diff --git a/.bumpversion.toml b/.bumpversion.toml
index 601b14d3f..a015353cb 100644
--- a/.bumpversion.toml
+++ b/.bumpversion.toml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 [tool.bumpversion]
-current_version = "0.37.1-beta.0"
+current_version = "0.37.1-beta.1"
 parse = """(?x)
     (?P<major>0|[1-9]\\d*)\\.
     (?P<minor>0|[1-9]\\d*)\\.
diff --git a/.github/workflows/docs-link-check.yml b/.github/workflows/docs-link-check.yml
index 0e22100eb..1286819bc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docs-link-check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docs-link-check.yml
@@ -36,7 +36,9 @@ jobs:
     permissions:
       contents: read
     outputs:
+      checker_outcome: ${{ steps.lychee.outcome }}
       exit_code: ${{ steps.lychee.outputs.exit_code }}
+      status: ${{ steps.validate.outputs.status }}
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v6
@@ -50,6 +52,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Check links
         id: lychee
+        continue-on-error: true
         uses: lycheeverse/lychee-action@e7477775783ea5526144ba13e8db5eec57747ce8 # v2.9.0
         with:
           # Restricted to http(s) on purpose. Much of docs/src is generated
@@ -68,38 +71,50 @@ jobs:
           format: json
           output: ./lychee/out.json
           jobSummary: false
-          # The report, not a red build, is the signal for broken links. The
-          # validation step below still fails the run if the check itself
-          # breaks.
+          # The report issue, not a red workflow run, is the signal for link
+          # findings and checker failures alike.
           fail: false
 
       - name: Validate report
+        id: validate
         # lychee does not reserve exit code 2 for broken links: its CLI
         # parser also exits 2 on an invalid option, before any link was
         # checked or any report written. Only a parseable report whose
-        # counts agree with the exit code counts as a link verdict; anything
-        # else fails here, and the report job below is skipped entirely, so
-        # the tracking issue is never touched. Exit 2 covers timeouts as
-        # well as errors, and a timed-out host is exactly the transient
-        # unavailability this report exists to surface, so both count as
-        # findings. Requiring total > 0 also catches a glob that silently
-        # stopped matching any file.
-        if: steps.lychee.outputs.exit_code == 0 || steps.lychee.outputs.exit_code == 2
+        # counts agree with a completed exit code (0 or 2) counts as a link
+        # verdict. Everything else becomes a checker-error report instead of
+        # failing the workflow. Exit 2 covers timeouts as well as errors, and a
+        # timed-out host is exactly the transient unavailability this report
+        # exists to surface, so both count as findings. Requiring total > 0
+        # also catches a glob that silently stopped matching any file.
+        if: always()
         env:
+          CHECKER_OUTCOME: ${{ steps.lychee.outcome }}
           EXIT_CODE: ${{ steps.lychee.outputs.exit_code }}
         run: |
-          jq -e --argjson code "$EXIT_CODE" '
-            (.total > 0) and
-            (if $code == 0
-             then .errors == 0 and .timeouts == 0
-               and (.error_map | length == 0) and (.timeout_map | length == 0)
-             else (.errors + .timeouts) > 0
-               and ((.error_map | length) + (.timeout_map | length)) > 0
-             end)
-          ' ./lychee/out.json
+          status=checker-error
+          if [[ "$CHECKER_OUTCOME" == success ]] &&
+             [[ "$EXIT_CODE" == 0 || "$EXIT_CODE" == 2 ]] &&
+             jq -e --argjson code "$EXIT_CODE" '
+               (.total > 0) and
+               (if $code == 0
+                then .errors == 0 and .timeouts == 0
+                  and (.error_map | length == 0) and (.timeout_map | length == 0)
+                else (.errors + .timeouts) > 0
+                  and ((.error_map | length) + (.timeout_map | length)) > 0
+                end)
+             ' ./lychee/out.json
+          then
+            if [[ "$EXIT_CODE" == 0 ]]; then
+              status=healthy
+            else
+              status=findings
+            fi
+          fi
+          echo "status=$status" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          echo "Validated link check as $status"
 
       - name: Upload report
-        if: steps.lychee.outputs.exit_code == 2
+        if: steps.validate.outputs.status == 'findings'
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
         with:
           name: link-report
@@ -115,26 +130,11 @@ jobs:
     permissions:
       issues: write
     env:
+      CHECKER_OUTCOME: ${{ needs.scan.outputs.checker_outcome }}
       EXIT_CODE: ${{ needs.scan.outputs.exit_code }}
+      STATUS: ${{ needs.scan.outputs.status }}
       GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
     steps:
-      - name: Classify checker result
-        # lychee exits 0 when every link resolves and 2 when links fail,
-        # both already cross-checked against the report by the scan job's
-        # validation step. Anything else (1 runtime, 3 bad config) means the
-        # check never produced a link verdict, which must surface as a failed
-        # run rather than be published as "broken documentation links".
-        run: |
-          case "$EXIT_CODE" in
-            0|2)
-              echo "lychee exit code $EXIT_CODE"
-              ;;
-            *)
-              echo "::error::lychee exited with '$EXIT_CODE': the link check did not complete. Leaving the report issue untouched."
-              exit 1
-              ;;
-          esac
-
       - name: Find existing report issue
         id: report
         # Matched on title alone, and through search rather than a listing:
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ jobs:
         # Closed issues are included because a healthy run closes the report:
         # an open-only lookup would forget that identity and the next failing
         # run would open a duplicate. The oldest match stays the canonical
-        # report and is reopened below when links break again.
+        # report and is reopened below when a problem recurs.
         run: |
           match=$(gh issue list --repo "$GITHUB_REPOSITORY" --state all \
             --search "in:title \"$REPORT_TITLE\" author:app/github-actions" \
@@ -154,14 +154,14 @@ jobs:
           echo "state=$(jq -r '.state // empty' <<<"$match")" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 
       - name: Download report
-        if: env.EXIT_CODE == 2
+        if: env.STATUS == 'findings'
         uses: actions/download-artifact@v8
         with:
           name: link-report
           path: ./lychee
 
       - name: Compose report
-        if: env.EXIT_CODE == 2
+        if: env.STATUS == 'findings'
         run: |
           run_url="$GITHUB_SERVER_URL/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY/actions/runs/$GITHUB_RUN_ID"
           {
@@ -185,22 +185,41 @@ jobs:
             ' ./lychee/out.json
           } > ./lychee/issue.md
 
+      - name: Compose checker error report
+        if: env.STATUS == 'checker-error'
+        run: |
+          mkdir -p ./lychee
+          run_url="$GITHUB_SERVER_URL/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY/actions/runs/$GITHUB_RUN_ID"
+          {
+            echo "The documentation link check did not complete in [the latest run]($run_url)."
+            echo
+            echo "This issue is rewritten by every scheduled run and closed automatically once a trustworthy run finds that all links resolve."
+            echo
+            echo "The checker did not produce a trustworthy link verdict. Treat the previous result, if any, as stale until a later run completes."
+            echo
+            echo "* Action outcome: \`$CHECKER_OUTCOME\`"
+            echo "* Exit code: \`${EXIT_CODE:-not reported}\`"
+            echo "* Verdict validation: \`failed\`"
+          } > ./lychee/issue.md
+
       - name: Reopen report issue
         # A healthy run closes the report, and the issue action below only
         # rewrites the body of whatever number it is given. Without an
-        # explicit reopen, the 2 -> 0 -> 2 sequence would keep rewriting a
-        # closed issue while links are broken. A CLOSED state implies the
-        # lookup found a canonical issue, so no separate emptiness check.
-        if: env.EXIT_CODE == 2 && steps.report.outputs.state == 'CLOSED'
+        # explicit reopen, a later finding or checker error would rewrite a
+        # closed issue. A CLOSED state implies the lookup found a canonical
+        # issue, so no separate emptiness check.
+        if: >-
+          env.STATUS != 'healthy' &&
+          steps.report.outputs.state == 'CLOSED'
         env:
           ISSUE_NUMBER: ${{ steps.report.outputs.number }}
         run: |
           run_url="$GITHUB_SERVER_URL/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY/actions/runs/$GITHUB_RUN_ID"
           gh issue reopen "$ISSUE_NUMBER" --repo "$GITHUB_REPOSITORY" \
-            --comment "Broken documentation links found again in [the latest run]($run_url)."
+            --comment "The documentation link checker reported a problem again in [the latest run]($run_url)."
 
-      - name: Report broken links
-        if: env.EXIT_CODE == 2
+      - name: Report link-check problem
+        if: env.STATUS != 'healthy'
         uses: peter-evans/create-issue-from-file@fca9117c27cdc29c6c4db3b86c48e4115a786710 # v6.0.0
         with:
           # Empty on the first failing run, which creates the issue; afterwards
@@ -213,7 +232,9 @@ jobs:
       - name: Close report issue once links are healthy
         # An OPEN state implies the lookup found a canonical issue; a report
         # that is already closed needs nothing.
-        if: env.EXIT_CODE == 0 && steps.report.outputs.state == 'OPEN'
+        if: >-
+          env.STATUS == 'healthy' &&
+          steps.report.outputs.state == 'OPEN'
         env:
           ISSUE_NUMBER: ${{ steps.report.outputs.number }}
         run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pypi-publish.yml b/.github/workflows/pypi-publish.yml
index 74b7d05e6..4f5a927dc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pypi-publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pypi-publish.yml
@@ -69,6 +69,16 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-python@v6
         with:
           python-version: "3.10"
+      - name: Add swap for Arm fat LTO
+        if: matrix.config.platform == 'aarch64'
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          swap_file="$RUNNER_TEMP/lancedb-swap"
+          sudo fallocate --length 16G "$swap_file"
+          sudo chmod 600 "$swap_file"
+          sudo mkswap "$swap_file"
+          sudo swapon "$swap_file"
+          free -h
       - uses: ./.github/workflows/build_linux_wheel
         with:
           python-minor-version: 10
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 93e16c06d..04332a496 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -3455,8 +3455,8 @@ checksum = "42703706b716c37f96a77aea830392ad231f44c9e9a67872fa5548707e11b11c"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "fsst"
-version = "11.0.0-beta.2"
-source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.2#35da5d920159b49d1b53032652f7615ab699c160"
+version = "11.0.0-beta.7"
+source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.7#e581c49338bc83baf1ea50c5e235bd702f3fbeea"
 dependencies = [
  "arrow-array",
  "rand 0.9.5",
@@ -4815,8 +4815,8 @@ checksum = "e037a2e1d8d5fdbd49b16a4ea09d5d6401c1f29eca5ff29d03d3824dba16256a"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lance"
-version = "11.0.0-beta.2"
-source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.2#35da5d920159b49d1b53032652f7615ab699c160"
+version = "11.0.0-beta.7"
+source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.7#e581c49338bc83baf1ea50c5e235bd702f3fbeea"
 dependencies = [
  "arc-swap",
  "arrow",
@@ -4890,8 +4890,8 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lance-arrow"
-version = "11.0.0-beta.2"
-source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.2#35da5d920159b49d1b53032652f7615ab699c160"
+version = "11.0.0-beta.7"
+source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.7#e581c49338bc83baf1ea50c5e235bd702f3fbeea"
 dependencies = [
  "arrow-array",
  "arrow-buffer",
@@ -4913,7 +4913,7 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "lance-arrow-scalar"
 version = "58.0.0"
-source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.2#35da5d920159b49d1b53032652f7615ab699c160"
+source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.7#e581c49338bc83baf1ea50c5e235bd702f3fbeea"
 dependencies = [
  "arrow-array",
  "arrow-buffer",
@@ -4927,7 +4927,7 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "lance-arrow-stats"
 version = "58.0.0"
-source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.2#35da5d920159b49d1b53032652f7615ab699c160"
+source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.7#e581c49338bc83baf1ea50c5e235bd702f3fbeea"
 dependencies = [
  "arrow-array",
  "arrow-schema",
@@ -4936,8 +4936,8 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lance-bitpacking"
-version = "11.0.0-beta.2"
-source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.2#35da5d920159b49d1b53032652f7615ab699c160"
+version = "11.0.0-beta.7"
+source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.7#e581c49338bc83baf1ea50c5e235bd702f3fbeea"
 dependencies = [
  "arrayref",
  "crunchy",
@@ -4947,8 +4947,8 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lance-core"
-version = "11.0.0-beta.2"
-source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.2#35da5d920159b49d1b53032652f7615ab699c160"
+version = "11.0.0-beta.7"
+source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.7#e581c49338bc83baf1ea50c5e235bd702f3fbeea"
 dependencies = [
  "arrow-array",
  "arrow-buffer",
@@ -4988,8 +4988,8 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lance-datafusion"
-version = "11.0.0-beta.2"
-source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.2#35da5d920159b49d1b53032652f7615ab699c160"
+version = "11.0.0-beta.7"
+source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.7#e581c49338bc83baf1ea50c5e235bd702f3fbeea"
 dependencies = [
  "arrow",
  "arrow-array",
@@ -5019,8 +5019,8 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lance-datagen"
-version = "11.0.0-beta.2"
-source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.2#35da5d920159b49d1b53032652f7615ab699c160"
+version = "11.0.0-beta.7"
+source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.7#e581c49338bc83baf1ea50c5e235bd702f3fbeea"
 dependencies = [
  "arrow",
  "arrow-array",
@@ -5037,8 +5037,8 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lance-derive"
-version = "11.0.0-beta.2"
-source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.2#35da5d920159b49d1b53032652f7615ab699c160"
+version = "11.0.0-beta.7"
+source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.7#e581c49338bc83baf1ea50c5e235bd702f3fbeea"
 dependencies = [
  "proc-macro2",
  "quote",
@@ -5047,8 +5047,8 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lance-encoding"
-version = "11.0.0-beta.2"
-source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.2#35da5d920159b49d1b53032652f7615ab699c160"
+version = "11.0.0-beta.7"
+source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.7#e581c49338bc83baf1ea50c5e235bd702f3fbeea"
 dependencies = [
  "arrow-arith",
  "arrow-array",
@@ -5082,8 +5082,8 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lance-file"
-version = "11.0.0-beta.2"
-source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.2#35da5d920159b49d1b53032652f7615ab699c160"
+version = "11.0.0-beta.7"
+source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.7#e581c49338bc83baf1ea50c5e235bd702f3fbeea"
 dependencies = [
  "arrow-arith",
  "arrow-array",
@@ -5114,8 +5114,8 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lance-index"
-version = "11.0.0-beta.2"
-source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.2#35da5d920159b49d1b53032652f7615ab699c160"
+version = "11.0.0-beta.7"
+source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.7#e581c49338bc83baf1ea50c5e235bd702f3fbeea"
 dependencies = [
  "arc-swap",
  "arrow",
@@ -5182,8 +5182,8 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lance-index-core"
-version = "11.0.0-beta.2"
-source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.2#35da5d920159b49d1b53032652f7615ab699c160"
+version = "11.0.0-beta.7"
+source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.7#e581c49338bc83baf1ea50c5e235bd702f3fbeea"
 dependencies = [
  "arrow-array",
  "arrow-schema",
@@ -5205,8 +5205,8 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lance-io"
-version = "11.0.0-beta.2"
-source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.2#35da5d920159b49d1b53032652f7615ab699c160"
+version = "11.0.0-beta.7"
+source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.7#e581c49338bc83baf1ea50c5e235bd702f3fbeea"
 dependencies = [
  "arrow",
  "arrow-array",
@@ -5242,8 +5242,8 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lance-linalg"
-version = "11.0.0-beta.2"
-source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.2#35da5d920159b49d1b53032652f7615ab699c160"
+version = "11.0.0-beta.7"
+source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.7#e581c49338bc83baf1ea50c5e235bd702f3fbeea"
 dependencies = [
  "arrow-array",
  "arrow-buffer",
@@ -5259,8 +5259,8 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lance-namespace"
-version = "11.0.0-beta.2"
-source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.2#35da5d920159b49d1b53032652f7615ab699c160"
+version = "11.0.0-beta.7"
+source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.7#e581c49338bc83baf1ea50c5e235bd702f3fbeea"
 dependencies = [
  "arrow",
  "async-trait",
@@ -5272,8 +5272,8 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lance-namespace-impls"
-version = "11.0.0-beta.2"
-source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.2#35da5d920159b49d1b53032652f7615ab699c160"
+version = "11.0.0-beta.7"
+source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.7#e581c49338bc83baf1ea50c5e235bd702f3fbeea"
 dependencies = [
  "arrow",
  "arrow-ipc",
@@ -5303,7 +5303,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
  "sha2 0.10.9",
- "time",
  "tokio",
  "tower",
  "tower-http 0.5.2",
@@ -5327,8 +5326,8 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lance-select"
-version = "11.0.0-beta.2"
-source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.2#35da5d920159b49d1b53032652f7615ab699c160"
+version = "11.0.0-beta.7"
+source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.7#e581c49338bc83baf1ea50c5e235bd702f3fbeea"
 dependencies = [
  "arrow-array",
  "arrow-buffer",
@@ -5343,8 +5342,8 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lance-table"
-version = "11.0.0-beta.2"
-source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.2#35da5d920159b49d1b53032652f7615ab699c160"
+version = "11.0.0-beta.7"
+source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.7#e581c49338bc83baf1ea50c5e235bd702f3fbeea"
 dependencies = [
  "arrow",
  "arrow-array",
@@ -5354,6 +5353,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "async-trait",
  "aws-credential-types",
  "aws-sdk-dynamodb",
+ "blake3",
  "byteorder",
  "bytes",
  "chrono",
@@ -5383,8 +5383,8 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lance-testing"
-version = "11.0.0-beta.2"
-source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.2#35da5d920159b49d1b53032652f7615ab699c160"
+version = "11.0.0-beta.7"
+source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.7#e581c49338bc83baf1ea50c5e235bd702f3fbeea"
 dependencies = [
  "arrow-array",
  "arrow-schema",
@@ -5397,8 +5397,8 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lance-tokenizer"
-version = "11.0.0-beta.2"
-source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.2#35da5d920159b49d1b53032652f7615ab699c160"
+version = "11.0.0-beta.7"
+source = "git+https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git?tag=v11.0.0-beta.7#e581c49338bc83baf1ea50c5e235bd702f3fbeea"
 dependencies = [
  "frostem",
  "icu_segmenter",
@@ -5411,7 +5411,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lancedb"
-version = "0.37.1-beta.0"
+version = "0.37.1-beta.1"
 dependencies = [
  "ahash",
  "anyhow",
@@ -5447,7 +5447,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "datafusion-physical-plan",
  "datafusion-sql",
  "futures",
- "goosefs-sdk",
  "half",
  "hf-hub",
  "http 1.5.0",
@@ -5480,6 +5479,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "random_word",
  "regex",
  "reqwest 0.12.28",
+ "roaring",
  "rstest",
  "semver",
  "serde",
@@ -5499,7 +5499,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lancedb-nodejs"
-version = "0.37.1-beta.0"
+version = "0.37.1-beta.1"
 dependencies = [
  "arrow-array",
  "arrow-buffer",
@@ -5524,7 +5524,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lancedb-python"
-version = "0.37.1-beta.0"
+version = "0.37.1-beta.1"
 dependencies = [
  "arrow",
  "async-trait",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 78474cd16..33bf7e09b 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -13,20 +13,20 @@ categories = ["database-implementations"]
 rust-version = "1.91.0"
 
 [workspace.dependencies]
-lance = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.2", default-features = false, "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.2", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
-lance-core = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.2", "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.2", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
-lance-datagen = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.2", "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.2", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
-lance-file = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.2", "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.2", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
-lance-io = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.2", default-features = false, "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.2", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
-lance-index = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.2", "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.2", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
-lance-linalg = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.2", "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.2", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
-lance-namespace = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.2", "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.2", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
-lance-namespace-impls = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.2", default-features = false, "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.2", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
-lance-table = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.2", "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.2", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
-lance-testing = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.2", "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.2", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
-lance-datafusion = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.2", "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.2", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
-lance-encoding = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.2", "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.2", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
-lance-arrow = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.2", "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.2", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
+lance = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.7", default-features = false, "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.7", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
+lance-core = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.7", "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.7", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
+lance-datagen = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.7", "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.7", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
+lance-file = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.7", "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.7", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
+lance-io = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.7", default-features = false, "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.7", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
+lance-index = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.7", "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.7", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
+lance-linalg = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.7", "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.7", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
+lance-namespace = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.7", "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.7", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
+lance-namespace-impls = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.7", default-features = false, "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.7", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
+lance-table = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.7", "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.7", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
+lance-testing = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.7", "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.7", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
+lance-datafusion = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.7", "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.7", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
+lance-encoding = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.7", "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.7", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
+lance-arrow = { "version" = "=11.0.0-beta.7", "tag" = "v11.0.0-beta.7", "git" = "https://github.com/lance-format/lance.git" }
 ahash = "0.8"
 # Note that this one does not include pyarrow
 arrow = { version = "58.0.0", optional = false }
diff --git a/deny.toml b/deny.toml
index 034b48c25..d94c9d536 100644
--- a/deny.toml
+++ b/deny.toml
@@ -101,6 +101,13 @@ ignore = [
     # https://rustsec.org/advisories/RUSTSEC-2026-0195
     { id = "RUSTSEC-2026-0194", reason = "transitive via inferno/lance/opendal; XML from trusted cloud endpoints, not attacker-controlled" },
     { id = "RUSTSEC-2026-0195", reason = "transitive via inferno/lance/opendal; XML from trusted cloud endpoints, not attacker-controlled" },
+    # smartstring: unmaintained — the repository was archived by its author on
+    # 2026-05-03. Not a vulnerability. Reached only transitively through polars
+    # (polars-core/-io/-ops/-time/-utils); nothing in LanceDB depends on it directly.
+    # The advisory states no safe upgrade is available: upstream recommends
+    # compact_str/smol_str, so clearing this requires polars to migrate.
+    # https://rustsec.org/advisories/RUSTSEC-2026-0249
+    { id = "RUSTSEC-2026-0249", reason = "smartstring unmaintained via polars; no fixed upstream release" },
 ]
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/docs/src/java/java.md b/docs/src/java/java.md
index 11e901ad0..091588922 100644
--- a/docs/src/java/java.md
+++ b/docs/src/java/java.md
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ Add the following dependency to your `pom.xml`:
 <dependency>
     <groupId>com.lancedb</groupId>
     <artifactId>lancedb-core</artifactId>
-    <version>0.37.1-beta.0</version>
+    <version>0.37.1-beta.1</version>
 </dependency>
 ```
 
diff --git a/docs/src/js/classes/Table.md b/docs/src/js/classes/Table.md
index 11fca32d0..3fa3b08db 100644
--- a/docs/src/js/classes/Table.md
+++ b/docs/src/js/classes/Table.md
@@ -431,9 +431,10 @@ Read the [LsmWriteSpec](../interfaces/LsmWriteSpec.md) currently installed on th
 
 Resolves to `undefined` when the MemWAL LSM write path is not enabled (no
 spec has been set, or it was removed with [Table#unsetLsmWriteSpec](Table.md#unsetlsmwritespec)).
-The returned spec — including its `maintainedIndexes` and
-`writerConfigDefaults` — mirrors what was passed to
-[Table#setLsmWriteSpec](Table.md#setlsmwritespec).
+The returned spec mirrors what was passed to
+[Table#setLsmWriteSpec](Table.md#setlsmwritespec), except that `maintainedIndexes` always
+reports the concrete list resolved when the spec was set — `undefined`
+never round-trips.
 
 #### Returns
 
@@ -806,6 +807,11 @@ All variants require the table to have an unenforced primary key
 ([Table#setUnenforcedPrimaryKey](Table.md#setunenforcedprimarykey)); bucket sharding additionally
 requires it to be the single column being bucketed.
 
+Omitting `maintainedIndexes` maintains every index on the table, resolved
+here, failing if one cannot be maintained — name them to install anyway.
+Naming them pins an exact set, and a still-building index is rejected
+rather than quietly omitted.
+
 #### Parameters
 
 * **spec**: [`LsmWriteSpec`](../interfaces/LsmWriteSpec.md)
diff --git a/docs/src/js/interfaces/LsmWriteSpec.md b/docs/src/js/interfaces/LsmWriteSpec.md
index 8a588df6a..f2ae91186 100644
--- a/docs/src/js/interfaces/LsmWriteSpec.md
+++ b/docs/src/js/interfaces/LsmWriteSpec.md
@@ -34,7 +34,9 @@ Bucket and identity variants: the sharding column.
 optional maintainedIndexes: string[];
 ```
 
-Names of indexes the MemWAL should keep up to date during writes.
+Indexes the MemWAL keeps up to date. Omit to maintain every supported
+index, resolved on install — a snapshot, so indexes created later are not
+maintained. Pass `[]` for none.
 
 ***
 
diff --git a/docs/src/js/interfaces/TableStatistics.md b/docs/src/js/interfaces/TableStatistics.md
index e19cba119..e2e8ef34d 100644
--- a/docs/src/js/interfaces/TableStatistics.md
+++ b/docs/src/js/interfaces/TableStatistics.md
@@ -44,4 +44,7 @@ The number of rows in the table
 totalBytes: number;
 ```
 
-The total number of bytes in the table
+The total size, in bytes, of the table's data files, index files, and
+overlay files
+
+Read from the manifest, so this excludes deletion files and manifests.
diff --git a/java/lancedb-core/pom.xml b/java/lancedb-core/pom.xml
index 3df2ac178..20f69e134 100644
--- a/java/lancedb-core/pom.xml
+++ b/java/lancedb-core/pom.xml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
     <parent>
       <groupId>com.lancedb</groupId>
       <artifactId>lancedb-parent</artifactId>
-      <version>0.37.1-beta.0</version>
+      <version>0.37.1-beta.1</version>
       <relativePath>../pom.xml</relativePath>
     </parent>
 
diff --git a/java/pom.xml b/java/pom.xml
index e8f030b27..4fdf77e81 100644
--- a/java/pom.xml
+++ b/java/pom.xml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
     <groupId>com.lancedb</groupId>
     <artifactId>lancedb-parent</artifactId>
-    <version>0.37.1-beta.0</version>
+    <version>0.37.1-beta.1</version>
     <packaging>pom</packaging>
     <name>${project.artifactId}</name>
     <description>LanceDB Java SDK Parent POM</description>
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
     <properties>
         <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
         <arrow.version>15.0.0</arrow.version>
-        <lance-core.version>11.0.0-beta.2</lance-core.version>
+        <lance-core.version>11.0.0-beta.7</lance-core.version>
         <spotless.skip>false</spotless.skip>
         <spotless.version>2.30.0</spotless.version>
         <spotless.java.googlejavaformat.version>1.7</spotless.java.googlejavaformat.version>
diff --git a/nodejs/Cargo.toml b/nodejs/Cargo.toml
index 10e12edc8..48e5f5295 100644
--- a/nodejs/Cargo.toml
+++ b/nodejs/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 [package]
 name = "lancedb-nodejs"
 edition.workspace = true
-version = "0.37.1-beta.0"
+version = "0.37.1-beta.1"
 publish = false
 license.workspace = true
 description.workspace = true
diff --git a/nodejs/__test__/arrow.test.ts b/nodejs/__test__/arrow.test.ts
index c05849cb9..29030d4f8 100644
--- a/nodejs/__test__/arrow.test.ts
+++ b/nodejs/__test__/arrow.test.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ import * as arrow17 from "apache-arrow-17";
 import * as arrow18 from "apache-arrow-18";
 
 import {
+  Vector as CurrentVector,
   convertToTable,
+  tableFromIPC as currentTableFromIPC,
   fromBufferToRecordBatch,
   fromDataToBuffer,
   fromRecordBatchToBuffer,
@@ -19,6 +21,7 @@ import {
   FunctionOptions,
 } from "../lancedb/embedding/embedding_function";
 import { EmbeddingFunctionConfig } from "../lancedb/embedding/registry";
+import { sanitizeTable } from "../lancedb/sanitize";
 
 // biome-ignore lint/suspicious/noExplicitAny: skip
 function sampleRecords(): Array<Record<string, any>> {
@@ -64,7 +67,11 @@ describe.each([arrow15, arrow16, arrow17, arrow18])(
       tableFromIPC,
       DataType,
       Dictionary,
+      RecordBatch: ArrowRecordBatch,
+      Table: ArrowTable,
       Uint8: ArrowUint8,
+      makeData: arrowMakeData,
+      vectorFromArray,
       // biome-ignore lint/suspicious/noExplicitAny: <explanation>
     } = <any>arrow;
     type Schema = ApacheArrow["Schema"];
@@ -1054,6 +1061,114 @@ describe.each([arrow15, arrow16, arrow17, arrow18])(
     });
 
     describe("when using two versions of arrow", function () {
+      it("preserves a dictionary shared by multiple fields", async function () {
+        const values = ["alpha", "beta", "alpha"];
+        const dictionaryVector = vectorFromArray(values);
+        const batch = new ArrowRecordBatch({
+          first: dictionaryVector.data[0],
+          second: dictionaryVector.data[0],
+        });
+        const table = new ArrowTable([batch]);
+
+        const sanitized = sanitizeTable(table);
+        expect([...sanitized.getChild("first")!]).toEqual(values);
+        expect([...sanitized.getChild("second")!]).toEqual(values);
+        const firstType = sanitized.schema.fields[0].type as {
+          dictionary: unknown;
+        };
+        const secondType = sanitized.schema.fields[1].type as {
+          dictionary: unknown;
+        };
+        expect(secondType.dictionary).toBe(firstType.dictionary);
+        expect(sanitized.batches[0].data.children[1].dictionary).toBe(
+          sanitized.batches[0].data.children[0].dictionary,
+        );
+
+        const buf = await fromDataToBuffer(table);
+        const actual = currentTableFromIPC(buf);
+        expect([...actual.getChild("first")!]).toEqual(values);
+        expect([...actual.getChild("second")!]).toEqual(values);
+      });
+
+      it("preserves shared dictionary data from another Arrow version", async function () {
+        const values = ["alpha", "beta", "alpha"];
+        const dictionaryVector = vectorFromArray(values);
+        const firstBatch = new ArrowRecordBatch({
+          label: dictionaryVector.slice(0, 2).data[0],
+        });
+        const secondBatch = new ArrowRecordBatch({
+          label: dictionaryVector.slice(2).data[0],
+        });
+        const table = new ArrowTable([firstBatch, secondBatch]);
+
+        const sanitized = sanitizeTable(table);
+        expect([...sanitized.getChild("label")!]).toEqual(values);
+
+        const dictionaries = sanitized.batches.map(
+          (batch) => batch.data.children[0].dictionary,
+        );
+        expect(dictionaries[0]).toBeInstanceOf(CurrentVector);
+        expect(dictionaries[1]).toBe(dictionaries[0]);
+
+        const buf = await fromDataToBuffer(table);
+        const actual = currentTableFromIPC(buf);
+        expect([...actual.getChild("label")!]).toEqual(values);
+      });
+
+      it("preserves shared chunks in growing dictionaries", async function () {
+        const type = new Dictionary(new Utf8(), new Int32(), 42, false);
+        const firstDictionary = vectorFromArray(["alpha", "beta"], new Utf8());
+        const secondDictionary = firstDictionary.concat(
+          vectorFromArray(["gamma"], new Utf8()),
+        );
+        const firstData = arrowMakeData({
+          type,
+          data: Int32Array.from([0, 1]),
+          dictionary: firstDictionary,
+        });
+        const secondData = arrowMakeData({
+          type,
+          data: Int32Array.from([2]),
+          dictionary: secondDictionary,
+        });
+        const table = new ArrowTable([
+          new ArrowRecordBatch({ label: firstData }),
+          new ArrowRecordBatch({ label: secondData }),
+        ]);
+
+        const sanitized = sanitizeTable(table);
+        const expected = ["alpha", "beta", "gamma"];
+        expect([...sanitized.getChild("label")!]).toEqual(expected);
+        const firstLocalDictionary =
+          sanitized.batches[0].data.children[0].dictionary!;
+        const secondLocalDictionary =
+          sanitized.batches[1].data.children[0].dictionary!;
+        expect(secondLocalDictionary.data[0]).toBe(
+          firstLocalDictionary.data[0],
+        );
+
+        const buf = await fromTableToBuffer(sanitized);
+        const actual = currentTableFromIPC(buf);
+        expect([...actual.getChild("label")!]).toEqual(expected);
+      });
+
+      it("can serialize list data from another Arrow version", async function () {
+        const values = [["anime", "action"], [], null];
+        const vector = vectorFromArray(
+          values,
+          new List(new Field("item", new Utf8(), true)),
+        );
+        const table = new ArrowTable({ tags: vector });
+
+        const buf = await fromDataToBuffer(table);
+        const actual = currentTableFromIPC(buf);
+        const actualTags = actual.getChild("tags");
+
+        expect(actualTags?.get(0)?.toJSON()).toEqual(values[0]);
+        expect(actualTags?.get(1)?.toJSON()).toEqual(values[1]);
+        expect(actualTags?.get(2)).toBeNull();
+      });
+
       it("can still import data", async function () {
         const schema = new arrow15.Schema([
           new arrow15.Field("id", new arrow15.Int32()),
diff --git a/nodejs/__test__/table.test.ts b/nodejs/__test__/table.test.ts
index 15d6e0804..d263d9cab 100644
--- a/nodejs/__test__/table.test.ts
+++ b/nodejs/__test__/table.test.ts
@@ -277,8 +277,16 @@ describe.each([arrow15, arrow16, arrow17, arrow18])(
         },
         numIndices: 0,
         numRows: 3,
-        totalBytes: 44,
+        // Full on-disk size of the two data files, footers and metadata included.
