diff --git a/components/clp-package-utils/clp_package_utils/general.py b/components/clp-package-utils/clp_package_utils/general.py
index 4a927576cb..c890699578 100644
--- a/components/clp-package-utils/clp_package_utils/general.py
+++ b/components/clp-package-utils/clp_package_utils/general.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 import subprocess
 import typing
 import uuid
+from contextlib import closing
 from enum import auto
 from typing import List, Optional, Tuple
 
@@ -14,6 +15,7 @@
 from clp_py_utils.clp_config import (
     CLP_DEFAULT_CREDENTIALS_FILE_PATH,
     CLPConfig,
+    Database,
     DB_COMPONENT_NAME,
     QUEUE_COMPONENT_NAME,
     REDIS_COMPONENT_NAME,
@@ -23,12 +25,14 @@
     WEBUI_COMPONENT_NAME,
     WorkerConfig,
 )
+from clp_py_utils.clp_metadata_db_utils import fetch_existing_datasets
 from clp_py_utils.core import (
     get_config_value,
     make_config_path_absolute,
     read_yaml_config_file,
     validate_path_could_be_dir,
 )
+from clp_py_utils.sql_adapter import SQL_Adapter
 from strenum import KebabCaseStrEnum
 
 # CONSTANTS
@@ -556,3 +560,21 @@ def validate_path_for_container_mount(path: pathlib.Path) -> None:
                 f"Invalid path: `{path}` cannot be under '{prefix}' which may overlap with a path"
                 f" in the container."
             )
+
+
+def validate_dataset(db_config: Database, dataset: str) -> None:
+    """
+    Validates that `dataset` exists in the metadata database.
+
+    :param db_config:
+    :param dataset:
+    :raise: ValueError if the dataset doesn't exist.
+    """
+    sql_adapter = SQL_Adapter(db_config)
+    clp_db_connection_params = db_config.get_clp_connection_params_and_type(True)
+    table_prefix = clp_db_connection_params["table_prefix"]
+    with closing(sql_adapter.create_connection(True)) as db_conn, closing(
+        db_conn.cursor(dictionary=True)
+    ) as db_cursor:
+        if dataset not in fetch_existing_datasets(db_cursor, table_prefix):
+            raise ValueError(f"Dataset `{dataset}` doesn't exist.")
diff --git a/components/job-orchestration/job_orchestration/scheduler/query/query_scheduler.py b/components/job-orchestration/job_orchestration/scheduler/query/query_scheduler.py
index c3789a28e1..785c7858d8 100644
--- a/components/job-orchestration/job_orchestration/scheduler/query/query_scheduler.py
+++ b/components/job-orchestration/job_orchestration/scheduler/query/query_scheduler.py
@@ -619,21 +619,6 @@ def dispatch_job_and_update_db(
     )
 
 
-def _validate_dataset(
-    db_cursor,
-    table_prefix: str,
-    dataset: str,
-    existing_datasets: Set[str],
-) -> bool:
-    if dataset in existing_datasets:
-        return True
-
-    # NOTE: This assumes we never delete a dataset.
-    new_datasets = fetch_existing_datasets(db_cursor, table_prefix)
-    existing_datasets.update(new_datasets)
-    return dataset in existing_datasets
-
-
 def handle_pending_query_jobs(
     db_conn_pool,
     clp_metadata_db_conn_params: Dict[str, any],
@@ -662,21 +647,22 @@ def handle_pending_query_jobs(
 
             table_prefix = clp_metadata_db_conn_params["table_prefix"]
             dataset = QueryJobConfig.parse_obj(job_config).dataset
-            if dataset is not None and not _validate_dataset(
-                db_cursor, table_prefix, dataset, existing_datasets
-            ):
-                logger.error(f"Dataset `{dataset}` doesn't exist.")
-                if not set_job_or_task_status(
-                    db_conn,
-                    QUERY_JOBS_TABLE_NAME,
-                    job_id,
-                    QueryJobStatus.FAILED,
-                    QueryJobStatus.PENDING,
-                    start_time=datetime.datetime.now(),
-                    duration=0,
-                ):
-                    logger.error(f"Failed to set job {job_id} as failed.")
-                continue
+            if dataset is not None and dataset not in existing_datasets:
+                # NOTE: This assumes we never delete a dataset.
+                existing_datasets.update(fetch_existing_datasets(db_cursor, table_prefix))
+                if dataset not in existing_datasets:
+                    logger.error(f"Dataset `{dataset}` doesn't exist.")
+                    if not set_job_or_task_status(
+                        db_conn,
+                        QUERY_JOBS_TABLE_NAME,
+                        job_id,
+                        QueryJobStatus.FAILED,
+                        QueryJobStatus.PENDING,
+                        start_time=datetime.datetime.now(),
+                        duration=0,
+                    ):
+                        logger.error(f"Failed to set job {job_id} as failed.")
+                    continue
 
             if QueryJobType.SEARCH_OR_AGGREGATION == job_type:
                 # Avoid double-dispatch when a job is WAITING_FOR_REDUCER