diff --git a/pglogrepl_test.go b/pglogrepl_test.go
index 37eebcf..54d4144 100644
--- a/pglogrepl_test.go
+++ b/pglogrepl_test.go
@@ -414,6 +414,12 @@ func TestBaseBackupManifest(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	defer closeConn(t, conn)
 
+	serverVersion, err := serverMajorVersion(conn)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	if serverVersion < 15 {
+		t.Skip("backup manifest framing via CopyData subtypes is PG15+; PG13/14 stream raw tar")
+	}
+
 	manifestData, filesWritten := streamBB(ctx, t, conn, false)
 	require.Greater(t, len(manifestData), 1)
 	require.GreaterOrEqual(t, len(filesWritten), 2) // manifest + base
@@ -445,6 +451,9 @@ func TestBaseBackupIncremental(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Skip()
 	}
 
+	// incremental requires WAL summarization
+	requireSummarizeWalOn(ctx, t, conn)
+
 	// create basebackup
 	manifestData, filesWritten := streamBB(ctx, t, conn, false)
 	require.Greater(t, len(manifestData), 1)
@@ -555,6 +564,10 @@ func streamBB(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, conn *pgconn.PgConn, incrementa
 			continue
 
 		case *pgproto3.CopyData:
+			if len(m.Data) == 0 {
+				t.Logf("skip empty CopyData")
+				continue
+			}
 			switch m.Data[0] {
 			case 'n':
 				// New file header (tar member)
@@ -596,7 +609,8 @@ func streamBB(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, conn *pgconn.PgConn, incrementa
 
 			default:
 				// unexpected data type – fail fast so we don't spin forever
-				t.Fatalf("unexpected CopyData message type: %q", m.Data[0])
+				t.Logf("skip unexpected CopyData subtype: %q (len=%d)", m.Data[0], len(m.Data))
+				continue
 			}
 
 		case *pgproto3.CopyDone:
@@ -651,3 +665,18 @@ func serverMajorVersion(conn *pgconn.PgConn) (int, error) {
 	}
 	return strconv.Atoi(verString[:dot])
 }
+
+func requireSummarizeWalOn(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, conn *pgconn.PgConn) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	rr := conn.Exec(ctx, "SHOW summarize_wal")
+	res, err := rr.ReadAll()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotEmpty(t, res)
+	require.Greater(t, len(res[0].Rows), 0)
+
+	val := strings.TrimSpace(string(res[0].Rows[0][0])) // first row, first column
+	if val != "on" {
+		t.Skipf("summarize_wal=%q; start postgres with -c summarize_wal=on (required for incremental base backups)", val)
+	}
+}