diff --git a/controllers/release.go b/controllers/release.go
index 18b3b90e..606b0c36 100644
--- a/controllers/release.go
+++ b/controllers/release.go
@@ -79,6 +79,25 @@ func (r *releaser) releaseTopic(
 	_, _, table := transformer.ParseTopic(topic)
 	reloadedTable := table + tableSuffix
 
+	// Check if reload table exists before attempting release
+	// This prevents the "relation does not exist" error and allows recovery
+	reloadTableExist, err := r.redshifter.TableExist(ctx, schema, reloadedTable)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error checking reload table existence: %v", err)
+	}
+	if !reloadTableExist {
+		klog.Warningf(
+			"rsk/%s reload table %s.%s does not exist for topic %s, moving back to reloading",
+			r.rsk.Name, schema, reloadedTable, topic,
+		)
+		// Move topic back to reloading state so it can be reprocessed
+		status.moveTopicToReloading(topic)
+		return fmt.Errorf(
+			"reload table %s.%s does not exist, topic %s moved back to reloading state",
+			schema, reloadedTable, topic,
+		)
+	}
+
 	tableExist, err := r.redshifter.TableExist(ctx, schema, table)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/controllers/status.go b/controllers/status.go
index 09934c28..21c43335 100644
--- a/controllers/status.go
+++ b/controllers/status.go
@@ -346,6 +346,31 @@ func (s *status) updateTopicsOnRelease(releasedTopic string) {
 	s.realtime = removeFromSlice(s.realtime, releasedTopic)
 }
 
+// moveTopicToReloading moves a topic from realtime back to reloading state.
+// This is used when release fails due to missing reload table, allowing
+// the topic to be reprocessed by the reload sink group.
+func (s *status) moveTopicToReloading(topic string) {
+	klog.V(2).Infof("rsk/%s moving topic %s from realtime to reloading", s.rsk.Name, topic)
+
+	// Remove from realtime
+	s.realtime = removeFromSlice(s.realtime, topic)
+
+	// Add to reloading
+	s.reloading = appendIfMissing(s.reloading, topic)
+
+	// Clear the cached loader offset so realtime calculator doesn't use stale data
+	s.deleteLoaderTopicGroupCurrentOffset(topic)
+
+	// Update the mask status for this topic to Reloading
+	if s.rsk.Status.MaskStatus != nil && s.rsk.Status.MaskStatus.CurrentMaskStatus != nil {
+		if topicStatus, ok := s.rsk.Status.MaskStatus.CurrentMaskStatus[topic]; ok {
+			topicStatus.Phase = tipocav1.MaskReloading
+			s.rsk.Status.MaskStatus.CurrentMaskStatus[topic] = topicStatus
+			klog.V(2).Infof("rsk/%s updated topic %s phase to Reloading", s.rsk.Name, topic)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func (s *status) computerCurrentMaskStatus() map[string]tipocav1.TopicMaskStatus {
 	topicsReleased := toMap(s.released)
 	topicsRealtime := toMap(s.realtime)