diff --git a/pkg/storage/pebble_key_schema.go b/pkg/storage/pebble_key_schema.go
index e3a03de2ee4d..f527db3c6add 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/pebble_key_schema.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/pebble_key_schema.go
@@ -471,15 +471,6 @@ func (ks *cockroachKeySeeker) seekGEOnSuffix(index int, seekSuffix []byte) (row
 	// Invariant: f(l-1) == false, f(u) == true.
 	l := index
 	u := ks.roachKeyChanged.SeekSetBitGE(index + 1)
-	if ks.suffixTypes&hasEmptySuffixes != 0 {
-		// Check if the key at index has an empty suffix. Since empty suffixes sort
-		// first, this is the only key in the range [index, u) which could have an
-		// empty suffix.
-		if len(ks.untypedVersions.At(index)) == 0 && ks.mvccWallTimes.At(index) == 0 && ks.mvccLogical.At(index) == 0 {
-			// Our seek suffix is not empty, so it must come after the empty suffix.
-			l = index + 1
-		}
-	}
 
 	for l < u {
 		m := int(uint(l+u) >> 1) // avoid overflow when computing m
@@ -488,9 +479,10 @@ func (ks *cockroachKeySeeker) seekGEOnSuffix(index int, seekSuffix []byte) (row
 		if len(mVer) == 0 {
 			wallTime := ks.mvccWallTimes.At(m)
 			logicalTime := uint32(ks.mvccLogical.At(m))
-			if buildutil.CrdbTestBuild && wallTime == 0 && logicalTime == 0 {
-				// This can only happen for row at index.
-				panic(errors.AssertionFailedf("unexpected empty suffix at %d (l=%d, u=%d)", m, l, u))
+			if wallTime == 0 && logicalTime == 0 {
+				// This row has an empty suffix. Since the seek suffix is not empty, it comes after.
+				l = m + 1
+				continue
 			}
 
 			// Note: this path is not very performance sensitive: blocks that mix MVCC
diff --git a/pkg/storage/pebble_key_schema_test.go b/pkg/storage/pebble_key_schema_test.go
index 32b1af7e585f..b842a3795c26 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/pebble_key_schema_test.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/pebble_key_schema_test.go
@@ -340,6 +340,8 @@ func TestKeySchema_RandomKeys(t *testing.T) {
 	var it colblk.DataBlockIter
 	it.InitOnce(&keySchema, EngineKeyCompare, EngineKeySplit, nil)
 	require.NoError(t, it.Init(&dec, block.NoTransforms))
+	// Ensure that a scan across the block finds all the relevant keys.
+	var valBuf []byte
 	for k, kv := 0, it.First(); kv != nil; k, kv = k+1, it.Next() {
 		require.True(t, EngineKeyEqual(keys[k], kv.K.UserKey))
 		require.Zero(t, EngineKeyCompare(keys[k], kv.K.UserKey))
@@ -352,6 +354,42 @@ func TestKeySchema_RandomKeys(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Fatalf("key %q is longer than original key %q", kv.K.UserKey, keys[k])
 		}
 		checkEngineKey(kv.K.UserKey)
+
+		// We write keys[k] as the value too, so check that it's verbatim equal.
+		value, callerOwned, err := kv.V.Value(valBuf)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, keys[k], value)
+		if callerOwned {
+			valBuf = value
+		}
+	}
+	// Ensure that seeking to each key finds the key.
+	for i := range keys {
+		kv := it.SeekGE(keys[i], 0)
+		require.True(t, EngineKeyEqual(keys[i], kv.K.UserKey))
+		require.Zero(t, EngineKeyCompare(keys[i], kv.K.UserKey))
+	}
+	// Ensure seeking to just the prefix of each key finds a key with the same
+	// prefix.
+	for i := range keys {
+		si := EngineKeySplit(keys[i])
+		kv := it.SeekGE(keys[i][:si], 0)
+		require.True(t, EngineKeyEqual(keys[i][:si], pebble.Split(EngineKeySplit).Prefix(kv.K.UserKey)))
 	}
+	// Ensure seeking to the key but in random order finds the key.
+	for _, i := range rng.Perm(len(keys)) {
+		kv := it.SeekGE(keys[i], 0)
+		require.True(t, EngineKeyEqual(keys[i], kv.K.UserKey))
+		require.Zero(t, EngineKeyCompare(keys[i], kv.K.UserKey))
+
+		// We write keys[k] as the value too, so check that it's verbatim equal.
+		value, callerOwned, err := kv.V.Value(valBuf)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, keys[i], value)
+		if callerOwned {
+			valBuf = value
+		}
+	}
+
 	require.NoError(t, it.Close())
 }