+        totalBytes: 684,
       });
+
+      // Index files count toward totalBytes too (only deletion files and
+      // manifests are excluded).
+      await table.createIndex("id", { config: Index.btree() });
+      const statsWithIndex = await table.stats();
+      expect(statsWithIndex.numIndices).toBe(1);
+      expect(statsWithIndex.totalBytes).toBeGreaterThan(684);
     });
 
     it("should overwrite data if asked", async () => {
diff --git a/nodejs/lancedb/sanitize.ts b/nodejs/lancedb/sanitize.ts
index ae0bc0179..8fb2f1a0a 100644
--- a/nodejs/lancedb/sanitize.ts
+++ b/nodejs/lancedb/sanitize.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 // comes from the exact same library instance.  This is not always the case
 // and so we must sanitize the input to ensure that it is compatible.
 
-import { BufferType, Data } from "apache-arrow";
+import { BufferType, Data, Vector } from "apache-arrow";
 import type { IntBitWidth, TKeys, TimeBitWidth } from "apache-arrow/type";
 import {
   Binary,
@@ -74,6 +74,20 @@ import {
   Utf8,
 } from "./arrow";
 
+type SanitizationContext = {
+  types: WeakMap<object, DataType>;
+  vectors: WeakMap<object, Vector>;
+  data: WeakMap<object, Data<DataType>>;
+};
+
+function createSanitizationContext(): SanitizationContext {
+  return {
+    types: new WeakMap(),
+    vectors: new WeakMap(),
+    data: new WeakMap(),
+  };
+}
+
 export function sanitizeMetadata(
   metadataLike?: unknown,
 ): Map<string, string> | undefined {
@@ -186,6 +200,13 @@ export function sanitizeInterval(typeLike: object) {
 }
 
 export function sanitizeList(typeLike: object) {
+  return sanitizeListWithContext(typeLike, createSanitizationContext());
+}
+
+function sanitizeListWithContext(
+  typeLike: object,
+  context: SanitizationContext,
+) {
   if (!("children" in typeLike) || !Array.isArray(typeLike.children)) {
     throw Error(
       "Expected a List type to have an array-like `children` property",
@@ -194,19 +215,35 @@ export function sanitizeList(typeLike: object) {
   if (typeLike.children.length !== 1) {
     throw Error("Expected a List type to have exactly one child");
   }
-  return new List(sanitizeField(typeLike.children[0]));
+  return new List(sanitizeFieldWithContext(typeLike.children[0], context));
 }
 
 export function sanitizeStruct(typeLike: object) {
+  return sanitizeStructWithContext(typeLike, createSanitizationContext());
+}
+
+function sanitizeStructWithContext(
+  typeLike: object,
+  context: SanitizationContext,
+) {
   if (!("children" in typeLike) || !Array.isArray(typeLike.children)) {
     throw Error(
       "Expected a Struct type to have an array-like `children` property",
     );
   }
-  return new Struct(typeLike.children.map((child) => sanitizeField(child)));
+  return new Struct(
+    typeLike.children.map((child) => sanitizeFieldWithContext(child, context)),
+  );
 }
 
 export function sanitizeUnion(typeLike: object) {
+  return sanitizeUnionWithContext(typeLike, createSanitizationContext());
+}
+
+function sanitizeUnionWithContext(
+  typeLike: object,
+  context: SanitizationContext,
+) {
   if (
     !("typeIds" in typeLike) ||
     !("mode" in typeLike) ||
@@ -226,7 +263,7 @@ export function sanitizeUnion(typeLike: object) {
     typeLike.mode,
     // biome-ignore lint/suspicious/noExplicitAny: skip
     typeLike.typeIds as any,
-    typeLike.children.map((child) => sanitizeField(child)),
+    typeLike.children.map((child) => sanitizeFieldWithContext(child, context)),
   );
 }
 
@@ -234,6 +271,19 @@ export function sanitizeTypedUnion(
   typeLike: object,
   // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/naming-convention
   UnionType: typeof DenseUnion | typeof SparseUnion,
+) {
+  return sanitizeTypedUnionWithContext(
+    typeLike,
+    UnionType,
+    createSanitizationContext(),
+  );
+}
+
+function sanitizeTypedUnionWithContext(
+  typeLike: object,
+  // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/naming-convention
+  UnionType: typeof DenseUnion | typeof SparseUnion,
+  context: SanitizationContext,
 ) {
   if (!("typeIds" in typeLike)) {
     throw Error(
@@ -248,7 +298,7 @@ export function sanitizeTypedUnion(
 
   return new UnionType(
     typeLike.typeIds as Int32Array | number[],
-    typeLike.children.map((child) => sanitizeField(child)),
+    typeLike.children.map((child) => sanitizeFieldWithContext(child, context)),
   );
 }
 
@@ -262,6 +312,16 @@ export function sanitizeFixedSizeBinary(typeLike: object) {
 }
 
 export function sanitizeFixedSizeList(typeLike: object) {
+  return sanitizeFixedSizeListWithContext(
+    typeLike,
+    createSanitizationContext(),
+  );
+}
+
+function sanitizeFixedSizeListWithContext(
+  typeLike: object,
+  context: SanitizationContext,
+) {
   if (!("listSize" in typeLike) || typeof typeLike.listSize !== "number") {
     throw Error("Expected a FixedSizeList type to have a `listSize` property");
   }
@@ -275,11 +335,18 @@ export function sanitizeFixedSizeList(typeLike: object) {
   }
   return new FixedSizeList(
     typeLike.listSize,
-    sanitizeField(typeLike.children[0]),
+    sanitizeFieldWithContext(typeLike.children[0], context),
   );
 }
 
 export function sanitizeMap(typeLike: object) {
+  return sanitizeMapWithContext(typeLike, createSanitizationContext());
+}
+
+function sanitizeMapWithContext(
+  typeLike: object,
+  context: SanitizationContext,
+) {
   if (!("children" in typeLike) || !Array.isArray(typeLike.children)) {
     throw Error(
       "Expected a Map type to have an array-like `children` property",
@@ -292,7 +359,10 @@ export function sanitizeMap(typeLike: object) {
     throw Error("Expected a Map type to have exactly one child");
   }
 
-  return new Map_(sanitizeField(typeLike.children[0]), typeLike.keysSorted);
+  return new Map_(
+    sanitizeFieldWithContext(typeLike.children[0], context),
+    typeLike.keysSorted,
+  );
 }
 
 export function sanitizeDuration(typeLike: object) {
@@ -303,6 +373,13 @@ export function sanitizeDuration(typeLike: object) {
 }
 
 export function sanitizeDictionary(typeLike: object) {
+  return sanitizeDictionaryWithContext(typeLike, createSanitizationContext());
+}
+
+function sanitizeDictionaryWithContext(
+  typeLike: object,
+  context: SanitizationContext,
+) {
   if (!("id" in typeLike) || typeof typeLike.id !== "number") {
     throw Error("Expected a Dictionary type to have an `id` property");
   }
@@ -316,8 +393,8 @@ export function sanitizeDictionary(typeLike: object) {
     throw Error("Expected a Dictionary type to have an `isOrdered` property");
   }
   return new Dictionary(
-    sanitizeType(typeLike.dictionary),
-    sanitizeType(typeLike.indices) as TKeys,
+    sanitizeTypeWithContext(typeLike.dictionary, context),
+    sanitizeTypeWithContext(typeLike.indices, context) as TKeys,
     typeLike.id,
     typeLike.isOrdered,
   );
@@ -325,12 +402,23 @@ export function sanitizeDictionary(typeLike: object) {
 
 // biome-ignore lint/suspicious/noExplicitAny: skip
 export function sanitizeType(typeLike: unknown): DataType<any> {
+  return sanitizeTypeWithContext(typeLike, createSanitizationContext());
+}
+
+function sanitizeTypeWithContext(
+  typeLike: unknown,
+  context: SanitizationContext,
+): DataType {
   if (typeof typeLike === "string") {
     return dataTypeFromName(typeLike);
   }
   if (typeof typeLike !== "object" || typeLike === null) {
     throw Error("Expected a Type but object was null/undefined");
   }
+  const cached = context.types.get(typeLike);
+  if (cached !== undefined) {
+    return cached;
+  }
   if (
     !("typeId" in typeLike) ||
     !(
@@ -349,6 +437,16 @@ export function sanitizeType(typeLike: unknown): DataType<any> {
     throw Error("Type's typeId property was not a function or number");
   }
 
+  const type = sanitizeTypeById(typeLike, typeId, context);
+  context.types.set(typeLike, type);
+  return type;
+}
+
+function sanitizeTypeById(
+  typeLike: object,
+  typeId: Type,
+  context: SanitizationContext,
+): DataType {
   switch (typeId) {
     case Type.NONE:
       throw Error("Received a Type with a typeId of NONE");
@@ -375,21 +473,21 @@ export function sanitizeType(typeLike: unknown): DataType<any> {
     case Type.Interval:
       return sanitizeInterval(typeLike);
     case Type.List:
-      return sanitizeList(typeLike);
+      return sanitizeListWithContext(typeLike, context);
     case Type.Struct:
-      return sanitizeStruct(typeLike);
+      return sanitizeStructWithContext(typeLike, context);
     case Type.Union:
-      return sanitizeUnion(typeLike);
+      return sanitizeUnionWithContext(typeLike, context);
     case Type.FixedSizeBinary:
       return sanitizeFixedSizeBinary(typeLike);
     case Type.FixedSizeList:
-      return sanitizeFixedSizeList(typeLike);
+      return sanitizeFixedSizeListWithContext(typeLike, context);
     case Type.Map:
-      return sanitizeMap(typeLike);
+      return sanitizeMapWithContext(typeLike, context);
     case Type.Duration:
       return sanitizeDuration(typeLike);
     case Type.Dictionary:
-      return sanitizeDictionary(typeLike);
+      return sanitizeDictionaryWithContext(typeLike, context);
     case Type.Int8:
       return new Int8();
     case Type.Int16:
@@ -433,9 +531,9 @@ export function sanitizeType(typeLike: unknown): DataType<any> {
     case Type.TimestampSecond:
       return sanitizeTypedTimestamp(typeLike, TimestampSecond);
     case Type.DenseUnion:
-      return sanitizeTypedUnion(typeLike, DenseUnion);
+      return sanitizeTypedUnionWithContext(typeLike, DenseUnion, context);
     case Type.SparseUnion:
-      return sanitizeTypedUnion(typeLike, SparseUnion);
+      return sanitizeTypedUnionWithContext(typeLike, SparseUnion, context);
     case Type.IntervalDayTime:
       return new IntervalDayTime();
     case Type.IntervalYearMonth:
@@ -454,6 +552,13 @@ export function sanitizeType(typeLike: unknown): DataType<any> {
 }
 
 export function sanitizeField(fieldLike: unknown): Field {
+  return sanitizeFieldWithContext(fieldLike, createSanitizationContext());
+}
+
+function sanitizeFieldWithContext(
+  fieldLike: unknown,
+  context: SanitizationContext,
+): Field {
   if (fieldLike instanceof Field) {
     return fieldLike;
   }
@@ -471,7 +576,7 @@ export function sanitizeField(fieldLike: unknown): Field {
   }
   let type: DataType;
   try {
-    type = sanitizeType(fieldLike.type);
+    type = sanitizeTypeWithContext(fieldLike.type, context);
   } catch (error: unknown) {
     throw Error(
       `Unable to sanitize type for field: ${fieldLike.name} due to error: ${error}`,
@@ -501,6 +606,13 @@ export function sanitizeField(fieldLike: unknown): Field {
  * than lancedb is using.
  */
 export function sanitizeSchema(schemaLike: SchemaLike): Schema {
+  return sanitizeSchemaWithContext(schemaLike, createSanitizationContext());
+}
+
+function sanitizeSchemaWithContext(
+  schemaLike: SchemaLike,
+  context: SanitizationContext,
+): Schema {
   if (schemaLike instanceof Schema) {
     return schemaLike;
   }
@@ -522,7 +634,7 @@ export function sanitizeSchema(schemaLike: SchemaLike): Schema {
     );
   }
   const sanitizedFields = schemaLike.fields.map((field) =>
-    sanitizeField(field),
+    sanitizeFieldWithContext(field, context),
   );
   return new Schema(sanitizedFields, metadata);
 }
@@ -544,13 +656,18 @@ export function sanitizeTable(tableLike: TableLike): Table {
       "The table passed in does not appear to be a table (no 'columns' property)",
     );
   }
-  const schema = sanitizeSchema(tableLike.schema);
-
-  const batches = tableLike.batches.map(sanitizeRecordBatch);
+  const context = createSanitizationContext();
+  const schema = sanitizeSchemaWithContext(tableLike.schema, context);
+  const batches = tableLike.batches.map((batch) =>
+    sanitizeRecordBatch(batch, context),
+  );
   return new Table(schema, batches);
 }
 
-function sanitizeRecordBatch(batchLike: RecordBatchLike): RecordBatch {
+function sanitizeRecordBatch(
+  batchLike: RecordBatchLike,
+  context: SanitizationContext,
+): RecordBatch {
   if (batchLike instanceof RecordBatch) {
     return batchLike;
   }
@@ -567,19 +684,43 @@ function sanitizeRecordBatch(batchLike: RecordBatchLike): RecordBatch {
       "The record batch passed in does not appear to be a record batch (no 'data' property)",
     );
   }
-  const schema = sanitizeSchema(batchLike.schema);
-  const data = sanitizeData(batchLike.data);
+  const schema = sanitizeSchemaWithContext(batchLike.schema, context);
+  const data = sanitizeData(batchLike.data, context) as Data<Struct>;
   return new RecordBatch(schema, data);
 }
+
+type DictionaryVectorLike = {
+  data: readonly DataLike[];
+};
+
+type DictionaryDataLike = DataLike & {
+  dictionary?: DictionaryVectorLike;
+};
+
 function sanitizeData(
   dataLike: DataLike,
-  // biome-ignore lint/suspicious/noExplicitAny: <explanation>
-): import("apache-arrow").Data<Struct<any>> {
+  context: SanitizationContext,
+): Data<DataType> {
   if (dataLike instanceof Data) {
     return dataLike;
   }
-  return new Data(
-    dataLike.type,
+  const cachedData = context.data.get(dataLike);
+  if (cachedData !== undefined) {
+    return cachedData;
+  }
+  const dictionaryLike = (dataLike as DictionaryDataLike).dictionary;
+  let dictionary: Vector | undefined;
+  if (dictionaryLike !== undefined) {
+    dictionary = context.vectors.get(dictionaryLike);
+    if (dictionary === undefined) {
+      dictionary = new Vector(
+        dictionaryLike.data.map((data) => sanitizeData(data, context)),
+      );
+      context.vectors.set(dictionaryLike, dictionary);
+    }
+  }
+  const data = new Data(
+    sanitizeTypeWithContext(dataLike.type, context),
     dataLike.offset,
     dataLike.length,
     dataLike.nullCount,
@@ -589,7 +730,11 @@ function sanitizeData(
       [BufferType.VALIDITY]: dataLike.nullBitmap,
       [BufferType.TYPE]: dataLike.typeIds,
     },
+    dataLike.children.map((child) => sanitizeData(child, context)),
+    dictionary,
   );
+  context.data.set(dataLike, data);
+  return data;
 }
 
 const constructorsByTypeName = {
diff --git a/nodejs/lancedb/table.ts b/nodejs/lancedb/table.ts
index 3359a2643..04705475b 100644
--- a/nodejs/lancedb/table.ts
+++ b/nodejs/lancedb/table.ts
@@ -197,7 +197,11 @@ export interface LsmWriteSpec {
   column?: string;
   /** Bucket variant: the number of buckets, in `[1, 1024]`. */
   numBuckets?: number;
-  /** Names of indexes the MemWAL should keep up to date during writes. */
+  /**
+   * Indexes the MemWAL keeps up to date. Omit to maintain every supported
+   * index, resolved on install — a snapshot, so indexes created later are not
+   * maintained. Pass `[]` for none.
+   */
   maintainedIndexes?: string[];
   /** Default `ShardWriter` configuration recorded in the MemWAL index. */
   writerConfigDefaults?: Record<string, string>;
@@ -595,6 +599,11 @@ export abstract class Table {
    * All variants require the table to have an unenforced primary key
    * ({@link Table#setUnenforcedPrimaryKey}); bucket sharding additionally
    * requires it to be the single column being bucketed.
+   *
+   * Omitting `maintainedIndexes` maintains every index on the table, resolved
+   * here, failing if one cannot be maintained — name them to install anyway.
+   * Naming them pins an exact set, and a still-building index is rejected
+   * rather than quietly omitted.
    * @param {LsmWriteSpec} spec The sharding spec to install.
    * @returns {Promise<void>}
    * @example
@@ -622,9 +631,10 @@ export abstract class Table {
    *
    * Resolves to `undefined` when the MemWAL LSM write path is not enabled (no
    * spec has been set, or it was removed with {@link Table#unsetLsmWriteSpec}).
-   * The returned spec — including its `maintainedIndexes` and
-   * `writerConfigDefaults` — mirrors what was passed to
-   * {@link Table#setLsmWriteSpec}.
+   * The returned spec mirrors what was passed to
+   * {@link Table#setLsmWriteSpec}, except that `maintainedIndexes` always
+   * reports the concrete list resolved when the spec was set — `undefined`
+   * never round-trips.
    * @returns {Promise<LsmWriteSpec | undefined>}
    */
   abstract getLsmWriteSpec(): Promise<LsmWriteSpec | undefined>;
diff --git a/nodejs/npm/darwin-arm64/package.json b/nodejs/npm/darwin-arm64/package.json
index 3c93ed470..d3792f9c2 100644
--- a/nodejs/npm/darwin-arm64/package.json
+++ b/nodejs/npm/darwin-arm64/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"name": "@lancedb/lancedb-darwin-arm64",
-	"version": "0.37.1-beta.0",
+	"version": "0.37.1-beta.1",
 	"os": ["darwin"],
 	"cpu": ["arm64"],
 	"main": "lancedb.darwin-arm64.node",
diff --git a/nodejs/npm/linux-arm64-gnu/package.json b/nodejs/npm/linux-arm64-gnu/package.json
index 5ade5aaa3..44bc309ca 100644
--- a/nodejs/npm/linux-arm64-gnu/package.json
+++ b/nodejs/npm/linux-arm64-gnu/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"name": "@lancedb/lancedb-linux-arm64-gnu",
-	"version": "0.37.1-beta.0",
+	"version": "0.37.1-beta.1",
 	"os": ["linux"],
 	"cpu": ["arm64"],
 	"main": "lancedb.linux-arm64-gnu.node",
diff --git a/nodejs/npm/linux-arm64-musl/package.json b/nodejs/npm/linux-arm64-musl/package.json
index 16bb0edd0..e78f0fe6a 100644
--- a/nodejs/npm/linux-arm64-musl/package.json
+++ b/nodejs/npm/linux-arm64-musl/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"name": "@lancedb/lancedb-linux-arm64-musl",
-	"version": "0.37.1-beta.0",
+	"version": "0.37.1-beta.1",
 	"os": ["linux"],
 	"cpu": ["arm64"],
 	"main": "lancedb.linux-arm64-musl.node",
diff --git a/nodejs/npm/linux-x64-gnu/package.json b/nodejs/npm/linux-x64-gnu/package.json
index 6ee11e4bc..0e27c5f51 100644
--- a/nodejs/npm/linux-x64-gnu/package.json
+++ b/nodejs/npm/linux-x64-gnu/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"name": "@lancedb/lancedb-linux-x64-gnu",
-	"version": "0.37.1-beta.0",
+	"version": "0.37.1-beta.1",
 	"os": ["linux"],
 	"cpu": ["x64"],
 	"main": "lancedb.linux-x64-gnu.node",
diff --git a/nodejs/npm/linux-x64-musl/package.json b/nodejs/npm/linux-x64-musl/package.json
index c2e15bb9f..7bd27ba18 100644
--- a/nodejs/npm/linux-x64-musl/package.json
+++ b/nodejs/npm/linux-x64-musl/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"name": "@lancedb/lancedb-linux-x64-musl",
-	"version": "0.37.1-beta.0",
+	"version": "0.37.1-beta.1",
 	"os": ["linux"],
 	"cpu": ["x64"],
 	"main": "lancedb.linux-x64-musl.node",
diff --git a/nodejs/npm/win32-arm64-msvc/package.json b/nodejs/npm/win32-arm64-msvc/package.json
index d2820b1a1..5c76024b2 100644
--- a/nodejs/npm/win32-arm64-msvc/package.json
+++ b/nodejs/npm/win32-arm64-msvc/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@lancedb/lancedb-win32-arm64-msvc",
-  "version": "0.37.1-beta.0",
+  "version": "0.37.1-beta.1",
   "os": [
     "win32"
   ],
diff --git a/nodejs/npm/win32-x64-msvc/package.json b/nodejs/npm/win32-x64-msvc/package.json
index 601b51380..f8cc7d8e0 100644
--- a/nodejs/npm/win32-x64-msvc/package.json
+++ b/nodejs/npm/win32-x64-msvc/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"name": "@lancedb/lancedb-win32-x64-msvc",
-	"version": "0.37.1-beta.0",
+	"version": "0.37.1-beta.1",
 	"os": ["win32"],
 	"cpu": ["x64"],
 	"main": "lancedb.win32-x64-msvc.node",
diff --git a/nodejs/package-lock.json b/nodejs/package-lock.json
index bdbd3cf79..f7b6670e4 100644
--- a/nodejs/package-lock.json
+++ b/nodejs/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "@lancedb/lancedb",
-  "version": "0.37.1-beta.0",
+  "version": "0.37.1-beta.1",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "@lancedb/lancedb",
-      "version": "0.37.1-beta.0",
+      "version": "0.37.1-beta.1",
       "cpu": [
         "x64",
         "arm64"
diff --git a/nodejs/package.json b/nodejs/package.json
index 671f3f94d..0416ce81b 100644
--- a/nodejs/package.json
+++ b/nodejs/package.json
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
     "ann"
   ],
   "private": false,
-  "version": "0.37.1-beta.0",
+  "version": "0.37.1-beta.1",
   "main": "dist/index.js",
   "exports": {
     ".": "./dist/index.js",
diff --git a/nodejs/src/table.rs b/nodejs/src/table.rs
index 2ac2fecb2..c4ece20e2 100644
--- a/nodejs/src/table.rs
+++ b/nodejs/src/table.rs
@@ -772,7 +772,8 @@ pub struct LsmWriteSpec {
     pub column: Option<String>,
     /// Bucket variant: the number of buckets, in `[1, 1024]`.
     pub num_buckets: Option<u32>,
-    /// Names of indexes the MemWAL should keep up to date during writes.
+    /// Indexes the MemWAL keeps up to date. Omitted resolves every
+    /// maintainable index on install; an empty array means none.
     pub maintained_indexes: Option<Vec<String>>,
     /// Default `ShardWriter` configuration recorded in the MemWAL index.
     pub writer_config_defaults: Option<HashMap<String, String>>,
@@ -782,7 +783,6 @@ impl TryFrom<LsmWriteSpec> for lancedb::table::LsmWriteSpec {
     type Error = napi::Error;
 
     fn try_from(value: LsmWriteSpec) -> napi::Result<Self> {
-        let maintained = value.maintained_indexes.unwrap_or_default();
         let writer_config_defaults = value.writer_config_defaults.unwrap_or_default();
         let spec = match value.spec_type.as_str() {
             "bucket" => {
@@ -809,7 +809,7 @@ impl TryFrom<LsmWriteSpec> for lancedb::table::LsmWriteSpec {
             }
         };
         Ok(spec
-            .with_maintained_indexes(maintained)
+            .with_maintained_indexes(value.maintained_indexes)
             .with_writer_config_defaults(writer_config_defaults))
     }
 }
@@ -827,7 +827,7 @@ impl From<lancedb::table::LsmWriteSpec> for LsmWriteSpec {
                 spec_type: "bucket".to_string(),
                 column: Some(column),
                 num_buckets: Some(num_buckets),
-                maintained_indexes: Some(maintained_indexes),
+                maintained_indexes,
                 writer_config_defaults: Some(writer_config_defaults),
             },
             Native::Identity {
@@ -838,7 +838,7 @@ impl From<lancedb::table::LsmWriteSpec> for LsmWriteSpec {
                 spec_type: "identity".to_string(),
                 column: Some(column),
                 num_buckets: None,
-                maintained_indexes: Some(maintained_indexes),
+                maintained_indexes,
                 writer_config_defaults: Some(writer_config_defaults),
             },
             Native::Unsharded {
@@ -848,7 +848,7 @@ impl From<lancedb::table::LsmWriteSpec> for LsmWriteSpec {
                 spec_type: "unsharded".to_string(),
                 column: None,
                 num_buckets: None,
-                maintained_indexes: Some(maintained_indexes),
+                maintained_indexes,
                 writer_config_defaults: Some(writer_config_defaults),
             },
         }
@@ -1043,7 +1043,10 @@ impl From<lancedb::index::IndexStatistics> for IndexStatistics {
 
 #[napi(object)]
 pub struct TableStatistics {
-    /// The total number of bytes in the table
+    /// The total size, in bytes, of the table's data files, index files, and
+    /// overlay files
+    ///
+    /// Read from the manifest, so this excludes deletion files and manifests.
     pub total_bytes: i64,
 
     /// The number of rows in the table
diff --git a/python/Cargo.toml b/python/Cargo.toml
index 5a196e27c..9d36edd5c 100644
--- a/python/Cargo.toml
+++ b/python/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "lancedb-python"
-version = "0.37.1-beta.0"
+version = "0.37.1-beta.1"
 publish = false
 edition.workspace = true
 description = "Python bindings for LanceDB"
diff --git a/python/python/lancedb/_lancedb.pyi b/python/python/lancedb/_lancedb.pyi
index 47e727f99..f87fd3d13 100644
--- a/python/python/lancedb/_lancedb.pyi
+++ b/python/python/lancedb/_lancedb.pyi
@@ -355,6 +355,10 @@ class Table:
     async def set_lsm_write_spec(self, spec: LsmWriteSpec) -> None: ...
     async def unset_lsm_write_spec(self) -> None: ...
     async def get_lsm_write_spec(self) -> Optional[LsmWriteSpec]: ...
