diff --git a/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20220509-130021.yaml b/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20220509-130021.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..97480239154
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20220509-130021.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+kind: Fixes
+body: Fix column comparison in snapshot_check_all_get_existing_columns for check-strategy
+  snapshots with explicit check_cols defined
+time: 2022-05-09T13:00:21.649028+02:00
+custom:
+  Author: jtcohen6
+  Issue: "5222"
+  PR: "5223"
diff --git a/core/dbt/include/global_project/macros/materializations/snapshots/strategies.sql b/core/dbt/include/global_project/macros/materializations/snapshots/strategies.sql
index fd8beddcb7e..d2dc9e2f83f 100644
--- a/core/dbt/include/global_project/macros/materializations/snapshots/strategies.sql
+++ b/core/dbt/include/global_project/macros/materializations/snapshots/strategies.sql
@@ -104,22 +104,30 @@
 
 
 {% macro snapshot_check_all_get_existing_columns(node, target_exists, check_cols_config) -%}
+    {%- if not target_exists -%}
+        {#-- no table yet -> return whatever the query does --#}
+        {{ return((false, query_columns)) }}
+    {%- endif -%}
+
+    {#-- handle any schema changes --#}
+    {%- set target_relation = adapter.get_relation(database=node.database, schema=node.schema, identifier=node.alias) -%}
+
     {% if check_cols_config == 'all' %}
         {%- set query_columns = get_columns_in_query(node['compiled_sql']) -%}
+
     {% elif check_cols_config is iterable and (check_cols_config | length) > 0 %}
-        {% set query_columns = check_cols_config %}
+        {#-- query for proper casing/quoting, to support comparison below --#}
+        {%- set select_check_cols_from_target -%}
+          select {{ check_cols_config | join(', ') }} from ({{ node['compiled_sql'] }}) subq
+        {%- endset -%}
+        {% set query_columns = get_columns_in_query(select_check_cols_from_target) %}
+
     {% else %}
         {% do exceptions.raise_compiler_error("Invalid value for 'check_cols': " ~ check_cols_config) %}
     {% endif %}
-    {%- if not target_exists -%}
-        {# no table yet -> return whatever the query does #}
-        {{ return([false, query_columns]) }}
-    {%- endif -%}
-    {# handle any schema changes #}
-    {%- set target_table = node.get('alias', node.get('name')) -%}
-    {%- set target_relation = adapter.get_relation(database=node.database, schema=node.schema, identifier=target_table) -%}
-    {%- set existing_cols = get_columns_in_query('select * from ' ~ target_relation) -%}
-    {%- set ns = namespace() -%} {# handle for-loop scoping with a namespace #}
+
+    {%- set existing_cols = get_columns_in_relation(target_relation) | map(attribute = 'name') | list -%}
+    {%- set ns = namespace() -%} {#-- handle for-loop scoping with a namespace --#}
     {%- set ns.column_added = false -%}
 
     {%- set intersection = [] -%}
@@ -130,7 +138,7 @@
             {% set ns.column_added = true %}
         {%- endif -%}
     {%- endfor -%}
-    {{ return([ns.column_added, intersection]) }}
+    {{ return((ns.column_added, intersection)) }}
 {%- endmacro %}
 
 
diff --git a/tests/functional/simple_snapshot/test_changing_check_cols_snapshot.py b/tests/functional/simple_snapshot/test_changing_check_cols_snapshot.py
index 26c4b901413..0aee4aedb99 100644
--- a/tests/functional/simple_snapshot/test_changing_check_cols_snapshot.py
+++ b/tests/functional/simple_snapshot/test_changing_check_cols_snapshot.py
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ def project_config_update():
     }
 
 
-def test_simple_snapshot(project):
+def run_check_cols_snapshot_with_schema_change(project, check_cols_override=None):
     """
     Test that snapshots using the "check" strategy and explicit check_cols support adding columns.
 
@@ -74,24 +74,35 @@ def test_simple_snapshot(project):
     As long as no error is thrown, then the snapshot was successful
     """
 
+    check_cols = check_cols_override or ["name", "other"]
+
     # 1. Create a table that represents the expected data after a series of snapshots
-    results = run_dbt(["seed", "--show", "--vars", "{version: 1, updated_at: 2016-07-01}"])
+    vars_dict = {"version": 1, "updated_at": "2016-07-01"}
+    results = run_dbt(["seed", "--show", "--vars", str(vars_dict)])
     assert len(results) == 1
 
     # Snapshot 1
-    results = run_dbt(
-        ["snapshot", "--vars", "{version: 1, check_cols: ['name'], updated_at: 2016-07-01}"]
-    )
+    # Use only 'name' for check_cols
+    vars_dict = {"version": 1, "check_cols": [check_cols[0]], "updated_at": "2016-07-01"}
+    results = run_dbt(["snapshot", "--vars", str(vars_dict)])
     assert len(results) == 1
 
     # Snapshot 2
-    results = run_dbt(
-        [
-            "snapshot",
-            "--vars",
-            "{version: 2, check_cols: ['name', 'other'], updated_at: 2016-07-02}",
-        ]
+    # Use both 'name' and 'other' for check_cols
+    vars_dict = {"version": 2, "check_cols": check_cols, "updated_at": "2016-07-02"}
+    results = run_dbt(["snapshot", "--vars", str(vars_dict)])
+    assert len(results) == 1
+
+    check_relations_equal(
+        project.adapter,
+        ["snapshot_check_cols_new_column", "snapshot_check_cols_new_column_expected"],
+        compare_snapshot_cols=True,
     )
+
+    # Snapshot 3
+    # Run it again. Nothing has changed — ensure we don't detect changes
+    vars_dict = {"version": 2, "check_cols": check_cols, "updated_at": "2016-07-02"}
+    results = run_dbt(["snapshot", "--vars", str(vars_dict)])
     assert len(results) == 1
 
     check_relations_equal(
@@ -99,3 +110,17 @@ def test_simple_snapshot(project):
         ["snapshot_check_cols_new_column", "snapshot_check_cols_new_column_expected"],
         compare_snapshot_cols=True,
     )
+
+
+def test_check_cols_snapshot_with_schema_change(project):
+    run_check_cols_snapshot_with_schema_change(project)
+
+
+def test_check_cols_snapshot_with_schema_change_and_mismatched_casing(project):
+    """
+    Test that this still works if the database-stored version of 'name' + 'other'
+    differs from the user-configured 'NAME' and 'OTHER'
+    """
+    run_check_cols_snapshot_with_schema_change(
+        project=project, check_cols_override=["NAME", "OTHER"]
+    )