diff --git a/pkg/startupmigrations/BUILD.bazel b/pkg/startupmigrations/BUILD.bazel
index e1388913b916..bf09ceb47ea7 100644
--- a/pkg/startupmigrations/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/pkg/startupmigrations/BUILD.bazel
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ go_test(
         "//pkg/testutils/sqlutils",
         "//pkg/util/leaktest",
         "//pkg/util/log",
+        "//pkg/util/randutil",
         "//pkg/util/stop",
         "@com_github_cockroachdb_errors//:errors",
         "@com_github_stretchr_testify//require",
diff --git a/pkg/startupmigrations/migrations.go b/pkg/startupmigrations/migrations.go
index 6c1307f37460..52e634e958fe 100644
--- a/pkg/startupmigrations/migrations.go
+++ b/pkg/startupmigrations/migrations.go
@@ -419,6 +419,10 @@ type DB interface {
 	Get(ctx context.Context, key interface{}) (kv.KeyValue, error)
 	Put(ctx context.Context, key, value interface{}) error
 	Txn(ctx context.Context, retryable func(ctx context.Context, txn *kv.Txn) error) error
+
+	// ReadCommittedScan is like Scan but may return an inconsistent and stale
+	// snapshot.
+	ReadCommittedScan(ctx context.Context, begin, end interface{}, maxRows int64) ([]kv.KeyValue, error)
 }
 
 // Manager encapsulates the necessary functionality for handling migrations
@@ -453,7 +457,7 @@ func NewManager(
 	return &Manager{
 		stopper:      stopper,
 		leaseManager: leasemanager.New(db, clock, opts),
-		db:           db,
+		db:           dbAdapter{DB: db},
 		codec:        codec,
 		sqlExecutor:  executor,
 		testingKnobs: testingKnobs,
@@ -462,6 +466,24 @@ func NewManager(
 	}
 }
 
+// dbAdapter augments the kv.DB with a ReadCommittedScan method as required
+// by the DB interface.
+type dbAdapter struct {
+	*kv.DB
+}
+
+func (d dbAdapter) ReadCommittedScan(
+	ctx context.Context, begin, end interface{}, maxRows int64,
+) ([]kv.KeyValue, error) {
+	var b kv.Batch
+	b.Header.ReadConsistency = roachpb.INCONSISTENT
+	b.Scan(begin, end)
+	if err := d.Run(ctx, &b); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return b.Results[0].Rows, nil
+}
+
 // EnsureMigrations should be run during node startup to ensure that all
 // required migrations have been run (and running all those that are definitely
 // safe to run).
@@ -470,27 +492,18 @@ func (m *Manager) EnsureMigrations(ctx context.Context, bootstrapVersion roachpb
 		defer m.testingKnobs.AfterEnsureMigrations()
 	}
 	// First, check whether there are any migrations that need to be run.
-	completedMigrations, err := getCompletedMigrations(ctx, m.db, m.codec)
-	if err != nil {
+	// We do the check potentially twice, once with a readCommittedScan which
+	// might read stale values, but can be performed locally, and then, if
+	// there are migrations to run, again with a consistent scan.
+	if allComplete, err := m.checkIfAllMigrationsAreComplete(
+		ctx, bootstrapVersion, m.db.ReadCommittedScan,
+	); err != nil || allComplete {
 		return err
 	}
-	allMigrationsCompleted := true
-	for _, migration := range backwardCompatibleMigrations {
-		if !m.shouldRunMigration(migration, bootstrapVersion) {
-			continue
-		}
-		if m.testingKnobs.DisableBackfillMigrations && migration.doesBackfill {
-			log.Infof(ctx, "ignoring migrations after (and including) %s due to testing knob",
-				migration.name)
-			break
-		}
-		key := migrationKey(m.codec, migration)
-		if _, ok := completedMigrations[string(key)]; !ok {
-			allMigrationsCompleted = false
-		}
-	}
-	if allMigrationsCompleted {
-		return nil
+	if allComplete, err := m.checkIfAllMigrationsAreComplete(
+		ctx, bootstrapVersion, m.db.Scan,
+	); err != nil || allComplete {
+		return err
 	}
 