+    async def checkpoint_lsm(self) -> None: ...
+    async def flush_lsm(self) -> None: ...
+    async def compact_lsm(self) -> None: ...
+    async def get_lsm_stats(self, include_generation_rows: bool) -> Optional[dict]: ...
     async def close_lsm_writers(self) -> None: ...
     @property
     def tags(self) -> Tags: ...
@@ -649,9 +653,10 @@ class LsmWriteSpec:
     def identity(column: str) -> "LsmWriteSpec": ...
     @staticmethod
     def unsharded() -> "LsmWriteSpec": ...
-    def with_maintained_indexes(self, indexes: List[str]) -> "LsmWriteSpec":
-        """Return a copy of this spec asking the MemWAL to keep the named
-        indexes up to date as rows are appended."""
+    def with_maintained_indexes(self, indexes: Optional[List[str]]) -> "LsmWriteSpec":
+        """Set which indexes the MemWAL keeps up to date. None resolves every
+        index on the table at install, failing if one cannot be maintained;
+        a list is verbatim, empty means none."""
         ...
     def with_writer_config_defaults(self, defaults: Dict[str, str]) -> "LsmWriteSpec":
         """Return a copy of this spec recording the given default
@@ -666,7 +671,9 @@ class LsmWriteSpec:
     @property
     def num_buckets(self) -> Optional[int]: ...
     @property
-    def maintained_indexes(self) -> List[str]: ...
+    def maintained_indexes(self) -> Optional[List[str]]:
+        """Indexes the MemWAL keeps up to date, or None for every supported one."""
+        ...
     @property
     def writer_config_defaults(self) -> Dict[str, str]: ...
 
diff --git a/python/python/lancedb/embeddings/jinaai.py b/python/python/lancedb/embeddings/jinaai.py
index 9656f041f..f6ab601b3 100644
--- a/python/python/lancedb/embeddings/jinaai.py
+++ b/python/python/lancedb/embeddings/jinaai.py
@@ -87,12 +87,13 @@ class JinaEmbeddings(EmbeddingFunction):
         if isinstance(image, bytes):
             image_dict = {"image": base64.b64encode(image).decode("utf-8")}
         elif isinstance(image, (str, Path)):
-            parsed = urlparse.urlparse(image)
-            # TODO handle drive letter on windows.
+            parsed = urlparse(str(image))
             PIL_Image = attempt_import_or_raise("PIL.Image", "pillow")
             if parsed.scheme == "file":
                 pil_image = PIL_Image.open(parsed.path)
-            elif parsed.scheme == "":
+            elif parsed.scheme == "" or (os.name == "nt" and len(parsed.scheme) == 1):
+                # A Windows drive letter parses as a one-character scheme
+                # ("C:\\img.png" -> scheme="c"), so treat it as a local path.
                 pil_image = PIL_Image.open(image if os.name == "nt" else parsed.path)
             elif parsed.scheme.startswith("http"):
                 pil_image = PIL_Image.open(io.BytesIO(url_retrieve(image)))
diff --git a/python/python/lancedb/streaming.py b/python/python/lancedb/streaming.py
index 525ed3d63..b27e606a4 100644
--- a/python/python/lancedb/streaming.py
+++ b/python/python/lancedb/streaming.py
@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@ Provides StreamingDataset, a PyTorch IterableDataset that guarantees:
 - **Resumability**: state_dict / load_state_dict capture per-split consumption
   counts so training can resume from an exact mid-epoch position even when the
   distributed topology changes between runs.
+
+Transform failures on bad rows (e.g. nulls or NaNs from incomplete data) can
+be tolerated with ``on_transform_error="skip"``; see the parameter
+documentation on StreamingDataset for how this interacts with the guarantees
+above.
 """
 
 import ctypes
@@ -22,7 +27,7 @@ import time
 from collections import deque
 from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor
 from multiprocessing import RawArray
-from typing import Any, Callable, Iterator, Optional
+from typing import Any, Callable, Iterator, Optional, Union
 
 from torch.utils.data import IterableDataset, get_worker_info
 
@@ -127,6 +132,49 @@ class StreamingDataset(IterableDataset):
         Maximum number of transforms to run concurrently.  Must be greater
         than zero.  When ``None`` (the default), uses ``os.cpu_count()`` or 1
         when the CPU count is unavailable.
+    on_transform_error:
+        What to do when the transform raises an exception:
+
+        - ``"raise"`` (the default): the exception propagates and iteration
+          aborts.
+        - ``"skip"``: the failing rows are dropped and iteration continues.
+        - ``"warn"``: like ``"skip"``, but a warning is logged for each
+          failing batch.
+        - a callable ``handler(exc) -> bool``: called with the exception;
+          return ``True`` to skip the failing rows or ``False`` to re-raise.
+          Useful to skip only expected error types (compatible with
+          ``webdataset.handlers`` style handlers).
+
+        When a batch fails, the transform is re-invoked on each single-row
+        slice of the batch so that only the rows that actually fail are
+        dropped.  Transforms should therefore be deterministic and accept
+        batches of any size (including one row).  Skipped rows are counted in
+        ``rows_skipped``.
+
+        Skipping weakens the elastic-determinism guarantee at the end of the
+        epoch: splits that lose more rows than others run dry earlier, and
+        each rank's iterator ends at the last cycle where every split *it
+        owns* still has a row.  Because bad rows are not distributed evenly
+        across splits, this means one rank's iterator can yield noticeably
+        fewer or more steps than another rank's *in the same run* — there is
+        no cross-rank coordination that stops every rank at the same global
+        step.  This is generally safe for asynchronous or single-rank use,
+        but synchronous distributed training (e.g. ranks that call
+        ``all_reduce`` every step) can hang or deadlock if one rank's
+        iterator is exhausted while others are still stepping; callers doing
+        synchronous multi-rank training with ``on_transform_error != "raise"``
+        are responsible for their own cross-rank stopping mechanism (e.g.
+        broadcasting a stop signal on ``StopIteration``).  The final few
+        global steps can also differ across topologies (bounded by the skew
+        in bad-row counts across splits).  The sequence of samples yielded
+        from each split remains deterministic.  Mid-epoch
+        checkpoints remain exact provided the transform fails
+        deterministically; in multi-rank training each rank must save its
+        own ``state_dict`` and the states must be combined with
+        ``merge_state_dicts`` before resuming on a different topology.
+        Prefer the ``filter`` parameter when bad rows can be expressed as a
+        SQL predicate (e.g. ``"col IS NOT NULL"``) — filtering happens before
+        splits are built, so every guarantee is fully preserved.
     worker_info_override:
         If set, used in place of ``torch.utils.data.get_worker_info()`` to
         determine the DataLoader worker assignment.  Intended for unit tests
@@ -152,6 +200,7 @@ class StreamingDataset(IterableDataset):
         filter: Optional[str] = None,
         transform: Optional[Callable] = None,
         transform_parallelism: Optional[int] = None,
+        on_transform_error: Union[str, Callable[[Exception], bool]] = "raise",
         connection_factory: Optional[Callable[[str], Any]] = None,
         worker_info_override=None,
     ):
@@ -167,6 +216,13 @@ class StreamingDataset(IterableDataset):
             )
         if transform_parallelism is not None and transform_parallelism <= 0:
             raise ValueError("transform_parallelism must be greater than 0")
+        if on_transform_error not in ("raise", "skip", "warn") and not callable(
+            on_transform_error
+        ):
+            raise ValueError(
+                "on_transform_error must be 'raise', 'skip', 'warn', or a "
+                f"callable, got {on_transform_error!r}"
+            )
 
         self._table = table
         self._num_splits = num_splits
@@ -182,6 +238,7 @@ class StreamingDataset(IterableDataset):
         self._filter = filter
         self._transform = transform
         self._transform_parallelism = transform_parallelism
+        self._on_transform_error = on_transform_error
         self._connection_factory = connection_factory
         self._worker_info_override = worker_info_override
 
@@ -199,19 +256,28 @@ class StreamingDataset(IterableDataset):
         # in the main process.  RawArray is picklable via the forkserver
         # reduction protocol so it survives the dataset pickle round-trip.
         # Layout: [unscanned_rows, raw_rows, cooked_rows, consumed_rows,
-        #          bytes_loaded, fetch_time_us, transform_time_us]
-        self._worker_stats: RawArray = RawArray(ctypes.c_int64, 7)
+        #          bytes_loaded, fetch_time_us, transform_time_us,
+        #          rows_skipped]
+        self._worker_stats: RawArray = RawArray(ctypes.c_int64, 8)
 
         # Cumulative bytes of Arrow buffer data fetched across all iterations.
         self._bytes_loaded: int = 0
         # Cumulative seconds spent in LanceDB I/O and in transform functions.
         self._fetch_time: float = 0.0
         self._transform_time: float = 0.0
+        # Cumulative rows dropped by on_transform_error across all iterations.
+        self._rows_skipped: int = 0
 
         # Number of samples each split has already been consumed.  At global
         # step boundaries all splits have consumed this many samples, so a
         # single scalar captures the topology-independent checkpoint state.
         self._resume_offset: int = 0
+        # Permutation position each split has consumed through, keyed by
+        # global split index.  Equal to _resume_offset for every split unless
+        # on_transform_error skipped rows, in which case skipped positions
+        # push the watermark of the affected splits further ahead.  Splits
+        # this instance has never iterated have no entry.
+        self._resume_positions: dict[int, int] = {}
 
         # Build the permutation table once, deterministically.
         builder = permutation_builder(table)
@@ -275,6 +341,7 @@ class StreamingDataset(IterableDataset):
         # Set identity transform on each Permutation so __getitems__ returns
         # the raw RecordBatch.  Stage 2 applies the real transform.
         permutations: list[Permutation] = []
+        initial_positions: list[int] = []
         for split_idx in my_splits:
             perm = Permutation.from_tables(
                 self._table, self._perm_table, split=split_idx
@@ -282,14 +349,20 @@ class StreamingDataset(IterableDataset):
             if self._columns is not None:
                 perm = perm.select_columns(self._columns)
             perm = perm.with_transform(lambda batch: batch)
-            if self._resume_offset > 0:
-                perm = perm.with_skip(self._resume_offset)
+            start_pos = self._resume_positions.get(split_idx, self._resume_offset)
+            if start_pos > 0:
+                perm = perm.with_skip(start_pos)
+            initial_positions.append(start_pos)
             permutations.append(perm)
 
         n = len(permutations)
         split_sizes = [perm.num_rows for perm in permutations]
         initial_offset = self._resume_offset
         local_consumed = [0] * n
+        # Permutation position each split has consumed through (absolute,
+        # i.e. counted from the start of the unskipped split).  Runs ahead of
+        # initial + local_consumed when rows are skipped.
+        pos_consumed = list(initial_positions)
 
         batch_size = self._read_batch_size
         max_prefetch = self._prefetch_batches
@@ -302,12 +375,14 @@ class StreamingDataset(IterableDataset):
             self._transform if self._transform is not None else Transforms.arrow2python
         )
 
-        # Per-split pipeline state.
+        # Per-split pipeline state.  Batches are paired with the absolute
+        # permutation position of their first row so that skipped rows can be
+        # accounted for in pos_consumed.
         fetch_head = [0] * n
-        io_pending = [deque() for _ in range(n)]  # Future[RecordBatch]
-        raw_batches = [deque() for _ in range(n)]  # RecordBatch — fetched, awaiting tx
-        tx_pending = [deque() for _ in range(n)]  # Future[list[Any]]
-        cooked = [deque() for _ in range(n)]  # rows ready to yield
+        io_pending = [deque() for _ in range(n)]  # (abs_start, Future[RecordBatch])
+        raw_batches = [deque() for _ in range(n)]  # (abs_start, RecordBatch)
+        tx_pending = [deque() for _ in range(n)]  # Future[list[(abs_pos, row)]]
+        cooked = [deque() for _ in range(n)]  # (abs_pos, row) ready to yield
 
         # Limit simultaneous transforms to transform_workers across all splits.
         tx_semaphore = threading.Semaphore(transform_workers)
@@ -330,7 +405,8 @@ class StreamingDataset(IterableDataset):
             fetch_head[i] += fetch
             perm_i = permutations[i]
             indices = list(range(start, start + fetch))
-            io_pending[i].append(io_pool.submit(_io_call, perm_i, indices))
+            abs_start = initial_positions[i] + start
+            io_pending[i].append((abs_start, io_pool.submit(_io_call, perm_i, indices)))
 
         def _fill_io(i: int) -> None:
             while len(io_pending[i]) < max_prefetch and fetch_head[i] < split_sizes[i]:
@@ -338,15 +414,72 @@ class StreamingDataset(IterableDataset):
 
         def _drain_io(i: int) -> None:
             """Move completed I/O futures into raw_batches non-blockingly."""
-            while io_pending[i] and io_pending[i][0].done():
-                raw_batches[i].append(io_pending[i].popleft().result())
+            while io_pending[i] and io_pending[i][0][1].done():
+                abs_start, fut = io_pending[i].popleft()
+                raw_batches[i].append((abs_start, fut.result()))
 
         # ── Stage 2 helpers ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
-        def _tx_call_guarded(batch):
+        on_error = self._on_transform_error
+
+        def _should_skip(exc: Exception) -> bool:
+            if on_error == "raise":
+                return False
+            if callable(on_error):
+                return bool(on_error(exc))
+            return True  # "skip" or "warn"
+
+        def _check_row_count(rows: list, num_rows: int) -> None:
+            if len(rows) != num_rows:
+                raise ValueError(
+                    f"transform returned {len(rows)} rows for a batch of "
+                    f"{num_rows}; transforms must return exactly one output "
+                    "row per input row.  To drop bad rows, raise inside the "
+                    "transform and pass on_transform_error='skip'."
+                )
+
+        def _transform_isolated(abs_start, batch, batch_exc):
+            """Re-run the transform on single-row slices, dropping failures."""
+            out = []
+            skipped = 0
+            first_exc = None
+            for j in range(batch.num_rows):
+                try:
+                    rows = list(final_transform(batch.slice(j, 1)))
+                except Exception as exc:
+                    if not _should_skip(exc):
+                        raise
+                    skipped += 1
+                    if first_exc is None:
+                        first_exc = exc
+                    continue
+                _check_row_count(rows, 1)
+                out.append((abs_start + j, rows[0]))
+            self._rows_skipped += skipped
+            if skipped and on_error == "warn":
+                logger.warning(
+                    "Skipped %d of %d rows whose transform failed (first error: %r)",
+                    skipped,
+                    batch.num_rows,
+                    first_exc if first_exc is not None else batch_exc,
+                )
+            return out
+
+        def _transform_batch(abs_start, batch):
+            """Apply the transform, returning [(abs_pos, row), ...]."""
+            try:
+                rows = list(final_transform(batch))
+            except Exception as exc:
+                if not _should_skip(exc):
+                    raise
+                return _transform_isolated(abs_start, batch, exc)
+            _check_row_count(rows, batch.num_rows)
+            return [(abs_start + j, row) for j, row in enumerate(rows)]
+
+        def _tx_call_guarded(abs_start, batch):
             try:
                 t0 = time.perf_counter()
-                result = final_transform(batch)
+                result = _transform_batch(abs_start, batch)
                 self._transform_time += time.perf_counter() - t0
                 return result
             finally:
@@ -355,8 +488,8 @@ class StreamingDataset(IterableDataset):
         def _try_submit_tx(i: int) -> None:
             """Submit transforms for raw_batches[i] up to available capacity."""
             while raw_batches[i] and tx_semaphore.acquire(blocking=False):
-                batch = raw_batches[i].popleft()
-                tx_pending[i].append(tx_pool.submit(_tx_call_guarded, batch))
+                abs_start, batch = raw_batches[i].popleft()
+                tx_pending[i].append(tx_pool.submit(_tx_call_guarded, abs_start, batch))
 
         def _drain_tx(i: int) -> None:
             """Move completed transform futures into cooked non-blockingly."""
@@ -384,11 +517,14 @@ class StreamingDataset(IterableDataset):
                     # Acquire a transform slot (may block briefly if all
                     # transform_workers are busy with other splits).
                     tx_semaphore.acquire()
-                    batch = raw_batches[i].popleft()
-                    tx_pending[i].append(tx_pool.submit(_tx_call_guarded, batch))
+                    abs_start, batch = raw_batches[i].popleft()
+                    tx_pending[i].append(
+                        tx_pool.submit(_tx_call_guarded, abs_start, batch)
+                    )
                 elif io_pending[i]:
                     # Block on the oldest in-flight I/O fetch.
-                    raw_batches[i].append(io_pending[i].popleft().result())
+                    abs_start, fut = io_pending[i].popleft()
+                    raw_batches[i].append((abs_start, fut.result()))
                     _advance(i)
                 else:
                     break  # split exhausted
@@ -407,15 +543,28 @@ class StreamingDataset(IterableDataset):
                         _fill_io(i)
 
                     while True:
-                        # Stop when any split is exhausted (all exhaust
-                        # simultaneously: equal split sizes + round-robin).
-                        if any(local_consumed[i] >= split_sizes[i] for i in range(n)):
+                        # A cycle only runs if every split can still produce a
+                        # row.  Without skips all splits exhaust simultaneously
+                        # (equal split sizes + round-robin); when
+                        # on_transform_error drops rows a split can run dry
+                        # early, ending the epoch at the last complete cycle.
+                        # This check only sees splits owned by this rank/worker
+                        # (my_splits) — there is no cross-rank coordination, so
+                        # a different rank with fewer skipped rows keeps going;
+                        # see the on_transform_error docstring.
+                        exhausted = False
+                        for i in range(n):
+                            _ensure_cooked(i)
+                            if not cooked[i]:
+                                exhausted = True
+                                break
+                        if exhausted:
                             break
 
                         for i in range(n):
-                            _ensure_cooked(i)
-                            row = cooked[i].popleft()
+                            pos, row = cooked[i].popleft()
                             local_consumed[i] += 1
+                            pos_consumed[i] = pos + 1
                             _advance(i)
 
                             # After the last split in each cycle: update the
@@ -424,21 +573,39 @@ class StreamingDataset(IterableDataset):
                             # even when __iter__ runs in a worker process.
                             if i == n - 1:
                                 self._resume_offset = initial_offset + local_consumed[i]
+                                for j, split_idx in enumerate(my_splits):
+                                    self._resume_positions[split_idx] = pos_consumed[j]
                                 ws = self._worker_stats
                                 ws[0] = sum(
                                     split_sizes[j] - fetch_head[j] for j in range(n)
                                 )
                                 ws[1] = sum(
-                                    batch.num_rows for q in raw_batches for batch in q
+                                    batch.num_rows
+                                    for q in raw_batches
+                                    for _, batch in q
                                 )
                                 ws[2] = sum(len(q) for q in cooked)
                                 ws[3] = sum(local_consumed)
                                 ws[4] = self._bytes_loaded
                                 ws[5] = int(self._fetch_time * 1_000_000)
                                 ws[6] = int(self._transform_time * 1_000_000)
+                                ws[7] = self._rows_skipped
 
                             yield row
                 finally:
+                    # Final stats flush: the per-cycle write above never runs
+                    # when iteration ends mid-cycle (e.g. a split whose rows
+                    # were all skipped before completing a single cycle), so
+                    # counters like rows_skipped would otherwise be stale.
+                    ws = self._worker_stats
+                    ws[0] = sum(split_sizes[j] - fetch_head[j] for j in range(n))
+                    ws[1] = 0  # queue-depth properties document 0 when idle
+                    ws[2] = 0
+                    ws[3] = sum(local_consumed)
+                    ws[4] = self._bytes_loaded
+                    ws[5] = int(self._fetch_time * 1_000_000)
+                    ws[6] = int(self._transform_time * 1_000_000)
+                    ws[7] = self._rows_skipped
                     self._raw_batches_ref = None
                     self._cooked_ref = None
                     self._fetch_head_ref = None
@@ -492,7 +659,7 @@ class StreamingDataset(IterableDataset):
         batches.  Returns 0 when not iterating.
         """
         if self._raw_batches_ref is not None:
-            return sum(batch.num_rows for q in self._raw_batches_ref for batch in q)
+            return sum(batch.num_rows for q in self._raw_batches_ref for _, batch in q)
         return int(self._worker_stats[1])
 
     @property
@@ -522,6 +689,19 @@ class StreamingDataset(IterableDataset):
             )
         return int(self._worker_stats[0])
 
+    @property
+    def rows_skipped(self) -> int:
+        """Number of rows dropped because their transform raised an exception.
+
+        Only ever non-zero when ``on_transform_error`` is set to ``"skip"``,
+        ``"warn"``, or a callable that returned ``True``.  Accumulates across
+        multiple iterations of the same dataset instance and is never reset
+        automatically.
+        """
+        if self._raw_batches_ref is not None:
+            return self._rows_skipped
+        return int(self._worker_stats[7])
+
     @property
     def consumed_rows(self) -> int:
         """Number of rows already yielded to the caller across all splits.
@@ -587,12 +767,27 @@ class StreamingDataset(IterableDataset):
         every split has been consumed the same number of times (by the
         round-robin design), so the per-split count is a single uniform value
         that is identical across all ranks and DataLoader workers.
+
+        ``positions_consumed_per_split`` records how far into each split's
+        permutation iteration has advanced.  It only differs from
+        ``samples_consumed_per_split`` when ``on_transform_error`` skipped
+        rows, in which case entries are exact for the splits this instance
+        iterated and a lower bound (the sample count) for splits owned by
+        other ranks or workers.  Combine the state dicts from all ranks with
+        [merge_state_dicts][lancedb.streaming.StreamingDataset.merge_state_dicts]
+        to recover the exact value for every split before resuming on a
+        different topology.
         """
+        positions = [
+            self._resume_positions.get(split, self._resume_offset)
+            for split in range(self._num_splits)
+        ]
         return {
             "shuffle_seed": self._shuffle_seed,
             "num_splits": self._num_splits,
             "epoch": self._epoch,
             "samples_consumed_per_split": [self._resume_offset] * self._num_splits,
+            "positions_consumed_per_split": positions,
         }
 
     def load_state_dict(self, state: dict) -> None:
@@ -618,3 +813,96 @@ class StreamingDataset(IterableDataset):
             self._resume_offset = consumed[0] if consumed else 0
         else:
             self._resume_offset = int(consumed)
+        # Older checkpoints predate positions_consumed_per_split; without
+        # skipped rows positions equal sample counts, so falling back to
+        # _resume_offset (the .get default in __iter__) is exact.
+        positions = state.get("positions_consumed_per_split")
+        if positions is None:
+            self._resume_positions = {}
+        else:
+            self._resume_positions = {
+                split: int(pos) for split, pos in enumerate(positions)
+            }
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def merge_state_dicts(states: list[dict]) -> dict:
+        """Merge state dicts saved by different ranks into one exact state.
+
+        Only needed when ``on_transform_error`` skips rows in multi-rank
+        training: each rank then knows the exact permutation position only for
+        its own splits, and records a lower bound for the rest.  Because
+        exactly one rank owns each split, the elementwise maximum across all
+        ranks' ``positions_consumed_per_split`` recovers the exact position of
+        every split.  Without skipped rows every rank's state is already
+        identical and merging is a no-op.
+
+        Raises ``ValueError`` if the states are empty or were not produced by
+        the same run (mismatched seed, split count, epoch, or sample counts).
+
+        The merge is always all-to-all and topology-agnostic: collect the
+        ``state_dict()`` from every rank of the *previous* run into one list,
+        merge that whole list, and hand the identical merged result to every
+        rank of the *next* run — regardless of whether the rank count grew,
+        shrank, or stayed the same. There is no pairwise or subset merging
+        step, because each split's exact position is only known to whichever
+        rank owned that split, and the elementwise maximum needs every rank's
+        contribution to be correct.
+
+        For example, checkpointing 8 ranks and resuming on 4 (the same
+        pattern applies when growing, e.g. 4 ranks resuming on 8)::
+
+            states = [ds.state_dict() for ds in previous_run_datasets]  # 8
+            merged = StreamingDataset.merge_state_dicts(states)
+            for ds in resumed_datasets:  # now only 4 ranks
+                ds.load_state_dict(merged)  # same dict on every rank
+
+        The rank count on either side never affects the merge itself, since
+        ``merge_state_dicts`` only cares about the list of states it is
+        given.  Each split's position is recovered by elementwise maximum;
+        here rank 0 owned split 0 (and skipped two rows there) while rank 1
+        owned split 1 (and skipped one row):
+
+        >>> rank0 = {
+        ...     "shuffle_seed": 0, "num_splits": 2, "epoch": 0,
+        ...     "samples_consumed_per_split": [3, 3],
+        ...     "positions_consumed_per_split": [5, 3],
+        ... }
+        >>> rank1 = {
+        ...     "shuffle_seed": 0, "num_splits": 2, "epoch": 0,
+        ...     "samples_consumed_per_split": [3, 3],
+        ...     "positions_consumed_per_split": [3, 4],
+        ... }
+        >>> merged = StreamingDataset.merge_state_dicts([rank0, rank1])
+        >>> merged["positions_consumed_per_split"]
+        [5, 4]
+        """
+        if not states:
+            raise ValueError("merge_state_dicts requires at least one state dict")
+        first = states[0]
+        for state in states[1:]:
+            for key in ("shuffle_seed", "num_splits", "epoch"):
+                if state[key] != first[key]:
+                    raise ValueError(
+                        f"{key} mismatch across state dicts: "
+                        f"{state[key]} != {first[key]}"
+                    )
+            if (
+                state["samples_consumed_per_split"]
+                != first["samples_consumed_per_split"]
+            ):
+                raise ValueError(
+                    "samples_consumed_per_split mismatch across state dicts; "
+                    "state_dict() must be called at the same global step "
+                    "boundary on every rank"
+                )
+        merged = dict(first)
+        all_positions = [
+            state.get(
+                "positions_consumed_per_split", state["samples_consumed_per_split"]
+            )
+            for state in states
+        ]
+        merged["positions_consumed_per_split"] = [
+            max(per_split) for per_split in zip(*all_positions)
+        ]
+        return merged
diff --git a/python/python/lancedb/table.py b/python/python/lancedb/table.py
index 59e2650eb..c566fc532 100644
--- a/python/python/lancedb/table.py
+++ b/python/python/lancedb/table.py
@@ -3976,6 +3976,28 @@ class LanceTable(Table):
         [`AsyncTable.get_lsm_write_spec`][lancedb.AsyncTable.get_lsm_write_spec]."""
         return LOOP.run(self._table.get_lsm_write_spec())
 
+    def checkpoint_lsm(self) -> None:
+        """Synchronous version of
+        [`AsyncTable.checkpoint_lsm`][lancedb.AsyncTable.checkpoint_lsm]."""
+        return LOOP.run(self._table.checkpoint_lsm())
+
+    def flush_lsm(self) -> None:
+        """Synchronous version of
+        [`AsyncTable.flush_lsm`][lancedb.AsyncTable.flush_lsm]."""
+        return LOOP.run(self._table.flush_lsm())
+
+    def compact_lsm(self) -> None:
+        """Synchronous version of
+        [`AsyncTable.compact_lsm`][lancedb.AsyncTable.compact_lsm]."""
+        return LOOP.run(self._table.compact_lsm())
+
+    def get_lsm_stats(self, *, include_generation_rows: bool = False) -> Optional[dict]:
+        """Synchronous version of
+        [`AsyncTable.get_lsm_stats`][lancedb.AsyncTable.get_lsm_stats]."""
+        return LOOP.run(
+            self._table.get_lsm_stats(include_generation_rows=include_generation_rows)
+        )
+
     def close_lsm_writers(self) -> None:
         """Close cached MemWAL shard writers. See
         [`AsyncTable.close_lsm_writers`][lancedb.AsyncTable.close_lsm_writers]."""
@@ -4654,6 +4676,13 @@ class AsyncTable:
         via [`set_unenforced_primary_key`]; bucket sharding additionally
         requires it to be the single column being bucketed.
