diff --git a/cpp/src/arrow/dataset/file_orc.cc b/cpp/src/arrow/dataset/file_orc.cc
index 8a56329c894e..b0bb7f2ae18d 100644
--- a/cpp/src/arrow/dataset/file_orc.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/arrow/dataset/file_orc.cc
@@ -416,11 +416,69 @@ Status OrcFileFragment::EnsureCompleteMetadata(void* reader) {
 
   cache_status_ = OrcCacheStatus::Loading;
 
+  // If no reader provided, open one ourselves
   if (reader == nullptr) {
-    ARROW_ASSIGN_OR_RAISE(auto orc_reader, OpenORCReader(source_));
-    orc_reader_ = orc_reader.release();
-  } else {
-    orc_reader_ = reader;
+    lock.Unlock();
+    auto scan_options = std::make_shared<ScanOptions>();
+    ARROW_ASSIGN_OR_RAISE(auto orc_reader, OpenORCReader(source_, scan_options));
+    // Recursively call with the reader
+    return EnsureCompleteMetadata(orc_reader.get());
+  }
+
+  // Cast reader to ORCFileReader
+  auto* orc_reader = reinterpret_cast<arrow::adapters::orc::ORCFileReader*>(reader);
+
+  // Get physical schema from ORC file
+  ARROW_ASSIGN_OR_RAISE(auto file_schema, orc_reader->ReadSchema());
+
+  // Validate against given schema if provided
+  if (given_physical_schema_ && !given_physical_schema_->Equals(*file_schema)) {
+    return Status::Invalid("Fragment initialized with physical schema ",
+                           *given_physical_schema_, " but ", source_.path(),
+                           " has schema ", *file_schema);
+  }
+
+  physical_schema_ = file_schema;
+
+  // Initialize stripes if not already set (select all stripes)
+  if (!stripes_) {
+    ARROW_ASSIGN_OR_RAISE(int64_t num_stripes, orc_reader->NumberOfStripes());
+    std::vector<int> all_stripes(num_stripes);
+    for (int64_t i = 0; i < num_stripes; ++i) {
+      all_stripes[i] = static_cast<int>(i);
+    }
+    stripes_ = std::move(all_stripes);
+  }
+
+  // Get ORC type tree for manifest building
+  const void* orc_type = orc_reader->GetORCType();
+  if (orc_type == nullptr) {
+    return Status::Invalid("Could not get ORC type information from ", source_.path());
+  }
+
+  // Build schema manifest
+  auto manifest = std::make_shared<OrcSchemaManifest>();
+  ARROW_RETURN_NOT_OK(
+      OrcSchemaManifest::Make(physical_schema_, orc_type, manifest.get()));
+
+  // Set metadata and manifest
+  orc_reader_ = reader;
+  manifest_ = std::move(manifest);
+
+  // Initialize statistics cache
+  statistics_cache_ = std::make_unique<StripeStatisticsCache>();
+  statistics_cache_->stripe_guarantees.resize(stripes_->size(), compute::literal(true));
+  statistics_cache_->statistics_complete.resize(
+      manifest_->column_index_to_field.size(), false);
+
+  // Validate stripe indices
+  ARROW_ASSIGN_OR_RAISE(int64_t total_stripes, orc_reader->NumberOfStripes());
+  for (int stripe_idx : *stripes_) {
+    if (stripe_idx < 0 || stripe_idx >= static_cast<int>(total_stripes)) {
+      return Status::IndexError("OrcFileFragment references stripe ", stripe_idx,
+                                " but ", source_.path(), " only has ", total_stripes,
+                                " stripes");
+    }
   }
 
   cache_status_ = OrcCacheStatus::Cached;