diff --git a/crates/iceberg/src/spec/manifest/metadata.rs b/crates/iceberg/src/spec/manifest/metadata.rs
index 25e4ae7e06..9ca3392f67 100644
--- a/crates/iceberg/src/spec/manifest/metadata.rs
+++ b/crates/iceberg/src/spec/manifest/metadata.rs
@@ -44,21 +44,6 @@ pub struct ManifestMetadata {
 impl ManifestMetadata {
     /// Parse from metadata in avro file.
     pub fn parse(meta: &HashMap<String, Vec<u8>>) -> Result<Self> {
-        let schema = Arc::new({
-            let bs = meta.get("schema").ok_or_else(|| {
-                Error::new(
-                    ErrorKind::DataInvalid,
-                    "schema is required in manifest metadata but not found",
-                )
-            })?;
-            serde_json::from_slice::<Schema>(bs).map_err(|err| {
-                Error::new(
-                    ErrorKind::DataInvalid,
-                    "Fail to parse schema in manifest metadata",
-                )
-                .with_source(err)
-            })?
-        });
         let schema_id: i32 = meta
             .get("schema-id")
             .map(|bs| {
@@ -72,22 +57,39 @@ impl ManifestMetadata {
             })
             .transpose()?
             .unwrap_or(0);
+        let raw_schema = meta.get("schema").ok_or_else(|| {
+            Error::new(
+                ErrorKind::DataInvalid,
+                "schema is required in manifest metadata but not found",
+            )
+        })?;
+        let partition_fields = {
+            let bs = meta.get("partition-spec").ok_or_else(|| {
+                Error::new(
+                    ErrorKind::DataInvalid,
+                    "partition-spec is required in manifest metadata but not found",
+                )
+            })?;
+            serde_json::from_slice::<Vec<PartitionField>>(bs).map_err(|err| {
+                Error::new(
+                    ErrorKind::DataInvalid,
+                    "Fail to parse partition spec in manifest metadata",
+                )
+                .with_source(err)
+            })?
+        };
+        let schema = Arc::new(parse_manifest_table_schema(raw_schema).or_else(|err| {
+            if partition_fields.is_empty() {
+                // Some writers store the manifest-entry schema under the
+                // `schema` metadata key. For unpartitioned manifests we can
+                // still plan file scans; column bounds that require the table
+                // schema are ignored when their field ids cannot be resolved.
+                Schema::builder().with_schema_id(schema_id).build()
+            } else {
+                Err(err)
+            }
+        })?);
         let partition_spec = {
-            let fields = {
-                let bs = meta.get("partition-spec").ok_or_else(|| {
-                    Error::new(
-                        ErrorKind::DataInvalid,
-                        "partition-spec is required in manifest metadata but not found",
-                    )
-                })?;
-                serde_json::from_slice::<Vec<PartitionField>>(bs).map_err(|err| {
-                    Error::new(
-                        ErrorKind::DataInvalid,
-                        "Fail to parse partition spec in manifest metadata",
-                    )
-                    .with_source(err)
-                })?
-            };
             let spec_id = meta
                 .get("partition-spec-id")
                 .map(|bs| {
@@ -103,7 +105,7 @@ impl ManifestMetadata {
                 .unwrap_or(0);
             PartitionSpec::builder(schema.clone())
                 .with_spec_id(spec_id)
-                .add_unbound_fields(fields.into_iter().map(|f| f.into_unbound()))?
+                .add_unbound_fields(partition_fields.into_iter().map(|f| f.into_unbound()))?
                 .build()?
         };
         let format_version = if let Some(bs) = meta.get("format-version") {
@@ -157,3 +159,13 @@ impl ManifestMetadata {
         &self.content
     }
 }
+
+fn parse_manifest_table_schema(bs: &[u8]) -> Result<Schema> {
+    serde_json::from_slice::<Schema>(bs).map_err(|err| {
+        Error::new(
+            ErrorKind::DataInvalid,
+            "Fail to parse schema in manifest metadata",
+        )
+        .with_source(err)
+    })
+}
diff --git a/crates/iceberg/src/spec/manifest/mod.rs b/crates/iceberg/src/spec/manifest/mod.rs
index 4ba2645f51..6b43c38d8f 100644
--- a/crates/iceberg/src/spec/manifest/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/iceberg/src/spec/manifest/mod.rs
@@ -169,6 +169,62 @@ mod tests {
     use crate::io::FileIO;
     use crate::spec::{Literal, NestedField, PrimitiveType, Struct, Transform, Type};
 
+    #[test]
+    fn test_manifest_metadata_with_manifest_entry_schema_for_unpartitioned_table() {
+        let mut meta = HashMap::new();
+        meta.insert("schema-id".to_string(), b"0".to_vec());
+        meta.insert("partition-spec".to_string(), b"[]".to_vec());
+        meta.insert("partition-spec-id".to_string(), b"0".to_vec());
+        meta.insert("format-version".to_string(), b"2".to_vec());
+        meta.insert("content".to_string(), b"data".to_vec());
+        meta.insert(
+            "schema".to_string(),
+            br#"{
+              "type": "struct",
+              "schema-id": 0,
+              "fields": [
+                {"id": 0, "name": "status", "required": true, "type": "int"},
+                {"id": 1, "name": "snapshot_id", "required": false, "type": "long"},
+                {
+                  "id": 2,
+                  "name": "data_file",
+                  "required": true,
+                  "type": {
+                    "type": "struct",
+                    "fields": [
+                      {"id": 100, "name": "file_path", "required": true, "type": "string"},
+                      {
+                        "id": 125,
+                        "name": "lower_bounds",
+                        "required": false,
+                        "type": {
+                          "type": "array",
+                          "items": {
+                            "type": "record",
+                            "name": "k126_k127",
+                            "fields": [
+                              {"name": "key", "type": "int", "id": 126},
+                              {"name": "value", "type": "binary", "id": 127}
+                            ]
+                          }
+                        }
+                      }
+                    ]
+                  }
+                }
+              ]
+            }"#
+            .to_vec(),
+        );
+
+        let metadata = ManifestMetadata::parse(&meta).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(metadata.schema_id(), 0);
+        assert!(metadata.schema().as_struct().fields().is_empty());
+        assert!(metadata.partition_spec().fields().is_empty());
+        assert_eq!(metadata.format_version(), &FormatVersion::V2);
+        assert_eq!(metadata.content(), &ManifestContentType::Data);
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn test_parse_manifest_v2_unpartition() {
         let schema = Arc::new(