diff --git a/python/python/tests/docs/test_multivector.py b/python/python/tests/docs/test_multivector.py
index d6b6c3a8..74b62a95 100644
--- a/python/python/tests/docs/test_multivector.py
+++ b/python/python/tests/docs/test_multivector.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import shutil
+from lancedb.index import IvfPq
 import pytest
 
 # --8<-- [start:imports]
@@ -28,6 +29,9 @@ def test_multivector():
     ]
     tbl = db.create_table("my_table", data=data, schema=schema)
 
+    # only cosine similarity is supported for multi-vectors
+    tbl.create_index(metric="cosine")
+
     # query with single vector
     query = np.random.random(256)
     tbl.search(query).to_arrow()
@@ -59,6 +63,9 @@ async def test_multivector_async():
     ]
     tbl = await db.create_table("my_table", data=data, schema=schema)
 
+    # only cosine similarity is supported for multi-vectors
+    await tbl.create_index(column="vector", config=IvfPq(distance_type="cosine"))
+
     # query with single vector
     query = np.random.random(256)
     await tbl.query().nearest_to(query).to_arrow()
diff --git a/rust/lancedb/src/table.rs b/rust/lancedb/src/table.rs
index a972bd6e..4022d588 100644
--- a/rust/lancedb/src/table.rs
+++ b/rust/lancedb/src/table.rs
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ use crate::query::{
     IntoQueryVector, Query, QueryExecutionOptions, Select, VectorQuery, DEFAULT_TOP_K,
 };
 use crate::utils::{
-    default_vector_column, supported_bitmap_data_type, supported_btree_data_type,
+    default_vector_column, infer_vector_dim, supported_bitmap_data_type, supported_btree_data_type,
     supported_fts_data_type, supported_label_list_data_type, supported_vector_data_type,
     PatchReadParam, PatchWriteParam,
 };
@@ -1370,14 +1370,8 @@ impl NativeTable {
         let num_sub_vectors: u32 = if let Some(n) = index.num_sub_vectors {
             n
         } else {
-            match field.data_type() {
-                arrow_schema::DataType::FixedSizeList(_, n) => {
-                    Ok::<u32, Error>(suggested_num_sub_vectors(*n as u32))
-                }
-                _ => Err(Error::Schema {
-                    message: format!("Column '{}' is not a FixedSizeList", field.name()),
-                }),
-            }?
+            let dim = infer_vector_dim(field.data_type())?;
+            suggested_num_sub_vectors(dim as u32)
         };
         let mut dataset = self.dataset.get_mut().await?;
         let lance_idx_params = lance::index::vector::VectorIndexParams::ivf_pq(
diff --git a/rust/lancedb/src/utils.rs b/rust/lancedb/src/utils.rs
index c8455b4c..09ece491 100644
--- a/rust/lancedb/src/utils.rs
+++ b/rust/lancedb/src/utils.rs
@@ -188,6 +188,24 @@ pub fn supported_vector_data_type(dtype: &DataType) -> bool {
     }
 }
 
+// TODO: remove this after we expose the same function in Lance.
+pub fn infer_vector_dim(data_type: &DataType) -> Result<usize> {
+    infer_vector_dim_impl(data_type, false)
+}
+
+fn infer_vector_dim_impl(data_type: &DataType, in_list: bool) -> Result<usize> {
+    match (data_type, in_list) {
+        (DataType::FixedSizeList(_, dim), _) => Ok(*dim as usize),
+        (DataType::List(inner), false) => infer_vector_dim_impl(inner.data_type(), true),
+        _ => Err(Error::InvalidInput {
+            message: format!(
+                "data type is not a vector (FixedSizeList or List<FixedSizeList>), but {:?}",
+                data_type
+            ),
+        }),
+    }
+}
+
 /// Note: this is temporary until we get a proper datatype conversion in Lance.
 pub fn string_to_datatype(s: &str) -> Option<DataType> {
     let data_type = serde_json::Value::String(s.to_string());