diff --git a/src/cdk/table/table.spec.ts b/src/cdk/table/table.spec.ts
index d618b79523e6..b76b33a0a368 100644
--- a/src/cdk/table/table.spec.ts
+++ b/src/cdk/table/table.spec.ts
@@ -688,6 +688,19 @@ describe('CdkTable', () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it('should throw a descriptive error (not a raw TypeError) for an unknown column in production mode', () => {
+    const originalNgDevMode = (globalThis as any).ngDevMode;
+    (globalThis as any).ngDevMode = false;
+
+    try {
+      expect(() =>
+        TestBed.createComponent(MissingColumnDefCdkTableApp).detectChanges(),
+      ).toThrowError(getTableUnknownColumnError('column_a').message);
+    } finally {
+      (globalThis as any).ngDevMode = originalNgDevMode;
+    }
+  });
+
   it('should pick up columns that are indirect descendants', () => {
     expect(() =>
       TestBed.createComponent(TableWithIndirectDescendantDefs).detectChanges(),
diff --git a/src/cdk/table/table.ts b/src/cdk/table/table.ts
index 0818d1ef981b..9eb79e193627 100644
--- a/src/cdk/table/table.ts
+++ b/src/cdk/table/table.ts
@@ -1287,10 +1287,10 @@ export class CdkTable<T>
   private _addStickyColumnStyles(rows: HTMLElement[], rowDef: BaseRowDef) {
     const columnDefs = Array.from(rowDef?.columns || []).map(columnName => {
       const columnDef = this._columnDefsByName.get(columnName);
-      if (!columnDef && (typeof ngDevMode === 'undefined' || ngDevMode)) {
+      if (!columnDef) {
         throw getTableUnknownColumnError(columnName);
       }
-      return columnDef!;
+      return columnDef;
     });
     const stickyStartStates = columnDefs.map(columnDef => columnDef.sticky);
     const stickyEndStates = columnDefs.map(columnDef => columnDef.stickyEnd);
@@ -1415,11 +1415,11 @@ export class CdkTable<T>
     return Array.from(rowDef.columns, columnId => {
       const column = this._columnDefsByName.get(columnId);
 
-      if (!column && (typeof ngDevMode === 'undefined' || ngDevMode)) {
+      if (!column) {
         throw getTableUnknownColumnError(columnId);
       }
 
-      return rowDef.extractCellTemplate(column!);
+      return rowDef.extractCellTemplate(column);
     });
   }