diff --git a/debezium-connector-sqlserver/src/main/java/io/debezium/connector/sqlserver/SqlServerSnapshotChangeEventSource.java b/debezium-connector-sqlserver/src/main/java/io/debezium/connector/sqlserver/SqlServerSnapshotChangeEventSource.java
index efc38bf9f..d13389f42 100644
--- a/debezium-connector-sqlserver/src/main/java/io/debezium/connector/sqlserver/SqlServerSnapshotChangeEventSource.java
+++ b/debezium-connector-sqlserver/src/main/java/io/debezium/connector/sqlserver/SqlServerSnapshotChangeEventSource.java
@@ -253,9 +253,16 @@ protected String enhanceOverriddenSelect(RelationalSnapshotContext snapshotConte
 
     private String checkExcludedColumns(TableId tableId) {
         Table table = sqlServerDatabaseSchema.tableFor(tableId);
-        return table.retrieveColumnNames().stream()
+        List<String> columnNames = table.retrieveColumnNames().stream()
                 .filter(columnName -> filterChangeTableColumns(tableId, columnName))
                 .filter(columnName -> connectorConfig.getColumnFilter().matches(tableId.catalog(), tableId.schema(), tableId.table(), columnName))
+                .collect(Collectors.toList());
+
+        if (columnNames.isEmpty()) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Filtered column list for table " + tableId + " is empty");
+        }
+
+        return columnNames.stream()
                 .map(columnName -> {
                     StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
                     if (!columnName.contains(tableId.table())) {
diff --git a/debezium-connector-sqlserver/src/test/java/io/debezium/connector/sqlserver/SqlServerConnectorIT.java b/debezium-connector-sqlserver/src/test/java/io/debezium/connector/sqlserver/SqlServerConnectorIT.java
index 2b6511940..29ed11258 100644
--- a/debezium-connector-sqlserver/src/test/java/io/debezium/connector/sqlserver/SqlServerConnectorIT.java
+++ b/debezium-connector-sqlserver/src/test/java/io/debezium/connector/sqlserver/SqlServerConnectorIT.java
@@ -1221,6 +1221,25 @@ public void testColumnIncludeList() throws Exception {
         stopConnector();
     }
 
+    @Test
+    @FixFor("DBZ-3505")
+    public void shouldFailOnInvalidColumnFilter() throws Exception {
+        final Configuration config = TestHelper.defaultConfig()
+                .with(SqlServerConnectorConfig.COLUMN_INCLUDE_LIST, ".^")
+                .build();
+        final LogInterceptor logInterceptor = new LogInterceptor();
+
+        start(SqlServerConnector.class, config);
+        waitForConnectorShutdown("sql_server", "server1");
+
+        consumeRecord();
+        Awaitility.await()
+                .alias("Found error message in logs")
+                .atMost(TestHelper.waitTimeForRecords(), TimeUnit.SECONDS)
+                .until(() -> logInterceptor.containsStacktraceElement("Filtered column list for table testDB.dbo.tablea is empty")
+                        && !engine.isRunning());
+    }
+
     @Test
     @FixFor("DBZ-1692")
     public void shouldConsumeEventsWithMaskedHashedColumns() throws Exception {