 
+        By default the MemWAL maintains every index on the table, resolved
+        here — a snapshot, so an index created afterwards needs the spec unset
+        and set again. This fails if one cannot be maintained; name the set
+        with ``with_maintained_indexes`` to install anyway. That pins an exact
+        set (a still-building index is rejected, not omitted); ``[]`` maintains
+        none.
+
         Parameters
         ----------
         spec : LsmWriteSpec
@@ -4680,12 +4709,73 @@ class AsyncTable:
 
         Returns ``None`` when the MemWAL LSM write path is not enabled (no
         spec has been set, or it was removed with `unset_lsm_write_spec`).
-        The returned spec — including its ``maintained_indexes`` and
-        ``writer_config_defaults`` — mirrors what was passed to
-        `set_lsm_write_spec`.
+        The returned spec mirrors what was passed to `set_lsm_write_spec`,
+        except that ``maintained_indexes`` always reports the concrete list
+        resolved when the spec was set — ``None`` never round-trips.
         """
         return await self._inner.get_lsm_write_spec()
 
+    async def checkpoint_lsm(self) -> None:
+        """Converge this table's LSM write path into its base table.
+
+        One flush, sealing every memtable into L0, then compaction triggers
+        until every generation that existed at that moment has reached base.
+        The loop runs client-side, reading progress from ``get_lsm_stats``.
+
+        Best-effort: generations created *while* it runs are deliberately not
+        waited on, which is what lets it terminate on a table taking writes.
+        Idempotent and safe on a cadence.
+
+        There is no deadline, and the caller owns that. It returns when the
+        target generations are gone, raises on a terminal server fault, and
+        otherwise waits however long the server takes. A slow table and a
+        stuck one are the same picture from the client: the compactor pool is
+        shared across every table on the node, so a checkpoint queued behind
+        unrelated work looks exactly like one that is merging. Wrap this in
+        ``asyncio.wait_for`` for a wall-clock bound; abandoning it partway
+        costs nothing.
+        """
+        return await self._inner.checkpoint_lsm()
+
+    async def flush_lsm(self) -> None:
+        """Seal every bucket's active memtable into L0.
+
+        Does not touch the base table — moving L0 into base is
+        `compact_lsm`. On a node that has not claimed this table, this claims
+        it and replays its WAL log first.
+        """
+        return await self._inner.flush_lsm()
+
+    async def compact_lsm(self) -> None:
+        """Trigger a background L0 to base compaction pass per bucket.
+
+        Returns once the passes are dispatched, not once they finish: watch
+        ``get_lsm_stats`` for progress, or use ``checkpoint_lsm`` to loop
+        until the current L0 has reached base.
+        """
+        return await self._inner.compact_lsm()
+
+    async def get_lsm_stats(
+        self, *, include_generation_rows: bool = False
+    ) -> Optional[dict]:
+        """Read live per-bucket LSM state.
+
+        Answers "how far behind is my fresh tier", "which bucket is hot", and
+        "why is my fresh-tier vector search brute-force". Mutates no table
+        state, though on a node that has not claimed this table it claims it,
+        exactly as a read would.
+
+        Returns ``None`` only when the LSM write path is not enabled.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        include_generation_rows
+            Report a row count per L0 generation. Off by default: each count
+            opens an uncached Lance dataset, and ``checkpoint_lsm`` polls this
+            needing only generation numbers.
+        """
+        return await self._inner.get_lsm_stats(include_generation_rows)
+
     async def close_lsm_writers(self) -> None:
         """Drain and close any cached MemWAL shard writers for this table.
 
@@ -6251,7 +6341,9 @@ class TableStatistics:
     Attributes
     ----------
     total_bytes: int
-        The total number of bytes in the table.
+        The total size, in bytes, of the table's data files, index files, and
+        overlay files. Read from the manifest, so this excludes deletion files
+        and manifests.
     num_rows: int
         The total number of rows in the table.
     num_indices: int
diff --git a/python/python/tests/test_elastic_dataloader.py b/python/python/tests/test_elastic_dataloader.py
index 22918082b..734f835c6 100644
--- a/python/python/tests/test_elastic_dataloader.py
+++ b/python/python/tests/test_elastic_dataloader.py
@@ -1456,6 +1456,408 @@ def test_shuffle_clump_size_yields_all_rows(lance_table):
     )
 
 
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# on_transform_error tests
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+class BadRowError(ValueError):
+    """Raised by the failing transforms below when a batch contains a bad id."""
+
+
+def _failing_transform(bad_ids: set):
+    """A transform that raises BadRowError whenever the batch has a bad id.
+
+    Raises on the full batch and on any single-row slice containing a bad id,
+    so per-row isolation drops exactly the bad rows.
+    """
+
+    def transform(batch: pa.RecordBatch) -> list:
+        ids = batch.column("id").to_pylist()
+        bad = sorted(set(ids) & bad_ids)
+        if bad:
+            raise BadRowError(f"bad ids in batch: {bad}")
+        return [{"id": i} for i in ids]
+
+    return transform
+
+
+def _sequential_split_members(table) -> list[list[int]]:
+    """Return each split's ids in yield order for shuffle=False.
+
+    With a single rank and no workers the round-robin yields one row per split
+    per cycle, so item k of a clean run belongs to split k % NUM_SPLITS.
+    """
+    ds = StreamingDataset(table, num_splits=NUM_SPLITS, shuffle=False)
+    members: list[list[int]] = [[] for _ in range(NUM_SPLITS)]
+    for k, row in enumerate(ds):
+        members[k % NUM_SPLITS].append(row["id"])
+    return members
+
+
+def test_on_transform_error_default_raises(lance_table):
+    """By default a transform exception propagates and aborts iteration."""
+    ds = StreamingDataset(
+        lance_table,
+        num_splits=NUM_SPLITS,
+        shuffle_seed=SHUFFLE_SEED,
+        transform=_failing_transform({7}),
+    )
+    with pytest.raises(BadRowError):
+        list(ds)
+
+
+def test_on_transform_error_invalid_value(lance_table):
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="on_transform_error"):
+        StreamingDataset(lance_table, num_splits=NUM_SPLITS, on_transform_error="bogus")
+
+
+def test_on_transform_error_skip_drops_bad_rows(lance_table):
+    """With one bad row per split, 'skip' yields every good row exactly once
+    and counts the dropped rows in rows_skipped."""
+    members = _sequential_split_members(lance_table)
+    bad_ids = {members[i][4] for i in range(NUM_SPLITS)}
+
+    ds = StreamingDataset(
+        lance_table,
+        num_splits=NUM_SPLITS,
+        shuffle=False,
+        transform=_failing_transform(bad_ids),
+        on_transform_error="skip",
+    )
+    assert ds.rows_skipped == 0
+
+    ids = [row["id"] for row in ds]
+
+    assert sorted(ids) == sorted(set(range(NUM_ROWS)) - bad_ids)
+    assert ds.rows_skipped == NUM_SPLITS
+
+
+def test_on_transform_error_skip_uneven_ends_at_last_complete_cycle(lance_table):
+    """When one split loses more rows than the others, the epoch ends at the
+    last cycle where every split still has a row — no crash, no bad rows, and
+    every step remains one sample per split."""
+    members = _sequential_split_members(lance_table)
+    bad_ids = set(members[0][:3])  # all 3 bad rows in split 0
+
+    ds = StreamingDataset(
+        lance_table,
+        num_splits=NUM_SPLITS,
+        shuffle=False,
+        transform=_failing_transform(bad_ids),
+        on_transform_error="skip",
+    )
+    items = [row["id"] for row in ds]
+
+    rows_per_split = NUM_ROWS // NUM_SPLITS
+    expected_cycles = rows_per_split - len(bad_ids)
+    assert len(items) == expected_cycles * NUM_SPLITS
+    assert len(set(items)) == len(items), "duplicate samples yielded"
+    assert not set(items) & bad_ids, "a bad row was yielded"
+    # Split 0 contributed exactly its surviving rows, in order, one per cycle.
+    survivors = [i for i in members[0] if i not in bad_ids]
+    assert items[0::NUM_SPLITS] == survivors[:expected_cycles]
+
+
+def test_on_transform_error_warn_logs(lance_table, caplog):
+    """'warn' skips like 'skip' but logs a warning for the failing batch."""
+    members = _sequential_split_members(lance_table)
+    bad_ids = {members[i][3] for i in range(NUM_SPLITS)}
+
+    ds = StreamingDataset(
+        lance_table,
+        num_splits=NUM_SPLITS,
+        shuffle=False,
+        transform=_failing_transform(bad_ids),
+        on_transform_error="warn",
+    )
+    with caplog.at_level(logging.WARNING, logger="lancedb.streaming"):
+        items = list(ds)
+
+    assert len(items) == NUM_ROWS - NUM_SPLITS
+    assert ds.rows_skipped == NUM_SPLITS
+    assert "Skipped" in caplog.text
+    assert "BadRowError" in caplog.text
+
+
+def test_on_transform_error_callable_selective(lance_table):
+    """A callable handler can skip expected errors and re-raise the rest."""
+    members = _sequential_split_members(lance_table)
+    bad_ids = {members[i][0] for i in range(NUM_SPLITS)}
+
+    handled: list[Exception] = []
+
+    def handler(exc: Exception) -> bool:
+        handled.append(exc)
+        return isinstance(exc, BadRowError)
+
+    ds = StreamingDataset(
+        lance_table,
+        num_splits=NUM_SPLITS,
+        shuffle=False,
+        transform=_failing_transform(bad_ids),
+        on_transform_error=handler,
+    )
+    items = list(ds)
+    assert len(items) == NUM_ROWS - NUM_SPLITS
+    assert handled and all(isinstance(exc, BadRowError) for exc in handled)
+
+    def broken_transform(batch: pa.RecordBatch) -> list:
+        raise TypeError("boom")
+
+    ds2 = StreamingDataset(
+        lance_table,
+        num_splits=NUM_SPLITS,
+        shuffle=False,
+        transform=broken_transform,
+        on_transform_error=handler,
+    )
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError, match="boom"):
+        list(ds2)
+
+
+def test_transform_wrong_row_count_raises(lance_table):
+    """A transform that returns the wrong number of rows is an error even with
+    on_transform_error='skip' — silent shrinkage would corrupt accounting."""
+
+    def drops_rows(batch: pa.RecordBatch) -> list:
+        return batch.column("id").to_pylist()[:-1]
+
+    ds = StreamingDataset(
+        lance_table,
+        num_splits=NUM_SPLITS,
+        shuffle_seed=SHUFFLE_SEED,
+        transform=drops_rows,
+        on_transform_error="skip",
+    )
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="one output row per input row"):
+        list(ds)
+
+
+def test_skip_deterministic_across_runs(lance_table):
+    """With a fixed seed, skipping produces the identical sample sequence on
+    every run — skips are data-dependent, not run-dependent."""
+    bad_ids = {5, 17, 46}
+
+    def run() -> tuple[list[int], int]:
+        ds = StreamingDataset(
+            lance_table,
+            num_splits=NUM_SPLITS,
+            shuffle_seed=SHUFFLE_SEED,
+            transform=_failing_transform(bad_ids),
+            on_transform_error="skip",
+        )
+        return [row["id"] for row in ds], ds.rows_skipped
+
+    ids_a, skipped_a = run()
+    ids_b, skipped_b = run()
+    assert ids_a == ids_b
+    assert skipped_a == skipped_b
+    assert not set(ids_a) & bad_ids
+
+
+def test_skip_elastic_det_across_world_sizes(lance_table):
+    """With equal bad-row counts per split, skipping preserves the full
+    elastic-determinism guarantee: identical global batches at every step for
+    every compatible world_size."""
+    members = _sequential_split_members(lance_table)
+    bad_ids = {members[i][6] for i in range(NUM_SPLITS)}
+
+    def collect(world_size: int) -> list[frozenset[int]]:
+        micro = GLOBAL_BATCH_SIZE // world_size
+        iters = [
+            iter(
+                StreamingDataset(
+                    lance_table,
+                    num_splits=NUM_SPLITS,
+                    shuffle=False,
+                    rank=rank,
+                    world_size=world_size,
+                    transform=_failing_transform(bad_ids),
+                    on_transform_error="skip",
+                )
+            )
+            for rank in range(world_size)
+        ]
+        _STOP = object()
+        batches: list[frozenset[int]] = []
+        while True:
+            step_samples: set[int] = set()
+            exhausted = 0
+            for it in iters:
+                for _ in range(micro):
+                    val = next(it, _STOP)
+                    if val is _STOP:
+                        exhausted += 1
+                        break
+                    step_samples.add(val["id"])
+            if exhausted == len(iters):
+                break
+            assert exhausted == 0, (
+                "Rank iterators exhausted at different steps despite equal "
+                "bad-row counts per split"
+            )
+            batches.append(frozenset(step_samples))
+        return batches
+
+    reference = collect(1)
+    assert len(reference) == NUM_ROWS // NUM_SPLITS - 1
+    for ws in (2, 3, 4):
+        assert collect(ws) == reference, f"world_size={ws} diverged"
+
+
+def test_resumability_with_skips_same_topology(lance_table):
+    """Checkpointing mid-epoch with skipped rows resumes exactly: no sample
+    repeated, no sample lost, skipped rows stay skipped."""
+    members = _sequential_split_members(lance_table)
+    # Uneven skips: positions diverge across splits (2 bad in split 0, 1 in
+    # split 5), which only a position-based checkpoint can resume exactly.
+    bad_ids = {members[0][2], members[0][3], members[5][7]}
+    kwargs = dict(
+        num_splits=NUM_SPLITS,
+        shuffle=False,
+        transform=_failing_transform(bad_ids),
+        on_transform_error="skip",
+    )
+
+    reference = [row["id"] for row in StreamingDataset(lance_table, **kwargs)]
+    rows_per_split = NUM_ROWS // NUM_SPLITS
+    assert len(reference) == (rows_per_split - 2) * NUM_SPLITS
+
+    steps = 3
+    ds = StreamingDataset(lance_table, **kwargs)
+    it = iter(ds)
+    consumed = [next(it)["id"] for _ in range(steps * NUM_SPLITS)]
+    checkpoint = ds.state_dict()
+    it.close()
+
+    # Split 0 skipped positions 2 and 3 within its first 3 yields; split 5's
+    # bad row is beyond the checkpoint.  Everything else is at 3 = the sample
+    # count.
+    positions = checkpoint["positions_consumed_per_split"]
+    assert positions[0] == 5
+    assert positions[1:] == [3] * (NUM_SPLITS - 1)
+    assert checkpoint["samples_consumed_per_split"] == [3] * NUM_SPLITS
+
+    ds2 = StreamingDataset(lance_table, **kwargs)
+    ds2.load_state_dict(checkpoint)
+    resumed = [row["id"] for row in ds2]
+
+    assert consumed == reference[: steps * NUM_SPLITS]
+    assert resumed == reference[steps * NUM_SPLITS :]
+
+
+def test_resumability_with_skips_elastic_merge(lance_table):
+    """Elastic resume with skips: each rank's checkpoint knows exact positions
+    only for its own splits; merge_state_dicts recovers the global state, and
+    a run on a different world_size continues exactly."""
+    members = _sequential_split_members(lance_table)
+    # Bad rows early in split 0 (rank 0) and split 6 (rank 1 of a ws=2 run) so
+    # both ranks' position vectors diverge before the checkpoint.
+    bad_ids = {members[0][0], members[0][2], members[6][1]}
+    kwargs = dict(
+        num_splits=NUM_SPLITS,
+        shuffle=False,
+        transform=_failing_transform(bad_ids),
+        on_transform_error="skip",
+    )
+
+    reference = [row["id"] for row in StreamingDataset(lance_table, **kwargs)]
+
+    steps = 3
+    world_size = 2
+    micro = GLOBAL_BATCH_SIZE // world_size
+    datasets = [
+        StreamingDataset(lance_table, rank=rank, world_size=world_size, **kwargs)
+        for rank in range(world_size)
+    ]
+    iters = [iter(ds) for ds in datasets]
+    seen: list[frozenset[int]] = []
+    for _ in range(steps):
+        step_samples = set()
+        for it in iters:
+            for _ in range(micro):
+                step_samples.add(next(it)["id"])
+        seen.append(frozenset(step_samples))
+    states = [ds.state_dict() for ds in datasets]
+    for it in iters:
+        it.close()
+
+    merged = StreamingDataset.merge_state_dicts(states)
+    expected_positions = [3] * NUM_SPLITS
+    expected_positions[0] = 5  # skipped positions 0 and 2
+    expected_positions[6] = 4  # skipped position 1
+    assert merged["positions_consumed_per_split"] == expected_positions
+
+    # The first 3 global batches match the world_size=1 reference.
+    ref_batches = [
+        frozenset(reference[s * NUM_SPLITS : (s + 1) * NUM_SPLITS])
+        for s in range(len(reference) // NUM_SPLITS)
+    ]
+    assert seen == ref_batches[:steps]
+
+    # Resume on world_size=1 from the merged state.
+    ds_resume = StreamingDataset(lance_table, **kwargs)
+    ds_resume.load_state_dict(merged)
+    resumed = [row["id"] for row in ds_resume]
+    assert resumed == reference[steps * NUM_SPLITS :]
+
+
+def test_rows_skipped_flushed_when_split_entirely_bad(lance_table):
+    """A split whose rows all fail never completes a cycle, so the epoch ends
+    immediately — but rows_skipped must still report the drops after the
+    iterator exits (the shared-memory counter is flushed on exhaustion)."""
+    members = _sequential_split_members(lance_table)
+    bad_ids = set(members[0])  # every row of split 0 is bad
+
+    ds = StreamingDataset(
+        lance_table,
+        num_splits=NUM_SPLITS,
+        shuffle=False,
+        transform=_failing_transform(bad_ids),
+        on_transform_error="skip",
+    )
+    assert list(ds) == []
+    assert ds.rows_skipped == len(bad_ids)
+
+
+def test_merge_state_dicts_validates_consistency(lance_table):
+    ds = StreamingDataset(lance_table, num_splits=NUM_SPLITS, shuffle_seed=SHUFFLE_SEED)
+    state = ds.state_dict()
+    other = dict(state, shuffle_seed=SHUFFLE_SEED + 1)
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="shuffle_seed mismatch"):
+        StreamingDataset.merge_state_dicts([state, other])
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="at least one"):
+        StreamingDataset.merge_state_dicts([])
+
+
+def test_load_state_dict_without_positions_key(lance_table):
+    """Checkpoints from before positions_consumed_per_split existed still
+    resume exactly (positions equal sample counts when nothing is skipped)."""
+    reference = [
+        row["id"]
+        for row in StreamingDataset(
+            lance_table, num_splits=NUM_SPLITS, shuffle_seed=SHUFFLE_SEED
+        )
+    ]
+
+    steps = 4
+    ds = StreamingDataset(lance_table, num_splits=NUM_SPLITS, shuffle_seed=SHUFFLE_SEED)
+    it = iter(ds)
+    for _ in range(steps * NUM_SPLITS):
+        next(it)
+    checkpoint = ds.state_dict()
+    it.close()
+    del checkpoint["positions_consumed_per_split"]
+
+    ds2 = StreamingDataset(
+        lance_table, num_splits=NUM_SPLITS, shuffle_seed=SHUFFLE_SEED
+    )
+    ds2.load_state_dict(checkpoint)
+    resumed = [row["id"] for row in ds2]
+    assert resumed == reference[steps * NUM_SPLITS :]
+
+
 def test_num_splits_defaults_to_world_size(lance_table):
     """Omitting num_splits gives world_size splits (one per rank)."""
     ds = StreamingDataset(
diff --git a/python/python/tests/test_embeddings.py b/python/python/tests/test_embeddings.py
index 678270f19..9850669eb 100644
--- a/python/python/tests/test_embeddings.py
+++ b/python/python/tests/test_embeddings.py
@@ -631,3 +631,23 @@ def test_url_retrieve_downloads_image():
     image_bytes = url_retrieve(image_url)
     img = Image.open(io.BytesIO(image_bytes))
     assert img.size[0] > 0 and img.size[1] > 0
+
+
+def test_jina_generate_image_input_dict_local_path(tmp_path):
+    """
+    JinaEmbeddings._generate_image_input_dict must accept a local image path
+    (str or Path), not just bytes. Previously it crashed with
+    `AttributeError: 'function' object has no attribute 'urlparse'` on any
+    str/Path input because it called `urlparse.urlparse(image)` instead of
+    `urlparse(image)` (urlparse was imported as a function, not a module).
+    """
+    Image = pytest.importorskip("PIL.Image")
+    from lancedb.embeddings.jinaai import JinaEmbeddings
+
+    image_path = tmp_path / "test.png"
+    Image.new("RGB", (4, 4), color="red").save(image_path, format="PNG")
+
+    for image in (str(image_path), image_path):
+        image_dict = JinaEmbeddings._generate_image_input_dict(image)
+        assert "image" in image_dict
+        assert isinstance(image_dict["image"], str) and len(image_dict["image"]) > 0
diff --git a/python/python/tests/test_lsm_write_spec.py b/python/python/tests/test_lsm_write_spec.py
index d38918f09..218793b89 100644
--- a/python/python/tests/test_lsm_write_spec.py
+++ b/python/python/tests/test_lsm_write_spec.py
@@ -83,7 +83,9 @@ def test_lsm_write_spec_repr():
     assert s.spec_type == "bucket"
     assert s.column == "id"
     assert s.num_buckets == 4
-    assert s.maintained_indexes == []
+    # A fresh spec defers its maintained set to install time.
+    assert s.maintained_indexes is None
+    assert s.with_maintained_indexes([]).maintained_indexes == []
     assert "bucket" in repr(s)
     assert "id" in repr(s)
     assert "4" in repr(s)
@@ -169,18 +171,23 @@ def test_get_lsm_write_spec(tmp_path):
     table.unset_lsm_write_spec()
     assert table.get_lsm_write_spec() is None
 
-    # Identity round-trips (column recovered from the schema).
+    # Identity round-trips (column recovered from the schema). Leaving the
+    # maintained set to be inferred picks up the index on the table, so the
+    # spec reads back naming it rather than as "infer".
     table.set_lsm_write_spec(LsmWriteSpec.identity("id"))
     spec = table.get_lsm_write_spec()
     assert spec.spec_type == "identity"
     assert spec.column == "id"
+    assert spec.maintained_indexes == [idx_name]
     table.unset_lsm_write_spec()
 
-    # Unsharded round-trips (no routing column).
-    table.set_lsm_write_spec(LsmWriteSpec.unsharded())
+    # Unsharded round-trips (no routing column). Opting out is distinct from
+    # the inferred default.
+    table.set_lsm_write_spec(LsmWriteSpec.unsharded().with_maintained_indexes([]))
     spec = table.get_lsm_write_spec()
     assert spec.spec_type == "unsharded"
     assert spec.column is None
+    assert spec.maintained_indexes == []
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
diff --git a/python/python/tests/test_merge_insert_lsm.py b/python/python/tests/test_merge_insert_lsm.py
index 5674a05ab..e74c21589 100644
--- a/python/python/tests/test_merge_insert_lsm.py
+++ b/python/python/tests/test_merge_insert_lsm.py
@@ -544,7 +544,7 @@ def test_lsm_read_fts_unmaintained_index_errors(tmp_path):
     table.create_index("text", config=FTS())
     # No maintained indexes: the active memtable FTS arm cannot serve un-compacted
     # docs, so the search would silently omit them — reject instead.
-    table.set_lsm_write_spec(LsmWriteSpec.unsharded())
+    table.set_lsm_write_spec(LsmWriteSpec.unsharded().with_maintained_indexes([]))
     with pytest.raises(Exception, match="maintained"):
         table.search("fox", query_type="fts", fts_columns="text").to_arrow()
 
@@ -631,7 +631,7 @@ def test_lsm_read_vector_unmaintained_index_errors(tmp_path):
     )
     # Spec with NO maintained indexes: the base vector index's catch-up is untracked,
     # so the scanner rejects rather than risk dropping compacted-but-unindexed rows.
-    table.set_lsm_write_spec(LsmWriteSpec.unsharded())
+    table.set_lsm_write_spec(LsmWriteSpec.unsharded().with_maintained_indexes([]))
     with pytest.raises(Exception, match="maintained"):
         table.search([1.0] * VECTOR_DIM).to_arrow()
 
diff --git a/python/python/tests/test_table.py b/python/python/tests/test_table.py
index eb6eaefaa..2a069c712 100644
--- a/python/python/tests/test_table.py
+++ b/python/python/tests/test_table.py
@@ -3713,7 +3713,8 @@ def test_stats(mem_db: DBConnection):
     stats = table.stats()
     print(f"{stats=}")
     assert stats == {
-        "total_bytes": 60,
+        # Full on-disk size of the data file, footer and metadata included.
+        "total_bytes": 633,
         "num_rows": 2,
         "num_indices": 0,
         "fragment_stats": {
@@ -3731,6 +3732,13 @@ def test_stats(mem_db: DBConnection):
         },
     }
 
+    # Index files count toward total_bytes too (only deletion files and
+    # manifests are excluded).
+    table.create_index("id", config=BTree())
+    stats_with_index = table.stats()
+    assert stats_with_index["num_indices"] == 1
+    assert stats_with_index["total_bytes"] > stats["total_bytes"]
+
 
 def test_create_table_empty_list_with_schema(mem_db: DBConnection):
     """Test creating table with empty list data and schema
diff --git a/python/src/index.rs b/python/src/index.rs
index 8c81dcecf..dd362373e 100644
--- a/python/src/index.rs
+++ b/python/src/index.rs
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ struct IvfHnswFlatParams {
     target_partition_size: Option<u32>,
 }
 
-#[pyclass(get_all)]
+#[pyclass(module = "lancedb._lancedb", get_all)]
 /// A description of an index currently configured on a column
 pub struct IndexConfig {
     /// The type of the index
diff --git a/python/src/session.rs b/python/src/session.rs
index 891e61e44..4d58dd269 100644
--- a/python/src/session.rs
+++ b/python/src/session.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ use pyo3::{PyResult, pyclass, pymethods};
 /// Sessions allow you to configure cache sizes for index and metadata caches,
 /// which can significantly impact memory use and performance. They can
 /// also be re-used across multiple connections to share the same cache state.
-#[pyclass(from_py_object)]
+#[pyclass(module = "lancedb._lancedb", from_py_object)]
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct Session {
     pub(crate) inner: Arc<LanceSession>,
diff --git a/python/src/table.rs b/python/src/table.rs
index 5b5d6596a..cae6b5d9a 100644
--- a/python/src/table.rs
+++ b/python/src/table.rs
@@ -28,11 +28,72 @@ use pyo3::{
     Bound, FromPyObject, Py, PyAny, PyRef, PyResult, Python,
     exceptions::{PyRuntimeError, PyValueError},
     pyclass, pyfunction, pymethods,
-    types::{IntoPyDict, PyAnyMethods, PyBytes, PyDict, PyDictMethods},
+    types::{IntoPyDict, PyAnyMethods, PyBytes, PyDict, PyDictMethods, PyList, PyListMethods},
 };
 
 mod scannable;
 
+/// Convert `LsmStats` to a Python dict, preserving the per-bucket list.
+///
+/// Deliberately not flattened to a table-level summary: a table is N
+/// buckets on one node, and the per-bucket detail is the reason the
+/// endpoint exists — flattening hides the single hot bucket someone opened
+/// it to find.
+fn lsm_stats_to_py(py: Python<'_>, stats: &lancedb::table::LsmStats) -> PyResult<Py<PyDict>> {
+    let out = PyDict::new(py);
+    let buckets = PyList::empty(py);
+    for b in &stats.buckets {
+        let e = PyDict::new(py);
+        e.set_item("shard_id", &b.shard_id)?;
+        e.set_item("status", &b.status)?;
+        e.set_item("writer_epoch", b.writer_epoch)?;
+        e.set_item("manifest_version", b.manifest_version)?;
+        e.set_item("current_generation", b.current_generation)?;
+        e.set_item(
+            "replay_after_wal_entry_position",
+            b.replay_after_wal_entry_position,
+        )?;
+        e.set_item(
+            "wal_entry_position_last_seen",
+            b.wal_entry_position_last_seen,
+        )?;
+
+        let generations = PyList::empty(py);
+        for g in &b.generations {
+            let ge = PyDict::new(py);
+            ge.set_item("generation", g.generation)?;
+            ge.set_item("bytes", g.bytes)?;
+            ge.set_item("rows", g.rows)?;
+            generations.append(ge)?;
+        }
+        e.set_item("generations", generations)?;
+        e.set_item("compacting", b.compacting)?;
+
+        e.set_item(
+            "memtables",
+            b.memtables
+                .as_ref()
+                .map(|ms| {
+                    let l = PyList::empty(py);
+                    for m in ms {
+                        let d = PyDict::new(py);
+                        d.set_item("generation", m.generation)?;
+                        d.set_item("rows", m.rows)?;
+                        d.set_item("bytes", m.bytes)?;
+                        d.set_item("batches", m.batches)?;
+                        d.set_item("indexes", m.indexes.clone())?;
+                        l.append(d)?;
+                    }
+                    PyResult::Ok(l.unbind())
+                })
+                .transpose()?,
+        )?;
+        buckets.append(e)?;
+    }
+    out.set_item("buckets", buckets)?;
+    Ok(out.unbind())
+}
+
 #[derive(FromPyObject)]
 enum PredicateArg {
     Expr(PyExpr),
@@ -185,12 +246,22 @@ impl From<lancedb::table::MergeResult> for MergeResult {
     }
 }
 
+/// Render for `__repr__`, so the default reads as Python's `None` rather than
+/// Rust's `Some([..])`.
