diff --git a/tools/codegen/cmd/featuregate-test-analyzer.go b/tools/codegen/cmd/featuregate-test-analyzer.go
index 57967a371c1..bdc12f9f105 100644
--- a/tools/codegen/cmd/featuregate-test-analyzer.go
+++ b/tools/codegen/cmd/featuregate-test-analyzer.go
@@ -618,7 +618,7 @@ type JobVariant struct {
 	Topology     string
 	NetworkStack string
 	OS           string
-	JobTiers     string // Comma-separated tiers (e.g., "standard,informing,blocking"). If empty, defaults to "standard,informing,blocking"
+	JobTiers     string // Comma-separated tiers (e.g., "standard,informing,blocking"). If empty, defaults to "standard,informing,blocking,candidate"
 	Optional     bool   // If true, validation failures for this variant are non-blocking warnings
 }
 
@@ -680,7 +680,7 @@ func testResultByName(results []TestResults, testName string) *TestResults {
 
 func validateJobTiers(jobVariant JobVariant) error {
 	if jobVariant.JobTiers == "" {
-		return nil // Empty is valid - will default to standard,informing,blocking
+		return nil // Empty is valid - will default to standard,informing,blocking,candidate
 	}
 
 	validTiers := map[string]bool{
diff --git a/tools/codegen/cmd/featuregate-test-analyzer_test.go b/tools/codegen/cmd/featuregate-test-analyzer_test.go
index df66edcac67..3222f926613 100644
--- a/tools/codegen/cmd/featuregate-test-analyzer_test.go
+++ b/tools/codegen/cmd/featuregate-test-analyzer_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/sets"
+
+	"github.com/openshift/api/tools/codegen/pkg/sippy"
 )
 
 func Test_listTestResultFor(t *testing.T) {
@@ -475,3 +477,42 @@ func Test_checkIfTestingIsSufficient_OptionalVariants(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func Test_defaultQueriesIncludeCandidateTier(t *testing.T) {
+	// When JobTiers is empty, QueriesFor should generate queries for all tiers
+	// including candidate. This test is added to prevent regressions for candidate-tier
+	// jobs being excluded, which is used by some TP jobs.
+	queries := sippy.QueriesFor("vsphere", "amd64", "ha", "", "", "", "FeatureGate:TestGate]")
+
+	tierNames := sets.New[string]()
+	for _, q := range queries {
+		tierNames.Insert(q.TierName)
+	}
+
+	expectedTiers := []string{"standard", "informing", "blocking", "candidate"}
+	for _, tier := range expectedTiers {
+		if !tierNames.Has(tier) {
+			t.Errorf("default queries missing tier %q - got tiers: %v", tier, sets.List(tierNames))
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func Test_allRequiredVariantsQueryCandidateTier(t *testing.T) {
+	// Verify that all required variant definitions will query for the candidate
+	// tier, either explicitly via JobTiers or via the default.
+	allVariants := append(append([]JobVariant{}, requiredSelfManagedJobVariants...), requiredHypershiftJobVariants...)
+
+	for _, variant := range allVariants {
+		queries := sippy.QueriesFor(variant.Cloud, variant.Architecture, variant.Topology, variant.NetworkStack, variant.OS, variant.JobTiers, "FeatureGate:Test]")
+		hasCandidateQuery := false
+		for _, q := range queries {
+			if q.TierName == "candidate" {
+				hasCandidateQuery = true
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		if !hasCandidateQuery {
+			t.Errorf("variant %+v does not query candidate tier - some platforms only run TechPreview tests in candidate-tier jobs", variant)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/tools/codegen/pkg/sippy/json_types.go b/tools/codegen/pkg/sippy/json_types.go
index 2785d496f4a..0795c2519a4 100644
--- a/tools/codegen/pkg/sippy/json_types.go
+++ b/tools/codegen/pkg/sippy/json_types.go
@@ -101,10 +101,10 @@ func QueriesFor(cloud, architecture, topology, networkStack, os, jobTiers, testP
 		})
 	}
 
-	// Parse JobTiers - comma-separated string, default to standard/informing/blocking if empty
+	// Parse JobTiers - comma-separated string, default to standard/informing/blocking/candidate if empty
 	var jobTiersList []string
 	if jobTiers == "" {
-		jobTiersList = []string{"standard", "informing", "blocking"}
+		jobTiersList = []string{"standard", "informing", "blocking", "candidate"}
 	} else {
 		// Split by comma, trim whitespace, and deduplicate using sets
 		tierSet := sets.New[string]()
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ func QueriesFor(cloud, architecture, topology, networkStack, os, jobTiers, testP
 		}
 		// If all tiers were whitespace/empty after trimming, use defaults
 		if tierSet.Len() == 0 {
-			jobTiersList = []string{"standard", "informing", "blocking"}
+			jobTiersList = []string{"standard", "informing", "blocking", "candidate"}
 		} else {
 			jobTiersList = sets.List(tierSet)
 		}