diff --git a/jetstream/analysis.py b/jetstream/analysis.py
index aa432934..f343c878 100644
--- a/jetstream/analysis.py
+++ b/jetstream/analysis.py
@@ -885,10 +885,15 @@ def _create_subset_metric_table_query_covariate(
             covariate_period.value, 1, analysis_basis=AnalysisBasis.ENROLLMENTS, metric=metric_name
         )
 
-        if not self.bigquery.table_exists(covariate_table_name):
+        if not self.bigquery.column_exists_in_table(covariate_table_name, covariate_metric_name):
             normalized_slug = bq_normalize_name(self.config.experiment.normandy_slug)
+            log_msg = (
+                f"Covariate adjustment table {covariate_table_name} does not exist "
+                f"(or `{covariate_metric_name}` not found in table), "
+                f"falling back to unadjusted inferences"
+            )
             logger.warning(
-                f"Covariate adjustment table {covariate_table_name} does not exist, falling back to unadjusted inferences",  # noqa:E501
+                log_msg,
                 extra={
                     "experiment": normalized_slug,
                     "metric": metric.name,
diff --git a/jetstream/bigquery_client.py b/jetstream/bigquery_client.py
index 996e4522..82f4530d 100644
--- a/jetstream/bigquery_client.py
+++ b/jetstream/bigquery_client.py
@@ -81,6 +81,14 @@ def _current_timestamp_label(self) -> str:
         """Returns the current UTC timestamp as a valid BigQuery label."""
         return str(int(time.time()))
 
+    def column_exists_in_table(self, table_name: str, col_name: str) -> bool:
+        try:
+            table = self.client.get_table(f"{self.project}.{self.dataset}.{table_name}")
+            columns = [schema.name for schema in table.schema]
+            return col_name in columns
+        except NotFound:
+            return False
+
     def table_exists(self, table_name: str) -> bool:
         try:
             self.client.get_table(f"{self.project}.{self.dataset}.{table_name}")
diff --git a/jetstream/tests/integration/test_bigquery_client.py b/jetstream/tests/integration/test_bigquery_client.py
index c9268c82..db92cc10 100644
--- a/jetstream/tests/integration/test_bigquery_client.py
+++ b/jetstream/tests/integration/test_bigquery_client.py
@@ -64,6 +64,18 @@ def test_table_exists(self, client, temporary_dataset):
         client.client.create_table(f"{temporary_dataset}.dummy_table")
         assert client.table_exists("dummy_table") is True
 
+    def test_column_exists_in_table(self, client, temporary_dataset):
+        table = client.client.create_table(f"{temporary_dataset}.dummy_table")
+        assert client.column_exists_in_table("dummy_table", "dummy_column") is False
+        original_schema = table.schema
+        new_schema = original_schema[:]
+        new_schema.append(bigquery.SchemaField("dummy_column", "STRING"))
+
+        table.schema = new_schema
+        table = client.client.update_table(table, ["schema"])
+
+        assert client.column_exists_in_table("dummy_table", "dummy_column") is True
+
     def test_touch_tables(self, client, temporary_dataset):
         for table, experiment in {
             "enrollments_test_experiment": "test-experiment",
diff --git a/jetstream/tests/test_analysis.py b/jetstream/tests/test_analysis.py
index ca553cb0..0370e7d4 100644
--- a/jetstream/tests/test_analysis.py
+++ b/jetstream/tests/test_analysis.py
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ def test_create_subset_metric_table_query_covariate_basic(randomization_unit, mo
         "jetstream.analysis.Analysis._table_name", MagicMock(return_value="table_pre")
     )
     monkeypatch.setattr(
-        "jetstream.bigquery_client.BigQueryClient.table_exists",
+        "jetstream.bigquery_client.BigQueryClient.column_exists_in_table",
         MagicMock(return_value=True),
     )
 