+fn fmt_maintained(maintained: &Option<Vec<String>>) -> String {
+    match maintained {
+        Some(names) => format!("{:?}", names),
+        None => "None".to_string(),
+    }
+}
+
 /// Specification selecting Lance's MemWAL LSM-style write path for
 /// `merge_insert`.
 ///
 /// Constructed via the `bucket(...)`, `identity(...)`, or `unsharded()`
 /// classmethods, then optionally chain `with_maintained_indexes(...)` and
-/// `with_writer_config_defaults(...)`.
+/// `with_writer_config_defaults(...)`. A fresh spec maintains every index the
+/// MemWAL supports, resolved on install.
 #[pyclass(from_py_object)]
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub struct LsmWriteSpec {
@@ -230,11 +301,11 @@ impl LsmWriteSpec {
         }
     }
 
-    /// Replace the list of indexes the MemWAL should keep up to date as
-    /// rows are appended. Each name must reference an index that
-    /// already exists on the table at the time `set_lsm_write_spec`
-    /// is called.
-    pub fn with_maintained_indexes(&self, indexes: Vec<String>) -> Self {
+    /// Set which indexes the MemWAL maintains. `None` (the default)
+    /// resolves every supported index on install; a list is verbatim,
+    /// and an empty list maintains nothing.
+    #[pyo3(signature = (indexes))]
+    pub fn with_maintained_indexes(&self, indexes: Option<Vec<String>>) -> Self {
         Self {
             inner: self.inner.clone().with_maintained_indexes(indexes),
         }
@@ -256,23 +327,29 @@ impl LsmWriteSpec {
                 maintained_indexes,
                 writer_config_defaults,
             } => format!(
-                "LsmWriteSpec.bucket(column={:?}, num_buckets={}, maintained_indexes={:?}, writer_config_defaults={:?})",
-                column, num_buckets, maintained_indexes, writer_config_defaults,
+                "LsmWriteSpec.bucket(column={:?}, num_buckets={}, maintained_indexes={}, writer_config_defaults={:?})",
+                column,
+                num_buckets,
+                fmt_maintained(maintained_indexes),
+                writer_config_defaults,
             ),
             lancedb::table::LsmWriteSpec::Identity {
                 column,
                 maintained_indexes,
                 writer_config_defaults,
             } => format!(
-                "LsmWriteSpec.identity(column={:?}, maintained_indexes={:?}, writer_config_defaults={:?})",
-                column, maintained_indexes, writer_config_defaults,
+                "LsmWriteSpec.identity(column={:?}, maintained_indexes={}, writer_config_defaults={:?})",
+                column,
+                fmt_maintained(maintained_indexes),
+                writer_config_defaults,
             ),
             lancedb::table::LsmWriteSpec::Unsharded {
                 maintained_indexes,
                 writer_config_defaults,
             } => format!(
-                "LsmWriteSpec.unsharded(maintained_indexes={:?}, writer_config_defaults={:?})",
-                maintained_indexes, writer_config_defaults,
+                "LsmWriteSpec.unsharded(maintained_indexes={}, writer_config_defaults={:?})",
+                fmt_maintained(maintained_indexes),
+                writer_config_defaults,
             ),
         }
     }
@@ -307,10 +384,10 @@ impl LsmWriteSpec {
         }
     }
 
-    /// Names of indexes the MemWAL should keep up to date during writes.
+    /// Indexes the MemWAL keeps up to date, or `None` for every supported one.
     #[getter]
-    pub fn maintained_indexes(&self) -> Vec<String> {
-        self.inner.maintained_indexes().to_vec()
+    pub fn maintained_indexes(&self) -> Option<Vec<String>> {
+        self.inner.maintained_indexes().map(<[String]>::to_vec)
     }
 
     /// Default `ShardWriter` configuration recorded by this spec.
@@ -502,7 +579,7 @@ impl PyBlobFile {
     }
 }
 
-#[pyclass(get_all, from_py_object)]
+#[pyclass(module = "lancedb._lancedb", get_all, from_py_object)]
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub struct FtsToken {
     pub text: String,
@@ -1339,6 +1416,51 @@ impl Table {
         })
     }
 
+    /// Converge the table's LSM write path into its base table.
+    ///
+    /// Best-effort: with writes flowing, new rows may land after the last
+    /// pass. Errors if the table stops making progress.
+    pub fn checkpoint_lsm(self_: PyRef<'_, Self>) -> PyResult<Bound<'_, PyAny>> {
+        let inner = self_.inner_ref()?.clone();
+        future_into_py(self_.py(), async move {
+            inner.checkpoint_lsm().await.infer_error()
+        })
+    }
+
+    /// Seal every bucket's active memtable into L0.
+    pub fn flush_lsm(self_: PyRef<'_, Self>) -> PyResult<Bound<'_, PyAny>> {
+        let inner = self_.inner_ref()?.clone();
+        future_into_py(
+            self_.py(),
+            async move { inner.flush_lsm().await.infer_error() },
+        )
+    }
+
+    /// Trigger a background L0 → base pass per bucket. Returns once the
+    /// passes are dispatched, not once they finish — watch `get_lsm_stats`.
+    pub fn compact_lsm(self_: PyRef<'_, Self>) -> PyResult<Bound<'_, PyAny>> {
+        let inner = self_.inner_ref()?.clone();
+        future_into_py(self_.py(), async move {
+            inner.compact_lsm().await.infer_error()
+        })
+    }
+
+    /// Live LSM state, or `None` when the LSM write path is not enabled.
+    #[pyo3(signature = (include_generation_rows=false))]
+    pub fn get_lsm_stats(
+        self_: PyRef<'_, Self>,
+        include_generation_rows: bool,
+    ) -> PyResult<Bound<'_, PyAny>> {
+        let inner = self_.inner_ref()?.clone();
+        future_into_py(self_.py(), async move {
+            let stats = inner
+                .get_lsm_stats(include_generation_rows)
+                .await
+                .infer_error()?;
+            Python::attach(|py| stats.map(|s| lsm_stats_to_py(py, &s)).transpose())
+        })
+    }
+
     pub fn close_lsm_writers(self_: PyRef<'_, Self>) -> PyResult<Bound<'_, PyAny>> {
         let inner = self_.inner_ref()?.clone();
         future_into_py(self_.py(), async move {
diff --git a/rust/lancedb/Cargo.toml b/rust/lancedb/Cargo.toml
index 96ea9ec95..23dc86e15 100644
--- a/rust/lancedb/Cargo.toml
+++ b/rust/lancedb/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "lancedb"
-version = "0.37.1-beta.0"
+version = "0.37.1-beta.1"
 edition.workspace = true
 description = "LanceDB: A serverless, low-latency vector database for AI applications"
 license.workspace = true
@@ -49,8 +49,6 @@ lance-namespace = { workspace = true }
 lance-namespace-impls = { workspace = true }
 metrics = { workspace = true, optional = true }
 metrics-util = { workspace = true, optional = true }
-# Pin the GooseFS SDK to the version required by Lance's OpenDAL dependency.
-goosefs-sdk = { version = "=0.1.9", optional = true }
 moka = { workspace = true }
 pin-project = { workspace = true }
 tokio = { version = "1.23", features = ["rt-multi-thread", "sync"] }
@@ -100,7 +98,8 @@ anyhow = "1"
 lance-testing = { workspace = true }
 tempfile = "3.5.0"
 random_word = { version = "0.4.3", features = ["en"] }
-tokio = { version = "1.23", features = ["io-util", "macros", "net", "rt-multi-thread", "sync"] }
+roaring = "0.11.4"
+tokio = { version = "1.23", features = ["io-util", "macros", "net", "rt-multi-thread", "sync", "test-util"] }
 uuid = { version = "1.7.0", features = ["v4"] }
 walkdir = "2"
 aws-sdk-dynamodb = { version = "1.55.0" }
@@ -135,7 +134,6 @@ azure = [
 ]
 cos = ["lance/tencent", "lance-io/tencent"]
 goosefs = [
-    "dep:goosefs-sdk",
     "lance/goosefs",
     "lance-io/goosefs",
     "lance-namespace-impls/dir-goosefs",
@@ -190,6 +188,9 @@ required-features = ["bedrock"]
 [[example]]
 name = "bench_streaming_dataloader"
 
+[[example]]
+name = "bench_open_missing_table"
+
 [[example]]
 name = "simple"
 
diff --git a/rust/lancedb/examples/bench_open_missing_table.rs b/rust/lancedb/examples/bench_open_missing_table.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8e6b16e11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rust/lancedb/examples/bench_open_missing_table.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,150 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright The LanceDB Authors
+
+// Release benchmark for opening a missing table as sibling-table cardinality grows.
+//
+// The fixture uses real `.lance` directories and marker files. Fixture creation is
+// outside the timed section. Defaults intentionally cover 1k, 10k, and 100k siblings
+// with 10 warmups and 100 distinct missing-table opens per scale:
+//
+// ```text
+// cargo run --release -p lancedb --example bench_open_missing_table
+// ```
+//
+// `BENCH_SIBLINGS`, `BENCH_WARMUPS`, and `BENCH_TRIALS` override those defaults.
+// Reduced settings are useful only as a smoke test. Performance comparisons require
+// the same machine, filesystem, fixture sizes, settings, lockfile, and alternating
+// baseline/candidate execution order.
+
+use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
+
+use anyhow::{Context, Result, bail};
+use lancedb::connection::Connection;
+use lancedb::{Error, connect};
+use object_store::ObjectStoreExt as _;
+use object_store::path::Path;
+
+const MAX_SIBLINGS: usize = 1_000_000;
+const MAX_WARMUPS: usize = 10_000;
+const MAX_TRIALS: usize = 100_000;
+
+fn env_usize(key: &str, default: usize, max: usize) -> Result<usize> {
+    let value = match std::env::var(key) {
+        Ok(value) => value
+            .parse()
+            .with_context(|| format!("invalid {key} value: {value}"))?,
+        Err(std::env::VarError::NotPresent) => default,
+        Err(error) => return Err(error).with_context(|| format!("reading {key}")),
+    };
+    if value == 0 || value > max {
+        bail!("{key} must be between 1 and {max}");
+    }
+    Ok(value)
+}
+
+fn sibling_counts() -> Result<Vec<usize>> {
+    let raw = std::env::var("BENCH_SIBLINGS").unwrap_or_else(|_| "1000,10000,100000".into());
+    let mut counts = raw
+        .split(',')
+        .map(|value| {
+            value
+                .trim()
+                .parse::<usize>()
+                .with_context(|| format!("invalid BENCH_SIBLINGS value: {value}"))
+        })
+        .collect::<Result<Vec<_>>>()?;
+    counts.sort_unstable();
+    counts.dedup();
+    if counts.is_empty() || counts[0] == 0 || counts[counts.len() - 1] > MAX_SIBLINGS {
+        bail!("BENCH_SIBLINGS values must be between 1 and {MAX_SIBLINGS}");
+    }
+    Ok(counts)
+}
+
+async fn add_siblings(
+    store: &object_store::local::LocalFileSystem,
+    start: usize,
+    end: usize,
+) -> Result<()> {
+    for index in start..end {
+        let marker = Path::from(format!("sibling_{index:06}.lance/_marker"));
+        store
+            .put(&marker, bytes::Bytes::new().into())
+            .await
+            .with_context(|| format!("creating benchmark marker {marker}"))?;
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+async fn time_missing_open(db: &Connection, name: &str) -> Result<Duration> {
+    let started = Instant::now();
+    let result = db.open_table(name).execute().await;
+    let elapsed = started.elapsed();
+    match result {
+        Err(Error::TableNotFound { .. }) => Ok(elapsed),
+        Err(error) => bail!("expected TableNotFound for {name}, got {error:?}"),
+        Ok(_) => bail!("benchmark missing-table name unexpectedly exists: {name}"),
+    }
+}
+
+fn percentile(sorted: &[Duration], percentile: usize) -> Duration {
+    let rank = (sorted.len() * percentile).div_ceil(100).saturating_sub(1);
+    sorted[rank]
+}
+
+#[tokio::main]
+async fn main() -> Result<()> {
+    let counts = sibling_counts()?;
+    let warmups = env_usize("BENCH_WARMUPS", 10, MAX_WARMUPS)?;
+    let trials = env_usize("BENCH_TRIALS", 100, MAX_TRIALS)?;
+
+    let fixture = tempfile::tempdir().context("creating benchmark fixture")?;
+    let database_path = fixture.path();
+    let fixture_store = object_store::local::LocalFileSystem::new_with_prefix(database_path)
+        .context("creating benchmark object store")?;
+    let db = connect(database_path.to_str().context("non-UTF-8 fixture path")?)
+        .execute()
+        .await?;
+
+    println!(
+        "config: siblings={counts:?} warmups={warmups} trials={trials} profile={} os={} arch={}",
+        if cfg!(debug_assertions) {
+            "debug"
+        } else {
+            "release"
+        },
+        std::env::consts::OS,
+        std::env::consts::ARCH,
+    );
+    println!("lower is better; fixture setup and teardown are excluded");
+    println!("| siblings | samples | p50 | p95 | max |");
+    println!("| ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |");
+
+    let mut created = 0;
+    for sibling_count in counts {
+        add_siblings(&fixture_store, created, sibling_count).await?;
+        created = sibling_count;
+
+        for index in 0..warmups {
+            let name = format!("__missing_warmup_{sibling_count}_{index}");
+            let _ = time_missing_open(&db, &name).await?;
+        }
+
+        let mut samples = Vec::with_capacity(trials);
+        for index in 0..trials {
+            let name = format!("__missing_trial_{sibling_count}_{index}");
+            samples.push(time_missing_open(&db, &name).await?);
+        }
+        samples.sort_unstable();
+
+        println!(
+            "| {sibling_count} | {} | {:?} | {:?} | {:?} |",
+            samples.len(),
+            percentile(&samples, 50),
+            percentile(&samples, 95),
+            samples[samples.len() - 1],
+        );
+    }
+
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/rust/lancedb/src/blob.rs b/rust/lancedb/src/blob.rs
index e1c18dd84..d59123ec3 100644
--- a/rust/lancedb/src/blob.rs
+++ b/rust/lancedb/src/blob.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ use arrow_array::builder::LargeBinaryBuilder;
 use arrow_schema::{DataType, Field, Schema};
 use lance::dataset::{BlobRangeRequest as LanceBlobRangeRequest, Dataset, WriteParams};
 use lance_arrow::FieldExt;
-use lance_file::version::LanceFileVersion;
+use lance_file::version::{ConcreteFileVersion, LanceFileVersion};
 use lance_io::object_store::ObjectStore;
 use object_store::path::Path;
 
@@ -333,7 +333,10 @@ pub(crate) fn ensure_blob_storage_version(schema: &Schema, params: &mut WritePar
         .data_storage_version
         .unwrap_or(LanceFileVersion::Stable)
         .resolve();
-    if resolved < LanceFileVersion::V2_2 {
+    if matches!(
+        resolved,
+        ConcreteFileVersion::V1 | ConcreteFileVersion::V2_0 | ConcreteFileVersion::V2_1
+    ) {
         params.data_storage_version = Some(LanceFileVersion::V2_2);
     }
 }
@@ -499,7 +502,7 @@ mod tests {
         ensure_blob_storage_version(&blob_schema(), &mut params);
         assert_eq!(
             params.data_storage_version.unwrap().resolve(),
-            LanceFileVersion::V2_2
+            ConcreteFileVersion::V2_2
         );
     }
 
@@ -512,7 +515,7 @@ mod tests {
         ensure_blob_storage_version(&blob_schema(), &mut params);
         assert_eq!(
             params.data_storage_version.unwrap().resolve(),
-            LanceFileVersion::V2_2
+            ConcreteFileVersion::V2_2
         );
     }
 
diff --git a/rust/lancedb/src/connection.rs b/rust/lancedb/src/connection.rs
index dd53a2d2e..1f2708d4e 100644
--- a/rust/lancedb/src/connection.rs
+++ b/rust/lancedb/src/connection.rs
@@ -409,6 +409,11 @@ impl Connection {
     ///
     /// The names will be returned in lexicographical order (ascending)
     ///
+    /// Listing databases discover physical `*.lance` entries without opening every
+    /// dataset. The result is a point-in-time discovery snapshot: an entry may still be
+    /// under creation, may contain only uncommitted storage, or may be concurrently
+    /// dropped before it is opened.
+    ///
     /// The parameters `page_token` and `limit` can be used to paginate the results
     pub fn table_names(&self) -> TableNamesBuilder {
         TableNamesBuilder::new(self.internal.clone())
@@ -456,10 +461,9 @@ impl Connection {
     ///
     /// # Returns
     /// Created [`TableRef`], or [`Error::TableNotFound`] if the table does not exist.
-    /// If the table's storage is present but holds no readable dataset (for example a
-    /// `<name>.lance` directory left behind by an interrupted drop and re-create, which
-    /// [`Self::table_names`] still lists) this returns [`Error::TableCorrupted`]
-    /// instead.
+    /// On listing databases, a committed Lance manifest is authoritative for table
+    /// existence. Uncommitted files or a physical `<name>.lance` directory alone do not
+    /// make a table openable.
     pub fn open_table(&self, name: impl Into<String>) -> OpenTableBuilder {
         OpenTableBuilder::new(
             self.internal.clone(),
diff --git a/rust/lancedb/src/connection/create_table.rs b/rust/lancedb/src/connection/create_table.rs
index b10141beb..39cc82ec0 100644
--- a/rust/lancedb/src/connection/create_table.rs
+++ b/rust/lancedb/src/connection/create_table.rs
@@ -438,10 +438,9 @@ mod tests {
             .await
             .unwrap()
             .data_storage_format
-            .lance_file_version()
-            .unwrap();
+            .lance_file_format();
         // Compare resolved versions since Stable/Next are aliases that resolve at storage time
-        assert_eq!(storage_format.resolve(), data_storage_version.resolve());
+        assert_eq!(storage_format, data_storage_version.resolve());
     }
 
     #[tokio::test]
diff --git a/rust/lancedb/src/database/listing.rs b/rust/lancedb/src/database/listing.rs
index fb58ed3b9..29fde9b33 100644
--- a/rust/lancedb/src/database/listing.rs
+++ b/rust/lancedb/src/database/listing.rs
@@ -1291,17 +1291,21 @@ impl Database for ListingDatabase {
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
     use crate::Table;
+    use crate::arrow::{SendableRecordBatchStream, SimpleRecordBatchStream};
     use crate::connection::ConnectRequest;
     use crate::data::scannable::Scannable;
     use crate::database::{CreateTableMode, CreateTableRequest};
     use crate::query::QueryRequest;
     use crate::table::{AnyQuery, WriteOptions};
     use arrow_array::{Int32Array, RecordBatch, StringArray};
-    use arrow_schema::{DataType, Field, Schema};
-    use futures::TryStreamExt;
-    use futures::future::try_join_all;
+    use arrow_schema::{DataType, Field, Schema, SchemaRef};
+    use futures::{TryStreamExt, future::try_join_all, stream::once};
     use std::path::PathBuf;
+    use std::sync::Arc;
+    use std::time::Duration;
     use tempfile::tempdir;
+    use tokio::sync::Barrier;
+    use tokio::time::timeout;
 
     async fn setup_database() -> (tempfile::TempDir, ListingDatabase) {
         let tempdir = tempdir().unwrap();
@@ -1325,6 +1329,114 @@ mod tests {
         (tempdir, db)
     }
 
+    struct BarrierScannable {
+        batch: RecordBatch,
+        barrier: Arc<Barrier>,
+    }
+
+    impl Scannable for BarrierScannable {
+        fn schema(&self) -> SchemaRef {
+            self.batch.schema()
+        }
+
+        fn scan_as_stream(&mut self) -> SendableRecordBatchStream {
+            let batch = self.batch.clone();
+            let schema = batch.schema();
+            let barrier = self.barrier.clone();
+            Box::pin(SimpleRecordBatchStream {
+                schema,
+                stream: once(async move {
+                    barrier.wait().await;
+                    Ok(batch)
+                }),
+            })
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn create_request(name: &str, data: Box<dyn Scannable>) -> CreateTableRequest {
+        CreateTableRequest {
+            name: name.to_string(),
+            namespace_path: vec![],
+            data,
+            mode: CreateTableMode::Create,
+            write_options: Default::default(),
+            location: None,
+            namespace_client: None,
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_create_ignores_uncommitted_storage_without_manifest() {
+        let (tmp_dir, db) = setup_database().await;
+        let data_dir = tmp_dir.path().join("test.lance/data");
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&data_dir).unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(data_dir.join("orphan.lance"), b"uncommitted").unwrap();
+
+        let schema = Arc::new(Schema::new(vec![Field::new("id", DataType::Int32, false)]));
+        let batch =
+            RecordBatch::try_new(schema, vec![Arc::new(Int32Array::from(vec![1]))]).unwrap();
+
+        let table = db
+            .create_table(create_request("test", Box::new(batch)))
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(table.count_rows(None).await.unwrap(), 1);
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_concurrent_create_is_arbitrated_by_manifest_commit() {
+        let uri = format!("memory:///concurrent-create-{}", uuid::Uuid::new_v4());
+        let db = crate::connect(&uri).execute().await.unwrap();
+        let store: Arc<dyn object_store::ObjectStore> =
+            Arc::new(object_store::memory::InMemory::new());
+        let table_url = url::Url::parse("memory:///database/test.lance").unwrap();
+        let schema = Arc::new(Schema::new(vec![Field::new("id", DataType::Int32, false)]));
+        let batch =
+            RecordBatch::try_new(schema, vec![Arc::new(Int32Array::from(vec![1]))]).unwrap();
+        let barrier = Arc::new(Barrier::new(2));
+
+        #[allow(deprecated)]
+        let request = |batch, barrier| {
+            let mut request = create_request("test", Box::new(BarrierScannable { batch, barrier }));
+            request.write_options = WriteOptions {
+                lance_write_params: Some(lance::dataset::WriteParams {
+                    store_params: Some(ObjectStoreParams {
+                        object_store: Some((store.clone(), table_url.clone())),
+                        ..Default::default()
+                    }),
+                    commit_handler: Some(Arc::new(
+                        lance_table::io::commit::ConditionalPutCommitHandler,
+                    )),
+                    ..Default::default()
+                }),
+            };
+            request
+        };
+
+        let left = db
+            .database()
+            .create_table(request(batch.clone(), barrier.clone()));
+        let right = db.database().create_table(request(batch, barrier));
+        let (left, right) = timeout(Duration::from_secs(30), async { tokio::join!(left, right) })
+            .await
+            .expect("concurrent creates deadlocked");
+
+        let results = [left, right];
+        assert_eq!(
+            results.iter().filter(|result| result.is_ok()).count(),
+            1,
+            "expected one successful create, got {results:?}"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            results
+                .iter()
+                .filter(|result| matches!(result, Err(Error::TableAlreadyExists { .. })))
+                .count(),
+            1,
+            "expected one manifest conflict, got {results:?}"
+        );
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn test_concurrent_open_table_reuses_connection_object_store() {
         let tempdir = tempdir().unwrap();
diff --git a/rust/lancedb/src/remote/table.rs b/rust/lancedb/src/remote/table.rs
index 388bed0f7..0d843dd54 100644
--- a/rust/lancedb/src/remote/table.rs
+++ b/rust/lancedb/src/remote/table.rs
@@ -23,11 +23,13 @@ use crate::table::AddResult;
 use crate::table::BranchDiff;
 use crate::table::DeleteResult;
 use crate::table::DropColumnsResult;
+use crate::table::LsmStats;
 use crate::table::LsmWriteSpec;
 use crate::table::MergeBranchResult;
 use crate::table::MergeResult;
 use crate::table::Tags;
 use crate::table::UpdateResult;
+use crate::table::lsm_stats::GetLsmStatsResponse;
 use crate::table::merge::MergeFilter;
 use crate::table::query::create_multi_vector_plan;
 use crate::table::write_progress::FinishOnDrop;
@@ -991,6 +993,18 @@ impl<S: HttpSend> RemoteTable<S> {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Send an LSM operator request with the transport retry layer **off**.
+    ///
+    /// Retry policy on these routes belongs to the checkpoint loop, which
+    /// reads the status and can tell contention from a lost claim. Leaving the
+    /// transport layer on would re-ask on its own schedule first, and surface
+    /// an `Error::Retry` whose status the loop would then have to unwrap.
+    async fn send_lsm_route(&self, request: RequestBuilder) -> Result<(String, reqwest::Response)> {
+        let (request_id, response) = self.send(request, false).await?;
+        let response = self.check_table_response(&request_id, response).await?;
+        Ok((request_id, response))
+    }
+
     /// Build a POST request and attach the read-freshness headers
     /// (`x-lancedb-min-version`, `x-lancedb-min-timestamp`).
     fn post_read(&self, uri: &str) -> RequestBuilder {
@@ -2468,13 +2482,47 @@ impl<S: HttpSend> BaseTable for RemoteTable<S> {
         })
     }
 
+    async fn flush_lsm(&self) -> Result<()> {
+        let request = self
+            .client
+            .post(&format!("/v1/table/{}/flush_lsm/", self.identifier));
+        self.send_lsm_route(request).await?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    async fn compact_lsm(&self) -> Result<()> {
+        let request = self
+            .client
+            .post(&format!("/v1/table/{}/compact_lsm/", self.identifier));
+        self.send_lsm_route(request).await?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    async fn get_lsm_stats(&self, include_generation_rows: bool) -> Result<Option<LsmStats>> {
+        // Read-semantics POST, like `get_lsm_write_spec`.
+        let request = self
+            .post_read(&format!("/v1/table/{}/get_lsm_stats/", self.identifier))
+            .json(&serde_json::json!({
+                "include_generation_rows": include_generation_rows,
+            }));
+        let (request_id, response) = self.send_lsm_route(request).await?;
+        let body = response.text().await.err_to_http(request_id.clone())?;
+        let parsed: GetLsmStatsResponse = serde_json::from_str(&body).map_err(|e| Error::Http {
+            source: format!("Failed to parse get_lsm_stats response: {e}").into(),
+            request_id,
+            status_code: None,
+        })?;
+        // `null` — and only — when the table has no LSM write path.
+        Ok(parsed.lsm_stats)
+    }
+
     async fn set_lsm_write_spec(&self, spec: LsmWriteSpec) -> Result<()> {
         self.check_mutable().await?;
 
         // Map the spec onto the server's request DTO. `sharding` is internally
-        // tagged on `mode` to mirror sophon's `Sharding` enum; `maintained_indexes`
-        // and `writer_config_defaults` are sent verbatim (an empty list means "no
-        // maintained indexes", not "default to all").
+        // tagged on `mode` to mirror sophon's `Sharding` enum. A null
+        // `maintained_indexes` asks the server to resolve every maintainable
+        // index at HEAD; a list is verbatim, an empty one meaning none.
         let sharding = match &spec {
             LsmWriteSpec::Bucket {
                 column,
@@ -6551,7 +6599,7 @@ mod tests {
                 .unwrap()
         });
         let spec = crate::table::LsmWriteSpec::unsharded()
-            .with_maintained_indexes(["id_idx"])
+            .with_maintained_indexes(vec!["id_idx".to_string()])
             .with_writer_config_defaults([("max_memtable_rows", "1000")]);
         table.set_lsm_write_spec(spec).await.unwrap();
     }
@@ -6570,7 +6618,8 @@ mod tests {
                 body["sharding"],
                 serde_json::json!({ "mode": "bucket", "column": "id", "num_buckets": 16 })
             );
-            assert_eq!(body["maintained_indexes"], serde_json::json!([]));
+            // An unpinned maintained set sends null: resolve server-side.
+            assert_eq!(body["maintained_indexes"], serde_json::Value::Null);
             http::Response::builder().status(200).body("{}").unwrap()
         });
         table
@@ -6579,6 +6628,23 @@ mod tests {
             .unwrap();
     }
 
+    /// `[]` (none) must stay distinguishable on the wire from null (all).
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_set_lsm_write_spec_no_maintained_indexes() {
+        let table = Table::new_with_handler("my_table", |request| {
+            let body = request.body().unwrap().as_bytes().unwrap();
+            let body: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_slice(body).unwrap();
+            assert_eq!(body["maintained_indexes"], serde_json::json!([]));
+            http::Response::builder().status(200).body("{}").unwrap()
+        });
+        table
+            .set_lsm_write_spec(
+                crate::table::LsmWriteSpec::bucket("id", 16).with_maintained_indexes(Vec::new()),
+            )
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn test_set_lsm_write_spec_identity() {
         let table = Table::new_with_handler("my_table", |request| {
@@ -6653,7 +6719,7 @@ mod tests {
             } => {
                 assert_eq!(column, "id");
                 assert_eq!(num_buckets, 4);
-                assert_eq!(maintained_indexes, vec!["id_idx".to_string()]);
+                assert_eq!(maintained_indexes, Some(vec!["id_idx".to_string()]));
                 assert_eq!(
                     writer_config_defaults
                         .get("durable_write")
@@ -6682,6 +6748,499 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(table.get_lsm_write_spec().await.unwrap().is_none());
     }
 
+    /// Build a `get_lsm_stats` body for one bucket holding `generations`.