 	// If there are any, grab the migration lease to ensure that only one
@@ -502,6 +515,7 @@ func (m *Manager) EnsureMigrations(ctx context.Context, bootstrapVersion roachpb
 	if log.V(1) {
 		log.Info(ctx, "trying to acquire lease")
 	}
+	var err error
 	for r := retry.StartWithCtx(ctx, base.DefaultRetryOptions()); r.Next(); {
 		lease, err = m.leaseManager.AcquireLease(ctx, m.codec.StartupMigrationLeaseKey())
 		if err == nil {
@@ -556,7 +570,7 @@ func (m *Manager) EnsureMigrations(ctx context.Context, bootstrapVersion roachpb
 
 	// Re-get the list of migrations in case any of them were completed between
 	// our initial check and our grabbing of the lease.
-	completedMigrations, err = getCompletedMigrations(ctx, m.db, m.codec)
+	completedMigrations, err := getCompletedMigrations(ctx, m.db.Scan, m.codec)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -601,6 +615,31 @@ func (m *Manager) EnsureMigrations(ctx context.Context, bootstrapVersion roachpb
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (m *Manager) checkIfAllMigrationsAreComplete(
+	ctx context.Context, bootstrapVersion roachpb.Version, scan scanFunc,
+) (completedAll bool, _ error) {
+	completedMigrations, err := getCompletedMigrations(ctx, scan, m.codec)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	allMigrationsCompleted := true
+	for _, migration := range backwardCompatibleMigrations {
+		if !m.shouldRunMigration(migration, bootstrapVersion) {
+			continue
+		}
+		if m.testingKnobs.DisableBackfillMigrations && migration.doesBackfill {
+			log.Infof(ctx, "ignoring migrations after (and including) %s due to testing knob",
+				migration.name)
+			break
+		}
+		key := migrationKey(m.codec, migration)
+		if _, ok := completedMigrations[string(key)]; !ok {
+			allMigrationsCompleted = false
+		}
+	}
+	return allMigrationsCompleted, nil
+}
+
 func (m *Manager) shouldRunMigration(
 	migration migrationDescriptor, bootstrapVersion roachpb.Version,
 ) bool {
@@ -621,14 +660,16 @@ func (m *Manager) shouldRunMigration(
 	return true
 }
 
+type scanFunc = func(_ context.Context, from, to interface{}, maxRows int64) ([]kv.KeyValue, error)
+
 func getCompletedMigrations(
-	ctx context.Context, db DB, codec keys.SQLCodec,
+	ctx context.Context, scan scanFunc, codec keys.SQLCodec,
 ) (map[string]struct{}, error) {
 	if log.V(1) {
 		log.Info(ctx, "trying to get the list of completed migrations")
 	}
 	prefix := codec.StartupMigrationKeyPrefix()
-	keyvals, err := db.Scan(ctx, prefix, prefix.PrefixEnd(), 0 /* maxRows */)
+	keyvals, err := scan(ctx, prefix, prefix.PrefixEnd(), 0 /* maxRows */)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to get list of completed migrations")
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/startupmigrations/migrations_test.go b/pkg/startupmigrations/migrations_test.go
index 26dd6dc10d57..9771aaaab919 100644
--- a/pkg/startupmigrations/migrations_test.go
+++ b/pkg/startupmigrations/migrations_test.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"math/rand"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/testutils/sqlutils"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/leaktest"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/log"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/randutil"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/stop"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/errors"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
@@ -85,11 +87,32 @@ func (f *fakeLeaseManager) TimeRemaining(l *leasemanager.Lease) time.Duration {
 
 type fakeDB struct {
 	codec   keys.SQLCodec
+	rand    *rand.Rand
 	kvs     map[string][]byte
 	scanErr error
 	putErr  error
 }
 
