diff --git a/src/stream/src/executor/source/source_backfill_executor.rs b/src/stream/src/executor/source/source_backfill_executor.rs
index 39a458b28ff47..bfd7058b97a57 100644
--- a/src/stream/src/executor/source/source_backfill_executor.rs
+++ b/src/stream/src/executor/source/source_backfill_executor.rs
@@ -573,7 +573,10 @@ impl<S: StateStore> SourceBackfillExecutorInner<S> {
         }
 
         let mut splits: HashSet<SplitId> = backfill_stage.states.keys().cloned().collect();
-
+        tracing::info!(
+            actor_id = self.actor_ctx.id,
+            "source backfill finished. Enter forward stage"
+        );
         // All splits finished backfilling. Now we only forward the source data.
         #[for_await]
         for msg in input {
@@ -630,13 +633,19 @@ impl<S: StateStore> SourceBackfillExecutorInner<S> {
     /// Otherwise if we break early, but after rescheduling, an unfinished split is migrated to
     /// this actor, we still need to backfill it.
     async fn backfill_finished(&self, states: &BackfillStates) -> StreamExecutorResult<bool> {
+        let persisted_states = self.backfill_state_store.scan().await?;
+        let actor_id = self.actor_ctx.id;
+        tracing::debug!(
+            actor_id,
+            "checking whether source backfill is finished, persisted_states: {:?}, states: {:?}",
+            persisted_states,
+            states
+        );
         Ok(states
             .values()
             .all(|state| matches!(state, BackfillState::Finished))
-            && self
-                .backfill_state_store
-                .scan()
-                .await?
+            && !persisted_states.is_empty()
+            && persisted_states
                 .into_iter()
                 .all(|state| matches!(state, BackfillState::Finished)))
     }
@@ -780,8 +789,10 @@ impl<S: StateStore> SourceBackfillExecutorInner<S> {
                             BackfillState::Finished => {}
                             _ => {
                                 return Err(anyhow::anyhow!(
-                                    "Unexpected backfill state: {:?}",
-                                    backfill_state
+                                    "Unexpected backfill state in update_state_if_changed_forward_stage: {:?}, target_splits: {:?}, current_splits: {:?}",
+                                    backfill_state,
+                                    target_splits,
+                                    current_splits
                                 )
                                 .into());
                             }
diff --git a/src/stream/src/executor/source/source_executor.rs b/src/stream/src/executor/source/source_executor.rs
index 1531dca93b909..2077f0d4f2309 100644
--- a/src/stream/src/executor/source/source_executor.rs
+++ b/src/stream/src/executor/source/source_executor.rs
@@ -478,6 +478,8 @@ impl<S: StateStore> SourceExecutor<S> {
                     // For shared source, we start from latest and let the downstream SourceBackfillExecutors to read historical data.
                     // It's highly probable that the work of scanning historical data cannot be shared,
                     // so don't waste work on it.
+                    // Note that this is only a performance optimization.
+                    // For correctness, the shared SourceExecutor can start from anywhere.
                     // For more details, see https://github.com/risingwavelabs/risingwave/issues/16576#issuecomment-2095413297
                     if ele.is_cdc_split() {
                         // shared CDC source already starts from latest.
@@ -487,7 +489,7 @@ impl<S: StateStore> SourceExecutor<S> {
                         SplitImpl::Kafka(split) => {
                             split.seek_to_latest_offset();
                         }
-                        _ => unreachable!("only kafka source can be shared, got {:?}", ele),
+                        _ => unreachable!("got a non-shareable connector: {:?}", ele),
                     }
                 }
             }