+    fn stats_body(generations: &[u64], compacting: bool) -> String {
+        serde_json::json!({
+            "lsm_stats": {
+                "buckets": [{
+                    "shard_id": "b0",
+                    "status": "Active",
+                    "writer_epoch": 1,
+                    "manifest_version": 1,
+                    "current_generation": generations.iter().max().copied().unwrap_or(0) + 1,
+                    "replay_after_wal_entry_position": 0,
+                    "wal_entry_position_last_seen": 0,
+                    "generations": generations.iter()
+                        .map(|g| serde_json::json!({ "generation": g, "bytes": 1 }))
+                        .collect::<Vec<_>>(),
+                    "compacting": compacting,
+                    "memtables": [],
+                }],
+            }
+        })
+        .to_string()
+    }
+
+    /// `flush_lsm` / `compact_lsm` answer 202 with no body at all.
+    fn accepted() -> http::Response<String> {
+        http::Response::builder()
+            .status(202)
+            .body(String::new())
+            .unwrap()
+    }
+
+    fn ok_json(body: String) -> http::Response<String> {
+        http::Response::builder().status(200).body(body).unwrap()
+    }
+
+    /// A flush landing in an empty L0 finishes on the opening stats read
+    /// alone. Asserting zero compacts is the point: "it returned Ok" is also
+    /// true of a loop that ran a pointless pass.
+    #[tokio::test(start_paused = true)]
+    async fn test_checkpoint_short_circuits_on_empty_l0() {
+        let compacts = Arc::new(std::sync::atomic::AtomicUsize::new(0));
+        let seen = compacts.clone();
+        let table = Table::new_with_handler("my_table", move |request| {
+            let path = request.url().path().to_string();
+            if path.contains("compact_lsm") {
+                seen.fetch_add(1, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst);
+                panic!("an already-converged table must issue no compact calls");
+            }
+            if path.contains("flush_lsm") {
+                return accepted();
+            }
+            assert_eq!(path, "/v1/table/my_table/get_lsm_stats/");
+            ok_json(stats_body(&[], false))
+        });
+
+        table.checkpoint_lsm().await.unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(compacts.load(std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst), 0);
+    }
+
+    /// The loop triggers compaction until every generation that existed at
+    /// the start is gone, one bounded prefix per pass.
+    #[tokio::test(start_paused = true)]
+    async fn test_checkpoint_triggers_until_targets_are_drained() {
+        let compacts = Arc::new(std::sync::atomic::AtomicUsize::new(0));
+        let seen = compacts.clone();
+        let table = Table::new_with_handler("my_table", move |request| {
+            let path = request.url().path().to_string();
+            if path.contains("flush_lsm") {
+                return accepted();
+            }
+            if path.contains("compact_lsm") {
+                seen.fetch_add(1, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst);
+                return accepted();
+            }
+            // Each pass drains the oldest generation.
+            let drained = seen.load(std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst);
+            let left: Vec<u64> = [1u64, 2, 3].into_iter().skip(drained).collect();
+            ok_json(stats_body(&left, false))
+        });
+
+        table.checkpoint_lsm().await.unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            compacts.load(std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst),
+            3,
+            "one trigger per generation prefix, then stop"
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// Generations created *during* the checkpoint are not waited on, which
+    /// is what lets the loop terminate on a table taking writes where "L0 is
+    /// empty" never becomes true.
+    #[tokio::test(start_paused = true)]
+    async fn test_checkpoint_ignores_generations_created_while_it_runs() {
+        let compacts = Arc::new(std::sync::atomic::AtomicUsize::new(0));
+        let seen = compacts.clone();
+        let table = Table::new_with_handler("my_table", move |request| {
+            let path = request.url().path().to_string();
+            if path.contains("flush_lsm") {
+                return accepted();
+            }
+            if path.contains("compact_lsm") {
+                seen.fetch_add(1, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst);
+                return accepted();
+            }
+            // Target is 5. One pass drains it; a writer keeps adding above.
+            let n = seen.load(std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst);
+            let body = if n == 0 {
+                stats_body(&[5], false)
+            } else {
+                stats_body(&[6, 7], false)
+            };
+            ok_json(body)
+        });
+
+        table.checkpoint_lsm().await.unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            compacts.load(std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst),
+            1,
+            "the loop must not chase generations written after it started"
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// Contention is a 429 and must be retried. The server keeps it off 503
+    /// precisely so the client can act on the status alone — reading it as
+    /// terminal stops the checkpoint early on a healthy node.
+    #[tokio::test(start_paused = true)]
+    async fn test_checkpoint_retries_contention() {
+        let compacts = Arc::new(std::sync::atomic::AtomicUsize::new(0));
+        let seen = compacts.clone();
+        let table = Table::new_with_handler("my_table", move |request| {
+            let path = request.url().path().to_string();
+            if path.contains("flush_lsm") {
+                return accepted();
+            }
+            if path.contains("compact_lsm") {
+                // First two triggers: every bucket already latched.
+                if seen.fetch_add(1, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst) < 2 {
+                    return http::Response::builder()
+                        .status(429)
+                        .body(r#"{"code":21,"error":"Too many concurrent writes"}"#.to_string())
+                        .unwrap();
+                }
+                return accepted();
+            }
+            let accepted_triggers = seen
+                .load(std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst)
+                .saturating_sub(2);
+            let left: Vec<u64> = if accepted_triggers == 0 {
+                vec![1]
+            } else {
+                vec![]
+            };
+            ok_json(stats_body(&left, false))
+        });
+
+        table
+            .checkpoint_lsm()
+            .await
+            .expect("contention must not abort the checkpoint");
+        assert_eq!(
+            compacts.load(std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst),
+            3,
+            "assert the retry count, not just the outcome"
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// A transient fault on the poll must not abort the checkpoint. This route
+    /// meets the most contention — it runs every `POLL_INTERVAL` for the
+    /// checkpoint's whole life, with the transport retry layer disabled — yet
+    /// was the one call reached with a bare `?`.
+    #[tokio::test(start_paused = true)]
+    async fn test_checkpoint_retries_a_contended_stats_poll() {
+        let polls = Arc::new(std::sync::atomic::AtomicUsize::new(0));
+        let seen = polls.clone();
+        let table = Table::new_with_handler("my_table", move |request| {
+            let path = request.url().path().to_string();
+            if path.contains("flush_lsm") || path.contains("compact_lsm") {
+                return accepted();
+            }
+            // The opening read lands; the next two polls are latched out.
+            let n = seen.fetch_add(1, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst);
+            if (1..3).contains(&n) {
+                return http::Response::builder()
+                    .status(429)
+                    .body(r#"{"code":21,"error":"Too many concurrent writes"}"#.to_string())
+                    .unwrap();
+            }
+            ok_json(stats_body(if n < 4 { &[1] } else { &[] }, false))
+        });
+
+        table
+            .checkpoint_lsm()
+            .await
+            .expect("a contended poll must be retried, not surfaced");
+        assert_eq!(
+            polls.load(std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst),
+            5,
+            "the two rejected polls must be re-issued, not skipped"
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// Contention and a lost claim draw on separate budgets: five straight
+    /// 429s on `flush`, more than `MAX_REISSUES`, must still converge. On one
+    /// shared counter this spent the re-issue cap and then reported a lost
+    /// claim nothing had ever reported.
+    #[tokio::test(start_paused = true)]
+    async fn test_contention_does_not_exhaust_the_reissue_budget() {
+        let flushes = Arc::new(std::sync::atomic::AtomicUsize::new(0));
+        let seen = flushes.clone();
+        let table = Table::new_with_handler("my_table", move |request| {
+            let path = request.url().path().to_string();
+            if path.contains("flush_lsm") {
+                if seen.fetch_add(1, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst) < 5 {
+                    return http::Response::builder()
+                        .status(429)
+                        .body(r#"{"code":21,"error":"Too many concurrent writes"}"#.to_string())
+                        .unwrap();
+                }
+                return accepted();
+            }
+            if path.contains("compact_lsm") {
+                return accepted();
+            }
+            ok_json(stats_body(&[], false))
+        });
+
+        table
+            .checkpoint_lsm()
+            .await
+            .expect("contention must not be reported as a lost claim");
+        assert_eq!(
+            flushes.load(std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst),
+            6,
+            "five retries against one seal, then it lands"
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// An exhausted retry budget surfaces the fault that consumed it, not a
+    /// message the loop invented: "429, nine times" points an operator at a
+    /// saturated pool, a generic runtime error points them nowhere.
+    #[tokio::test(start_paused = true)]
+    async fn test_exhausted_retries_surface_the_underlying_fault() {
+        let calls = Arc::new(std::sync::atomic::AtomicUsize::new(0));
+        let seen = calls.clone();
+        let table = Table::new_with_handler("my_table", move |_request| {
+            seen.fetch_add(1, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst);
+            http::Response::builder()
+                .status(429)
+                .body(r#"{"code":21,"error":"Too many concurrent writes"}"#.to_string())
+                .unwrap()
+        });
+
+        let err = table.checkpoint_lsm().await.unwrap_err();
+        assert!(
+            matches!(&err, Error::Http { status_code: Some(s), .. } if s.as_u16() == 429),
+            "the fault that spent the budget must be the one reported: {err:?}"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            calls.load(std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst),
+            9,
+            "one call plus MAX_RETRIES — the re-issue budget is not spent on top"
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// A draining node is terminal, but the client does not know that from the
+    /// status: draining and a proxy blip are both 503, and telling them apart
+    /// takes parsing the body for a namespace code. So it spends the retry
+    /// budget and then reports what the server said — the drain gate never
+    /// releases, so the answer does not change, and the operator still reads
+    /// "WAL node draining" in the error.
+    #[tokio::test(start_paused = true)]
+    async fn test_draining_surfaces_after_the_retry_budget() {
+        let calls = Arc::new(std::sync::atomic::AtomicUsize::new(0));
+        let seen = calls.clone();
+        let table = Table::new_with_handler("my_table", move |_request| {
+            seen.fetch_add(1, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst);
+            http::Response::builder()
+                .status(503)
+                .body(r#"{"code":19,"error":"WAL node draining"}"#.to_string())
+                .unwrap()
+        });
+
+        let err = table.checkpoint_lsm().await.unwrap_err();
+        let message = err.to_string();
+        assert!(
+            matches!(&err, Error::Http { status_code: Some(s), .. } if s.as_u16() == 503),
+            "the 503 must surface as itself: {err:?}"
+        );
+        assert!(
+            message.contains("WAL node draining"),
+            "the server's own diagnosis must survive to the caller: {message}"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            calls.load(std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst),
+            9,
+            "one call plus MAX_RETRIES, then it reports rather than spinning"
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// A long stall with nothing compacting must keep waiting, not fail. The
+    /// client cannot judge this: a checkpoint queued behind unrelated tables
+    /// on the pod-wide compactor pool reports exactly these numbers — flat
+    /// generations, an idle latch — as one whose merges are failing. The
+    /// deadline is the caller's.
+    #[tokio::test(start_paused = true)]
+    async fn test_checkpoint_waits_out_a_long_stall_rather_than_failing() {
+        let polls = Arc::new(std::sync::atomic::AtomicUsize::new(0));
+        let seen = polls.clone();
+        let table = Table::new_with_handler("my_table", move |request| {
+            let path = request.url().path().to_string();
+            if path.contains("flush_lsm") || path.contains("compact_lsm") {
+                return accepted();
+            }
+            // Flat for far longer than any bound this loop ever had, with
+            // `compacting: false` throughout — then it drains.
+            let n = seen.fetch_add(1, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst);
+            ok_json(stats_body(if n < 40 { &[1, 2] } else { &[] }, false))
+        });
+
+        table
+            .checkpoint_lsm()
+            .await
+            .expect("a stall is the server being slow, not the client's call to make");
+        assert!(
+            polls.load(std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst) > 40,
+            "the loop must have kept polling well past the old ten-poll bound"
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// A pass already owns the latch on every outstanding bucket, so the loop
+    /// waits rather than piling on triggers it would only refuse. This is the
+    /// sole thing `compacting` is read for.
+    #[tokio::test(start_paused = true)]
+    async fn test_checkpoint_waits_while_a_pass_is_running() {
+        let polls = Arc::new(std::sync::atomic::AtomicUsize::new(0));
+        let compacts = Arc::new(std::sync::atomic::AtomicUsize::new(0));
+        let seen_polls = polls.clone();
+        let seen_compacts = compacts.clone();
+        let table = Table::new_with_handler("my_table", move |request| {
+            let path = request.url().path().to_string();
+            if path.contains("flush_lsm") {
+                return accepted();
+            }
+            if path.contains("compact_lsm") {
+                seen_compacts.fetch_add(1, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst);
+                return accepted();
+            }
+            // Latched for many polls, then done.
+            let n = seen_polls.fetch_add(1, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst);
+            ok_json(if n > 15 {
+                stats_body(&[], false)
+            } else {
+                stats_body(&[1], true)
+            })
+        });
+
+        table
+            .checkpoint_lsm()
+            .await
+            .expect("a running pass is progress, not a stall");
+        assert_eq!(
+            compacts.load(std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst),
+            0,
+            "never trigger against a bucket already compacting"
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// WAL off ⇒ `None`; WAL on ⇒ a fully populated `Some` with no field
+    /// defaulting to a zero it did not measure. `include_generation_rows`
+    /// rides in the body and is off unless asked for.
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_get_lsm_stats_round_trip() {
+        let table = Table::new_with_handler("my_table", |request| {
+            assert_eq!(request.url().path(), "/v1/table/my_table/get_lsm_stats/");
+            let body = request.body().unwrap().as_bytes().unwrap();
+            let body: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_slice(body).unwrap();
+            assert_eq!(
+                body["include_generation_rows"], true,
+                "the flag must reach the server, not be silently dropped"
+            );
+            let response = serde_json::json!({
+                "lsm_stats": {
+                    "buckets": [{
+                        "shard_id": "b0",
+                        "status": "Active",
+                        "writer_epoch": 3,
+                        "manifest_version": 11,
+                        "current_generation": 9,
+                        "replay_after_wal_entry_position": 100,
+                        "wal_entry_position_last_seen": 140,
+                        "generations": [{ "generation": 8, "bytes": 4096, "rows": 30 }],
+                        "compacting": false,
+                        "memtables": [
+                            { "generation": 9, "rows": 12, "bytes": 900, "batches": 2,
+                              "indexes": ["vec_idx"] }
+                        ],
+                    }],
+                }
+            });
+            http::Response::builder()
+                .status(200)
+                .body(response.to_string())
+                .unwrap()
+        });
+
+        let stats = table
+            .get_lsm_stats(true)
+            .await
+            .unwrap()
+            .expect("a WAL-backed table reports Some");
+        let bucket = &stats.buckets[0];
+        assert_eq!(bucket.replay_after_wal_entry_position, 100);
+        assert_eq!(bucket.wal_entry_position_last_seen, 140);
+        assert!(!bucket.compacting);
+        assert_eq!(bucket.generations[0].generation, 8);
+        assert_eq!(bucket.generations[0].rows, Some(30));
+        // The line that answers "why is my fresh-tier vector search
+        // brute-force" — an absent index name is the whole explanation.
+        let memtables = bucket.memtables.as_ref().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(memtables[0].indexes, vec!["vec_idx".to_string()]);
+    }
+
+    /// A 404 arrives as `TableNotFound`, not as a lost claim the loop
+    /// re-issues from flush until its cap. The two are distinguished by
+    /// status: 404 is "no such table", 421 is "this node holds no claim".
+    /// They shared 404 once, and the loop chased a name that never existed.
+    #[tokio::test(start_paused = true)]
+    async fn test_missing_table_is_not_read_as_a_lost_claim() {
+        let calls = Arc::new(std::sync::atomic::AtomicUsize::new(0));
+        let seen = calls.clone();
+        let table = Table::new_with_handler("my_table", move |_request| {
+            seen.fetch_add(1, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst);
+            http::Response::builder()
+                .status(404)
+                .body(r#"{"code":4,"error":"Not found: Table not found: my_table"}"#.to_string())
+                .unwrap()
+        });
+
+        let err = table.checkpoint_lsm().await.unwrap_err();
+        assert!(
+            matches!(err, Error::TableNotFound { .. }),
+            "a missing table must say so: {err:?}"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            calls.load(std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst),
+            1,
+            "no point re-claiming a table that does not exist"
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// A lost claim — 421, not 404 — does re-issue from flush, the call that
+    /// re-claims and replays.
+    #[tokio::test(start_paused = true)]
+    async fn test_registry_miss_reissues_from_flush() {
+        let calls = Arc::new(std::sync::atomic::AtomicUsize::new(0));
+        let seen = calls.clone();
+        let table = Table::new_with_handler("my_table", move |request| {
+            let path = request.url().path().to_string();
+            let n = seen.fetch_add(1, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst);
+            if path.contains("flush_lsm") {
+                // First flush lands; the claim is then lost, and the
+                // re-issued flush succeeds.
+                return accepted();
+            }
+            if path.contains("compact_lsm") {
+                if n < 4 {
+                    return http::Response::builder()
+                        .status(421)
+                        .body(r#"{"code":19,"error":"table not claimed"}"#.to_string())
+                        .unwrap();
+                }
+                return accepted();
+            }
+            ok_json(stats_body(if n < 6 { &[1] } else { &[] }, false))
+        });
+
+        table
+            .checkpoint_lsm()
+            .await
+            .expect("a lost claim must be recovered by re-flushing, not surfaced");
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_get_lsm_stats_absent_when_wal_off() {
+        let table = Table::new_with_handler("my_table", |_request| {
+            http::Response::builder()
+                .status(200)
+                .body(serde_json::json!({ "lsm_stats": null }).to_string())
+                .unwrap()
+        });
+        assert!(table.get_lsm_stats(false).await.unwrap().is_none());
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn test_wait_for_index() {
         let table = _make_table_with_indices(0);
diff --git a/rust/lancedb/src/table.rs b/rust/lancedb/src/table.rs
index 0d8a8e8b9..32b6bcebc 100644
--- a/rust/lancedb/src/table.rs
+++ b/rust/lancedb/src/table.rs
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ use crate::DistanceType;
 use crate::blob::BlobRangeRequest;
 use crate::data::scannable::{PeekedScannable, Scannable, estimate_write_partitions};
 use crate::database::Database;
-use crate::database::listing::LANCE_FILE_EXTENSION;
 use crate::database::read_freshness::TableFreshness;
 use crate::embeddings::{EmbeddingDefinition, EmbeddingRegistry, MemoryRegistry};
 use crate::error::{Error, Result};
@@ -68,10 +67,12 @@ use self::merge::MergeInsertBuilder;
 pub mod add_columns;
 mod add_data;
 pub mod branch_merge;
+pub mod checkpoint;
 mod create_index;
 pub mod datafusion;
 pub(crate) mod dataset;
 pub mod delete;
+pub mod lsm_stats;
 pub mod merge;
 pub mod optimize;
 mod primary_key;
@@ -93,8 +94,8 @@ pub use delete::DeleteResult;
 use futures::future::join_all;
 pub use lance::dataset::refs::{BranchContents, Ref, TagContents, Tags as LanceTags};
 pub use lance::dataset::scanner::DatasetRecordBatchStream;
-use lance::dataset::statistics::DatasetStatisticsExt;
 pub use lance_index::optimize::OptimizeOptions;
+pub use lsm_stats::{BucketStats, GenerationStats, LsmStats, MemtableStats};
 pub use optimize::{CompactionOptions, OptimizeAction, OptimizeStats};
 pub use schema_evolution::{
     AddColumnsResult, AlterColumnsResult, DropColumnsResult, FieldMetadataUpdate,
@@ -150,55 +151,6 @@ pub(crate) fn map_namespace_lance_error(err: lance::Error, table_name: &str) ->
     }
 }
 
-/// Map a `lance::Error::DatasetNotFound` for the table at `uri` into a `lancedb::Error`.
-///
-/// Lance reports "there is nothing at this location" and "there is a table directory
-/// here but nothing loadable inside it" with the same error. Only the first is a
-/// `TableNotFound`: a `<name>.lance` directory left behind by an interrupted drop and
-/// re-create is still reported by `Connection::table_names`, so callers need to be able
-/// to tell "never existed" from "exists but is broken".
-///
-/// See <https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/issues/3127>.
-async fn map_dataset_not_found(
-    uri: &str,
-    name: &str,
-    params: ReadParams,
-    err: lance::Error,
-) -> Error {
-    let name = name.to_string();
-    let source = Box::new(err);
-    if table_dir_exists(uri, params).await.unwrap_or(false) {
-        Error::TableCorrupted { name, source }
-    } else {
-        Error::TableNotFound { name, source }
-    }
-}
-
-/// Whether a table directory is present at `uri`, even though no dataset could be
-/// loaded from it.
-///
-/// This looks for a `<name>.lance` entry in the parent directory, which is exactly what
-/// `ListingDatabase::table_names` lists, so the two APIs agree on whether a table is
-/// present. Probing `uri` itself would not work: object stores have no empty
-/// directories to probe, and on a local filesystem the interesting case is precisely an
-/// empty directory.
-async fn table_dir_exists(uri: &str, params: ReadParams) -> Result<bool> {
-    let (object_store, path, _) = DatasetBuilder::from_uri(uri)
-        .with_read_params(params)
-        .build_object_store()
-        .await?;
-    // Only `*.lance` entries are ever reported as tables, so nothing else can produce
-    // the list-then-open mismatch this guards against.
-    if path.extension() != Some(LANCE_FILE_EXTENSION) {
-        return Ok(false);
-    }
-    let (Some(parent), Some(dir_name)) = (path.parent(), path.filename()) else {
-        return Ok(false);
-    };
-    let entries = object_store.read_dir(parent).await?;
-    Ok(entries.iter().any(|entry| entry.as_str() == dir_name))
-}
-
 /// Defines the type of column
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub enum ColumnKind {
@@ -368,6 +320,8 @@ pub use self::merge::MergeResult;
 /// date) and [`LsmWriteSpec::with_writer_config_defaults`] (default
 /// `ShardWriter` configuration recorded in the MemWAL index).
 ///
+/// A fresh spec maintains every index on the table, resolved on install.
+///
 /// Install a spec with [`Table::set_lsm_write_spec`] and remove it with
 /// [`Table::unset_lsm_write_spec`]. The actual `merge_insert` dispatch
 /// onto the MemWAL writer is a follow-up.
@@ -382,9 +336,12 @@ pub enum LsmWriteSpec {
     Bucket {
         column: String,
         num_buckets: u32,
-        /// Names of indexes (already created on the table) that the
-        /// MemWAL should maintain in-memory as rows are appended.
-        maintained_indexes: Vec<String>,
+        /// Indexes the MemWAL maintains in-memory as rows are appended.
+        ///
+        /// `None` means every index it can maintain, resolved on install — a
+        /// snapshot, so indexes created later need the spec unset and re-set.
+        /// `Some([])` maintains nothing.
+        maintained_indexes: Option<Vec<String>>,
         /// Default `ShardWriter` configuration recorded in the MemWAL index.
         writer_config_defaults: HashMap<String, String>,
     },
@@ -394,35 +351,41 @@ pub enum LsmWriteSpec {
     /// distinct value of `column` becomes its own shard.
     Identity {
         column: String,
-        /// Names of indexes (already created on the table) that the
-        /// MemWAL should maintain in-memory as rows are appended.
-        maintained_indexes: Vec<String>,
+        /// Indexes the MemWAL maintains in-memory as rows are appended.
+        ///
+        /// `None` means every index it can maintain, resolved on install — a
+        /// snapshot, so indexes created later need the spec unset and re-set.
+        /// `Some([])` maintains nothing.
+        maintained_indexes: Option<Vec<String>>,
         /// Default `ShardWriter` configuration recorded in the MemWAL index.
         writer_config_defaults: HashMap<String, String>,
     },
     /// No sharding — every `merge_insert` call writes to a single MemWAL shard.
     Unsharded {
-        /// Names of indexes (already created on the table) that the
-        /// MemWAL should maintain in-memory as rows are appended.
-        maintained_indexes: Vec<String>,
+        /// Indexes the MemWAL maintains in-memory as rows are appended.
+        ///
+        /// `None` means every index it can maintain, resolved on install — a
+        /// snapshot, so indexes created later need the spec unset and re-set.
+        /// `Some([])` maintains nothing.
+        maintained_indexes: Option<Vec<String>>,
         /// Default `ShardWriter` configuration recorded in the MemWAL index.
         writer_config_defaults: HashMap<String, String>,
     },
 }
 
 impl LsmWriteSpec {
-    /// Construct a hash-bucket sharding spec with no maintained indexes.
+    /// Construct a hash-bucket sharding spec maintaining every index on the table.
     pub fn bucket(column: impl Into<String>, num_buckets: u32) -> Self {
         Self::Bucket {
             column: column.into(),
             num_buckets,
-            maintained_indexes: Vec::new(),
+            maintained_indexes: None,
             writer_config_defaults: HashMap::new(),
         }
     }
 
     /// Construct an identity-sharding spec (shard by the raw value of
-    /// `column`) with no maintained indexes.
+    /// `column`) maintaining every index on the table.
     ///
     /// `column` must be a deterministic function of the unenforced primary
     /// key: every row with a given primary key must always produce the same
@@ -434,28 +397,37 @@ impl LsmWriteSpec {
     pub fn identity(column: impl Into<String>) -> Self {
         Self::Identity {
             column: column.into(),
-            maintained_indexes: Vec::new(),
+            maintained_indexes: None,
             writer_config_defaults: HashMap::new(),
         }
     }
 
-    /// Construct an unsharded spec with no maintained indexes.
+    /// Construct an unsharded spec maintaining every index on the table.
     pub fn unsharded() -> Self {
         Self::Unsharded {
-            maintained_indexes: Vec::new(),
+            maintained_indexes: None,
             writer_config_defaults: HashMap::new(),
         }
     }
 
-    /// Replace the list of indexes the MemWAL should keep up to date as
-    /// rows are appended. Each name must reference an index that already
-    /// exists on the table at the time `set_lsm_write_spec` is called.
-    pub fn with_maintained_indexes<I, S>(mut self, indexes: I) -> Self
-    where
-        I: IntoIterator<Item = S>,
-        S: Into<String>,
-    {
-        let v: Vec<String> = indexes.into_iter().map(Into::into).collect();
+    /// Set which indexes the MemWAL maintains.
+    ///
+    /// `None` (the default) resolves to every index on the table at install,
+    /// failing if one cannot be maintained — name the set to install anyway. A
+    /// list is verbatim: each name must already exist and be maintainable, and
+    /// an empty list maintains nothing.
+    ///
+    /// ```
+    /// # use lancedb::table::LsmWriteSpec;
+    /// // Every index the table has when the spec is installed:
+    /// LsmWriteSpec::unsharded().with_maintained_indexes(None);
+    /// // Exactly these:
+    /// LsmWriteSpec::unsharded().with_maintained_indexes(vec!["id_idx".to_string()]);
+    /// // None at all:
+    /// LsmWriteSpec::unsharded().with_maintained_indexes(Vec::new());
+    /// ```
+    pub fn with_maintained_indexes(mut self, indexes: impl Into<Option<Vec<String>>>) -> Self {
+        let indexes = indexes.into();
         match &mut self {
             Self::Bucket {
                 maintained_indexes, ..
@@ -465,7 +437,7 @@ impl LsmWriteSpec {
             }
             | Self::Unsharded {
                 maintained_indexes, ..
-            } => *maintained_indexes = v,
+            } => *maintained_indexes = indexes,
         }
         self
     }
@@ -501,8 +473,9 @@ impl LsmWriteSpec {
         self
     }
 
-    /// Borrow the list of index names this spec asks MemWAL to maintain.
-    pub fn maintained_indexes(&self) -> &[String] {
+    /// Borrow the list of index names this spec asks MemWAL to maintain, or
+    /// `None` when it asks for every index on the table.
+    pub fn maintained_indexes(&self) -> Option<&[String]> {
         match self {
             Self::Bucket {
                 maintained_indexes, ..
@@ -512,7 +485,7 @@ impl LsmWriteSpec {
             }
             | Self::Unsharded {
                 maintained_indexes, ..
-            } => maintained_indexes,
+            } => maintained_indexes.as_deref(),
         }
     }
 
@@ -685,6 +658,31 @@ pub trait BaseTable: std::fmt::Display + std::fmt::Debug + Send + Sync {
             message: "get_lsm_write_spec is not supported on this table type".into(),
         })
     }
+    /// Seal every bucket's active memtable into L0.
+    ///
+    /// The default implementation returns `NotSupported`.
+    async fn flush_lsm(&self) -> Result<()> {
+        Err(Error::NotSupported {
+            message: "flush_lsm is not supported on this table type".into(),
+        })
+    }
+    /// Trigger a background L0 → base compaction pass per bucket.
+    ///
+    /// The default implementation returns `NotSupported`.
+    async fn compact_lsm(&self) -> Result<()> {
+        Err(Error::NotSupported {
+            message: "compact_lsm is not supported on this table type".into(),
+        })
+    }
+    /// Read live LSM state, or `None` when the LSM write path is not
+    /// enabled for this table.
+    ///
+    /// The default implementation returns `NotSupported`.
+    async fn get_lsm_stats(&self, _include_generation_rows: bool) -> Result<Option<LsmStats>> {
+        Err(Error::NotSupported {
+            message: "get_lsm_stats is not supported on this table type".into(),
+        })
+    }
     /// Drain and close any cached MemWAL shard writers for this table.
