diff --git a/mtca/mtca.go b/mtca/mtca.go
index 60a4e10a9aa..d41c248e37a 100644
--- a/mtca/mtca.go
+++ b/mtca/mtca.go
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/jmhodges/clock"
 	"github.com/letsencrypt/borp"
 
+	"golang.org/x/mod/sumdb/tlog"
+
 	"github.com/letsencrypt/boulder/db"
 	"github.com/letsencrypt/boulder/identifier"
 	"github.com/letsencrypt/boulder/issuance"
@@ -31,7 +33,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/letsencrypt/boulder/trees/entry"
 	"github.com/letsencrypt/boulder/trees/issuancelog"
 	"github.com/letsencrypt/boulder/trees/tiles"
-	"golang.org/x/mod/sumdb/tlog"
 )
 
 var ErrIssuanceLogAlreadyInitialized = errors.New("issuance log already initialized")
@@ -486,7 +487,7 @@ func (m *mtca) sequence(ctx context.Context) error {
 		ID:              0,
 		MTCLogID:        m.logID.String(),
 		MTCASignature:   nil,
-		MirrorID:        "",
+		MirrorID:        nil,
 		MirrorSignature: nil,
 		TreeSize:        candidate.TreeSize(),
 		RootHash:        newRootHash[:],
@@ -594,13 +595,13 @@ func (m *mtca) sequence(ctx context.Context) error {
 //
 // For signing, the TreeSize and RootHash fields are incorporated into a `cosigned.Message`.
 type checkpoint struct {
-	ID              int64  `db:"id"`
-	MTCLogID        string `db:"mtcLogID"`
-	MTCASignature   []byte `db:"mtcaSignature"`
-	MirrorID        string `db:"mirrorID"`
-	MirrorSignature []byte `db:"mirrorSignature"`
-	TreeSize        int64  `db:"treeSize"`
-	RootHash        []byte `db:"rootHash"`
+	ID              int64   `db:"id"`
+	MTCLogID        string  `db:"mtcLogID"`
+	MTCASignature   []byte  `db:"mtcaSignature"`
+	MirrorID        *string `db:"mirrorID"`
+	MirrorSignature []byte  `db:"mirrorSignature"`
+	TreeSize        int64   `db:"treeSize"`
+	RootHash        []byte  `db:"rootHash"`
 }
 
 func (c *checkpoint) valid() error {
@@ -634,8 +635,12 @@ func (c *checkpoint) String() string {
 	if len(c.MirrorSignature) > 0 {
 		mirrorSig = "non-empty"
 	}
+	var mirrorID string
+	if c.MirrorID != nil {
+		mirrorID = *c.MirrorID
+	}
 	return fmt.Sprintf("ID:%d MTCLogID:%s MTCASignature:%s MirrorID:%s MirrorSignature:%s TreeSize:%d RootHash:%x",
-		c.ID, c.MTCLogID, caSig, c.MirrorID, mirrorSig, c.TreeSize, c.RootHash)
+		c.ID, c.MTCLogID, caSig, mirrorID, mirrorSig, c.TreeSize, c.RootHash)
 }
 
 func (m *mtca) latestCheckpoint(ctx context.Context) (*checkpoint, error) {
diff --git a/mtpublisher/mtpublisher.go b/mtpublisher/mtpublisher.go
index 6319193bf9b..b0734a93f54 100644
--- a/mtpublisher/mtpublisher.go
+++ b/mtpublisher/mtpublisher.go
@@ -82,13 +82,13 @@ func New(dbMap *db.WrappedMap, interval time.Duration, logID issuancelog.ID, mir
 }
 
 type checkpointEntry struct {
-	ID              int64  `db:"id"`
-	MTCLogID        string `db:"mtcLogID"`
-	MTCASignature   []byte `db:"mtcaSignature"`
-	MirrorID        string `db:"mirrorID"`
-	MirrorSignature []byte `db:"mirrorSignature"`
-	TreeSize        int64  `db:"treeSize"`
-	RootHash        []byte `db:"rootHash"`
+	ID              int64   `db:"id"`
+	MTCLogID        string  `db:"mtcLogID"`
+	MTCASignature   []byte  `db:"mtcaSignature"`
+	MirrorID        *string `db:"mirrorID"`
+	MirrorSignature []byte  `db:"mirrorSignature"`
+	TreeSize        int64   `db:"treeSize"`
+	RootHash        []byte  `db:"rootHash"`
 }
 
 // cosign cosigns the checkpoint described by tree as the mirror and returns the