diff --git a/runtime/engine/src/test/java/io/aklivity/zilla/runtime/engine/test/internal/binding/TestBindingFactory.java b/runtime/engine/src/test/java/io/aklivity/zilla/runtime/engine/test/internal/binding/TestBindingFactory.java
index 22c7112144..d6e8b7bb7b 100644
--- a/runtime/engine/src/test/java/io/aklivity/zilla/runtime/engine/test/internal/binding/TestBindingFactory.java
+++ b/runtime/engine/src/test/java/io/aklivity/zilla/runtime/engine/test/internal/binding/TestBindingFactory.java
@@ -15,8 +15,11 @@
  */
 package io.aklivity.zilla.runtime.engine.test.internal.binding;
 
+import static io.aklivity.zilla.runtime.engine.test.internal.binding.config.TestBindingOptionsConfigAdapter.DEFAULT_ASSERTION_SCHEMA;
+
 import java.util.LinkedList;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Objects;
 
 import org.agrona.DirectBuffer;
 import org.agrona.MutableDirectBuffer;
@@ -275,6 +278,14 @@ private void onInitialBegin(
                             {
                                 doInitialReset(traceId);
                             }
+                            if (DEFAULT_ASSERTION_SCHEMA != assertion.schema)
+                            {
+                                String schema = handler.resolve(id);
+                                if (!Objects.equals(assertion.schema, schema))
+                                {
+                                    doInitialReset(traceId);
+                                }
+                            }
                         }
                         else
                         {
diff --git a/runtime/engine/src/test/java/io/aklivity/zilla/runtime/engine/test/internal/binding/config/TestBindingOptionsConfigAdapter.java b/runtime/engine/src/test/java/io/aklivity/zilla/runtime/engine/test/internal/binding/config/TestBindingOptionsConfigAdapter.java
index 6840c32814..4575e6bf68 100644
--- a/runtime/engine/src/test/java/io/aklivity/zilla/runtime/engine/test/internal/binding/config/TestBindingOptionsConfigAdapter.java
+++ b/runtime/engine/src/test/java/io/aklivity/zilla/runtime/engine/test/internal/binding/config/TestBindingOptionsConfigAdapter.java
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@
 
 public final class TestBindingOptionsConfigAdapter implements OptionsConfigAdapterSpi
 {
+    public static final String DEFAULT_ASSERTION_SCHEMA = new String();
+
     private static final String MODE_NAME = "mode";
     private static final String CATALOG_NAME = "catalog";
     private static final String AUTHORIZATION_NAME = "authorization";
@@ -174,7 +176,8 @@ public OptionsConfig adaptFromJson(
                             JsonObject c = assertion.asJsonObject();
                             catalogAssertions.add(new TestBindingOptionsConfig.CatalogAssertion(
                                 c.containsKey(ID_NAME) ? c.getInt(ID_NAME) : 0,
-                                c.containsKey(SCHEMA_NAME) ? !c.isNull(SCHEMA_NAME) ? c.getString(SCHEMA_NAME) : null : null,
+                                c.containsKey(SCHEMA_NAME) ? !c.isNull(SCHEMA_NAME) ? c.getString(SCHEMA_NAME)
+                                    : null : DEFAULT_ASSERTION_SCHEMA,
                                 c.containsKey(DELAY_NAME) ? c.getJsonNumber(DELAY_NAME).longValue() : 0L));
                         }
                         testOptions.catalogAssertions(catalogName, catalogAssertions);