- a/clients/snowflake/snowflake_test.go
+++ b/clients/snowflake/snowflake_test.go
@@ -127,9 +127,9 @@ func (s *SnowflakeTestSuite) TestExecuteMergeReestablishAuth() {
 	err := s.stageStore.Merge(tableData)
 	assert.NoError(s.T(), err, "transient errors like auth errors will be retried")
 
-	// 5 regular ones and then 1 additional one to re-establish auth.
+	// 5 regular ones and then 1 additional one to re-establish auth and another one for dropping the temporary table
 	baseline := 5
-	assert.Equal(s.T(), s.fakeStageStore.ExecCallCount(), baseline+1, "called merge")
+	assert.Equal(s.T(), baseline+2, s.fakeStageStore.ExecCallCount(), "called merge")
 }
 
 func (s *SnowflakeTestSuite) TestExecuteMerge() {