     ///
     /// The default implementation is a no-op; table types that maintain
@@ -1685,7 +1683,7 @@ impl Table {
     /// # async fn example(table: &Table) -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
     /// table
     ///     .set_lsm_write_spec(
-    ///         LsmWriteSpec::bucket("id", 16).with_maintained_indexes(["id_idx"]),
+    ///         LsmWriteSpec::bucket("id", 16).with_maintained_indexes(vec!["id_idx".to_string()]),
     ///     )
     ///     .await?;
     /// # Ok(())
@@ -1707,9 +1705,10 @@ impl Table {
     ///
     /// Returns `Ok(None)` when the MemWAL LSM write path is not enabled (no
     /// spec has been set, or it was removed with [`Table::unset_lsm_write_spec`]).
-    /// The returned spec — including its [`LsmWriteSpec::maintained_indexes`] and
-    /// [`LsmWriteSpec::writer_config_defaults`] — mirrors what was passed to
-    /// [`Table::set_lsm_write_spec`].
+    /// The returned spec mirrors what was passed to
+    /// [`Table::set_lsm_write_spec`], except that
+    /// [`LsmWriteSpec::maintained_indexes`] always reports the concrete list
+    /// resolved when the spec was set — `None` never round-trips.
     ///
     /// # Example
     ///
@@ -1726,6 +1725,85 @@ impl Table {
         self.inner.get_lsm_write_spec().await
     }
 
+    /// Converge this table's LSM write path into its base table.
+    ///
+    /// One `flush` to seal every memtable into L0, then compaction triggers
+    /// until every generation that existed at that moment has reached base.
+    /// The loop runs client-side, reading progress from `get_lsm_stats`, so
+    /// there is no held socket and nothing to reconcile if you drop this
+    /// future partway through.
+    ///
+    /// **Best-effort.** Generations created *after* the opening flush are
+    /// deliberately not waited on — that is what lets this terminate on a
+    /// table taking writes. Idempotent and safe on a cadence: an
+    /// already-converged table costs two round trips and triggers nothing.
+    ///
+    /// **No deadline, and the caller owns that.** It returns when the target
+    /// generations are gone, propagates a terminal server fault, and
+    /// otherwise waits however long the server takes. A slow table and a
+    /// stuck one are the same picture from here: the compactor pool is shared
+    /// across every table on the node, so a checkpoint queued behind
+    /// unrelated work is indistinguishable from one that is merging. Wrap
+    /// this in `tokio::time::timeout` for a wall-clock bound; abandoning it
+    /// partway costs nothing.
+    ///
+    /// # Example
+    ///
+    /// ```no_run
+    /// # use lancedb::Table;
+    /// # async fn example(table: &Table) -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
+    /// let before = table.get_lsm_stats(false).await?;
+    /// table.checkpoint_lsm().await?;
+    /// let after = table.get_lsm_stats(false).await?;
+    /// # Ok(())
+    /// # }
+    /// ```
+    pub async fn checkpoint_lsm(&self) -> Result<()> {
+        checkpoint::checkpoint_lsm(self).await
+    }
+
+    /// Seal every bucket's active memtable into L0 without touching the
+    /// base table.
+    ///
+    /// Independently useful: flushing makes memtable rows readable from L0 at
+    /// a lower per-query cost. On a node that has not claimed this table it
+    /// claims it and replays the WAL log first — reporting "nothing to flush"
+    /// without replaying would lie about durable data.
+    pub async fn flush_lsm(&self) -> Result<()> {
+        self.inner.flush_lsm().await
+    }
+
+    /// Run one bounded L0 → base compaction pass per bucket, reporting what
+    /// it merged and what is left.
+    ///
+    /// One pass, not convergence: that bounds each request's cost and gives a
+    /// caller driving its own cadence a progress signal per round trip.
+    pub async fn compact_lsm(&self) -> Result<()> {
+        self.inner.compact_lsm().await
+    }
+
+    /// Read live per-bucket LSM state.
+    ///
+    /// Answers "how far behind is my fresh tier", "which bucket is hot", and
+    /// "why is my fresh-tier vector search brute-force". Mutates no table
+    /// state, though on a node that has not claimed this table it claims it,
+    /// exactly as a read would.
+    ///
+    /// `include_generation_rows` reports a row count per L0 generation. Off by
+    /// default: each count opens an uncached Lance dataset, and
+    /// `checkpoint_lsm` polls this needing only generation numbers.
+    ///
+    /// `Ok(None)` only when the LSM write path is not enabled, matching
+    /// [`Table::get_lsm_write_spec`]. Stats is fresh-tier only, so with the
+    /// WAL off there is no manifest to report and a struct of zeros would
+    /// read as measurements.
+    ///
+    /// Do not build a checkpoint's termination on this: the completion
+    /// predicate lives in the `flush` and `compact` responses.
+    pub async fn get_lsm_stats(&self, include_generation_rows: bool) -> Result<Option<LsmStats>> {
+        self.inner.get_lsm_stats(include_generation_rows).await
+    }
+
     /// Drain and close any cached MemWAL shard writers held for this table.
     ///
     /// When an [`LsmWriteSpec`] is installed, `merge_insert` opens MemWAL shard
@@ -2292,8 +2370,6 @@ impl NativeTable {
             None => false,
         };
 
-        // Kept so that a `DatasetNotFound` can be re-checked against storage below.
-        let recovery_params = params.clone();
         let mut builder = DatasetBuilder::from_uri(uri).with_read_params(params);
 
         // Set up commit handler when managed_versioning is enabled
@@ -2312,7 +2388,12 @@ impl NativeTable {
         let dataset = match builder.load().await {
             Ok(dataset) => dataset,
             Err(e @ lance::Error::DatasetNotFound { .. }) => {
-                return Err(map_dataset_not_found(uri, name, recovery_params, e).await);
+                // The manifest load is the existence check. A physical prefix may be
+                // from a concurrent or abandoned create, so it cannot refine this error.
+                return Err(Error::TableNotFound {
+                    name: name.to_string(),
+                    source: Box::new(e),
+                });
             }
             Err(e) => return Err(e.into()),
         };
@@ -3441,9 +3522,24 @@ impl BaseTable for NativeTable {
         let num_rows = self.count_rows(None).await?;
         let num_indices = self.list_indices().await?.len();
         let ds = self.dataset.get().await?;
-        let ds_clone = (*ds).clone();
-        let ds_stats = Arc::new(ds_clone).calculate_data_stats().await?;
-        let total_bytes = ds_stats.fields.iter().map(|f| f.bytes_on_disk).sum::<u64>() as usize;
+        // Sizes come from the manifest. Summing per-field `bytes_on_disk` instead
+        // would open every data file to read its column metadata, which costs one
+        // IO per fragment and reports 0 for legacy v1 storage.
+        //
+        // The manifest summary covers only the fragments' base data files, so
+        // overlay files (recorded on each fragment) and index files (recorded in
+        // the manifest's index section) are added separately.
+        let mut total_bytes = ds.manifest().summary().total_files_size as usize;
+        for frag in ds.manifest().fragments.iter() {
+            for overlay in &frag.overlays {
+                if let Some(size) = overlay.data_file.file_size_bytes.get() {
+                    total_bytes += size.get() as usize;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        for index in ds.load_indices().await?.iter() {
+            total_bytes += index.total_size_bytes().unwrap_or(0) as usize;
+        }
 
         let frags = ds.get_fragments();
         let mut sorted_sizes = join_all(
@@ -3515,7 +3611,12 @@ impl BaseTable for NativeTable {
 #[skip_serializing_none]
 #[derive(Debug, Deserialize, PartialEq)]
 pub struct TableStatistics {
-    /// The total number of bytes in the table
+    /// The total size, in bytes, of the table's data files, index files, and
+    /// overlay files
+    ///
+    /// Read from the manifest, so this excludes deletion files and manifests,
+    /// and it excludes any file whose size the manifest does not record
+    /// (tables and indices written before writers persisted file sizes).
     pub total_bytes: usize,
 
     /// The number of rows in the table
@@ -3560,7 +3661,7 @@ pub struct FragmentSummaryStats {
 #[allow(deprecated)]
 mod tests {
     use std::sync::Arc;
-    use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
+    use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, AtomicUsize, Ordering};
     use std::time::Duration;
 
     use arrow_array::{
@@ -3576,6 +3677,7 @@ mod tests {
     use super::*;
     use crate::connect;
     use crate::connection::ConnectBuilder;
+    use crate::io::object_store::io_tracking::IoTrackingStore;
     use crate::query::Select;
     use crate::query::{ExecutableQuery, QueryBase};
     use crate::test_utils::connection::new_test_connection;
@@ -3641,73 +3743,50 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
-    /// Write a table and then break it, leaving the `<name>.lance` directory in place.
-    ///
-    /// `remove_all` reproduces an interrupted drop + re-create (the directory is left
-    /// empty); otherwise only the manifests are removed, leaving the data files behind.
-    async fn write_then_corrupt_table(dir: &std::path::Path, remove_all: bool) -> String {
-        let dataset_path = dir.join("test.lance");
-        let uri = dataset_path.to_str().unwrap().to_string();
-
-        let batch = make_test_batches();
-        let reader = RecordBatchIterator::new(vec![Ok(batch.clone())], batch.schema());
-        Dataset::write(reader, &uri, None).await.unwrap();
-
-        if remove_all {
-            for entry in std::fs::read_dir(&dataset_path).unwrap() {
-                let entry = entry.unwrap();
-                if entry.file_type().unwrap().is_dir() {
-                    std::fs::remove_dir_all(entry.path()).unwrap();
-                } else {
-                    std::fs::remove_file(entry.path()).unwrap();
-                }
-            }
-            assert_eq!(std::fs::read_dir(&dataset_path).unwrap().count(), 0);
-        } else {
-            let versions = dataset_path.join("_versions");
-            assert!(versions.is_dir(), "expected manifests under {versions:?}");
-            std::fs::remove_dir_all(&versions).unwrap();
-            assert!(std::fs::read_dir(&dataset_path).unwrap().count() > 0);
-        }
-
-        uri
-    }
-
     #[tokio::test]
-    async fn test_open_corrupt_empty_dir() {
+    async fn test_open_not_found_when_empty_directory_exists() {
         let tmp_dir = tempdir().unwrap();
-        let uri = write_then_corrupt_table(tmp_dir.path(), true).await;
+        let dataset_path = tmp_dir.path().join("test.lance");
+        std::fs::create_dir(&dataset_path).unwrap();
 
-        let err = NativeTable::open(&uri).await.unwrap_err();
+        let err = NativeTable::open(dataset_path.to_str().unwrap())
+            .await
+            .unwrap_err();
         assert!(
-            matches!(&err, Error::TableCorrupted { name, .. } if name == "test"),
+            matches!(&err, Error::TableNotFound { name, .. } if name == "test"),
             "got {err:?}"
         );
     }
 
     #[tokio::test]
-    async fn test_open_corrupt_missing_manifest() {
+    async fn test_open_not_found_when_only_uncommitted_storage_exists() {
         let tmp_dir = tempdir().unwrap();
-        let uri = write_then_corrupt_table(tmp_dir.path(), false).await;
+        let dataset_path = tmp_dir.path().join("test.lance");
+        let data_dir = dataset_path.join("data");
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&data_dir).unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(data_dir.join("orphan.lance"), b"uncommitted").unwrap();
 
-        let err = NativeTable::open(&uri).await.unwrap_err();
+        let err = NativeTable::open(dataset_path.to_str().unwrap())
+            .await
+            .unwrap_err();
         assert!(
-            matches!(&err, Error::TableCorrupted { name, .. } if name == "test"),
+            matches!(&err, Error::TableNotFound { name, .. } if name == "test"),
             "got {err:?}"
         );
     }
 
-    /// A table listed by `table_names()` must not be reported as missing by
-    /// `open_table()`. See <https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/issues/3127>.
+    /// Listing databases discover physical `*.lance` entries. That snapshot is not an
+    /// authoritative table-existence check: only a committed manifest makes a table
+    /// openable, and the entry could also be concurrently created or dropped.
     #[tokio::test]
-    async fn test_open_table_corrupt_is_still_listed() {
+    async fn test_table_names_may_include_uncommitted_storage() {
         let tmp_dir = tempdir().unwrap();
         let db = connect(tmp_dir.path().to_str().unwrap())
             .execute()
             .await
             .unwrap();
 
-        write_then_corrupt_table(tmp_dir.path(), true).await;
+        std::fs::create_dir(tmp_dir.path().join("test.lance")).unwrap();
 
         assert_eq!(
             db.table_names().execute().await.unwrap(),
@@ -3715,12 +3794,177 @@ mod tests {
         );
         let err = db.open_table("test").execute().await.unwrap_err();
         assert!(
-            matches!(&err, Error::TableCorrupted { name, .. } if name == "test"),
+            matches!(&err, Error::TableNotFound { name, .. } if name == "test"),
+            "physical storage without a committed manifest is not a table: {err:?}"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[derive(Debug)]
+    struct ParentListGuardStore {
+        inner: Arc<dyn object_store::ObjectStore>,
+        parent: object_store::path::Path,
+        parent_list_calls: Arc<AtomicUsize>,
+    }
+
+    impl std::fmt::Display for ParentListGuardStore {
+        fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+            f.write_str("ParentListGuardStore")
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[async_trait::async_trait]
+    #[deny(clippy::missing_trait_methods)]
+    impl object_store::ObjectStore for ParentListGuardStore {
+        async fn put_opts(
+            &self,
+            location: &object_store::path::Path,
+            payload: object_store::PutPayload,
+            opts: object_store::PutOptions,
+        ) -> object_store::Result<object_store::PutResult> {
+            self.inner.put_opts(location, payload, opts).await
+        }
+
+        async fn put_multipart_opts(
+            &self,
+            location: &object_store::path::Path,
+            opts: object_store::PutMultipartOptions,
+        ) -> object_store::Result<Box<dyn object_store::MultipartUpload>> {
+            self.inner.put_multipart_opts(location, opts).await
+        }
+
+        async fn get_opts(
+            &self,
+            location: &object_store::path::Path,
+            options: object_store::GetOptions,
+        ) -> object_store::Result<object_store::GetResult> {
+            self.inner.get_opts(location, options).await
+        }
+
+        async fn get_ranges(
+            &self,
+            location: &object_store::path::Path,
+            ranges: &[std::ops::Range<u64>],
+        ) -> object_store::Result<Vec<bytes::Bytes>> {
+            self.inner.get_ranges(location, ranges).await
+        }
+
+        fn delete_stream(
+            &self,
+            locations: futures::stream::BoxStream<
+                'static,
+                object_store::Result<object_store::path::Path>,
+            >,
+        ) -> futures::stream::BoxStream<'static, object_store::Result<object_store::path::Path>>
+        {
+            self.inner.delete_stream(locations)
+        }
+
+        fn list(
+            &self,
+            prefix: Option<&object_store::path::Path>,
+        ) -> futures::stream::BoxStream<'static, object_store::Result<object_store::ObjectMeta>>
+        {
+            if prefix == Some(&self.parent) {
+                self.parent_list_calls.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed);
+            }
+            self.inner.list(prefix)
+        }
+
+        fn list_with_offset(
+            &self,
+            prefix: Option<&object_store::path::Path>,
+            offset: &object_store::path::Path,
+        ) -> futures::stream::BoxStream<'static, object_store::Result<object_store::ObjectMeta>>
+        {
+            if prefix == Some(&self.parent) {
+                self.parent_list_calls.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed);
+            }
+            self.inner.list_with_offset(prefix, offset)
+        }
+
+        async fn list_with_delimiter(
+            &self,
+            prefix: Option<&object_store::path::Path>,
+        ) -> object_store::Result<object_store::ListResult> {
+            if prefix == Some(&self.parent) {
+                self.parent_list_calls.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed);
+            }
+            self.inner.list_with_delimiter(prefix).await
+        }
+
+        async fn copy_opts(
+            &self,
+            from: &object_store::path::Path,
+            to: &object_store::path::Path,
+            options: object_store::CopyOptions,
+        ) -> object_store::Result<()> {
+            self.inner.copy_opts(from, to, options).await
+        }
+
+        async fn rename_opts(
+            &self,
+            from: &object_store::path::Path,
+            to: &object_store::path::Path,
+            options: object_store::RenameOptions,
+        ) -> object_store::Result<()> {
+            self.inner.rename_opts(from, to, options).await
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[derive(Debug)]
+    struct ParentListGuardWrapper {
+        parent_list_calls: Arc<AtomicUsize>,
+    }
+
+    impl WrappingObjectStore for ParentListGuardWrapper {
+        fn wrap(
+            &self,
+            _store_prefix: &str,
+            inner: Arc<dyn object_store::ObjectStore>,
+        ) -> Arc<dyn object_store::ObjectStore> {
+            Arc::new(ParentListGuardStore {
+                inner,
+                parent: object_store::path::Path::from("database"),
+                parent_list_calls: self.parent_list_calls.clone(),
+            })
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_open_missing_never_lists_database_parent() {
+        let parent_list_calls = Arc::new(AtomicUsize::new(0));
+        let params = ReadParams {
+            store_options: Some(ObjectStoreParams {
+                object_store_wrapper: Some(Arc::new(ParentListGuardWrapper {
+                    parent_list_calls: parent_list_calls.clone(),
+                })),
+                ..Default::default()
+            }),
+            ..Default::default()
+        };
+
+        let err = NativeTable::open_with_params(
+            "memory:///database/missing.lance",
+            "missing",
+            Vec::new(),
+            None,
+            Some(params),
+            None,
+            None,
+            HashSet::new(),
+            None,
+        )
+        .await
+        .unwrap_err();
+
+        assert!(
+            matches!(&err, Error::TableNotFound { name, .. } if name == "missing"),
             "got {err:?}"
         );
-        assert!(
-            err.to_string().contains("exists but could not be loaded"),
-            "got {err}"
+        assert_eq!(
+            parent_list_calls.load(Ordering::Relaxed),
+            0,
+            "opening one missing table must not enumerate sibling tables"
         );
     }
 
@@ -4958,7 +5202,7 @@ mod tests {
         // Bucket spec round-trips exactly, including the routing column (recovered
         // from its field id), maintained indexes, and writer config defaults.
         let spec = LsmWriteSpec::bucket("id", 4)
-            .with_maintained_indexes([idx_name])
+            .with_maintained_indexes(vec![idx_name.clone()])
             .with_writer_config_defaults([("durable_write", "false")]);
         table.set_lsm_write_spec(spec.clone()).await.unwrap();
         assert_eq!(table.get_lsm_write_spec().await.unwrap(), Some(spec));
@@ -4968,15 +5212,125 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(table.get_lsm_write_spec().await.unwrap(), None);
 
         // Identity sharding round-trips (column recovered from the schema).
+        // A spec left at its default maintains every index on the table, so it
+        // reads back naming the one on the table rather than as "infer".
         let spec = LsmWriteSpec::identity("region");
         table.set_lsm_write_spec(spec.clone()).await.unwrap();
-        assert_eq!(table.get_lsm_write_spec().await.unwrap(), Some(spec));
+        assert_eq!(
+            table.get_lsm_write_spec().await.unwrap(),
+            Some(spec.with_maintained_indexes(vec![idx_name.clone()]))
+        );
         table.unset_lsm_write_spec().await.unwrap();
 
         // Unsharded round-trips (no routing column).
         let spec = LsmWriteSpec::unsharded();
         table.set_lsm_write_spec(spec.clone()).await.unwrap();
-        assert_eq!(table.get_lsm_write_spec().await.unwrap(), Some(spec));
+        assert_eq!(
+            table.get_lsm_write_spec().await.unwrap(),
+            Some(spec.with_maintained_indexes(vec![idx_name]))
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// The maintained set defaults to every index on the table, resolved at
+    /// install. An index the memtable cannot build fails the install rather
+    /// than being dropped: maintaining it would take the table offline for
+    /// writes, dropping it would hide that from the caller.
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_set_lsm_write_spec_infers_maintained_indexes() {
+        let tmp_dir = tempdir().unwrap();
+        let uri = tmp_dir.path().to_str().unwrap();
+
+        let schema = Arc::new(Schema::new(vec![
+            Field::new("id", DataType::Int64, false),
+            Field::new("tag", DataType::Utf8, true),
+        ]));
+        let batch = RecordBatch::try_new(
+            schema.clone(),
+            vec![
+                Arc::new(arrow_array::Int64Array::from(vec![1, 2, 3])),
+                Arc::new(StringArray::from(vec!["a", "b", "c"])),
+            ],
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        let reader: Box<dyn arrow_array::RecordBatchReader + Send> =
+            Box::new(RecordBatchIterator::new(vec![Ok(batch)], schema.clone()));
+        let conn = ConnectBuilder::new(uri)
+            .read_consistency_interval(Duration::from_secs(0))
+            .execute()
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        let table = conn.create_table("t", reader).execute().await.unwrap();
+
+        table
+            .create_index(&["id"], Index::BTree(Default::default()))
+            .name("id_btree".to_string())
+            .execute()
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        table
+            .create_index(&["tag"], Index::Bitmap(Default::default()))
+            .name("tag_bitmap".to_string())
+            .execute()
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+
+        // Explicitly naming the bitmap index fails before anything commits.
+        let err = table
+            .set_lsm_write_spec(
+                LsmWriteSpec::unsharded().with_maintained_indexes(vec!["tag_bitmap".to_string()]),
+            )
+            .await
+            .unwrap_err();
+        assert!(
+            matches!(err, Error::InvalidInput { ref message } if message.contains("tag_bitmap")),
+            "expected the bitmap index to be rejected, got {err:?}"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(table.get_lsm_write_spec().await.unwrap(), None);
+
+        // The default covers every index, so the bitmap fails it too.
+        let err = table
+            .set_lsm_write_spec(LsmWriteSpec::unsharded())
+            .await
+            .unwrap_err();
+        assert!(
+            matches!(err, Error::InvalidInput { ref message }
+                if message.contains("tag_bitmap") && message.contains("maintained_indexes")),
+            "expected the inferred set to be rejected, got {err:?}"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(table.get_lsm_write_spec().await.unwrap(), None);
+
+        // Naming the maintainable subset installs.
+        table
+            .set_lsm_write_spec(
+                LsmWriteSpec::unsharded().with_maintained_indexes(vec!["id_btree".to_string()]),
+            )
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            table
+                .get_lsm_write_spec()
+                .await
+                .unwrap()
+                .unwrap()
+                .maintained_indexes(),
+            Some(["id_btree".to_string()].as_slice())
+        );
+
+        // Opting out entirely is distinct from the default.
+        table.unset_lsm_write_spec().await.unwrap();
+        table
+            .set_lsm_write_spec(LsmWriteSpec::unsharded().with_maintained_indexes(Vec::new()))
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            table
+                .get_lsm_write_spec()
+                .await
+                .unwrap()
+                .unwrap()
+                .maintained_indexes(),
+            Some([].as_slice())
+        );
     }
 
     #[tokio::test]
@@ -5024,12 +5378,16 @@ mod tests {
 
         let res = table.stats().await.unwrap();
         println!("{:#?}", res);
+        // `total_bytes` is the full on-disk size of the 11 data files (this table
+        // has no index or overlay files), so it is well above the 2000 bytes of
+        // column data these 250 int32 pairs hold: each file carries its own footer
+        // and metadata.
         assert_eq!(
             res,
             TableStatistics {
                 num_rows: 250,
                 num_indices: 0,
-                total_bytes: 2300,
+                total_bytes: 8925,
                 fragment_stats: FragmentStatistics {
                     num_fragments: 11,
                     num_small_fragments: 11,
@@ -5069,4 +5427,196 @@ mod tests {
             }
         )
     }
+
+    /// `total_bytes` counts more than the base data files: index files and
+    /// overlay files recorded in the manifest are included too.
+    #[tokio::test]
+    pub async fn test_stats_includes_index_and_overlay_files() {
+        use lance::dataset::WriteDestination;
+        use lance::dataset::transaction::{DataOverlayGroup, Operation};
+        use lance_file::version::stable_file_version;
+        use lance_file::writer::FileWriterOptions;
+        use lance_io::utils::CachedFileSize;
+        use lance_table::format::DataFile;
+        use lance_table::format::overlay::{DataOverlayFile, OverlayCoverage};
+        use roaring::RoaringBitmap;
+
+        let tmp_dir = tempdir().unwrap();
+        let uri = tmp_dir.path().to_str().unwrap();
+        let conn = ConnectBuilder::new(uri)
+            .read_consistency_interval(Duration::from_secs(0))
+            .execute()
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+
+        let schema = Arc::new(Schema::new(vec![
+            Field::new("id", DataType::Int32, false),
+            Field::new("foo", DataType::Int32, true),
+        ]));
+        let batch = RecordBatch::try_new(
+            schema.clone(),
+            vec![
+                Arc::new(Int32Array::from_iter_values(0..100)),
+                Arc::new(Int32Array::from_iter_values(0..100)),
+            ],
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        let table = conn
+            .create_table("test_stats_extra_files", batch)
+            .execute()
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+
+        let data_only = table.stats().await.unwrap().total_bytes;
+        assert!(data_only > 0);
+
+        // A scalar index adds index files whose sizes are recorded in the
+        // manifest's index section.
+        table
+            .create_index(&["id"], Index::Auto)
+            .execute()
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        let with_index = table.stats().await.unwrap().total_bytes;
+        let dataset = {
+            let native = table.as_native().unwrap();
+            (*native.dataset.get().await.unwrap()).clone()
+        };
+        let index_bytes: usize = dataset
+            .load_indices()
+            .await
+            .unwrap()
+            .iter()
+            .map(|idx| idx.total_size_bytes().unwrap_or(0) as usize)
+            .sum();
+        assert!(index_bytes > 0);
+        assert_eq!(with_index, data_only + index_bytes);
+
+        // Commit an overlay file supplying new `foo` values for the first three
+        // rows of fragment 0. There is no high-level API that writes overlays
+        // yet, so write the overlay's data file and commit the `DataOverlay`
+        // operation by hand.
+        let read_version = dataset.version().version;
+        let fragment_id = dataset.get_fragments()[0].id() as u64;
+        let foo_field_id = dataset.schema().field("foo").unwrap().id;
+        let overlay_schema = dataset.schema().project_by_ids(&[foo_field_id], true);
+        let file_version = stable_file_version();
+
+        let filename = "overlay.lance".to_string();
+        let store = dataset.object_store(None).await.unwrap();
+        let path = dataset.data_dir().child(filename.clone());
+        let obj_writer = store.create(&path).await.unwrap();
+        let mut writer = lance_file::versions::create_writer(
+            file_version,
+            obj_writer,
+            overlay_schema,
+            FileWriterOptions::default(),
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        writer
+            .write_column(0, Arc::new(Int32Array::from(vec![1000, 1001, 1002])) as _)
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        let summary = writer.finish().await.unwrap();
+        let overlay_bytes = summary.size_bytes as usize;
+        assert!(overlay_bytes > 0);
+
+        let mut data_file = DataFile::new_unstarted(filename, file_version);
+        data_file.fields = writer
+            .field_id_to_column_indices()
+            .iter()
+            .map(|(field_id, _)| *field_id as i32)
+            .collect::<Vec<_>>()
+            .into();
+        data_file.column_indices = writer
+            .field_id_to_column_indices()
+            .iter()
+            .map(|(_, column_index)| *column_index as i32)
+            .collect::<Vec<_>>()
+            .into();
+        data_file.file_size_bytes = CachedFileSize::new(summary.size_bytes);
+
+        let overlay = DataOverlayFile {
+            data_file,
+            coverage: OverlayCoverage::dense(RoaringBitmap::from_iter(0..3)),
+            committed_version: 0,
+        };
+        Dataset::commit(
+            WriteDestination::Dataset(Arc::new(dataset)),
+            Operation::DataOverlay {
+                groups: vec![DataOverlayGroup {
+                    fragment_id,
+                    overlays: vec![overlay],
+                }],
+            },
+            Some(read_version),
+            None,
+            None,
+            Arc::new(Default::default()),
+            false,
+        )
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+
+        table.checkout_latest().await.unwrap();
+        let with_overlay = table.stats().await.unwrap().total_bytes;
+        assert_eq!(with_overlay, with_index + overlay_bytes);
+    }
+
+    /// `stats()` must stay manifest-only. Summing per-field `bytes_on_disk`
+    /// instead opens every data file, so cost would grow with fragment count.
+    #[tokio::test]
+    pub async fn test_stats_does_not_read_data_files() {
+        let tmp_dir = tempdir().unwrap();
+        let uri = tmp_dir.path().to_str().unwrap();
+
+        let conn = ConnectBuilder::new(uri).execute().await.unwrap();
+
+        let schema = Arc::new(Schema::new(vec![Field::new("id", DataType::Int32, false)]));
+        let batch = RecordBatch::try_new(
+            schema.clone(),
+            vec![Arc::new(Int32Array::from_iter_values(0..10))],
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+
+        conn.create_table("test_stats_io", batch.clone())
+            .execute()
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        let table = conn.open_table("test_stats_io").execute().await.unwrap();
+        const NUM_APPENDS: usize = 20;
+        for _ in 0..NUM_APPENDS {
+            table.add(batch.clone()).execute().await.unwrap();
+        }
+
+        // Reopen through a tracking store so the counters cover `stats()` alone and
+        // not the writes above.