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ def test_create_subset_metric_table_query_covariate_missing_table_fallback(
         "jetstream.analysis.Analysis._table_name", MagicMock(return_value="table_pre")
     )
     monkeypatch.setattr(
-        "jetstream.bigquery_client.BigQueryClient.table_exists",
+        "jetstream.bigquery_client.BigQueryClient.column_exists_in_table",
         MagicMock(return_value=False),
     )
 
@@ -450,8 +450,9 @@ def test_create_subset_metric_table_query_covariate_missing_table_fallback(
 
     # test that logging message was generated
     assert (
-        "Covariate adjustment table table_pre does not exist, falling back to unadjusted inferences"
-        in caplog.text
+        "Covariate adjustment table table_pre does not exist "
+        "(or `metric_name` not found in table), "
+        "falling back to unadjusted inferences" in caplog.text
     )
 
 
@@ -490,7 +491,7 @@ def test_create_subset_metric_table_query_covariate_segment(randomization_unit,
         "jetstream.analysis.Analysis._table_name", MagicMock(return_value="table_pre")
     )
     monkeypatch.setattr(
-        "jetstream.bigquery_client.BigQueryClient.table_exists",
+        "jetstream.bigquery_client.BigQueryClient.column_exists_in_table",
         MagicMock(return_value=True),
     )
 
@@ -587,7 +588,7 @@ def test_create_subset_metric_table_query_covariate_exposures(randomization_unit
         "jetstream.analysis.Analysis._table_name", MagicMock(return_value="table_pre")
     )
     monkeypatch.setattr(
-        "jetstream.bigquery_client.BigQueryClient.table_exists",
+        "jetstream.bigquery_client.BigQueryClient.column_exists_in_table",
         MagicMock(return_value=True),
     )
 
@@ -781,7 +782,7 @@ def test_create_subset_metric_table_query_covariate_unsupported_analysis_basis(
     experiments, monkeypatch
 ):
     monkeypatch.setattr(
-        "jetstream.bigquery_client.BigQueryClient.table_exists",
+        "jetstream.bigquery_client.BigQueryClient.column_exists_in_table",
         MagicMock(return_value=True),
     )
     metric = Metric(
@@ -843,7 +844,7 @@ def test_create_subset_metric_table_query_use_covariate_explicit_metric(
         "jetstream.analysis.Analysis._table_name", MagicMock(return_value="table_pre")
     )
     monkeypatch.setattr(
-        "jetstream.bigquery_client.BigQueryClient.table_exists",
+        "jetstream.bigquery_client.BigQueryClient.column_exists_in_table",
         MagicMock(return_value=True),
     )
 
@@ -917,7 +918,7 @@ def test_create_subset_metric_table_query_use_covariate_implicit_metric(
         "jetstream.analysis.Analysis._table_name", MagicMock(return_value="table_pre")
     )
     monkeypatch.setattr(
-        "jetstream.bigquery_client.BigQueryClient.table_exists",
+        "jetstream.bigquery_client.BigQueryClient.column_exists_in_table",
         MagicMock(return_value=True),
     )
 
@@ -1013,7 +1014,7 @@ def test_create_subset_metric_table_query_complete_covariate(randomization_unit,
         "jetstream.analysis.Analysis._table_name", MagicMock(return_value="table_pre")
     )
     monkeypatch.setattr(
-        "jetstream.bigquery_client.BigQueryClient.table_exists",
+        "jetstream.bigquery_client.BigQueryClient.column_exists_in_table",
         MagicMock(return_value=True),
     )
 
@@ -1088,7 +1089,7 @@ def test_create_subset_metric_table_query_covariate_fallback(randomization_unit,
         "jetstream.analysis.Analysis._table_name", MagicMock(return_value="table_pre")
     )
     monkeypatch.setattr(
-        "jetstream.bigquery_client.BigQueryClient.table_exists",
+        "jetstream.bigquery_client.BigQueryClient.column_exists_in_table",
         MagicMock(return_value=True),
     )