diff --git a/rust/lance/src/index/vector/builder.rs b/rust/lance/src/index/vector/builder.rs
index 3bdc707bd63..e103f6746c7 100644
--- a/rust/lance/src/index/vector/builder.rs
+++ b/rust/lance/src/index/vector/builder.rs
@@ -1271,7 +1271,7 @@ impl<S: IvfSubIndex + 'static, Q: Quantization + 'static> IvfIndexBuilder<S, Q>
 
         // get top REASSIGN_RANGE centroids from c0
         let (reassign_part_ids, reassign_part_centroids) =
-            self.select_reassign_candidates(ivf, &c0)?;
+            self.select_reassign_candidates(ivf, part_idx, &c0)?;
 
         // compute the distance between the vectors and the 3 centroids (original one and the 2 new ones)
         let d0 = self.distance_type.arrow_batch_func()(&c0, vectors)?;
@@ -1495,7 +1495,7 @@ impl<S: IvfSubIndex + 'static, Q: Quantization + 'static> IvfIndexBuilder<S, Q>
 
         // get top REASSIGN_RANGE centroids from c0
         let (reassign_part_ids, reassign_part_centroids) =
-            self.select_reassign_candidates(ivf, &c0)?;
+            self.select_reassign_candidates(ivf, part_idx, &c0)?;
 
         let new_part_id = |idx: usize| -> usize {
             if idx < part_idx {
@@ -1680,23 +1680,11 @@ impl<S: IvfSubIndex + 'static, Q: Quantization + 'static> IvfIndexBuilder<S, Q>
     fn select_reassign_candidates(
         &self,
         ivf: &IvfModel,
+        part_idx: usize,
         c0: &ArrayRef,
     ) -> Result<(UInt32Array, FixedSizeListArray)> {
-        let reassign_range = std::cmp::min(REASSIGN_RANGE + 1, ivf.num_partitions());
-        let centroids = ivf.centroids_array().unwrap();
-        let centroid_dists = self.distance_type.arrow_batch_func()(&c0, centroids)?;
-        let reassign_range_candidates =
-            sort_to_indices(centroid_dists.as_ref(), None, Some(reassign_range))?;
-        // exclude the original centroid itself
-        let reassign_candidate_ids = &reassign_range_candidates.slice(1, reassign_range - 1);
-        let reassign_candidate_centroids =
-            arrow::compute::take(centroids, reassign_candidate_ids, None)?;
-        Ok((
-            reassign_candidate_ids.clone(),
-            reassign_candidate_centroids.as_fixed_size_list().clone(),
-        ))
+        select_reassign_candidates_impl(self.distance_type, ivf, part_idx, c0)
     }
-
     // assign the vectors of original partition
     #[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)]
     fn assign_vectors<T: ArrowPrimitiveType>(
@@ -1797,6 +1785,34 @@ impl<S: IvfSubIndex + 'static, Q: Quantization + 'static> IvfIndexBuilder<S, Q>
     }
 }
 
+fn select_reassign_candidates_impl(
+    distance_type: DistanceType,
+    ivf: &IvfModel,
+    part_idx: usize,
+    c0: &ArrayRef,
+) -> Result<(UInt32Array, FixedSizeListArray)> {
+    let reassign_range = std::cmp::min(REASSIGN_RANGE + 1, ivf.num_partitions());
+    let centroids = ivf.centroids_array().unwrap();
+    let centroid_dists = distance_type.arrow_batch_func()(&c0, centroids)?;
+    let reassign_range_candidates =
+        sort_to_indices(centroid_dists.as_ref(), None, Some(reassign_range))?;
+    let selection_len = reassign_range.saturating_sub(1);
+    let filtered_ids = reassign_range_candidates
+        .values()
+        .iter()
+        .copied()
+        .filter(|&idx| idx as usize != part_idx)
+        .take(selection_len)
+        .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+    let reassign_candidate_ids = UInt32Array::from(filtered_ids);
+    let reassign_candidate_centroids =
+        arrow::compute::take(centroids, &reassign_candidate_ids, None)?;
+    Ok((
+        reassign_candidate_ids,
+        reassign_candidate_centroids.as_fixed_size_list().clone(),
+    ))
+}
+
 struct AssignResult {
     // the batches of new vectors that are assigned to the partition,
     // and the deleted row ids
@@ -1837,3 +1853,37 @@ pub(crate) fn index_type_string(sub_index: SubIndexType, quantizer: Quantization
         }
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use arrow_array::Float32Array;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn select_reassign_candidates_skips_deleted_partition() {
+        let dim = 4;
+        let centroid_values = Float32Array::from(vec![0.0_f32; dim * 2]);
+        let centroids =
+            FixedSizeListArray::try_new_from_values(centroid_values, dim as i32).unwrap();
+        let mut ivf = IvfModel::new(centroids, None);
+        ivf.lengths = vec![10, 20];
+        ivf.offsets = vec![0, 10];
+
+        let c0 = ivf.centroid(1).unwrap();
+        let (reassign_ids, reassign_centroids) =
+            select_reassign_candidates_impl(DistanceType::L2, &ivf, 1, &c0).unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(reassign_ids.len(), 1);
+        assert_eq!(reassign_ids.value(0), 0);
+        assert_eq!(reassign_centroids.len(), 1);
+
+        let expected_centroid = ivf.centroid(0).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            reassign_centroids
+                .value(0)
+                .as_primitive::<Float32Type>()
+                .values(),
+            expected_centroid.as_primitive::<Float32Type>().values()
+        );
+    }
+}