+func newFakeDB(codec keys.SQLCodec) *fakeDB {
+	r, _ := randutil.NewTestRand()
+	return &fakeDB{
+		codec: codec,
+		rand:  r,
+		kvs:   make(map[string][]byte),
+	}
+}
+
+// ReadCommittedScan never returns any data.
+func (f *fakeDB) ReadCommittedScan(
+	ctx context.Context, begin, end interface{}, maxRows int64,
+) ([]kv.KeyValue, error) {
+	// Sometimes return the data, sometimes return nothing.
+	if f.rand.Float64() < .9 {
+		return f.Scan(ctx, begin, end, maxRows)
+	}
+	return nil, nil
+}
+
 func (f *fakeDB) Scan(
 	ctx context.Context, begin, end interface{}, maxRows int64,
 ) ([]kv.KeyValue, error) {
@@ -135,7 +158,7 @@ func (f *fakeDB) Txn(context.Context, func(context.Context, *kv.Txn) error) erro
 func TestEnsureMigrations(t *testing.T) {
 	defer leaktest.AfterTest(t)()
 	codec := keys.SystemSQLCodec
-	db := &fakeDB{codec: codec}
+	db := newFakeDB(codec)
 	mgr := Manager{
 		stopper:      stop.NewStopper(),
 		leaseManager: &fakeLeaseManager{},
@@ -237,7 +260,7 @@ func TestSkipMigrationsIncludedInBootstrap(t *testing.T) {
 	defer leaktest.AfterTest(t)()
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	codec := keys.SystemSQLCodec
-	db := &fakeDB{codec: codec}
+	db := newFakeDB(codec)
 	mgr := Manager{
 		stopper:      stop.NewStopper(),
 		leaseManager: &fakeLeaseManager{},
@@ -280,7 +303,7 @@ func TestClusterWideMigrationOnlyRunBySystemTenant(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 
 		ctx := context.Background()
-		db := &fakeDB{codec: codec}
+		db := newFakeDB(codec)
 		mgr := Manager{
 			stopper:      stop.NewStopper(),
 			leaseManager: &fakeLeaseManager{},
@@ -310,7 +333,7 @@ func TestClusterWideMigrationOnlyRunBySystemTenant(t *testing.T) {
 func TestDBErrors(t *testing.T) {
 	defer leaktest.AfterTest(t)()
 	codec := keys.SystemSQLCodec
-	db := &fakeDB{codec: codec}
+	db := newFakeDB(codec)
 	mgr := Manager{
 		stopper:      stop.NewStopper(),
 		leaseManager: &fakeLeaseManager{},
@@ -373,7 +396,7 @@ func TestDBErrors(t *testing.T) {
 func TestLeaseErrors(t *testing.T) {
 	defer leaktest.AfterTest(t)()
 	codec := keys.SystemSQLCodec
-	db := &fakeDB{codec: codec, kvs: make(map[string][]byte)}
+	db := newFakeDB(codec)
 	mgr := Manager{
 		stopper: stop.NewStopper(),
 		leaseManager: &fakeLeaseManager{
@@ -405,7 +428,7 @@ func TestLeaseErrors(t *testing.T) {
 func TestLeaseExpiration(t *testing.T) {
 	defer leaktest.AfterTest(t)()
 	codec := keys.SystemSQLCodec
-	db := &fakeDB{codec: codec, kvs: make(map[string][]byte)}
+	db := newFakeDB(codec)
 	mgr := Manager{
 		stopper:      stop.NewStopper(),
 		leaseManager: &fakeLeaseManager{leaseTimeRemaining: time.Nanosecond},
@@ -520,7 +543,7 @@ func (mt *migrationTest) runMigration(ctx context.Context, m migrationDescriptor
 	return m.workFn(ctx, runner{
 		settings:    mt.server.ClusterSettings(),
 		codec:       keys.SystemSQLCodec,
-		db:          mt.kvDB,
+		db:          dbAdapter{DB: mt.kvDB},
 		sqlExecutor: mt.server.InternalExecutor().(*sql.InternalExecutor),
 	})
 }