diff --git a/misc/python/materialize/checks/sink.py b/misc/python/materialize/checks/sink.py
index 7ac6a13834d5..8e546257cf35 100644
--- a/misc/python/materialize/checks/sink.py
+++ b/misc/python/materialize/checks/sink.py
@@ -89,6 +89,8 @@ def manipulate(self) -> List[Testdrive]:
 
                 > CREATE CONNECTION IF NOT EXISTS kafka_conn FOR KAFKA BROKER '${testdrive.kafka-addr}';
 
+                > CREATE CONNECTION IF NOT EXISTS csr_conn FOR CONFLUENT SCHEMA REGISTRY URL '${testdrive.schema-registry-url}';
+
                 > CREATE SINK sink_sink2 FROM sink_source_view
                   INTO KAFKA CONNECTION kafka_conn
                   TOPIC 'sink-sink2'
@@ -122,6 +124,8 @@ def validate(self) -> Testdrive:
 
                 > CREATE CONNECTION IF NOT EXISTS kafka_conn FOR KAFKA BROKER '${testdrive.kafka-addr}';
 
+                > CREATE CONNECTION IF NOT EXISTS csr_conn FOR CONFLUENT SCHEMA REGISTRY URL '${testdrive.schema-registry-url}';
+
                 > CREATE SOURCE sink_view1
                   FROM KAFKA CONNECTION kafka_conn
                   TOPIC 'sink-sink1'
@@ -204,10 +208,12 @@ def initialize(self) -> Testdrive:
 
                 > CREATE CONNECTION IF NOT EXISTS kafka_conn FOR KAFKA BROKER '${testdrive.kafka-addr}';
 
+                > CREATE CONNECTION IF NOT EXISTS csr_conn FOR CONFLUENT SCHEMA REGISTRY URL '${testdrive.schema-registry-url}';
+
                 > CREATE SINK sink_large_transaction_sink1 FROM sink_large_transaction_view
                   INTO KAFKA CONNECTION kafka_conn
                   TOPIC 'testdrive-sink-large-transaction-sink-${testdrive.seed}'
-                  FORMAT AVRO USING CONFLUENT SCHEMA REGISTRY CONNECTION csr_conn
+                  FORMAT AVRO USING CONFLUENT SCHEMA REGISTRY CONNECTION csr_conn;
                 """
             )
         )
@@ -232,6 +238,8 @@ def validate(self) -> Testdrive:
                 # We check the contents of the sink topics by re-ingesting them.
                 > CREATE CONNECTION IF NOT EXISTS kafka_conn FOR KAFKA BROKER '${testdrive.kafka-addr}';
 
+                > CREATE CONNECTION IF NOT EXISTS csr_conn FOR CONFLUENT SCHEMA REGISTRY URL '${testdrive.schema-registry-url}';
+
                 > CREATE SOURCE sink_large_transaction_source
                   FROM KAFKA CONNECTION kafka_conn
                   TOPIC 'testdrive-sink-large-transaction-sink-${testdrive.seed}'
diff --git a/test/limits/mzcompose.py b/test/limits/mzcompose.py
index 2900b2e2727d..8b59e9dc0832 100644
--- a/test/limits/mzcompose.py
+++ b/test/limits/mzcompose.py
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ def body(cls) -> None:
         print('"123" {"f1": "123"}')
 
         print(
-            """> CREATE CONNECTION IF NOT EXISTS csr_conn
+            f"""> CREATE CONNECTION IF NOT EXISTS csr_conn
             FOR CONFLUENT SCHEMA REGISTRY
             URL '${{testdrive.schema-registry-url}}';
             """