+        let (wrapper, io_stats) = IoTrackingStore::new_wrapper();
+        let table = conn
+            .open_table("test_stats_io")
+            .lance_read_params(ReadParams {
+                store_options: Some(ObjectStoreParams {
+                    object_store_wrapper: Some(wrapper),
+                    ..Default::default()
+                }),
+                ..Default::default()
+            })
+            .execute()
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        io_stats.lock().unwrap().read_iops = 0;
+
+        let stats = table.stats().await.unwrap();
+        let read_iops = io_stats.lock().unwrap().read_iops;
+
+        assert_eq!(stats.fragment_stats.num_fragments, NUM_APPENDS + 1);
+        assert!(stats.total_bytes > 0);
+        // Reading the fragments' data files would take at least one IOP each.
+        assert!(
+            read_iops < stats.fragment_stats.num_fragments as u64,
+            "stats() issued {} read IOPs across {} fragments",
+            read_iops,
+            stats.fragment_stats.num_fragments
+        );
+    }
 }
diff --git a/rust/lancedb/src/table/checkpoint.rs b/rust/lancedb/src/table/checkpoint.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bb76604ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rust/lancedb/src/table/checkpoint.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,315 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright The LanceDB Authors
+
+//! Converging a table's LSM write path into its base table.
+//!
+//! `checkpoint_lsm` seals once, then triggers compaction and watches
+//! generation numbers until the L0 that existed at the start is gone.
+//!
+//! The loop runs in the client, not the server: `compact_lsm` dispatches a
+//! pass and returns, so nothing holds a socket and a client can vanish
+//! mid-operation with nothing to reconcile. Completion is read from
+//! generation numbers in the shard manifest — durable state, unlike a count
+//! in a compact response, which a concurrent write invalidates.
+//!
+//! The target set is fixed at the start, so generations created *during* the
+//! checkpoint are ignored. That is what lets it terminate under write load,
+//! and what makes it best-effort: it converges the fresh tier as of some
+//! instant. Idempotent, abandonable at any point, safe on a cadence.
+//!
+//! No liveness bound — the caller owns the deadline. The compactor pool is
+//! shared pod-wide, so a checkpoint queued behind unrelated tables looks
+//! exactly like one that is merging.
+
+use std::collections::HashMap;
+use std::future::Future;
+use std::time::Duration;
+
+use crate::{Error, Result, Table};
+
+/// The HTTP status a failed request carried, if it carried one.
+///
+/// `None` for anything with no retry story: a `TableNotFound` that
+/// `check_table_response` already translated, or a connection failure that
+/// never reached the server. Both are terminal.
+fn status_of(e: &Error) -> Option<u16> {
+    #[cfg(feature = "remote")]
+    {
+        match e {
+            Error::Http {
+                status_code: Some(status),
+                ..
+            } => Some(status.as_u16()),
+            _ => None,
+        }
+    }
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "remote"))]
+    {
+        let _ = e;
+        None
+    }
+}
+
+/// 429 (latch held, pool saturated, or the pod replaying its WAL) and 503 (a
+/// draining node, or a proxy between here and it).
+///
+/// The status is the whole signal: the server deliberately keeps contention
+/// off 503, so a latch collision is a 429. A draining node *is* terminal, but
+/// it is also a 503 that stays a 503, so retrying spends one budget and then
+/// reports the server's own message — cheaper than parsing the body for the
+/// namespace code it would take to tell the two apart.
+fn is_retryable(e: &Error) -> bool {
+    matches!(status_of(e), Some(429 | 503))
+}
+
+/// 421: the owning node holds no claim. Only `flush` re-claims and replays,
+/// so this cannot be retried in place — the caller has to start over.
+fn is_lost_claim(e: &Error) -> bool {
+    status_of(e) == Some(421)
+}
+
+/// Interval between `get_lsm_stats` polls. One interval is roughly one
+/// compaction pass, the granularity at which the answer can change.
+///
+/// Fixed rather than configurable, matching `wait_for_index`. It costs
+/// nothing on an already-converged table and at most one interval of tail
+/// latency after the final pass lands.
+const POLL_INTERVAL: Duration = Duration::from_secs(5);
+
+/// Cap on re-issues from `flush` after a 421, so a crash-looping node cannot
+/// turn flush → compact → 421 → flush into a spin.
+///
+/// Deliberately not shared with [`MAX_RETRIES`]: a claim that keeps
+/// evaporating is a broken node, while contention is routine and wants a real
+/// budget. One shared counter let a merely contended table exhaust this cap
+/// and then blame a claim it never lost.
+const MAX_REISSUES: usize = 3;
+
+/// Retryable faults tolerated on a *single* request, reset on every success —
+/// scattered contention across a long checkpoint must not accumulate toward a
+/// cap. Roughly 16s of retrying against the backoff below.
+const MAX_RETRIES: usize = 8;
+
+/// Backoff between retries, doubling up to [`RETRY_BACKOFF_MAX`]. Latch
+/// contention clears in about the time one pass takes, so start small; a
+/// saturated pool wants the ceiling.
+const RETRY_BACKOFF_BASE: Duration = Duration::from_millis(100);
+const RETRY_BACKOFF_MAX: Duration = Duration::from_secs(5);
+
+/// Sleep before re-issuing a retryable request.
+async fn backoff(attempt: usize) {
+    let delay = RETRY_BACKOFF_BASE
+        .saturating_mul(1u32 << attempt.min(8) as u32)
+        .min(RETRY_BACKOFF_MAX);
+    tokio::time::sleep(delay).await;
+}
+
+/// Whether the drain loop finished or needs the table re-claimed first.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
+enum CheckpointOutcome {
+    Done,
+    ReissueFromFlush,
+}
+
+/// What one LSM request produced: its value, or word that the owning node
+/// holds no claim and only `flush` can get it back.
+enum Attempt<T> {
+    Ok(T),
+    ReissueFromFlush,
+}
+
+/// Issue one LSM request, retrying in place while the fault is retryable.
+///
+/// The two recoverable faults have separate budgets: contention clears on its
+/// own and retries here against [`MAX_RETRIES`], while a 421 needs `flush` to
+/// re-claim, which only the caller can drive.
+///
+/// An exhausted budget propagates the last error *as itself* rather than a
+/// synthesized one — "429 after nine tries" beats "checkpoint failed", and a
+/// draining node arrives carrying the server's own message.
+async fn issue<T, F, Fut>(mut call: F) -> Result<Attempt<T>>
+where
+    F: FnMut() -> Fut,
+    Fut: Future<Output = Result<T>>,
+{
+    let mut retries = 0;
+    loop {
+        let e = match call().await {
+            Ok(value) => return Ok(Attempt::Ok(value)),
+            Err(e) => e,
+        };
+        if is_lost_claim(&e) {
+            return Ok(Attempt::ReissueFromFlush);
+        }
+        if !is_retryable(&e) || retries >= MAX_RETRIES {
+            return Err(e);
+        }
+        backoff(retries).await;
+        retries += 1;
+    }
+}
+
+/// Drive [`Table::checkpoint_lsm`]: seal once, fix the target watermark
+/// from the resulting L0, then trigger and poll until it drains.
+pub(crate) async fn checkpoint_lsm(table: &Table) -> Result<()> {
+    for reissue in 0..=MAX_REISSUES {
+        // The seal turns everything written before this call into a
+        // generation, so the watermark has to be read after it. Idempotent:
+        // sealing an empty memtable is a no-op, so a re-issue does not churn
+        // empty generations.
+        match issue(|| table.flush_lsm()).await? {
+            Attempt::Ok(()) => {}
+            Attempt::ReissueFromFlush => {
+                backoff(reissue).await;
+                continue;
+            }
+        }
+
+        let stats = match issue(|| table.get_lsm_stats(false)).await? {
+            Attempt::Ok(stats) => stats,
+            Attempt::ReissueFromFlush => {
+                backoff(reissue).await;
+                continue;
+            }
+        };
+        let Some(stats) = stats else {
+            // Not WAL-backed; `flush_lsm` would have errored first but for a race.
+            return Ok(());
+        };
+        let targets: HashMap<String, u64> = stats
+            .buckets
+            .iter()
+            .filter_map(|b| Some((b.shard_id.clone(), b.newest_generation()?)))
+            .collect();
+        if targets.is_empty() {
+            return Ok(());
+        }
+
+        match drain_to_targets(table, &targets).await? {
+            CheckpointOutcome::Done => return Ok(()),
+            CheckpointOutcome::ReissueFromFlush => {
+                backoff(reissue).await;
+                continue;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    Err(Error::Runtime {
+        message: "checkpoint_lsm: the owning node kept losing its claim; \
+                  re-issued from flush the maximum number of times"
+            .into(),
+    })
+}
+
+/// Trigger and poll until no bucket holds a generation at or below its
+/// target.
+///
+/// No liveness bound, deliberately. The pod-wide compactor pool (a semaphore
+/// of 2 by default, shared across every table on the node) is taken *inside*
+/// the pass, after the bucket latch, so a checkpoint queued behind unrelated
+/// tables is indistinguishable from one that is merging. An idle-poll counter
+/// here could only ever have fired on a table that would have finished.
+async fn drain_to_targets(
+    table: &Table,
+    targets: &HashMap<String, u64>,
+) -> Result<CheckpointOutcome> {
+    loop {
+        let stats = match issue(|| table.get_lsm_stats(false)).await? {
+            Attempt::Ok(stats) => stats,
+            Attempt::ReissueFromFlush => return Ok(CheckpointOutcome::ReissueFromFlush),
+        };
+        let Some(stats) = stats else {
+            return Ok(CheckpointOutcome::Done);
+        };
+        // `compacting` is the bucket's compaction latch, held from dispatch
+        // until the pass ends — including while it waits on the pod-wide
+        // permit. So it answers one question only: do not pile on. Buckets
+        // with nothing outstanding are skipped, not counted as idle.
+        let mut outstanding = 0;
+        let mut all_compacting = true;
+        for b in &stats.buckets {
+            let Some(target) = targets.get(&b.shard_id) else {
+                continue;
+            };
+            let n = b.outstanding_generations(*target);
+            if n > 0 {
+                outstanding += n;
+                all_compacting &= b.compacting;
+            }
+        }
+        if outstanding == 0 {
+            return Ok(CheckpointOutcome::Done);
+        }
+
+        if !all_compacting {
+            match table.compact_lsm().await {
+                Ok(()) => {}
+                Err(e) if is_lost_claim(&e) => return Ok(CheckpointOutcome::ReissueFromFlush),
+                Err(e) if !is_retryable(&e) => return Err(e),
+                // A 429 here means the server could latch no bucket at all,
+                // which the poll above already handles. Not retried in place:
+                // the latch it would contend for is the one doing the work, so
+                // fall through and re-read — `POLL_INTERVAL` is the backoff.
+                Err(_) => {}
+            }
+        }
+        tokio::time::sleep(POLL_INTERVAL).await;
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(all(test, feature = "remote"))]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    fn http(status: u16) -> Error {
+        Error::Http {
+            source: "server said no".into(),
+            request_id: "rid".into(),
+            status_code: reqwest::StatusCode::from_u16(status).ok(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Every status the loop acts on. The two predicates are checked together
+    /// because their overlap is what would be wrong: a status must never be
+    /// both, and 421 in particular must not read as retryable — retrying it in
+    /// place re-issues the call that just said the node holds no claim.
+    #[test]
+    fn taxonomy_round_trips() {
+        for status in [429, 503] {
+            assert!(is_retryable(&http(status)), "{status} must retry");
+            assert!(
+                !is_lost_claim(&http(status)),
+                "{status} is not a lost claim"
+            );
+        }
+        assert!(is_lost_claim(&http(421)), "a lost claim must re-claim");
+        assert!(
+            !is_retryable(&http(421)),
+            "retrying a lost claim in place only asks the same node again"
+        );
+        for status in [400, 404, 409, 500] {
+            assert!(!is_retryable(&http(status)), "{status} is terminal");
+            assert!(!is_lost_claim(&http(status)), "{status} is terminal");
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// An error carrying no status has no retry story and must be terminal —
+    /// a connection that never reached the server, or a `TableNotFound` that
+    /// `check_table_response` translated before the loop saw it.
+    #[test]
+    fn errors_without_a_status_are_terminal() {
+        let no_status = Error::Http {
+            source: "connection reset".into(),
+            request_id: "rid".into(),
+            status_code: None,
+        };
+        assert!(!is_retryable(&no_status));
+        assert!(!is_lost_claim(&no_status));
+
+        let translated = Error::TableNotFound {
+            name: "t".into(),
+            source: "gone".into(),
+        };
+        assert!(!is_retryable(&translated));
+        assert!(!is_lost_claim(&translated));
+    }
+}
diff --git a/rust/lancedb/src/table/lsm_stats.rs b/rust/lancedb/src/table/lsm_stats.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..953aea90f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rust/lancedb/src/table/lsm_stats.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,162 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright The LanceDB Authors
+
+//! Live per-bucket LSM state — the shape [`crate::Table::get_lsm_stats`]
+//! returns and [`super::checkpoint`] polls.
+//!
+//! Nothing here is derived: sums and differences (total L0 bytes, WAL lag)
+//! are the caller's to compute. There is no "WAL is off" shape — that case is
+//! `None`, because a struct of zeros would read as measurements.
+
+use serde::Deserialize;
+
+/// One flushed L0 generation.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Deserialize)]
+pub struct GenerationStats {
+    pub generation: u64,
+    pub bytes: u64,
+    /// Present only when `include_generation_rows` was requested. Off by
+    /// default because each count opens an uncached Lance dataset, and the
+    /// checkpoint loop polls this route needing only generation numbers.
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub rows: Option<u64>,
+}
+
+/// One in-memory memtable.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Deserialize)]
+pub struct MemtableStats {
+    pub generation: u64,
+    pub rows: u64,
+    pub bytes: u64,
+    pub batches: u64,
+    /// Names of the indexes this memtable carries. An absent name is the whole
+    /// answer to "why is my fresh-tier search on that column brute-force".
+    pub indexes: Vec<String>,
+}
+
+/// Live state of one bucket. A table is N buckets on one node; flattening to
+/// a single number hides the one hot bucket that is usually why someone
+/// opened this endpoint.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Deserialize)]
+pub struct BucketStats {
+    pub shard_id: String,
+    /// `Active` | `Sealed` (drop-table 2PC in flight).
+    pub status: String,
+    pub writer_epoch: u64,
+    pub manifest_version: u64,
+    pub current_generation: u64,
+    pub replay_after_wal_entry_position: u64,
+    pub wal_entry_position_last_seen: u64,
+    pub generations: Vec<GenerationStats>,
+    /// Whether a pass owns this bucket's compaction latch right now. Says *a*
+    /// driver is running, not *whose*, and the latch is held from dispatch —
+    /// including while the pass queues for a pod-wide compactor permit. Read
+    /// it as "do not pile on", never as "mine is progressing".
+    pub compacting: bool,
+    /// Oldest first, active last. Absent for a `Sealed` bucket, whose
+    /// in-memory state is torn down.
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub memtables: Option<Vec<MemtableStats>>,
+}
+
+impl BucketStats {
+    /// The newest flushed generation, or `None` when L0 is empty.
+    pub(crate) fn newest_generation(&self) -> Option<u64> {
+        self.generations.iter().map(|g| g.generation).max()
+    }
+
+    /// How many generations at or below `target` are still in L0.
+    ///
+    /// A count, not a boolean: one pass drains a bounded prefix rather than
+    /// the whole target set, so a boolean would read as "no progress" for
+    /// every pass but the last. Compaction drains oldest-first, so this
+    /// decreases monotonically.
+    pub(crate) fn outstanding_generations(&self, target: u64) -> usize {
+        self.generations
+            .iter()
+            .filter(|g| g.generation <= target)
+            .count()
+    }
+}
+
+/// Live LSM state, one entry per bucket.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Deserialize)]
+pub struct LsmStats {
+    pub buckets: Vec<BucketStats>,
+}
+
+/// Server-side JSON envelope for `get_lsm_stats`. `lsm_stats` is null when
+/// the table has no LSM write path.
+#[derive(Debug, Deserialize)]
+pub(crate) struct GetLsmStatsResponse {
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub lsm_stats: Option<LsmStats>,
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    fn bucket(shard: &str, generations: &[u64], compacting: bool) -> BucketStats {
+        BucketStats {
+            shard_id: shard.into(),
+            status: "Active".into(),
+            writer_epoch: 1,
+            manifest_version: 1,
+            current_generation: generations.iter().max().copied().unwrap_or(0) + 1,
+            replay_after_wal_entry_position: 0,
+            wal_entry_position_last_seen: 0,
+            generations: generations
+                .iter()
+                .map(|g| GenerationStats {
+                    generation: *g,
+                    bytes: 1,
+                    rows: None,
+                })
+                .collect(),
+            compacting,
+            memtables: None,
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// The target watermark is the newest generation at the start, and a
+    /// generation created after it must not hold the loop open — that is why
+    /// the predicate terminates under write load.
+    #[test]
+    fn newer_generations_do_not_extend_the_target() {
+        let start = bucket("b0", &[7, 8], false);
+        let target = start.newest_generation().expect("L0 is non-empty");
+        assert_eq!(target, 8);
+
+        // Compaction drained 7 and 8; 9 and 10 arrived while it ran.
+        let later = bucket("b0", &[9, 10], false);
+        assert_eq!(
+            later.outstanding_generations(target),
+            0,
+            "generations above the target are somebody else's problem"
+        );
+
+        // Still holding 8 means still outstanding.
+        assert_eq!(
+            bucket("b0", &[8, 9], false).outstanding_generations(target),
+            1
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// The metric counts generations, not buckets: a pass drains a bounded
+    /// prefix, so one bucket going 3 → 2 → 1 → 0 is three steps.
+    #[test]
+    fn progress_is_measured_in_generations() {
+        let target = 3;
+        let counts: Vec<usize> = [&[1u64, 2, 3][..], &[2, 3][..], &[3][..], &[][..]]
+            .iter()
+            .map(|gens| bucket("b0", gens, false).outstanding_generations(target))
+            .collect();
+        assert_eq!(counts, vec![3, 2, 1, 0]);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn empty_l0_has_no_target() {
+        assert!(bucket("b0", &[], false).newest_generation().is_none());
+    }
+}
diff --git a/rust/lancedb/src/table/merge.rs b/rust/lancedb/src/table/merge.rs
index 82a1d1473..3a5b6882d 100644
--- a/rust/lancedb/src/table/merge.rs
+++ b/rust/lancedb/src/table/merge.rs
@@ -1161,7 +1161,7 @@ mod lsm_tests {
             .unwrap();
         let fts_index = table.list_indices().await.unwrap()[0].name.clone();
         table
-            .set_lsm_write_spec(LsmWriteSpec::unsharded().with_maintained_indexes([fts_index]))
+            .set_lsm_write_spec(LsmWriteSpec::unsharded().with_maintained_indexes(vec![fts_index]))
             .await
             .unwrap();
 
@@ -1254,7 +1254,7 @@ mod lsm_tests {
             .unwrap();
         let vec_index = table.list_indices().await.unwrap()[0].name.clone();
         table
-            .set_lsm_write_spec(LsmWriteSpec::unsharded().with_maintained_indexes([vec_index]))
+            .set_lsm_write_spec(LsmWriteSpec::unsharded().with_maintained_indexes(vec![vec_index]))
             .await
             .unwrap();
 
diff --git a/rust/lancedb/src/table/merge/lsm.rs b/rust/lancedb/src/table/merge/lsm.rs
index 0eb7c0231..87c427b3c 100644
--- a/rust/lancedb/src/table/merge/lsm.rs
+++ b/rust/lancedb/src/table/merge/lsm.rs
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ use arrow_schema::{DataType, Schema as ArrowSchema, SchemaRef};
 use lance::Dataset;
 use lance::dataset::mem_wal::{
     DatasetMemWalExt, ShardWriter, ShardWriterConfig, evaluate_sharding_spec,
+    validate_maintained_indexes,
 };
 use lance::index::DatasetIndexExt;
 use lance_core::datatypes::Schema as LanceSchema;
@@ -37,8 +38,9 @@ use tokio::sync::RwLock;
 use uuid::Uuid;
 
 use crate::error::{Error, Result};
+use crate::index::IndexConfig;
 use crate::table::merge::{MergeInsertBuilder, MergeResult};
-use crate::table::{LsmWriteSpec, NativeTable};
+use crate::table::{BaseTable, LsmWriteSpec, NativeTable};
 
 /// Spec id of the sole sharding spec installed by [`set_lsm_write_spec`].
 /// Must match Lance's `InitializeMemWalBuilder` (`SHARDING_SPEC_ID`).
@@ -80,32 +82,44 @@ pub(crate) async fn set_lsm_write_spec(table: &NativeTable, spec: LsmWriteSpec)
         }
     }
 
+    // Before the builder borrows the dataset clone. `list_indices` merges an
+    // index's segments into one entry, so the result needs no dedup.
+    let maintained_indexes = {
+        let dataset = table.dataset.get().await?;
+        resolve_maintained_indexes(
+            &dataset,
+            &table.list_indices().await?,
+            spec.maintained_indexes(),
+        )
+        .await?
+    };
+
     let mut dataset = (*table.dataset.get().await?).clone();
     let mut builder = dataset.initialize_mem_wal();
-    let (maintained_indexes, writer_config_defaults) = match spec {
+    let writer_config_defaults = match spec {
         LsmWriteSpec::Bucket {
             column,
             num_buckets,
-            maintained_indexes,
             writer_config_defaults,
+            ..
         } => {
             builder = builder.bucket_sharding(column, num_buckets);
-            (maintained_indexes, writer_config_defaults)
+            writer_config_defaults
         }
         LsmWriteSpec::Identity {
             column,
-            maintained_indexes,
             writer_config_defaults,
+            ..
         } => {
             builder = builder.identity_sharding(column);
-            (maintained_indexes, writer_config_defaults)
+            writer_config_defaults
         }
         LsmWriteSpec::Unsharded {
-            maintained_indexes,
             writer_config_defaults,
+            ..
         } => {
             builder = builder.unsharded();
-            (maintained_indexes, writer_config_defaults)
+            writer_config_defaults
         }
     };
     builder = builder.maintained_indexes(maintained_indexes);
@@ -117,6 +131,58 @@ pub(crate) async fn set_lsm_write_spec(table: &NativeTable, spec: LsmWriteSpec)
     Ok(())
 }
 
+/// Resolve a spec's maintained-index selection against `indices`, as reported
+/// by [`Table::list_indices`](crate::Table::list_indices).
+///
+/// `None` means every index on the table, snapshotted now. Lance validates
+/// either selection against its shard-writer rules, so a spec that installs is
+/// one the MemWAL can open.
+///
+/// An unmaintainable index fails an inferred set rather than being dropped from
+/// it — dropping would leave the caller believing it is maintained.
+async fn resolve_maintained_indexes(
+    dataset: &Dataset,
+    indices: &[IndexConfig],
+    requested: Option<&[String]>,
+) -> Result<Vec<String>> {
+    let Some(requested) = requested else {
+        let all: Vec<String> = indices.iter().map(|index| index.name.clone()).collect();
+        validate_maintained_indexes(dataset, &all)
+            .await
+            .map_err(|source| Error::InvalidInput {
+                message: format!(
+                    "cannot maintain every index on this table: {source}. Set \
+                     maintained_indexes explicitly to choose from {}",
+                    index_name_list(indices),
+                ),
+            })?;
+        return Ok(all);
+    };
+    for name in requested {
+        if !indices.iter().any(|index| &index.name == name) {
+            return Err(Error::InvalidInput {
+                message: format!(
+                    "maintained index '{}' does not exist on this table; it has {}",
+                    name,
+                    index_name_list(indices),
+                ),
+            });
+        }
+    }
+    validate_maintained_indexes(dataset, requested).await?;
+    Ok(requested.to_vec())
+}
+
+/// Index names for an error message.
+fn index_name_list(indices: &[IndexConfig]) -> String {
+    if indices.is_empty() {
+        return "no indexes".to_string();
+    }
+    let mut names: Vec<&str> = indices.iter().map(|index| index.name.as_str()).collect();
+    names.sort_unstable();
+    format!("[{}]", names.join(", "))
+}
+
 // =============================================================================
 // unset_lsm_write_spec
 // =============================================================================
diff --git a/rust/lancedb/tests/blob_integration.rs b/rust/lancedb/tests/blob_integration.rs
index 77d49abd9..b92f961f4 100644
--- a/rust/lancedb/tests/blob_integration.rs
+++ b/rust/lancedb/tests/blob_integration.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ use arrow_array::{
 use arrow_schema::{DataType, Field, Fields, Schema};
 use futures::TryStreamExt;
 use lance::Dataset;
-use lance_file::version::LanceFileVersion;
+use lance_file::version::{ConcreteFileVersion, LanceFileVersion};
 use lancedb::{
     Connection, Error, Result, Table,
     blob::{BlobRangeRequest, blob},
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ async fn create_inline_blob_table(
     Ok(table)
 }
 
-async fn storage_format_version(table: &Table) -> LanceFileVersion {
+async fn storage_format_version(table: &Table) -> ConcreteFileVersion {
     table
         .as_native()
         .unwrap()
@@ -69,9 +69,14 @@ async fn storage_format_version(table: &Table) -> LanceFileVersion {
         .await
         .unwrap()
         .data_storage_format
-        .lance_file_version()
-        .unwrap()
-        .resolve()
+        .lance_file_format()
+}
+
+fn supports_blob_v2(version: ConcreteFileVersion) -> bool {
+    matches!(
+        version,
+        ConcreteFileVersion::V2_2 | ConcreteFileVersion::V2_3
+    )
 }
 
 async fn uses_stable_row_ids(table: &Table) -> bool {
@@ -112,7 +117,7 @@ async fn declaring_blob_column_bumps_format_and_enables_stable_row_ids() -> Resu
         .execute()
         .await?;
 
-    assert!(storage_format_version(&table).await >= LanceFileVersion::V2_2);
+    assert!(supports_blob_v2(storage_format_version(&table).await));
     assert!(uses_stable_row_ids(&table).await);
     Ok(())
 }
@@ -127,7 +132,7 @@ async fn explicit_stable_row_id_setting_wins_over_blob_default() -> Result<()> {
         .execute()
         .await?;
 
-    assert!(storage_format_version(&table).await >= LanceFileVersion::V2_2);
+    assert!(supports_blob_v2(storage_format_version(&table).await));
     assert!(!uses_stable_row_ids(&table).await);
     Ok(())
 }
@@ -139,7 +144,7 @@ async fn non_blob_table_keeps_default_format_and_row_id_setting() -> Result<()>
     let schema = Arc::new(Schema::new(vec![Field::new("id", DataType::Int64, false)]));
     let table = db.create_empty_table("t", schema).execute().await?;
 
-    assert!(storage_format_version(&table).await < LanceFileVersion::V2_2);
+    assert!(!supports_blob_v2(storage_format_version(&table).await));
     assert!(!uses_stable_row_ids(&table).await);
     Ok(())
 }
@@ -171,7 +176,7 @@ async fn creating_with_blob_data_bumps_format() -> Result<()> {
     .unwrap();
     let table = db.create_table("t", batch).execute().await?;
 
-    assert!(storage_format_version(&table).await >= LanceFileVersion::V2_2);
+    assert!(supports_blob_v2(storage_format_version(&table).await));
     assert!(uses_stable_row_ids(&table).await);
     assert_eq!(table.count_rows(None).await?, 1);
     Ok(())
@@ -281,7 +286,7 @@ async fn connection_level_stable_row_id_setting_wins_over_blob_default() -> Resu
         .execute()
         .await?;
 
-    assert!(storage_format_version(&table).await >= LanceFileVersion::V2_2);
+    assert!(supports_blob_v2(storage_format_version(&table).await));
     assert!(!uses_stable_row_ids(&table).await);
     Ok(())
 }
@@ -297,7 +302,7 @@ async fn namespace_create_applies_blob_defaults() -> Result<()> {
         .execute()
         .await?;
 
-    assert!(storage_format_version(&table).await >= LanceFileVersion::V2_2);
+    assert!(supports_blob_v2(storage_format_version(&table).await));
     assert!(uses_stable_row_ids(&table).await);
     Ok(())
 }
@@ -474,7 +479,7 @@ async fn fetch_blobs_round_trips_nested_blob_column() -> Result<()> {
     let batch = RecordBatch::try_new(schema, vec![Arc::new(info_array) as ArrayRef]).unwrap();
     let table = db.create_table("t", batch).execute().await?;
 
-    assert!(storage_format_version(&table).await >= LanceFileVersion::V2_2);
+    assert!(supports_blob_v2(storage_format_version(&table).await));
     assert!(uses_stable_row_ids(&table).await);
 
     let ids = collect_row_ids(&table).await?;
@@ -1305,7 +1310,7 @@ async fn optimize_preserves_blob_v2_null_and_empty_distinction() -> Result<()> {
         .await?;
     table.add(null_empty_input_batch()).execute().await?;
     assert!(
-        storage_format_version(&table).await >= LanceFileVersion::V2_2,
+        supports_blob_v2(storage_format_version(&table).await),
         "blob v2 columns require storage >= 2.2"
     );