diff --git a/spark/v3.4/spark/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/spark/source/BaseReader.java b/spark/v3.4/spark/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/spark/source/BaseReader.java
index 150d4bf28174..2fd23e9491bc 100644
--- a/spark/v3.4/spark/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/spark/source/BaseReader.java
+++ b/spark/v3.4/spark/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/spark/source/BaseReader.java
@@ -219,6 +219,11 @@ protected class SparkDeleteFilter extends DeleteFilter<InternalRow> {
       this.asStructLike =
           new InternalRowWrapper(
               SparkSchemaUtil.convert(requiredSchema()), requiredSchema().asStruct());
+      // Preload delete files to avoid deadlocking the connection pool:
+      // data file loading holds a connection while
+      // lazy delete file loading tries to acquire another.
+      deletedRowPositions();
+      eqDeletedRowFilter();
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/spark/v3.5/spark/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/spark/source/BaseReader.java b/spark/v3.5/spark/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/spark/source/BaseReader.java
index 0333f1e45dd4..8f304e96bf4d 100644
--- a/spark/v3.5/spark/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/spark/source/BaseReader.java
+++ b/spark/v3.5/spark/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/spark/source/BaseReader.java
@@ -209,6 +209,11 @@ protected class SparkDeleteFilter extends DeleteFilter<InternalRow> {
       this.asStructLike =
           new InternalRowWrapper(
               SparkSchemaUtil.convert(requiredSchema()), requiredSchema().asStruct());
+      // Preload delete files to avoid deadlocking the connection pool:
+      // data file loading holds a connection while
+      // lazy delete file loading tries to acquire another.
+      deletedRowPositions();
+      eqDeletedRowFilter();
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/spark/v4.0/spark/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/spark/source/BaseReader.java b/spark/v4.0/spark/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/spark/source/BaseReader.java
index 0333f1e45dd4..8f304e96bf4d 100644
--- a/spark/v4.0/spark/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/spark/source/BaseReader.java
+++ b/spark/v4.0/spark/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/spark/source/BaseReader.java
@@ -209,6 +209,11 @@ protected class SparkDeleteFilter extends DeleteFilter<InternalRow> {
       this.asStructLike =
           new InternalRowWrapper(
               SparkSchemaUtil.convert(requiredSchema()), requiredSchema().asStruct());
+      // Preload delete files to avoid deadlocking the connection pool:
+      // data file loading holds a connection while
+      // lazy delete file loading tries to acquire another.
+      deletedRowPositions();
+      eqDeletedRowFilter();
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/spark/v4.1/spark/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/spark/source/BaseReader.java b/spark/v4.1/spark/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/spark/source/BaseReader.java
index a4d9766ae713..9c4ba314c5c6 100644
--- a/spark/v4.1/spark/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/spark/source/BaseReader.java
+++ b/spark/v4.1/spark/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/spark/source/BaseReader.java
@@ -208,6 +208,11 @@ protected class SparkDeleteFilter extends DeleteFilter<InternalRow> {
       this.asStructLike =
           new InternalRowWrapper(
               SparkSchemaUtil.convert(requiredSchema()), requiredSchema().asStruct());
+      // Preload delete files to avoid deadlocking the connection pool:
+      // data file loading holds a connection while
+      // lazy delete file loading tries to acquire another.
+      deletedRowPositions();
+      eqDeletedRowFilter();
     }
 
     @Override