diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 7efe0f9b..7c081c01 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -84,7 +84,12 @@ def readme():
         # https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-python/issues/10566
         "google-auth>=1.25.0,<3.0.0dev",  # Work around pip wack.
         "google-cloud-bigquery>=2.25.2,<3.0.0dev",
-        "sqlalchemy>=1.2.0,<1.5.0dev",
+        # Temporarily set maximimum sqlalchemy to a known-working version while
+        # we debug failing compliance tests. See:
+        # https://github.com/googleapis/python-bigquery-sqlalchemy/issues/386
+        # and
+        # https://github.com/googleapis/python-bigquery-sqlalchemy/issues/385
+        "sqlalchemy>=1.2.0,<=1.4.25",
         "future",
     ],
     extras_require=extras,
diff --git a/tests/system/test_alembic.py b/tests/system/test_alembic.py
index 81c686d1..6c4736c8 100644
--- a/tests/system/test_alembic.py
+++ b/tests/system/test_alembic.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 from sqlalchemy import Column, DateTime, Integer, String
 
 import google.api_core.exceptions
+from google.cloud.bigquery import SchemaField
 
 alembic = pytest.importorskip("alembic")
 
@@ -43,10 +44,7 @@ def get_table(table_name, data="table"):
                 if data == "table":
                     return table
                 elif data == "schema":
-                    return [
-                        repr(s).replace(", (), None)", ")").replace(", None)", ")")
-                        for s in table.schema
-                    ]
+                    return table.schema
                 else:
                     raise ValueError(data)
         except google.api_core.exceptions.NotFound:
@@ -78,9 +76,9 @@ def test_alembic_scenario(alembic_table):
         Column("description", String(200)),
     )
     assert alembic_table("account", "schema") == [
-        "SchemaField('id', 'INTEGER', 'REQUIRED', None, (), ())",
-        "SchemaField('name', 'STRING(50)', 'REQUIRED', 'The name', (), ())",
-        "SchemaField('description', 'STRING(200)', 'NULLABLE', None, (), ())",
+        SchemaField("id", "INTEGER", "REQUIRED"),
+        SchemaField("name", "STRING(50)", "REQUIRED", description="The name"),
+        SchemaField("description", "STRING(200)"),
     ]
 
     op.bulk_insert(
@@ -103,11 +101,10 @@ def test_alembic_scenario(alembic_table):
     )
 
     assert alembic_table("account", "schema") == [
-        "SchemaField('id', 'INTEGER', 'REQUIRED', None, (), ())",
-        "SchemaField('name', 'STRING(50)', 'REQUIRED', 'The name', (), ())",
-        "SchemaField('description', 'STRING(200)', 'NULLABLE', None, (), ())",
-        "SchemaField('last_transaction_date', 'DATETIME', 'NULLABLE', 'when updated'"
-        ", (), ())",
+        SchemaField("id", "INTEGER", "REQUIRED"),
+        SchemaField("name", "STRING(50)", "REQUIRED", description="The name"),
+        SchemaField("description", "STRING(200)"),
+        SchemaField("last_transaction_date", "DATETIME", description="when updated"),
     ]
 
     op.create_table(
@@ -123,8 +120,8 @@ def test_alembic_scenario(alembic_table):
 
     op.drop_column("account_w_comment", "description")
     assert alembic_table("account_w_comment", "schema") == [
-        "SchemaField('id', 'INTEGER', 'REQUIRED', None, (), ())",
-        "SchemaField('name', 'STRING(50)', 'REQUIRED', 'The name', (), ())",
+        SchemaField("id", "INTEGER", "REQUIRED"),
+        SchemaField("name", "STRING(50)", "REQUIRED", description="The name"),
     ]
 
     op.drop_table("account_w_comment")
@@ -133,11 +130,10 @@ def test_alembic_scenario(alembic_table):
     op.rename_table("account", "accounts")
     assert alembic_table("account") is None
     assert alembic_table("accounts", "schema") == [
-        "SchemaField('id', 'INTEGER', 'REQUIRED', None, (), ())",
-        "SchemaField('name', 'STRING(50)', 'REQUIRED', 'The name', (), ())",
-        "SchemaField('description', 'STRING(200)', 'NULLABLE', None, (), ())",
-        "SchemaField('last_transaction_date', 'DATETIME', 'NULLABLE', 'when updated'"
-        ", (), ())",
+        SchemaField("id", "INTEGER", "REQUIRED"),
+        SchemaField("name", "STRING(50)", "REQUIRED", description="The name"),
+        SchemaField("description", "STRING(200)"),
+        SchemaField("last_transaction_date", "DATETIME", description="when updated"),
     ]
     op.drop_table("accounts")
     assert alembic_table("accounts") is None
@@ -157,9 +153,9 @@ def test_alembic_scenario(alembic_table):
     # nullable:
     op.alter_column("transactions", "amount", True)
     assert alembic_table("transactions", "schema") == [
-        "SchemaField('account', 'INTEGER', 'REQUIRED', None, (), ())",
-        "SchemaField('transaction_time', 'DATETIME', 'REQUIRED', None, (), ())",
-        "SchemaField('amount', 'NUMERIC(11, 2)', 'NULLABLE', None, (), ())",
+        SchemaField("account", "INTEGER", "REQUIRED"),
+        SchemaField("transaction_time", "DATETIME", "REQUIRED"),
+        SchemaField("amount", "NUMERIC(11, 2)"),
     ]
 
     op.create_table_comment("transactions", "Transaction log")