diff --git a/backend/api/src/get-profiles.ts b/backend/api/src/get-profiles.ts
index b73858bc..43011dfd 100644
--- a/backend/api/src/get-profiles.ts
+++ b/backend/api/src/get-profiles.ts
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ const EXCLUDED_PROFILE_COLS = new Set(['search_text', 'search_tsv'])
 
 let profileCols: any
 
-const getProfileCols = async () => {
+export const getProfileCols = async () => {
   if (profileCols) return profileCols
   const pg = createSupabaseDirectClient()
   const rows = await pg.manyOrNone<{column_name: string}>(
diff --git a/backend/api/tests/unit/get-profiles.unit.test.ts b/backend/api/tests/unit/get-profiles.unit.test.ts
index 7e69792b..e885cfc0 100644
--- a/backend/api/tests/unit/get-profiles.unit.test.ts
+++ b/backend/api/tests/unit/get-profiles.unit.test.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import * as sqlBuilder from 'shared/supabase/sql-builder'
 describe('getProfiles', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     jest.clearAllMocks()
+    jest.spyOn(profilesModule, 'getProfileCols').mockResolvedValue(null)
   })
 
   afterEach(() => {
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ describe('loadProfiles', () => {
     }
 
     jest.spyOn(supabaseInit, 'createSupabaseDirectClient').mockReturnValue(mockPg)
+    jest.spyOn(profilesModule, 'getProfileCols').mockResolvedValue(null)
   })
   afterEach(() => {
     jest.restoreAllMocks()